John F. Zeller Papers
Your Wednesday letter did not arrive yesterday. So I shall be able only to answer Dad's letter this time. Thanks for writing, Dad! I'm glad you liked the tie.
I'm glad you won’t lose the Streeters just yet anyway. But I know how Bob must feel about it.
Hope you had a good time at Consistory, Dad. I wish too I could go up with you –- but perhaps sometime I will. I'd like to go in town to a few of the meetings here -- but I'm afraid to try. I'm afraid I couldn't pass the test. Maybe sometime I'll get up enough nerve.
I wish I could be as optimistic as you about the war, Dad. I don't see how it can possibly end in '43. I fully expect to be home along sometime in '46 -- but before then, I'm not willing to make any predictions. Italy is probably just about done -- but that doesn't mean very much -- for Italy never was too powerful. and when she does fall, she will just be another country for us to feed and take care of. Germany is being hit hard by our flyers -- but she is still a great fortress. Remember, she holds all of Europe and has fortified the coast with fortifications -- the like of which we have never before encountered. Moreover, once we do get on the continent we still have to get though the Maginot line, and the west wall before we can march into Berlin.
As for Japan. Well, she holds Asia just where she wants it. All she has to do is sit tight. It will be another attack on every island in the Pacific. We shall have to pull or blast every single Jap out of his fox hole -- one by one. It takes time!
There is little new. The USO show Wednesday night wasn’t at all bad. I enjoyed it a great deal. I've got hold of the 3rd volume of "Abe Lincoln," finally -- so I spent Thursday + Friday catching up on reading.
Yesterday I went to town -- saw a movie and had supper. The movie wasn't bad. If you want to see a good show that doesn't even mention war, Mother, then go see "Presenting Lily Mars."
I went to 9:00 church this morning and in a few minutes four of us from the department are going to go over to the other side for a day at the Officer's Club. We plan on having a good dinner -- a swim -- supper -- and a movie -- "Stage Door Canteen", at the new post theater -- with the plush seats.
One of the men in the department has been assigned to the anti-aircraft section. More of us will be assigned within the next two weeks. I don’t believe now that any of us will leave Fort Sill -- but we'll be shuffled around within the depatment. I'm pretty sure to be sent to the anti-aircraft or small-arms section for I'm the baby of the Department. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything.
The new schedule goes into effect July 2 -- but won't hit us until July 12th. We also get the West Point boys then. You see, the boys who have first finished at the Point have to go though the same course I had before they can go out as Artillery Officers. A few men will be assigned to take case of the Pointers. I doubt if I get that assignment. But it wouldn’t be a bad job at all.
If I don’t get transferred to the range, I'm due for a brief vacation the week of July 19th. We won't have any students at all that week. We will have some work to do -- but we're sure to get at least a day and a half off. I'm going to try to get down to Dallas or Ft. Worth then.
Loods like John L. Lewis really stirred up something this time. Once Congress gets mad, it knows how to act in a hurry. However, I don't think much of the bill they passed. It won't help to make labor the responsible element it should be.
I'm not at all satisfied with the domestic situation. Unless things clear up soon, I'm afraid we'll have a new President in '44, -- and I'm not sure it's a good idea to change horses until the war is over.