Letter Home — 14 September 1971

Written the day before his 22nd birthday, which he never mentions — true to his understated way. A cut on his thumb cut the letter short. Packages from his sister Mary Ellen and from Shirley (his brother Buss's wife) and Buss. Per McGrew's calendar he was in the field that day (a combat assault to a new location).

14 Sep 71

Dear Mom,

Well I hope everyone is still getting along okay back home. I'm making out allright. Right now I got a cut on my thumb which makes letter writing a little harder.

It's been raining every other night over here. And this is the night for it to rain. I wonder if it will. It looks like it might.

I got two packages the other day. One from Mary Ellen and one from Shirley & Buss. That food sure taste better than C-rations. Both packages arrived in good shape.

I heard they're still having trouble with the schools. It seems something ought to be done about that. I guess they'll get it straightened out in their own good time though.

Well there isn't much else to write and my thumb is hurting so I'm going to quit now.

Love Marv

P.S. If anyone is wondering why I'm not writing you'll know what the problem is. It'll probably be okay in 3 or 4 days.

Archivist Note — "trouble with the schools"

Marvin is following news from home of the Armstrong School District teacher strikes in his home county (Armstrong County, PA). Teachers represented by the Armstrong Education Association struck repeatedly through 1971 in a contract dispute under Pennsylvania's then-new Public Employe Relations Act (Act 195): a spring walkout ended by an injunction on 11 May, then a second strike on 30 August as schools were set to open. Strikingly, the day Marvin wrote this letter — 14 September 1971 — was the day the Court of Common Pleas issued an injunction ordering the teachers back to work. The deadlock continued into December, when roughly 520 teachers were cited for contempt, and the fight produced a landmark 1972 Commonwealth Court ruling (Armstrong School District v. Armstrong Education Association) limiting a court's power to impose a settlement.

Sources: Armstrong School District v. Armstrong Education Association, 5 Pa. Commw. 387 (1972); Kittanning Leader-Times, 8 December 1971.