Donald V. Tappan

Saturday Night – September 16, 1944
Dear Family,

I am happy to tell you that this has been a usual Saturday evening. And to be sure Saturday evening and Sunday is one part of the week I hate to be anything but usual.

I have messed around, done a little cleaning up, sewed on a pair of chevrons, read some and all the time have been thinking that I ought to get around to writing.

Since I don’t have to go back any further than today to catch up on my news there won’t be much of this to tell. We had an inspection this morning and a couple hours of drill. And this afternoon we really had a snap. We had care and cleaning of equipment – which simply means staying in the barracks and doing anything that you need to do. The main thing is just be busy and don’t get caught doing nothing.

That just almost brings me up to date so I expect it would be a good idea to sign off until tomorrow. This isn’t too good a start so I just hope I am long winded tomorrow.

Sunday Afternoon
It seems to me that Sundays for me just aren’t long enough. All week long it is so hard for me to get up that I think I’ll sleep all day Sunday. Then on Sunday if I sleep I feel I should be doing writing or something and I don’t sleep I feel that I haven’t been fair to myself if I a tired after the weekend is over.

As a whole I spent this morning sleeping. I got up for breakfast and then went back to bed till church time. Then I spent most of the time between church and dinner being lazy too. All the extra I did get accomplished this morning was address some change of address cards. We address the cards and put our name, rank and serial number on them. Then we turn them in and the new address will be stamped on them. They will be sent out when we leave and we won’t have any idea of our new address.

Likely you’ll know at least to which side of the world I am going as soon as I do. But other than that for everyone’s good, you and likely even I myself won’t know my final destination till I get there. Sure wish I knew when it will be.

It seems to me that even today I can’t think of much to tell you. A furlough seems all but out now. I hate to think about the fact that the last time I left Indiana might be for a good while. I sure hope going now will make the final coming back a little bit sooner. I’ll quit for a while now before I get too deep in this line of thought. I’ll think of more to say before night.

5PM (1700)
I think the most important thing wrong with my writing this afternoon was the chatter going on in the barracks. I finally got enough of it so I came over here to the library where the atmosphere is a little more of a quiet nature. I have been able to get a letter written to Uncle Pauls in just a little while.

I wonder what kind of things you have been doing today. No doubt you had preaching services this morning as usual. Richard is up to his neck in school work and football so I expect preparing and resting up for that has taken a good bit of his time. 

The weather here sure has been running along its customary weekend lines today. It looked this morning like it might be a sunshiny day but by noon it was up to its old trick of raining. Since then it has continually been first raining then drizzling then raining again. This makes about 4 out of the last five Sundays that the weather has been like this. I don’t remember having heard you say anything about the weather at home for a while. I wonder if it isn’t beginning to almost seem like frost time now.

**

It is almost bed time now. This hasn’t been too much of a wasted day after all. I accomplished a good bit while I was away from the barrack tonight. Besides the letters I wrote, I spent almost two solid hours reading. I had a little magazine about like the Reader’s Digest that I almost read through.

When coming back to the barracks tonight the weather made me almost happy enough to shout. It sure is like an early fall evening at home. It’s stopped raining and is a good bit cooler than usual. It sure will be good sleeping tonight. In fact I’m getting in a pretty happy mood now. 

Love, Donald

If I cut short it’s because any more that I might have to say isn’t worth starting a new page.

Thursday noon – September 14, 1944
Hello Folks,

How’s everything coming back there now? I sure hope school is progressing successfully.

We sure have been stalling time here. But, of course, they have to keep us busy even though we’re not accomplishing  anything. We had a division parade for General Leer, the commander of the army ground forces yesterday and the rest of our time has been spent just going over basic subjects. This morning we spent an hour seeing training films so you can see we are just filling up time. This is the first time this has happened for several months. In fact, I don’t remember having more than one or two training films since the first 4 or 5 weeks we were here.

I was sure glad to get your weekend letter yesterday. I guess I get a little anxious for letters but it does seem a long time before Wednesday gets here and they start coming. But after they once start I get  two or three in almost as many days. I’ll be on the lookout for the box but it hasn’t arrived yet.

I’ll bet the PW’s are a great sensation in Orestes. But around an army camp you see them so much and so often that you hardly think anything about it. I wonder if they are German or Italian prisoners or what.

I am anxiously waiting to hear how the football game came out. It looks by the papers like Richard is in it up to his ears this time. Have last year’s sweaters come yet??

Daddy doesn’t need to worry about writing too much about school because that makes just as interesting reading to me as anything else. I am glad to hear any kind of news.

There sure is a lot of preparation going on around here for leaving but it seems that we are no nearer to it than we were two or three weeks ago. I suppose when it does come it will be so suddenly that it will surprise us. I guess I’ll have to send my dress shoes home in the next few days and that’s one thing I sure hate to do. I’ve enjoyed them a lot in the last four months and I hope I’ll be able to send for them when we reach our stopping place. 

Well it looks as if my time is about up so I’ll try to write a little more tonight. I think I’ll go to a show just to be doing something a little out of the ordinary. I don’t think there is an especially outstanding show on but the recreation is worth something. It does get a little on your nerves to never have any change of scenery. 

Night,

Well I about said my speech so I guess this will be more of a closing than anything else. I didn’t get the box again tonight but no doubt its just as well or better that way. I still have something to look forward to.

We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Our platoon made the highest grade in the regiment on these tests a few weeks ago so now we’ve got to pay for it. We got to run some kind of problem tomorrow for a bunch of high officers.

Hope everything is well with you.  

Love,  Donald

I cut it sort of shortcut I would run out so soon it would just be a waste to start a new page. 

Goodnight.

Tuesday Night – September 12, 1944
Hello,

I’ve got a lot to say tonight but I may not get it all said. To begin with I am on guard tonight. I have already walked one shift from 6 to 8 and I’ve got one more to do. I’ll walk 12 to 2 and I hope that’ll finish me up. We’re supposed to get off tomorrow morning but I think our platoon has some sort of a test tomorrow and I may have to go on it.

As far as what I’ve been doing this week you can just about imagine what it has been. We ran a couple of firing problems yesterday afternoon and besides that it has been the same old routine.

Now I’ll get down to business. I’ll explain a little about the box I sent. It’s things I have to get rid of before we move. I hate to part with the stuff like glasses and flashlight but there are very few things other than what we are issued that we can keep. These things can be used if you need them. I don’t suppose I’ll ever want them. The kakkies were issued to me but I have some old ones that I got that I’m keeping in place of the,. We’ll either turn in our kakkies for new ones before we move or not take any anyway.

The stationery is part of what Gladys King sent me and for fear I’ll not need ot and have to get rid of it before I go, you can use it. THe cleaning fluid, first aid box and hat are mine and I just can’t take them. 

I believe I’d like for you to keep the khakis and cap stuck away for me.

You can see that it won’t be long but even we don’t know when. They’ve told us to get our personal affairs taken care of. I’ve not got anything to make out a will for and since most of my savings is in bonds I don’t think I’ve got anything to worry about. Do you think of anything along this line?

There’s one little item that was brought out to us in a lecture the other day that I want to tell you about. They were discussing benefits to parents, etc., and of course questions came up about different things if you get killed. They told us if you are killed overseas that they don’t ship the body back now but after the war they will if it is so desired. Now this doesn’t make a particle of difference to me but it might to you. I hate to even mention things like this and don’t be alarmed. I hope you understand. It’s just an “in case” thing. I’ve told you now and you can look into it if you ever need and want to.

Now on pleasanter thoughts, I didn’t get to be at mail call tonight so I haven’t heard from you since Saturday. Hope everything is OK. I am doing fine and don’t worry about me. How’s school?

Love,  Donald

Whenever we leave here our mail will be shut off for a while so whenever this happens don’t be alarmed. I wish as bad as you that I knew when this will be. I am hitting the hay.

Morning, September 13, 1944
As you can see by the date this day makes one year spent at this job. I sure started mu second year off fine – walking guard the first two hours and in the rain at that. It looks like we’ll get the morning off so I don’t feel so bad about the situation.

I sure hope to hear from you today. Pardon this messy letter. It’ll have to do under the circumstances. God bless you all.

Your son and brother,
Donald

Saturday Evening – September 9, 1944
Hello Grandparents (Carver)

My I’ll bet you are doing some flying around now trying to get everything in shape for school to start. From what Mother has been telling me you must be getting things pretty well rounded up by this time. Since they waited till so much of the summer was gone before they started getting things for you to work with, I know that you have had to work pretty hard these last few weeks.

Maybe after things get running good it won’t be quite so hard for you as it was last year. You’ll know a little more what to expect and how to do what has to be done. I sure hope you don’t have to work quite so hard as you did part of the time last year.

I understand that the new teacher has been selected and that Daddy and the other teachers have decided on making a few changes that should help things to run a little smoother. I can’t help out much but I sure wish you all a very successful school year. It sure would be great if I could be back continuing the schooling that I want to get done. But we’ll just have to trust this day will come soon.

As far as myself, I’ve been doing about the same old stuff. The popular opinion though is that we’ll be getting a change of scenery in the near future. But how, where or when, of course, we don’t know. There is a lot of wild talk, as usual, but I actually think we’ll go  to another camp here in the States for a while yet. I have enumerated for you a thousand times, more-or-less, the kinds of work we do and since nothing unusual along that line has happened I’ll not go into it again.

How’s the weather back there now? We’ve been having some really hot weather but it seems that about every two weeks we have to get a cool rainy spell. As I remember it we had one of these snaps week-end before last and then in a few days it warmed up again. Then it came again night before last and since then we have needed a jacket. The sun tried to shine some this evening though so it may be warming up again.

What kind of news has been happening in Orestes? I would sure be very happy if I could come backpack and see things for myself before too much longer. I suppose the way our moving turns out will decide about this so we’ll just have to hope for the best.

Well this isn’t too much of a letter but I’m about out of news and it’ll let you know that I’m still O.K. As the old saying goes – “Be good and God bless you”.

Love,  Donald

Monday Evening – September 4, 1944
Leesburg Range
Hello Family,

This is just a little different from my usual procedure but I can’t see that there will be anything too wrong with it. I have a little time tonight so I’ll start a letter now. I won’t send it out till tomorrow evening and if I have time then I’ll write a little more. But just in case we have to work extra late tomorrow I’ll have a little letter written.

We got out here at about 4:30 yesterday evening and thus had time to get straightened up before dark. Then this morning we got up at five o’clock and started to work. Those of us that didn’t have to fire anything did about the same kind of work we do back in the company area.

We had a half hour of close order drill, a half hour of physical training and three hours of study and work on squad tactics. It was, of course, all stuff we have done many times before but they just had to find something for us to do.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. I believe that all they are doing now is just finding something to keep us busy. We’re just going over old stuff and just so we’re doing something they don’t seem to care whether we’re learning or not. In the first place, they wouldn’t have sent us all out here to do nothing but fill in time if there had been anything important for us to do. Since we didn’t go on maneuvers, I think, they’re about at the end of their rope as far as training goes. They seem to be just stalling for time till we move out of here. I may have the wrong idea about what they are waiting for but they sure are waiting for something.

Well I got to jabbering and forgot to tell you about what I did this afternoon. I went out on the rifle range and spent most of my time keeping score. That’s just about my type of work and I can say I spent a fairly enjoyable afternoon. Boy, I sure and lazy, don’t you think so?

I haven’t heard from you since the middle of last week so I sure hope to get a letter at mail call tonight. 

Maybe you think I wouldn’t like to be home tonight. It’s really hard seeing school time come around and me being stuck here.

That’s just about all the news I can think of now so I’ll close for the present. Boy it’s sure been hot today.  DT

I’ve changed my mind again. I got your letter tonight and I want to let you know how I feel about this watch. In the first place that’s a whole lot more than I wanted to pay. It would take me quite a while to save that much money. But use your own judgement and if you are fairly sure it will satisfy me I suppose it might be alright to go ahead. Some of you’ll have to finance it for a while though. But I sure don’t want you to sell my other one for $10 dollars.

I’ve enumerated again some of the qualities I’d like for a watch to have. A second hand of some kind and luminous numbers, of course. Be neither conspicuously large or small or be otherwise too outstanding. If my Gruen were built in the shape that service watches are (usually round) it would be about the right size. I suppose it’s not too necessary to be a well known name or an American make but I would like for it to be possible to be repaired without too much fuss or worry. Please use good judgement.

I expect I could sell my watch here for a good bit more than $10 or maybe you could put an ad in the Tribune. I see Daddy wearing it in the picture and if he likes it and thinks he could get $25 worth of good and enjoyment from it I’d give it to him. I don’t mean sell either. If he doesn’t especially care for it then we’ll sell it.

I wish I could find an air mail stamp to put on this but if I can’t it’ll have to free. I’ve got one back at the barracks but that doesn’t do me any good here.

Oh yes – you don’t need to worry about the color of the watch face suiting me. It can be white, black, brown or what not just so it’s not radically outstanding. 

Those were good pictures in the letter tonight. I’m keeping the one of Dad and old Friday. The ministers look like real nice people to me.

Use your good judgment. Good luck and lots of love,    Donald

Sunday September 3, 1944
Dear Family,

In order that I could get some of the things done that I like to do on Sundays I had to get up and get started at it early. It is only 7:30 now and I’ve already washed and done a few other things so you can I didn’t waste all morning sleeping. I didn’t get up for breakfast but since I couldn’t go back to sleep right away after they called breakfast, I got up soon afterward. Thank goodness I’m pretty well caught up with my writing so this letter will be all I’ll need to write today.

We are going out to the range today but I’m happy that we don’t move out till afternoon sometime. This will make it so that I’ll get a chance to go to church this morning. I don’t know what ever got into them that we don’t have to follow the usual routine of going out on Saturday night and then firing Sunday but I’m sure not going to kick.

Boy this is sure a different kind of weather from what we had last weekend. It was cool or almost cold then and now it’s hot as all get out. Friday we did the usual kind of stuff and then yesterday we ran another firing problem. And boy the heat was sure terrible. Our platoon didn’t start the problem till just after noon and, of course, that’s just when it’s the hottest. We just had discussion type classes in the morning when it was just a little bit cool but I’m not blaming anyone for that because we just had to take out turn at the area over which the problem was to be run.

The problem was about 1200 yards long and we started out with 23 or 24 men altogether. When it was over six men out of that number had fallen out because of the heat. They all recovered but you can get some idea of the intensity of the temperature.

I was glad to get the pictures in your last letter. I’m going to keep one of the pictures but since I didn’t know the calf personally I guess you can keep the pictures of it. It sure does look like a good sturdy  calf and I’ll bet it will turn out to be quite a chunk of meat. Seeing the bee-house and garage all painted up gives me a kind of funny feeling inside. I don’t know whether you’d call it homesickness or not.

About that dream that Daddy had in which I came home. It’s alright to think about it but please don’t do any planning on it. The chances are just as good or maybe better for not getting one as they are for getting a furlough. So let’s just keep on writing and get along with whatever turns out.

I didn’t hear from you yesterday so, of course, I’m sort of hoping for a letter today. If I’m too busy next week and this is the last letter I get written for a  while, I hope you’ll understand the situation and look over my short-comings.

I’ve about run down so I think I’ll sign off and maybe read a little before church time. I forgot to tell you but we are going to have communion services today. If I don’t think of any more news before noon I’ll put this in the envelop and start it on its way. Best wishes to you all.

Love, Donald

I forgot to tell you that I found my sunglasses broken in my glasses case yesterday. I don’t know how or when it happened but that’s not the question. I don’t know how long I’ll be needing them but I’d appreciate another pair. The kind I had served quite well. Thanks

Thursday August 31, 1944
Hello Family,

I’ll try to get a little of this letter written now during my noon hour and maybe it’ll turn out to be a little more of a letter than the past one did. We got payed this noon but I’m afraid that I’m going to go back on my promise on sending some money home to help out on the watch deal. To explain why I’m going to tell you the plain facts on my financial situation. I had a little less than $15 left from last month’s pay and I got just over $21 this month. Although it seems like a lot of wishful thinking this soon but if I should get a chance to come home before we go over I want to be prepared for it. So I would like to keep $25 dollars in reserve just for this purpose and that doesn’t leave me much that I could send home. I hope you can see how I feel about it. I guess if there is any money to be needed for the watch deal I can ask Richard to help me out on it. I don’t like to have to do a thing like this but I’ll get paid again next month. If you couldn’t do any good on the watch deal in Anderson I hardly know what to tell you. I guess that Daddy’ll be going to Indianapolis in October and if you think there would be any chance down there I suppose I could stick it out till then. Maybe you could get rid of the watch somehow before-hand and then you would only have the problem of buying another one. Just use your head and don’t do anything very drastic. The one I have will do if that’s the best that can be done. It may be silly of me to want to do anything like this in the first place.

Thursday Evening
It’s 7:30 and I’m finally down to writing again. I ought to be able to get a little writing done easier than usual tonight because of the scarcity of distractions. Since this is payday night there is hardly anyone here in the barracks. A lot of these crazy guys will go broke for a whole month just so they can see how much money can be spent in one night. That’s one of the ill effects I’m afraid will come to the men who have participated in this war. And besides just causing them to lose all respect for the value of money, it’s going to make a lot of them pretty lazy. Take it from me, its very easy not to do one more than you have to.

Well, we didn’t have that problem that we were supposed to yesterday and last night. I don’t know why but for some reason it was canceled. It may come up yet but it’s going to have to hurry if it gets here this week. I just don’t know how we’ll be spending the rest of the week.

Yesterday and today I went down to communication school again! It was just the same old stuff we had before and it wasn’t worth the time as far as learning goes but maybe the review didn’t hurt me. 

Unless things change (which they might do, of course) we’ll be going out on the range Sunday. I don’t suppose those of us who have been here for a while will have to fire. But a bunch of new men will have to. We got in another bunch of men yesterday so I suppose we’ll have to go out again in two or three weeks for them to fire.

I think I’ll close now and write to Uncle Floy’s before I turn in. Oh yes, I got your week-end letter yesterday. So long, good luck and god bless you all. Lot’s of love,  Donald

Tuesday August, 29, 1944
Hello Family,

It’s 8:30 and so I’ll have to hurry but I sure won’t be able to write tomorrow. I had table waiter today so I’ve not been loafing. After I got off tonight I cleaned up and finished a letter to Ben which I had started yesterday. I’ve only written one other letter to him and I believe that was while I was still at Ft. Harrison. I’ve always intended to write to him again but just never made myself do it.

The reason why I said I wouldn’t be able to write tomorrow is because we are going on a 24 hour problem. We’ll go out tomorrow morning and not come in till the following morning. Except for this morning’s work we’ve been doing about the same old stuff so far this week. This morning I did something that I told you I’d get to do one of these days. I got to fire the bazooka. It’s a great weapon but just a little dangerous to fire. There is a great amount of flame that shoots from it with every shot and you have to fire it correctly to be safe. It can really ruin a tank though and so its worth knowing how to use.

Yesterday noon I got a box that contained stationary from Gladys King. It had a church label on it so I suppose it must have been through the Ladies Aid. I wrote her a letter thanking her for it before I forgot it as I usually do but I have no idea under what circumstances it was sent.

I didn’t get any letter from you today so I’ll expect to get one tomorrow or if we don’t get mail tomorrow then the next day.

Well I’ve not got enough news to start another sheet so good luck and God bless you. How’s my watch deal coming out?

Love,  Donald