Below is a transcription of the letter.
3 once cent stamps with George Washington on them.
Postmarked 16 Jan 1942, Norfolk Virginia, 5:30PM
[written in ink;]
L.L. Pointer
AAB "A"
N.H.S.
Norfollk, Va.
Mrs. P.M. Pointer
Collins
Iowa
[Letter, p.1, in pencil]
Jan 15, 1942.
AAB "A"
Naval Air Station
Norfolk, Virginia
Dear Mom:
Another year has come & gone.
How time flies in this old world.
Before I forget it I will thank you
for the Christmas gift you sent me.
I also received several other gifts
from people I know here. Much to my
surprise I also received three birth-
day presents. Didn't know anybody
knew when my birthday was.
Not knowing much about this
weather here in Virginia, I don't know
whether were having an average winter
or not. So far it hasn't snowed any
but I don't know whether they ever
have much snow here. It has been
raining every now and then.
If the war had started two weeks
later, would have been home for a
few days Christmas. My leave had
been approved of and I was all set
to go until the turn of events changed
[Letter, p.2, in pencil then ink]
the situation.
Have no idea how much longer
I will be at my present location.
I would just as soon stay here as
anywhere else, but guess it don't
make much difference.
What became of brother Forrest or
do you know? I haven't heard from
him since before he went home on leave.
Presume he is to occupied to worry
about writing. Has Donald been
caught up with by the draft board?
Or any of the rest of the family.
Would have sent Rama a Christmas
card but didn't know her address.
She has never written since she
moved to Colorado. Grandpa sent
me her address just the other day. [End of writing in pencil. The rest of the letter is in ink]
Since starting this letter
I have received a letter from
Toy. Doubt whether we catch [Toy is Forrest, his youngest brother also in the U.S. Navy]
up with each other for a
year or so.
Got "paid off" on the thirteenth
and finally got my discharge
[Letter, p.3, written in ink.]
yesterday. The only way they
would discharge me was if I
would immediately reenlist.
Well I've got four more years
to do as of the fourteenth.
It snowed here the other day
for the first time and has
since all melted and the weather
is quite warm. It was 42 degrees
yesterday at seven thirty.
Have today off and am getting
the fender fixed on my car
that you said ruined the looks
of it when I was home. Have
one day out of six off now
instead of the weekend.
Am sending my discharge
home in a few days as I wish
to be able to travel as light
as possible should I have to
[Letter, p.4, ink]
go anywhere. Before long you
will think that I'm using the
house for a store room.
My address is unchanged.
Your son
Lester.
Here is short clip from Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Peal Harbor Address given 8 Dec 1941, which is a little over a month before this letter was written by Lester Pointer.
~Caroline