Letter, Harold E. Watson to Franklin D. Roosevelt

August 5. 1942 25-HH My dear Mr. Watson: The President has received your note of July twenty-eighth, and asks me to thank you sincerely for sending along a copy of that interesting letter from your son. He is glad that you brought it to his attention. May I also tell you how much the President appreciates the fine spirit in which you write, and thank you, in his name, for the good wishes you express. Very sincerely yours, M. H. McINTYRE Secretary to the President X Harold E. Watson, Esq., 545 Corbett Avenue, San Francisco, California. dd 545 Corbett Avenue San Francisco, Calif. July 28th, 1942 and Hon. Franklin D Roosevelt President of the United States; Washington, D. C. Dear Mr. President:- I am just a plain citizen with a SON (all the world to me and his Mother naturally) in the service some seven weeks now. I am enèlosing a copy of letter I received from him very recently. With the spirit which his letter reflects, HOW CAN WE LOSE? If all parents will just write "newsy" letters to their Sons in the service never a pessimistic one, to hep keep up the spirit of those boys is will help their morale and help us all. The thought occured to me that this letter may interest you, perhaps I am predjudiced due to the fact that the writer is my Son, but I forward the enclosed copy for what it may be worth, please pardon the elim- ination of certain names, that is in event the letter might be of use for any purpose. With spncerest best wishes for a successful culmination of your heroic and strenuous efforts to bring about a peaceful world with certain freedoms for all Your humble servant. Harold Ellatson Harold Harold E. Watson. vqqed VIJOTA STS eyed edj 8.6 ejitw of gaivij qu evig [Iew E.S Jdgim I 08 - of gniog twode Ittnu 08 edj IIs NOV evig bas vsbnoM Juods NOV [Iso IIIW Friday 7/23/42 evol VM IIs djiw nedd 8:00 PM Somij ableger 86 for Tenguer Ilite at JI 9M [Ief vedi evoy NISW I .8 .9 Hell Folks: Haidt bns YOU to dtod evol IIIW has ob I Tedmemer Jud NOV to Ated edj Juods sted bruots galggerd avswIs m'I eat shedj teed 9dj Received your letter today, the one containing the copy of bas Hearst's letter about his dog. Glad you sent that as it is a masterpiece. Even tho' you're bawling out was cancelled I'll have to admitm it was partially deserved but 1811 also have to tell you a thing or three which you damn well know even tho' you wróte differently! I haven't yet and never shall become so accustomed to this life that I forget or in the slight- est degree lose my desire (which is a healthy one) to return to my home, the home which the best Ma and Pa in the world have made for me. Let me try to explain something else of I can, This is not a new "career." There are but few of us here who are enjoying it to any extent. We "goldbrick" every now and then, perhaps slight our studies a little sometimes, or don't go all st out on our drill and etc. But remember this for it is always in the back of our minds and is what makes it possible for us to take all this junk and make the best possible of it, also, it is the reason for my spending some of the few momets I have free to help a few of the other fellows along, and I am frequently helped along in other lines by them. There is a serious, severe and gigantic task to be done and in order that that home I love so much and the folks who made it for me may continue to exist in the same American manner, with all its comparative faults, also what I am doing, I am doing so that - - and I may some day have a home for our children and may try to be as goodz a pair of parents to them as you have been to me. I love you both very much and can't help but be highly bolstered up by all the little things you do for me, your swell newsy letters, (even tho' I sometimes can't read them for a couple of hours after I get them) and want to see you as badly as you want to see me. It was certainly a great help to have you with me over the 4th and I'm sure looking forward to seeing you one week from tomorrow ( and my blond too) It is also awfelly grand to hear from ----- that she has been up to the house for the evening and that you two are marvelous people and that she loves you very much and then to hear from you folks that is baking a cake for you some evening this week. It means an awful lot to me that you three love each other. I love each of you two, but in a totally different manner, that little bug is an awfully big sized part of me! Shucks just at the momet they are playing that piece "Dear MOm" over the Radio and its kind of putting a lump in my throat. All the above is not written by way of back "bawling out" but just to explain the state of mind down here. Just remember that we are deliber- ately here, busting up our lives and possibly risking our lives in order to tacklex a gigantic job, that must be done, that thought is always in our minds even tho' we knock off on inconsequentle duties now and then. I'm awfully proud of this generation and the way fellows-from all walks of life buckle in to help each other along and another thing, one of the most foremost thoughts in our minds is thaxtke that the sooner we can take back our place in normal society and continue on with our sadly in- teruppted lives. And that interruption makes us all damn mad at the groups who are responsible for it. That is our own feelings and is not drilled into us by the Army. Peculiarly enough, very little is said in that direction by the officials. Last night was our last night of school and today after Athletics this afternoon we have been practically free, late this afternoon we played a game of soft ball and since then I wroge twexketters one letter to and this one to you and have spent two hours, an hour on each, as it is now back from the Post show where all but three other fellows and myself went, 9;00 pm. There have been a few intermuptions but now the fellows are coming so I might as well give up trying to write as the boys are pretty happy about going to soon, Will call you about Monday and give you all the dope, 50 until then with all my love, 3333 tabitt M9 00:8 P. S. 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