Pfc. George H Dicus
865th Chem. Co.
BTC #8 - AO
Fresno, Calif.
Tuesday August 3, 1943
Dearest Mother and Daddy,
Let me tell you about Sun. first. One of my friends, and myself met a girl that owns an auto. She got another girl, and we went up in the mts. where the big redwood trees grow. We saw the biggest tree in the world. The Gen. Grant tree, and boy was it a whopper. There are a bunch of beautiful lakes, and it is more or less a summer resort. We went horseback riding, and had a wonderful time up there. It has an elevation of about 7,000 feet, and was real cool. That where we are going on the bivouac sometime soon. I had just as soon stay up there.
The chemical school is here in the Co. We have classes around here, but we still get quite a bit of exercise along with it. It is interesting though, and I like it.
I don't know when I will get a furlough. It doesn't look too good to get one right away now. They are pretty stingy with them, and there are several still ahead of me. I hope to have one before long though.
Yes, I have made a lot of friends. It is hard to realize how many people you do meet while traveling around in the army. There is a swell bunch of boys here, and I like the Company I am in. It is small, and everyone is good friends.
How are the boys doing in school. Are they as lazy about studying as I was, or is that possible?
Old Bill has really been transferred around to a lot of different things, hasn't he. I wonder how he likes S.D. Sioux Falls is not too good. The place is run over with soldiers. I guess Albert will get over being homesick sometime. I hope so anyway. I guess Basic Training is pretty tough on him, but I think he will like the army after he gets out of it.
We have been taking some hikes lately, and some of the boys have been getting big blisters, but my old mo. just chugs along and never gives me the least bit of trouble. The secret is though, I pull off my shoes around here and go barefooted. I didn't go barefooted for 14 years for nothing.
I feel fine, and am having a good time. Say, I weigh 175 lbs now. When I get home I will probably weigh about 200.
Write to me real soon, and tell me all of the news.
All of my love,
George
