Feb. 21, 1951
Hello Sweetheart,
Well here I sit in the cab of a truck in the rain on Chonju. Know exactly where Chonju is don't you? I don't either. Anyway it took two days of the coldest riding of my career to get here. It was really cold too. We were going through mountains all the way and the wind was terrific. Hope it's summer before I have to go back that was. We only came 80 miles but we were going about 10 MPH all the way.
Now we're waiting here in Chonju for word to move on up. Been waiting ever since 5:30 this morning in fact. We're supposed to go up around Wonju some place and it's about 20 miles from here. Supposed to be a big attack up there today or [Bill's ink becomes pencil writing] tomorrow. I mean we're attacking not the Chinese. The troops have been coming by here steady all day long. So maybe we're staying here so we don't get in the way on the road with our convoy.
Ran out of ink up the page there, you can tell where, and my ink is way down in my sea bag packed in the truck and all I have is this old soft pencil. Probably when I get to the end of this letter the thing will be worn down to a nub. It is already almost.
Don't know when I'll get to mail this thing probably in a day or two. Had a lot of time on my hands today and just happened to think I'd like to chat with you awhile. Right now it's about 12:00 midnight Tuesday back in L.A. so I guess you're in the hay stack fast asleep, if the lantern isn't burning. So if you don't talk back to me now I'll understand. If you ever want to figure out what time it is here just ["subtract" scratched out] add 17 and a half hours to the time in L.A. or subtract 6 and a half hours and add a day and you've got it. When I get up at 5:30 I always think of you just starting out of Richfield to go to lunch. You didn't know you're old man had enough influence to get to sleep till noon every day did you. So when you eat your noon soup think of the old boy crawling out of a nice warm sleeping bag into the cold day.
I think it is starting to warm up some though. At least it wasn't too bad today or Monday except for riding in the wind Monday it would have been nice. Of course the rain has kept it pretty warm today. But it must have been below zero yesterday most of the time as it was really a kick riding on top of a pile of stuff in the back of this truck with my bare face hanging out. I got to sharpen this pencil now.
This here town we're in has been won and lost so many times they've lost track and it sure is beat all to hell. Most of the Koreans are gone someplace, south I guess, and it's all deserted. We stayed in a big two story building last night that must have been a school or something but it was pretty drafty cause it didn't have any windows and not many doors but it was better than putting up a tent in the mud.
I was figuring on spending tonight here too but they just told us we're going to leave in an hour and it has just decided to rain harder than it has all day. Boy this is going to be real sport. Dark and raining and 20 miles or more to go and sleep in the rain the rest of the night. I'd rather be at 1220 (home address in L.A.) snuggling with Mrs. Welch. That'd be a lot more sport lemme tell ya. Oh well, that's war and the Marine Corps I guess. I can't fight it, it's bigger than both of us.
Just saw some of the boys from Tent Camp go by on the way up so I guess I won't be alone in my misery. Eulie was one of the guys so he'll be there before me.
Well Baby Doll, I have to quit and go heat a can of "C" rations for supper so I can face this on a full stomach anyway.
Didn't get any mail since Kobe but I guess we will in a few days or a week at most.
Be a good girl and give all my love to Mrs. Welch. No rations we're leaving now.
Love 'n stuff
Bill
P.S. we left all of a sudden the other night. I'll tell you about it on the next page cause I haven't had a chance to mail this yet. Love B.