Maj Jim W Lovell, 12/18/1944

O’Reilly Gen Hosp
Dec 18 1944

Dear Col.

Rec’d yours of Dec 6 on Saturday and glad to hear. I have delayed writing this last week in hopes I would have some real news. I went before the disposition board on Dec 4th and was given 6 mo L.S. At the expiration of that time I will have to return to one of the 4 neurosurgical centers for an examination and will then be retired or placed on permanent L.S. The fact that I have to be examined at one of these centers may keep me from coming all the way. I told the board that I would like to be sent to Hawaii so they asked me to go to Hq for the orders would be published right here. The Adj asked the 7 serv. Command what to do and they went to W.D. so I am waiting for orders from Wash seems like two weeks would have been time enough for an answer.

Just had a letter from Rocco who is much better and starts at Leavenworth on Jan 8. He is quite excited about it. In my last to him the early part of the month I asked about several of the fellows and learned that Brian is with 442 and Scoop with the 45th. The last I had from Kome was certainly different than the previous one. He also reported Sam as missing rather than make. There were fifteen tanker P.W. in one group. Kim and one other managed to escape.

Albert Yokoyama received a request for his transfer to Tripler and it was approved at Omaha but turned down at Leonard Wood. Doc is probably there this a.m. and will have some news for you. He had orders to fly both ways when he left here.

Happy to hear it is now Gen Fielder but sorry to hear Keely is leaving, but I guess he will be back. Sounds like 298 has come home.

The news I gave Merrick was previous to the time I had learned the WDC237 had been rescinded. That would have gotten me back but when rewritten as 349 it pertained only to Enlisted men.

Ohta is back with the outfit but no word from Nosse lately. Fukuda has been gone quite a while but Kome asked me to try and keep him here. I had already told Mits to report into a hosp with his trench feet. As soon as I have any news I will write. Gen can’t seem to get an answer from M. [illegible] for priority. We wrote 6 wks ago. Best to both of you.

Jim