More news from the home front in Atlanta

Today's letter is another one from Frances, and she describes some of the activities she had talked about in the two earlier letters. 

Jan. 14, 1946

Dearest,

I received two lovely letters from you today.  One was written on the stationery the Japanese man gave you and enclosed the pictures that you took of Johnson and Atwood and yourself.  I am so glad to have pictures of you.  We were interested in  MacArthur's picture, too.

Did you get Johnson in to confer with you, the General and Col. Unger?  He would have been delighted to have joined you.

I went out to Fort McPherson today and got a PX card.  There I bought two cartons of cigarettes and a bottle of vitamin pills for you.  Father mailed my pictures to you the other day.  The post office man would not agree to send it air mail beyond San Francisco, but it will be treated as first class mail from there.  I will send it the fastest way I can.  Darling, I hope your cold improves and does not get serious.

We have two crates of oranges and grapefruits around here.  Aunt Grace sent one and someone sent Bryant one.  I surely wish I could send you some.

I received a letter today from Cora today.  Marguerite's little baby died several months ago with pneumonia and whooping cough.  Cora isn't working any more.  Ruthie Mae wrote the letter.

Bryant is a member of the League of Women Voters and is going to spend two days at the state legislature this week.

She received a letter from Carl this morning that was encouraging.  He said he thought he would be able to see her here or in Guam in about a couple of months.  She is a changed person!

I took Martha with me when I went to Fort Mac.  Afterwards I drove out to College Park and had lunch with Tom, Betty and Tommy.  They are all doing fine.  Tom went last week to Lawson General and had a check up.  It was negative.  He had about 90 radio treatments and much of that is still working in his body.  The man who was in the room with him when we went to Washington had the very same operation Tom did.  He had the same treatment Tom did, recovered more rapidly and was discharged before Tom was.  However, he died last Christmas.

Tom and Betty have bought a darling little house in College Park, and Betty has decorated it most attractively.

Emily is getting her fractions fine, but she is having trouble with long division.  This afternoon she went to the library.  When she returned, she brought a book back to read.  I told her she could read it when she finished her homework.  You should have heard her groan and moan over each problem .  She declared she didn't like school and that she never wanted to see arithmetic again in her life!  In spite of her moaning she is catching on nicely.

All my love to you, darling,

Frances

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Fort McPherson (pronounced muk-FEAR-sun and known informally in Atlanta as Fort Mac) is an army base located in College Park, GA, about 15 miles south of Atlanta.  There has been a military base on this spot since 1834, and it was also used as a Confederate Army installation during the Civil War.  It was given its present name in 1885.  It employs nearly 5,000 soldiers and civilians, but the facilities are also used by the nearly 100,000 retired military personnel in the Atlanta area.  Fort McPherson is slated to be closed in Septermber 2011.

Aunt Grace was Pop's sister, and she was married and living in Bradenton, Florida.

Cora was the maid at the Gillham home in Kerrville, Tennessee, right after they were married.  Cora was so taken by little Emily Gillham that she named her own child Emily, as well.