Dear Members of the Bryant Service Club:

I am pleased to inform you all that I received your swell box of candy. My fellow soldier friends and I send our thanks.

At present I'm still working in one of the Finance Offices out here in Texas. It makes almost eight months since I arrived here. The only thing I like about Texas, is the weather. All the good looking ladies down here are from the north. So girls don't let anybody kid you about all these beautiful women down here. Of course I maybe wrong, because I only have seen San Antonio. Here's hoping no young ladies from San Antonio or Texas, read this letter.

The Army really has been swell to me since I came into the service a year ago. So far I haven't been in any actual combat, but expect to be sometime in the near future.

Occasionally you run into your old schoolmates. For some reason or another I have only met one. It sure is great to meet an old friend.

There's about ten soldiers to every girl out here. This is God's country for the women. Boy, how I would like to be back at Bryant, where the ratio is ten to one in favor of the boys. You lucky fellows.

Here's wishing you all a Merry Xmas and the best of everything in the New Year.

Love
Edward Ameen

P.S. Please note change of address on envelope.
[Transcription ends]

Sunday, 28 January 1945

AUSTRALIA

Dear Members of the Bryant Service Club:

I’m sorry I haven’t acknowledged receipt of your Xmas gift sooner. I was on leave over the holidays. It sure was good on my return to find a package from the Bryant Service Club waiting for me. I like to compliment you all on the swell job your doing. I reckon you do have a hard time keeping up with the boys.

I’m still stationed in the bushes of Australia. There really isn’t much doing for excitement out here. We do the same things day in and day out. We do have a few Red Cross girls. We are hoping that they will send some WACs out this way. We probably could have a dance now and then.

The weather isn’t bad as one may think. It’s supposed to be the rainy season this time of year. I have seen it rain a lot more back in the states. I don’t believe anyone could ask for better weather. It doesn’t take much sun to get a good sun-burn.

I spent my furlough in Adelaide, South Australia. I must admit it’s a beautiful city. There really isn’t much doing for good times. They don’t seem to believe in night clubs. Australia has its share of beautiful women. A Yank doesn’t have a hard time at all getting along with them. I sure would like to spend another leave in Adelaide.

I have no intentions of staying in Australia after the war. You’ll find the states are pretty hard to beat regardless where you go. I have nothing against Australia, except that I’m stuck in this neck of the woods. We are hoping that we will see the Philippines soon. I just can’t wait to get back in my civvies once again. It sure is some thing to look forward to. How about that?

It seems like I can’t think of anything else to write. I’ll be signing off and thanking you all for the swell Xmas gift.

Yours truly
Ed Ameen

[Transcription ends]

Dear Friends:

I [sic] like to inform you all that I received your swell package. It sure was a surprise. I also would like to congraulate [sic] The Bryant Service Club, on the swell job they are doing. I’m sure all the boys in the service really appreciate it.

At present I am working in the Finance office out here. It sure is interesting work. You run up against different problems every day. To tell you the truth I really like the Army. It seems more like a vacation then [sic] anything else. We have everything a person could ask for right here on the post. We have a swimming pool about 50 yds away. What else could a person ask for, especially at this time of the year.

I also miss my old friends back at Bryant College. Believe me you really miss the place after you have been away from it for awhile.

Here’s hoping we will all be able to meet again after this war. I’m really looking forward to that day.

I’ll sign off until the near future to come. May I thank you all once again, and May God Bless You All.

Edward Ameen
[Transcription ends]