The following letter was written by Pvt. Robert Lee Ware, decd., In 1942, it was addressed to his cousin Arthur Ware, of Montgomery Co. Kentucky. Robert enlisted Dec. 8, 1941.

Fort Lenard wood Missouri
29th Battalion
Company D
ET. BN 3rd PL. 1808

Dear Arthur:

I thought I would write you a few lines to pass away the time, and to find out how you all were getting along in old Kentucky.
We are in the middle of the Ozarks, this is one rough State plenty of woods and mountains, rivers and valleys and it really rains here. I have been to and through St. Louis, it is about 200 miles from our camp, the closest town about 9 miles from camp, now I know why Jessie James was so hard to find in Missouri, this is a plenty wild place.
Find out Johnny ‘s address and send it to me.
We will be here 3 months probably , let me know all the news from Ky. You know of.
I like this place ok , there are 37,000 men here, and the camp covers 90,000 acres.

We have been drilling with rifle and bayonet, working, marching, and keeping in step, where I have the most trouble, the army is plenty tough, but I think I will make it ok.
How did your tobbacco do?
We will be here 13 weeks or less then 30 of us leave for Panama, I do not know where we will land at in Panama. I belong to the Field Artillery at present, I may change over to something else in the future.

Yours Truly

Robert Lee Ware

Note: Panama must have been a cover story, Robert was transferred to the 341st Engineers, and sent to Alaska to help build the Alcan highway , and there after to England to prepare for the landing at Utah Beach on D-Day.

Transcribed by Wendell Ware