2 January 1944
Dear Dr. Allen; :

It has been some time since I wrote you last, and there
have been quite a few changes in my status in the army. As
you may have heard the advanced calculus got a little too a

-rough to handle for me in my course in New York University oo)
and I was dropped from the ASTP program there. I think the oe
main trouble was that I should have had elementary calculus Me
befor I went to the program but they put me in it anyway

and as a result it was like playing a basketball game before
you have the fundamentals. It just can't be done. |

From New York University I was There reato~a-Beuae™ ole

Engineer Battalion in Fort Devens, Mass. I had not even :
gotten my barracks bags unpacked in Fort Devens when we

were ordered to move down here to Camp Butner, North Carolina \
where I am stationed now. The whole Group (equalivent of a -
regiment)of engineers moved down with us and we have just \ a
about taken over one corner of the camp. At the present ie
time we are not anywhere near up to full strength. We only 2
have the cadre and a few trainees. We don't know when we are | -
to received the rest of our men and until that time we are a

in a cadre training schedule. I was classified by the Board |

of this battalion as a clerk and typist mainly because I /

had had so high school typing and at that time they were j

in need of a typist. I don't know whether I will remain at /

this work in Battalion headquarters after the trainees come /

in or not. That about covers my experiences since leaving /
New York University. , ‘

  
   
  

Before I left N Y University a group of fellows and my-
seif scrimmaged with the varsity of NYU. The game was
a very ragged and either team had hadmuch practice. That was
| in late November. We did not keep score but they did beat
FE us I am sorry to say. I see that Bruee Drake's boys are
: as to play NYU in New York in March near the last of the schedule.
You can tell Bruce that his boys better be on their bicytzes
the night they play NYU because they have a bunch of little
warts who could go between Ballard's legs without bending
over but they are as fast as lightening and can all hit
around the free throw circle and out ten feet further, with
a darned good percentage. They had one boy who was playing
center at that time for them who was taller than the rest,
but they don't need to worry about him because he is a very
weak spot. They didn't seem to have much system to their
play when I saw them but they did fast break every chance
they got and did work a few "western screens" around the.
Single pivot post. Most of their screens are pulling the
man into the open for a shot in about the place that a
forward shoots on a number 1 play of ours, They used a tight
_ man for man defense but did check men.