Dear Mom,

Well I kinda get around don't I - here I am in North Africa already. This part of the country is really dry - hardly anything grows here at all. To begin with I'm writing this in candlelight while I'm laying on my canvas cot. Thank goodness I won't be here long. My cot has a mosquito netting over it just like in the movies. I'm writing this while lying on my back - the candle is on the floor so the ink keeps leaving the pen point all the time. This place used to belong to the French Army, Germans, Italians, and now us. There's running water but we can't drink it - all drinking water is in XXX bags. It was hot here today, but not that humid heat we had at Topeka. I went to a show tonight - it was out in the open and every time a plane took off it would drown out the sound. All the natives - not Africans but the French and Arabis are all so dirty looking. I'm beginning to appreciate the good old USA already. They sell beer at the PX every night from 7 until it's gone. I had to laugh at the long line of guys with their canteen cups waiting in line. It sure didn't last long. Well it's getting late and I have to get up early tomorrow so I close for now.

Love,
Rae