Letters from WW II

Researching our family geneology has given me much better insight into who we all are, especially by viewing primary sources. I'd like to share with us all letters from my father to his parents as he headed off to war. Through these you can see what a wonderful man he was. This is the first letter, with more to come.
I love you, Dad.

Andi

#6 . Postmark: ABSEGON, NJ
Sept 4, 1942 6 AM,
Written on one side only of 2 tan sheets of paper with a blue Eagle Standing on a stars and stripes coat of arms on the left corner.
Stamped “FREE” for postage.

To: Mr. & Mrs A.W. Smith
79 Chadwick St.
Haverhill, Mass.

Dear Folks,

Well I’m pulling our of Devens this morning.(Fri.) I expected to go yesterday but no luck. Right now I’m sitting on the parade grounds waiting for some fellows to come back from their inoculations. I had mine last night and was quite sick this morning. We were lucky to have them.....5 Hr. Pause. Now on train to?....as the fellows who had them yesterday were bad. We carried six off the mess line out after they collapsed. We have been waiting since 4 this morning to be shipped and we are now on a train just about to leave. It is 12:30. I am quite sure I am in the air corp and believe I am headed south but they don’t tell us anything so I don’t know. The fellows in this place are swell and everyone gets along fine. The only thing that has bothered me so far is the continual waiting. We wait to eat, mess, reveille, retreat. They think nothing of putting us in the sun for 3 or 4 hrs. But we hope things will be better at our permanent camp. You should see this place. It is a regular town with its own stores, bakeries, hospitals, theaters, service clubs, etc. There are aprox. 35,000 here at a time. We are on a train holding probably 1000 troops. There are one to 3 of these leave every day loaded with recruits. Well I guess there is not much to say and I will write when I find out where I’m going.

Love
Fred