England. Nov. 14, 1943

Dear Mother,
      Received quite a few letters this
week so will try to answer them
now. Received two of your letters
and your Christmas card and
package. Of course I opened the
package right away. We don't have
room to store them and we
have mice in our hut. So the
mice get to investigating first
if we don't. I can use the present
very much. As for the soap I think
I will start a store.
     What is this about oil wells
around our place? Are they drilling
now? Freeman mentioned it in
his letter to me also.

     I celebrated my Armistice
day by taking in the show of
Irving Berlin's "This is The
Army." I liked it real well. It
is a grand show. I wouldn't
mind seeing it again.
       In one of Irene's letters she
said her and her folks had
been to Berkey Church. Did you get
to speak to her while she was
there? Gee I hope so.
       My name came up for a
furlough today. I don't know
where I will go. Everyone says
Scotland is a grand place. I
might go there. I suppose it
is really cold there now. It is
a raw day here. I suppose
we will have many just like them.

     I got a big long letter from
Luella the other day. Gee it
really was a newsy letter. I
like to get nice long letters like
that. Dick also had a letter
in it for me.
      Gee I can't think of anything
to write about anymore. I guess
I don't have a thing to say. Why
don't you have Dad write once
in awhile? Well I guess this is
all for now. So long.
                         Love Ralph.


The next letter will be posted on Nov. 21st.

Background Information (and comments):

• Ralph's sister, Luella Brown Spalding, had 3 children. Richard (Dick) was born June 9, 1936, so he would have been 7 when Ralph wrote this letter. The other children were Myrlene (May 10, 1941) and William (Bill)(Sept. 26, 1942). 
• I'm not sure if oil was found near the family farm, but if I remember correctly, natural gas was found and utilized by his brother Freeman when he moved into a house within walking distance of his family home. Here is a link to oil/gas production in Lenawee County MI:
• http://www.drillingedge.com/michigan/lenawee-county
• If you'd like to watch a restored color version of "This Is The Army", here is the synopsis and a link: (notice that Ronald Reagan is in it):
• As the United States enters World War I in 1917, newly married actor Jerry Jones (George Murphy) puts on an all-infantry musical to raise his fellow soldiers' morale. At the dawn of World War II, as his own son, Johnny (Ronald Reagan), ponders whether to marry his sweetheart, Eileen (Joan Leslie), Jerry and his old Army buddies -- including Eileen's father, Eddie Dibble (Charles Butterworth) -- decide to put on a new show for the boys marching off to battle just as they did years ago.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNYl15DXSjU