55) Betty - Busy with college classes and pledging to a sorority

From Betty (Louisville, KY)

Nov. 20, 1944
Monday afternoon

My darling,

Got your letter of Nov. 7th today. I was really glad to hear from you.

Those tropical storms must be something. It sounds funny to hear that you get so cold in the tropics. Don’t catch cold.

Say! That 49th Fighter Group is really going to town. I don’t wonder that they are unsurpassed in the air. Look who’s helping them on the ground—Sgt. Riley.

Don’t mind me. I’m a little prejudiced. I don’t really care much for the fellow—no, not much!—An awful, awful lot. Who is this guy Riley, anyway? I’d sure like to meet him. I feel real good today. That’s the cause of all this nonsense. I’m really quite sane at times. The reasons I feel good (1) I got a letter from you, (2) I got an 88 on a Spanish test and (3) Just on general principles.

The reason I was so thrilled about my Spanish grade was that I didn’t think I was doing a bit of good in there and now I’m greatly encouraged. Wish you were here with me. It would be much more fun.

I’m not gettin a thing out of Physical Science. The only reason I’m taking it is so I can pass my sophomore comps. We’re having a lot of Physics in there now and I don’t know a thing about it. She’s a real dumb teacher anyway and she doesn’t do a good job of explaining. I’ve got to pass it some way or another, but as yet I haven’t found a way. Here’s hoping.

My English prof. is a scream. He teaches over at the Speed School (part of U of L) but he was the only one who could take a class at that time. He’s real young and cute, as I have told you before. He said the other day that our grades were terrible—he didn’t want to flunk anybody if there was any way to get out of it, but he didn’t care if the whole damn class flunked. When he said that I almost died laughing. I was just thinking – could you imagine Trawich coming out with something like that? That I would like to hear.

The K.A.’s (a fraternity) are having a party for us (Pi Phi’s) Saturday night. It ought to be loads of fun. The K.A.’s and Pi Phi’s are real close. We’ve got half of their silverware at our house and they’ve got half of ours. We’re always borrowing from each other. More fun!

I’m supposed to go to Fort Knox Friday night. I haven’t been for so long. I just haven’t had time.

Tomorrow I have an 8:30 and a 9:30 class. Then I have to tear in town to get to the Blood Bank by 10:45. Then back out to the house for lunch and afternoon classes. I hope it won’t take them long to get my blood ‘cause I’ll be in a hurry. It will be exactly 8 weeks since I went before. You have to wait at least that long and should wait longer. Mother didn’t want me to give it again this soon, but I wanted to and it won’t bother me. It’s silly to write you about this, it’s such a little thing, when you’re doing so much. It seemed like a lot at first, but now I realize it isn’t. That’s why I want to give it as often as I can, because it’s such a little for me to do.

Enough of this serious talk.

Mother, Horace, Anne, and I went out to see your folks last night. We had a swell time. Your dad teased me the whole time and I blush something terrible. I can’t help it and it makes me so mad.

What have you decided to do after the war? You say you are not going back to school, but what do you want to do? I’d really like to know. I haven’t noticed that you have said anything you’d like to do.

Guess I’d better study my pledge lesson for tomorrow. I have to memorize some stuff, all the punctuation and everything. If you make more than 2 mistakes you have to do it over.

Be careful and leave those Philippine girls alone. I’m jealous.

Remember that I love you and I want to see you more than anything else in the world.

Forever yours,
Betty

Notes:

1. Pi Beta Phi Sorority:  Betty was pledging to the Phi Beta Phi Sorority Pi Phi website link
2. University of Louisville-- Betty was starting her Freshman year at U of L.  She lived about 6 miles from campus and was able to take public transit (street cars) to get to school.