V-Mail Written by Richard K. Harbach to the Bryant College Service Club Dated March 7, 1945

[Transcription begins]FROMSGT RICHARD K HARBACH31-070-961HQ BTRY 390th AAA AW BNAPO 403, c/o Postmaster, N.Y.March 7, 1945 TO:THE BRYANT SERVICE CLUBBRYANT COLLEGEPROVIDENCERHODE ISLAND TO ALL YOU MANY FRIENDS OF ALL US SERVICEMEN THAT ARE ALUMNI OF BRYANT COLLEGE. RECEIVED MY COPY OF THE LETTER ADDRESSED TO BRYANT ALUMNUS FROM YOUR CLUB AND I SURE DID ENJOY READING IT EVER SO MUCH AND HEARING THAT EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL THERE AT BRYANT COLLEGE. SURE DO THANK YOU ONE AND ALL FOR YOU[R] HEARTY WISHES FOR A CHRISTMAS AND ALTHOUGH IT IS RATHER LATE IN THE SEASON I HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU HAD AN ENJOYABLE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON. SURE DID APPRECIATE READING ABOUT THE ACTIVITY THAT WAS GOING ON AROUND THE COLLEGE AND GLAD TO HEAR THAT SOME OF THE BOYS ALREADY DISCHARGED FROM THE SERVICE HAVE COME TO BRYANT TO BE ONE OF YOU AND RECEIVED THE EDUCATION THAT THEY AT ONE TIME HAD TO DROP. SORRY TO HEAR THAT MR NAYLOR HAS LEFT BRYANT. YOU SURE ARE RIGHT THAT THERE WILL BE A BIG CELEBRATION WHEN ALL OF US FELLOWS AND GIRLS FROM BRYANT CAN CELEBRATE THE HOMECOMING OF ALL THE BRYANT ALUMNI FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. IF EVER PROVIDENCE HAS SEEN A CELEBRATION BEFORE IT WILL NEVER COMPARE TO THE ONE WE WILL GIVE THEN. SO FAR I HAVE NEVER RUN ACROSS ANY OF THE OLD BRYANT GRADUATES BUT I KEEP MY EYES OPEN FOR THEM BECAUSE ONCE IN AWHILE YOU RUN ACROSS SOMEONE YOU KNOW FROM BACK HOME. THINGS ARE OK WITH ME AND EVERYTHING IS GOING ALONG ALRIGHT. REALLY DON\u27T HAVE MUCH NEWS TO ADD TO THAT YOU ALL READ IN THE PAPERS AND HEAR FROM ALL THE OTHERS THAT WRITE BACK TO THE SCHOOL. I HAVE OFTEN THOUGHT BACK TO THE HAPPY DAYS I HAD WHEN I WAS ATTENDING CLASSES AT BRYANT AND OFTEN WONDER WHERE ALL MY CLASS MATES ARE AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING, SO I DO ENJOY YOUR NEWS LETTERS VERY MUCH BECAUSE IT TELLS US ALL ABOUT FELLOWS AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING. I THINK THAT IT IS A SWELL IDEA AND I AM SURE THAT MANY MORE OF THE BRYANT ALUMNI THINK SO TOO. I DOUBT IF MR GULSKI WILL REMEMBER ME AFTER ALL THESE YEARS BUT STILL IF HE IS STILL WITH YOU AT THE COLLEGE I SURE WOULD APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH IF YOU WOULD DROP IN ON HIM AND TELL HIM I WAS ASKING ABOUT HIM. THE VERY LAST I KNEW OF HIM HE WAS DEAN OF MEN AND IF HE IS STILL THERE I AM SURE THAT HE IS DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF IT AND IS WELL LIKED BY THE STUDENTS TODAY AS HE WAS BY US WHEN WE WERE THERE. SO FAR I HAVEN\u27T RECEIVED THE GIFT THAT YOU MENTIONED IN THE LETTER BUT NO DOUBT IT WILL REACH ME ONE OF THESE DAYS AS YOU PROBABLY ADDRESSED TO MY OLD ADDRESS WHICH HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN. I SURE DO APPREACIATE [sic] THE THOUGHT BEHIND IT AND THE SERVICE CLUB SURE DOES A LOT FOR US FELLOWS IN THE SERVICE AND WE APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH. SURE WISH THAT I COULD MAKE A VISIT TO THE CAMPUS AND SEE ALL OF YOU SWELL PEOPLE PERSONALLY BUT I AM AFRAID THAT JUST AT THE PRESENT TIME THAT IS QUITE IMPOSSIBLE. HOWEVER I AM ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT THE COLLEGE AND ALL THE GOOD THAT YOU BACK THERE ARE DOING FOR US OVER HERE AND THE MAIN THING WE WISH FOR YOU ALL IS TO CARRY ON AS YOU ARE AND EVEN IF YOU CAN\u27T BE WITH US YOU ARE DOING A SWELL JOB OF KEEPING THE HOME FIRES BURNING FOR US WHEN WE RETURN BACK HOME. I AM VERY PROUD TO KNOW PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND I SURE DO WISH YOUR CLUB ALL THE LUCK IN THE WORLD AND THAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS IT IS ALREADY. IT SURE IS A FINE IDEA AND KEEPS ALL OF US, PAST AND PRESENT TOGETHER IN OUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE HAPPY DAYS YOU FIND AT BRYANT. SO UNTIL THE NEXT TIME I SURE WISH YOU LOADS AND LOADS OF LUCK, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, AND ALTHOUGH I DON\u27T KNOW YOU PERSONALLY I FEEL THAT I DO THROUGH THE LETTERS AND THE GIFTS THAT YOU HAVE SENT ME IN THE PAST. THANKS AGAIN FOR REMEMBERING ME ON THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AND WITH YOUR SWELL LETTER. SHOULD BE PRETTY CLOSE TO MID SEMESTER EXAMS IF YOU HAVEN\u27T HAD THEN [sic] ALREADY SO DON\u27T TRY TO DO TO [sic] MUCH CRAMMING AND STAYING UP LATE BURNING THAT MID NIGHT OIL. GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL, LETS HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN WHEN YOU GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE. AS EVER Richard K. Harbach[Transcription ends