Correspondence from Grady McMurtry to Marjorie Fox

1684th Ord MM Co (Avn)

APO 635, AAF 473, % Postmaster

New York, N.Y.

25 November 1943

Dear Foxie,

Well, here I am with a long letter again, only this time I was able to borrow a typewriter so maybe you can read it. I only have seven letters, not ten, from you at once. They are dated Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 12, Oct 12, Oct 16, Oct 17 and Nov 9 respectively. Follows running commentary while reading same—Thanks for Nick's address, I've written to him. And, oh yes, send me a Christmas card will you? Just to see what the relations have been inflicted with (Smiles—as our negro truck drivers would say). Speaking of Cahill (in the letter, dear, the letter) what is the difference between being very pregnant and being just a little pregnant? There must be some difference—ah—perhaps that is the mystery! Am I supposed to be writing thank-you notes to someone? All innocence. I've written your Dad two letters that I can remember neither of which have been answered so I thought that that settled it. Have you kept in touch with the Hetheringtons? I'd like to know if Tom stayed with the Company and, if so, where the Company is now. You needn't worry about your mail being censored. I am pretty sure that they only censor mail going home. Or does that shatter a pet conspiracy? Don't worry about the fog and fireplaces. I love it. I actually only wore my long handles a few days because I was working outside in the fog, common to certain sections of England, and for some time now I have been working inside. Also I am at another station (although my mail comes to the same address) and it is not so damp here. It rains some but there are many days that are clear bright and cold, or just nippy—which is best of all. One of my greatest tragedies is, after having brought three pairs of coveralls over here, one thoughtfully tucked away in the ton-per-square-inch val pack, I find that they won't let officers wear coveralls in the U.K. The woods are like those at home in the Autumn, the fields are well frost bitten but still bravely green, crows and gulls (of some variety) clutter up the landscape, and the houses just sit and vegitate. Literally. Moss on the weathered roofs and all that. Get me a pair of rabbit fur lined gloves that I would give my eye teeth for—if I still have any—eye teeth. I bought a pair of cloth lines English gloves but they are coming apart. The cold skin comes in most handy when working. I take sledge hammer in one hand once a day, if I am not too busy, and go out and make little of big ones on the rock pile just for the exercise. It's great fun, too. Tones the old musckles up no end. Of course I can quite any time I want too—and I usually do.

I have already expressed myself on Alaska. But if you want to go you are probably already there so what difference does it make? Glad to hear that Matilda came through undamaged. Give her my love—and Susie, too. How about sending me some more pictures? I think that if you inquire at the Post Office you will find that you can send any number of packages a month you want to so long as you can show a letter requesting same. Or at least that is what they tell us. Useless knowledge. Eager Beaver denotes officer of GI who wants to get ahead. Anyones head. It will undoubtedly go down in history along with "Sad Sack", etc. As for storm tossed boats—I was not, only never sea-sick (that certainly would have been long enough ago to bear reference), I had the time of my life. Fun? Life was on grand and glorious poker game and I may have already mentioned that I relieved the boys of some $70.00 in loose cash. I was on deck a good deal of the time too and, while I enjoyed it as a novelty, I definitely decided that I don't want to be a sailor. Too monotonous. Nothing to see but water all day long. Cold water, too. For the first time I really appreciated OOS. So did a lot of the other "by accident of Congress" gentlemen. We were crowded in our stateroom—but it was a stateroom. It was rather rough in the holds. Speaking of roughs. One of the Lieutenants here has acquired a small pup which he calls Sammy and I call T.S. #1 (therein is another mystery) who, upon being greeted in the mornings replies with a sour "ruff fuff". Another Lieutenant who does the casanova rather well often comes down to breakfast with his eyes looking like two burned holes in a blanket, upon being asked how he feels he usually replies with a strangled "R-o-ugh". So we call him "Rover". He is a Charter Member of the Chairborne Commandos. I'm still sweating out the address for Air Force, The Engineer, and Astounding. Or have you written to him? So far as I know Astounding may be in the mail on its way over—a lot of the boys get papers and things—but if so I haven't received it yet. Get me Herschel's address will you—I may be able to locate him. I have no objection to your living with Bill but I still don't like it. Thanks for the two snapshots but see if you can't get a really good portrait, huh? Paul hasn't answered my letter yet so I haven't heard anything about the feud. Let me know if you hear anything.

I guess it's about time I made an apology for that thoughtless crack of mine about knowing anything useful. I was doing some heavy thinking that evening and had just a touch of melancholia—just enough to make me resent chatter in general. I must say that I succeeded in eliminating that although I was not particularly happy about the consequences. So my apology, fair maiden, let misunderstanding cease. In re your remarks about my having converted Claire [Claire Palmer] to the Order but only offered you a small part of one of my interests. You know the funny thing is that I never thought you were interested in either of my major interests! You see, you always expressed yourself quite openly as hostile to the representatives of the Order, if not the Order itself, and somehow I always thought that you considered Technocracy as some screwball idea but not as anything you would be interested in. And naturally I have never tried to convert you to either of them because I was adverse to forcing them upon you! That's all. It was never a question of excluding you—I just thought that you preferred to be included out! In all seriousness, Foxie, we will have to come to some understanding on them sooner or later because I have very definite ideas about what I am going to do after the war which you will never be able to understand or appreciate if you are not a part of them.

I suggest that you write to Technocracy, Inc., 155 E. 44th St., N.Y. and make enquiry as to the Technocracy section located nearest you. The nearest large one is probably in Frisco. It is not necessary that you become a member, although it is best if you can do so, but purchase yourself a Technocracy Study Course (I am still sweating out the one I asked you for) and read that. If at al possible it is best to join a section and go through the Study Course in the weekly classes as you will get a much more comprehensive idea in that manner. I also suggest that you purchase copies of back issues of their magazines and take out subscriptions to the L.A. publication "The Technocrat" and the national publication "Technocracy". Pamphlets such as "Questions and Answers", etc, are very useful. You will find a large number of what are probably otherwise unobtainable back numbers of magazines in my trunk at Katies. Many of these contain very fine articles. You will also get some laughs out of the different methods used to present the subject over a period of time. I think that you will find, however, that they have made very few mistakes and that most of those were by over zealous contributors. Almost invariably you will find that the material emanating from G.H.Q. is right on the nose. You will find that they don't, or didn't anyway, publish their membership. Don't let it bother you. You can always check on the number and locations of sections they have at any given time. Scott told me that the membership was greater now than ever before. And that means more than might appear just offhand. Anytime you or anyone else decides that Technocracy, Inc., is a secret organization or is preaching subversive doctrine just report it to the F.B.I. They know al about it. Don't be surprised if you find a majority of older people at the sections. Even when I was attending Pasadena that was so, and doubly so now. A boy by the name of Jacques who was at L.A.C.C. when we were at J.C. was the pilot of a Fortress shot down over France. Russ Hodgkins and Al Klinger are somewhere. God only knows where the others are. Some of these remarks may appear superfluous but I have found that they answered the questions of many people and they only meant to be helpful.

As for your understanding of the Law of Thelema. Everything that you need to know in in Liber AL vel Legis—The Book of the Law—but of course you can't just get it like that. Or if you can you are a better man than I am. Take one of the copies you have and study it. It won't hurt to memorize the whole damn thing. I make haste to point out that only the last three chapters of that pamphlet are the ones you are interested in. The first five are commentary and explanation. To understand the place of this book in our thinking you must consider thus: the Old Aeon (a period of 2000 years) was "destroyed by fire" when the fiery god Horus (Ra-Hoor-Khuit) took his seat in the East at the Equinox of the Gods to replace the airey god Osiris. At that time the Word of the New Aeon of the Crowned and Conquering Child was proclaimed: that word is—THELEMA. You will notice that it is spelled in Greek and it means Will. Thus we have "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law" and "Love is the law, love under will". For a more complete explanation get ahold of "The Equinox of the Gods" by Crowley. You can probably get it from Jack [Jack Parsons] if you only write and ask. And don't let him feed you a line of bull about "now you are one of us, etc." They have failed miserably. Also get ahold of MAGICK" [Magick in Theory and Practice], "Sixteen Little Essays Towards Truth" [Little Essays Toward Truth], "The Book of Lies", and anything else of Crowley's you can find. Scout through the Frisco second hand book shops—they are gold mines. You may find his writings under the name of TO MEGA THERION, BAPHOMET, FRATER PERDURABO, or others. It would be a good idea if we can afford to pick up a complete set of "THE EQUINOX", Be sure you have someplace to keep or store it before you do. By all means go to Liebermann's book shop on Market Street. I believe I saw a copy of "White Stains" in their back room. Just tell old man Liebermann that your husband is/was the Sgt who used to buy so much stuff from the back room and who was so interested in "FANTASIUS MALLARE" but didn't buy it. I think I left a copy of "The Kybalion" with you. From the Frisco public library you can get Blavatsky's [Helena Petrovna Blavatsky] "The Veil of Isis", which is good for reference only, and many other books of similar nature. You may be able to find a list of reference works in my stuff—if not write to Jack—he might condescend to send you one. And don't feel backward about asking him—you either want to know this stuff or you don't. Look askance at any books by Waite [] that purport to have mystical knowledge. I think that you will find them rather childish. By all means get Frazier's "Golden Bough". The abridged version will do. When you are able to read "Liber Aleph—the Book of Wisdom or Folly" and "The Book of Thoth—An Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians" many things otherwise confused will become correlated—but they are being printed now. I have their proofs to hand. I suggest that you keep notes of what you read. Mine are invaluable. And you will have to read a lot of it before it begins to form a general, comprehensive pattern in your mind. And let it be understood once and for all—if you have the Will to Understand this knowledge you can—but I will never force it upon you.

And then there was the Little Moron who sat down to look out the window because he couldn't stand to see out. nyah.

love

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