July 21, 1943

Note: I looked up the Cyclone Racer; it was demolished in the 1970s. According to this website, its top speed was 50 mph. The Highlands mentioned in the letter is likely the Comet, which was demolished in the 1960s. The Santa Anita Racetrack is still in existence. According to Wikipedia, "In 1942, racing at Santa Anita was suspended due to the Second World War. Santa Anita was used as an 'assembly center' for Japanese Americans excluded from the West Coast. For several months in 1942, over 18,000 people lived in horse stables and military-style barracks constructed on the site, including actor George Takei, then a young boy."


Desert Training Center, California

Wednesday

July 21, 1943

 

Dear Folks:

 

Received all your letters and cards & sure thank you for them. Hope this letter find the tribe all in good shape. I guess this desert sorta grows on a fellow and I like it pretty well here by now. I don’t know as I ever felt better in my life as I do out here. The weather sure is swell out here after you get used to it and you never have to worry about a raincoat. We’re getting a pretty good baseball team together and have a game scheduled for tonight at Needles, California. We go swimming every Sunday in Army trucks and so far I’ve had a good time every weekend and sure have seen some mountain country. Last Sunday we went swimming at Bullshead, Nevada. The Colorado River is about a quarter of a mile wide there and the water is about twice as cold as the Mississippi in January and I telling you that’s the coldest water Mr. Janis’ little boy has ever been dipped into. They say that cattlemen in this vicinity don’t need and dipping tanks out here. They just make there cows swim a little in the Colorado River and it freezes all the ticks and other types of virus right off of them. The current was about twelve miles per hour and we would dive in upstream and swim down to the trucks a hundred yards downstream in less than a minute. The only way you can swim is downstream.

 

Went to Los Angeles a week ago Friday and it sure is a pretty place and hitch hiking is the best way to travel in there. We rode with the Laundry to Santa Anita Racetrack and that’s really a pretty place. Looked up Hal and he’s working in Western Pictures. He showed us around Hollywood. Sure has some class that Hollywood. Found out where the calf ropers hang out in Glendale & watched em rope one night but they didn’t have any luck and were poorly mounted. Spent half day down at Long Beach at the Ocean and Rode the Cyclone Racer worlds fastest roller coaster. 90 M.P.H. Make the Highlands seem like a kiddy car. That’s all I know for now so guess I’ll close. All write soon. So long

 

Mel




Hal, Dixie, Mel, Ruth, and Perry

Hal, Mel, and Perry




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