Dec. 20, 1942.

Dear Mother & Father,

Ive never been away from home on Xmas, until now. Yet you have my best there, Kenny and Lois. Please try and make them happy without me this Christmas. It makes me feel pretty bad to think Im not there but Id feel worse if I wasn’t in the Army.

You have been wonderful parents to me and I know it. I was so relieved and happy when Lois wrote & said that she was at home. I want you to want her to stay there until you & she can come out. Don’t come alone Mother, bring Lois with you.

I will probably be at H B Hatch’s on Xmas. They invited me down, so I won’t be alone.

Have a merry Xmas with a lot of love from

Your son
Bill

12/17/42

Dear Mom and Pop:

Excuse the paper. Ill try to clear up everything. I was commissioned 12-9-42 and started for California the same day.

We traveled by pullman, cost me $110.75 for the trip. As an officer you get travel pay, so that will compensate for it.

Arrived here in Sacramento 12-14 or 15-42 Traveled thru Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

After I arrived here I found that I had been selected to attend the Army Engineer School here (providing I can pass the entrance exams.) I had to talk my way into it. My classmates are all graduate engineers, one a metalurgist, another an aeronautical engineer.

There are 15 men selected every 3 months I believe. The classes are very small and you really get the works.

Classes are about 15 hours a day , 6 days a week 5 hours in airplane mechanic work course per day 5 hours in aeronautical engineering per day 5 hours administrative engineering per day, full schedule isnt it?

It is a wonderful opportunity and I dont see how I ever made it. I must be good and dont realize it. Seriously, I am tickled to death.

It means that the government is giving me an education, then will put me in a real job.

I will get a field or maybe two fields to supervise the engineering work. I probably will be made an assistant engineering officer until I get the hang of it.

Tell Herman I will have to be a “Baird” it is an office job but I think that Ill like it.

The quarters here are swell. Officers have the best of everything. I had to bring some more clothes here.

Well I dont have much more so Ill close be sure to write me. Send all correspondence to

Lt. William A. Shepard Jr.
Engineering and Supply Officers Training School
McCelland Field, California

Keep the home fires burning. Love to all

Your son
Bill

P.S. I graduated 441 in the class of 3620 at OTS in Miami Beach.

Please don’t tell anyone outside the family anything about the school ??st[Just?] that I am going there.

12-8-42

Dear Mom & Pop

You wont get any letters for a while so this is the last, probably before Xmas.

Graduation tomorrow, then I get shipped to my new post. I meant it when I said to ship all my Xmas packages to Lois’ Uncle Berts. Ill be within a stone-throw of his place.

If you mail them there, all in one big ^or small box. I can pick them up.

Everything is fine here, the weather is beautiful. I am taking a sun bath while writing this.

I dont suppose Lois will be able to come out until after a start in life, then perhaps you & her can come out. I can have a home ready by then.

I sent all my old army clothes home. Pack them away where the moths wont get them.

Ill tell you that I have a swell job in the army, I got an assignment that will probably keep me from active fighting duty. I will be pretty far back of the lines, so Lois can stop worrying.

Tell everyone hello & I love you all.

Your Son
Lt. Bill

10/27/42

Dear Mother & Dad:

Received the candy and we (roomates have eaten it. Thanks a million. I am just finishing guard duty and have no news. Weather is find and I’m OK. Ill close & write some more this evening.

---

Well I just came of the last shift of guard duty. I will be an upperclassman tomorrow and will not be subject to guard and orderly duties. They take the guard business serious in the army and especially so along the coast.

I don’t know whether you know it or not, but I have bought my offer uniforms. They will cost about $200. There are so darn many expenses going to O.C.S. It isn’t like

being in the army as a private. We have orderly fees we pay the men who helps to hop up the hotel, and we pat about $10 a mo. laundry. Now they want us to put $25 apiece in a kitty to get class rings and throw a banquet but I don’t thin that I had better. The uniforms are really bit tailored to fit. One blouse, 4 shirts 2 pr. pants, overcoat, cap and etc. Its a good start towards an outfit.

I won’t be able to get a leave to come home. They have cut them out. I won’t get one until I have been in the army 3 mo as an officer.

I don’t know where I will be and won’t know.

If you can get gas you should come down for my graduation. It will be about Dec 5-10. Don’t bring the car unless you can get the gas because it is dry here.

Love to all, Ill write later, your son
Bill

October 3, 1942

Dear Mom and Dad:

Everything is O.K. The weather is fine. The school is the best I know of. We are very busy but Ill try to drop a line once in a while. Here is my address in case you want to know.

---

O/C Shepard, WA
Squadron 11 Group B
A.A.F.O.C.S.
Miami Beach, Florida
C/O South Seas Hotel

We don’t get out o the hotel only about once a week, then just for an hour or so. Dont come down

to see me because I wont be able to get out at all and we are allowed no visitors. Ill try to get home for Xmas as I should be commissioned on or near the 15th of December. I will probably go on to school from there.

How is everyone at home? Hope O.K. Tell Ruth and Herman the news as I dont have time to write anyone really.

Goodby
Your son
Bill