Parks Air College East Saint Louis, Illinois September 9, 1942

Dear Mother,
     Well I arrived here safe and
sleepy. I guess it rained most of the
way here. It was raining here when
we got here and rained most of the
night. In class last night everybody
was so sleepy. I got to bed at 2:30
and woke up at 11:00 this morning
so I really got some sleep.
     I just finished a letter to Irene.
One of the boys in my class from Detroit
isn't back yet. He has been A.W.O.L.
3 days before this so I guess it will
really go tough for him this time.
It is rather warm here today. It was
kinda tough to start in again after being
home even for a day. It sure was tough
to say goodbye from home again but
not as bad as the first time.

     I am hoping I will get sent to a
station closer to home. I don't know
where I will be sent  to until we
graduate. So I will write and tell you
then where I will be stationed. I hope
though it is closer to home.
     Gee it seem so good to get home
again. I guess I told you all about
army life and what I am doing here.
So there isn't so much to write about
anymore. Put my letters I brought
home. I guess I left them in the
back room. Put them away. I forgot
to. Well I can't think of anymore to write.
Got a letter from the folks I boarded
with in Sandusky. I guess I will have
to write and tell everybody my address
will be changing again. Gosh the
time here has really gone fast.
     Well I guess this is all for now.
     Hope to see you soon again.
                               So long
                                  Ralph


Background Information:

• Ralph had previously referred to living in Sandusky OH. Very likely he worked at a cement plant there. Some other jobs that I know he had were working in a sugar beet plant (I believe near Blissfield MI), bridge construction (on Route 223 in MI), and grave digger at Toledo Memorial Park. However, the only job I knew much about was as a stationary engineer at Medusa Portland Cement near Sylvania, OH  (which he worked when I was a child until his death in 1967).
• The Sandusky Cement Company at Sandusky, Ohio was organized in 1892 using the trade name of Medusa.  In 1929 the name was officially changed from Sandusky-Medusa Cement Company to Medusa Portland Cement Company.  The Medusa Cement Plant was constructed in 1922 on Centennial Road.  

The next letter will be posted on September 14th.