Donald V. Tappan

Nov. 17, 1944 1:30PM
Hello Family,

I’m on guard again today so I’ll try to get a letter written between shifts. Last week on whenever it was the guard I was on was only at night but this is from this morning till tomorrow morning. By this time you no doubt know that this means I’ll be on eight hours out of the twenty-four – two on and four off.  I’ve already stood two of my hours and I’ll go on again at four this afternoon.

I still can’t get used to getting mail only once or at the most twice a week. But maybe it doesn’t bother me quite as bad as it did. I told you about the last letter I got on Tuesday, I believe.

I was wondering this morning if you’ve heard anything from Duane recently. Has any more news been received about Wendall? The last I heard he was missing in action. I believe that I’ve been in England longer already than either of them were. It seems almost a strange coincidence to that we all came over so close in succession.

Without any letter to get ideas from I have to think pretty hard to find something I can say. Of course, I think a lot about and wonder how things are coming back there. I even miss just hearing news of what’s going on at school. There’s a little question in my mind that  basketball must be the big thing all about now.

I hate to think that right now I am due to be home on furlough but that just can’t be helped. It was eight months before I got to be home last time and I expect it’ll be longer than that this time. At least it’s going to be more than six months, I know.

Whichever one of these letters I write along about this time reaches you nearest Thanksgiving will have to serve as my Thanksgiving greeting. Every one of them carries my best wishes.

I am getting along OK and, if anything, am better off than I was a little while back. I seem to be getting accustomed to the climate enough that my cold is getting better. Be good and God bless you.
Love,   Donald

2nd page censored, probably because he mentioned the Queen Elizabeth

Nov. 14, 1944
Dear Folks,

Yesterday I thought of about a half dozen things that I wanted to tell you so I can see now that I should have written you then. I find it hard to even think now at all. The main thing I believe was that my Tribunes have started arriving. I was really glad to get them even though they were dated the 12th and 13th of October. They were still addressed in the old manner but as I remember they wouldn’t even have had my new address at that time.

At home you wouldn’t even consider reading a month old paper but here its really a different story. When we are lucky we can get the most important news every few days from the army’s overseas newspaper, “The Stars and Stripes.” If the Tribunes keep coming I shouldn’t lose out altogether on either the headline news or news of local happenings.

I hardly know what to think about the slowness with which our mail travels. I… [page missing?] …letters to go back and forth.

I might tell you a little about the country here that I got a chance to see. Of course, it’ll have to be very general facts. After the boat ride [CENSORED] I saw some of the territory. The scenery certainly was interesting and in some places very beautiful. Since its time for the tree leaves to be taking on their autumn colors the scenes were doubly beautiful.

There are enough people on this island that you don’t see any wide open spaces like those at home. When riding along it seems as if you were passing through one small village after another with only a very few small fields between. Everything is done on a small scale and I guess that’s why you can see so much in a very small space. The whole country-side is built of small irregular shaped fields, a few very small patches of trees and small groups of houses crammed together. You can see that things haven’t grown up according to a pattern but have just been built up as the population grew. A look at things in general reminds you of a crazy quilt with hedge or stone fences separating the pieces.

Because of the lack of trees, you see no frame buildings. Everything is built either of brick or stone. Things are picturesque to say the least but I can’t say that I would enjoy living permanently under these circumstances. You have to read about English weather and it really is damp, but so far I haven’t seen any of the extremes that you often hear about.

We are living in a very interesting place that I’ll tell you about one of these times when I need a little chatter to fill up space. I’ll also have to find out just  how much I can’t tell.

I sure wonder how things are coming at home. Of course, one of the questions in my mind is the outcome of the last few of the football games. I guess Dad’s Indianapolis trip should be coming off about now too. I forget whether it is supposed to be last week or this one.

I hope you are all well. I can truthfully say that if you are all as well as I am there would be nothing to worry about. I have felt no ill effects at all from my change. Don’t you dare worry about me because it wouldn’t do any good and definitely isn’t necessary. I have a decent place to sleep, am not working too hard and get plenty to eat. By the way our food is very interesting. You can see that all of it comes from the United States. All of it is processed – canned or dehydrated but it is very good, especially when you’re hungry.

God bless you all. Write when you can.

Lots of love,    Donald

This is dated the 12th, but postmarked the 18th. Either it’s in the wrong envelope, or it got held up in the mail

November 12, 1044
Dear Grandparents (Carver),

While I am in the mood I’ll try to get down to business and write you a letter. It takes long enough for mail to go back and forth that by the time this reaches you I know that you’ll be anxious to hear from me.

I’m still in England and not spending my time a whole lot differently that I have for the past year. So far being overseas hasn’t changed things much except that the climate is different and it takes my mail longer to get here. People talk about our Indiana climate being so damp but it sure can’t compare in that respect to England.

Yesterday was Armistice Day and I sort of doubt if there was much done about it back at home. We went up as a group just to add a little to the celebration here in town. It was a very simple little program but they were very sincere about it and it impressed me greatly. It almost seemed to be a religious service instead of an Armistice Day observation. And after having thought of it, I expect that it would have been a good thing to make this year’s Armistice Day one of prayer.

Of course, I am trying to imagine what is going on back there. I hope you are still getting along with your work. Now that November is sailing by so fast, I expect that things are taking on an appearance of late Fall. Winter will sure be here before we hardly expect it. I wonder how a European winter will compare to those I have known before.

No doubt by the time you get this it will be almost Thanksgiving. We have many things to be thankful for so let us not fail to do so. I want to take this opportunity to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving. It would have been hard for me to imagine this time last year that I would spend another Thanksgiving in this army. This is at least teaching me not to depend too much on anything but just make the best of what happens. The best way is to just trust in Him for strength to meet our daily tasks no matter what they be.

I hope that you are as well as usual. Of course, I am anxious to hear from you at any time.
Love,    Donald

Saturday
Nov. 11, 1044
Dear Family,

There’s a pretty strong chance that I’ll have to spend at least part of tomorrow on duty so I better get a little written to you tonight. I sure do hope that we’ll be able to rest tomorrow but if we can’t, I guess it can be survived.

As you can see this was written on Armistice Day and I wonder what sort of celebrations were held at home. Since this is Saturday and there was no school, I expect that there may have been fewer programs than usual.

Just before eleven we marched as an organization up to the town square and witnessed the program they held here. Over here you often hear it called Remembrance Day instead of Armistice Day.

The program was very simple but it was sincere and impressed me greatly. There is a small monument in the square (which is nothing more than an open place in the center of town more or less like an enlarged street intersection) dedicated to the veterans of the World War. We were lined up along one side of it and the citizens grouped around the other three.

The program consisted of the singing of two or three hymns, a couple of short speeches by the minister here (or at least that is who I took them to be), and the presentation of wreathes by different organizations which were laid at the base of the monument.

We were especially impressed  by the feeling with which the wreaths were presented. It was presented by a veteran, a little man who walked with a decided limp. He saluted the monument two or three times in his presentation and he put so much energy into it that you could see his whole body quiver.

I am pretty tired tonight from putting in a harder day than usual but outside of that I am quite alright. Just to fill up a little space I might tell you a strange little accident that happened to me the other day. When I was on KP I was scrubbing off a meat block and you know that from knives and cleavers cutting into them they can be pretty rough. Well I ran a splinter about a sixteenth of an inch wide clear down the whole length of the nail to the root. Of course it was very painful and as soon as I could I took it  to the medics who cut down into the nail far enough to pull the sliver out. That was a couple of days ago and now I hardly know it happened. About a forth of the nail area was torn loose and is discolored but the rest of it has regained the normal color and I  don’t think I’ll even lose the nail. It’s still tender but there is no pain at all now. I’m very thankful that it turned out as well as it did.

I don’t think there’ll be services here tomorrow and I’ll certainly be glad when I can start attending regularly again. I’ll sign off now and hope I’ll be able to write more tomorrow.

3:30 Sunday Afternoon
It gives me great pleasure to tell you that I have been able to spend this day in a fairly usual manner. We have had the day off but the unusual part was that there wasn’t one of our church services to attend. I slept till about eleven o’clock and so got a little rest stored  up. I feel  that I need the extra rest I can get on Sunday mornings now but I hope that sometime I’ll get to the place that I won’t have to sleep half of my Sunday away. In civilian life it is often possible to do part of this on Saturday and Sunday can be used for something else.

After I finally did get awake, I started reading and since then I’ve finished “Mutiny on the Bounty.” I very seriously doubt if it will always be possible to do as much reading as I’ve done in the last few weeks but I’m taking all possible advantage of it while it lasts.

I wonder what you are doing today and no doubt you are thinking the same about me. It’ll sure be good to talk to people directly again and know what’s going on at that time instead of two or three weeks previously. I guess Thursday was the last time I got mail so it’ll be good to get some again. I’m trying to get myself to a place that I’ll be glad to get mail but not to expect it too often.

It’s a cool damp day today and I can’t help from feeling a longing to spend the day at home. Some crisp warm popcorn would certainly go good. Your last few letters have mentioned nice fall days and I hope today is one of that kind instead of like it is here. A Sunday School paper would be a pleasant amusement for me for the rest of the afternoon. 

If I were back in the States I know that I would be counting the hours till I would be leaving on furlough. Just thinking back over the time as a whole it hardly seems like six months since I was home before. For all the time I spent in the United States I feel bad that I only got to be home once.

By the time you get this I expect that it will be within a week of Thanksgiving. We certainly have many things to be thankful for so let’s not fail to be thankful. I certainly want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.
Love,   Donald

Nov. 10, 1944
Hello,

Well I feel pretty happy tonight about the mail situation. In two days I have received two letters. Yesterday I got your letter of Oct 20th and today the 23rd. I also heard today something about a shipment of our mail being sent somewhere else and should be coming in about Sunday. So if you sent any letters between the 17th and 20th they should come then. It might explain part of the week and a half I was without mail.

I was especially happy to get that letter today because it contained the first news I have had about yourselves in the last couple weeks. The one before that being more in mid week letter. I hope to hear the results of Uncle Floyd’s accident in one of the delayed letter or letters.

You just about guessed it when you said that I was somewhere traveling while you were writing the letter. I can just about imagine how Richard felt about the football game with Wabash. I hope that the Ben Davis game came out better.

If I had known that things were going to turn out like they did, I expect I would have done as Richard did and got a Senior ring. I thought that it would be only a very short time till I could be getting something else and a High School ring wouldn’t mean anything to me. But I feel that no longer than I have been in the service now, I would have gotten its value from it. There are so very few things that you can keep to remind you just a little of the outside that what you do have are worth a lot. My pen is about the only thing I can think of that I still have that I brought with me. I sure would hate to lose it. I guess that’s the reason why I hated to lose my little pearl handled knife so badly. By the way the knife Uncle Floyd gave me last Christmas is just about shot and I wonder how the knife situation looks back there. It’s a wonder I haven’t lost this one and I suppose I would if I had one that was worth anything. I’m not even in need but that’s just something you can remember when you want to tickle me.

When I got the letter today I was afraid you had spent an extra air mail stamp just to send me a stick or two of gum. Please don’t ever do that. I was glad that it turned out to be clippings instead of gum. But even that isn’t necessary. I would be just as happy to receive clippings by regular mail. Of course unless it’s something that just can’t keep. I was glad to get the poem by Mr. Robinson. The poem was pretty good but I felt that just hearing from him meant as much to me as the poem. I was just a little surprised though that something written by him should be printed in the Observer.

I believe that this is just about all I intended to say to you so unless more comes to my mind I’ll sign off. I have to think all day so that I’ll have something to write and then naturally I forgot about half of it. I’m doing OK and hope you are the same. Take care of yourselves.

Love,  Donald

I’ll be Grandpa Carver got a great kick out of that pronunciation joke in the Observer if he read it.

10PM
I was out a while ago washing some clothes and taking a shower and thought of something else I want to tell you. I know I have intended to tell you this several times so if I’ve said it before, please excuse me.

If you read anything about the post-war benefits to the service men you know doubt know that we are supposed to get some help getting an education. But there is supposed to be proof of our education being interrupted.

I believe that my scholarship from Purdue would be a valuable aid in this so I would like to be sure that it is preserved. If you don’t mind I’d like for it to be put in the safe deposit box at Alex.

When I was home on furlough I tried to get things like this straightened up. I am pretty sure it is in a frame with my National Honor Card, Magna Cum Laude award, etc. But that’s as near as I can tell you  where it is because things are bound to be moved in six months. Thanks a lot. Donald

Nov 8, 1944
England
Hello Family,

I sure hope that no news is good news. Pretty soon it’s going to be to the places where most any news is good news. I still am trying to blame our lack of mail on the fact that things aren’t set up completely as yet. At least I hope that’s the reason.

I’ll have a little change of work tomorrow even if it isn’t for the best. I’ve got KP so you can about guess how anxiously I am awaiting morning. I’ve not had it for a long while so I guess there’s no need to feel hard about it. It’s not supposed to be as hard here anyway.

As yet since we’ve been here, I’ve not worked even hard enough to even earn my pay. Maybe doing a day’s work will help my conscience a little. I’ve had more time to read the last few weeks than I did the whole year previously. I’ve already gone through two books and am well into the third. Now I’m making up for a little reading I should have done somewhere back in school by reading “Mutiny on the Bounty”. Let’s keep trusting that all things will work out for the best. 

Love,   Donald

Nov. 7, 1944
Hello Folks,

It may not be very good to start  a letter in such a manner but this is uppermost in my mind. My problem concerns the mail situation. It has been a week now since I have received any mail at all and I am getting more anxious every day. It looks to me very much like there must be a bottle neck somewhere between here and home. Likely I’ll get several letters at once one of these days and it may even be tomorrow but you can see how I feel till then. I sure hope the mail going in the other direction is not meeting up with a similar fate.

Just to be truthful about the matter it is just a little hard for me to get started writing tonight. I guess the main reason is that as yet I haven’t thought of much to tell you. There’s not much more I know to talk about concerning things around here.

The work we have been doing lately is more of a manual nature than military training and it is very easy work at that. Things have been in a pretty bad mess and we spend a lot of time just straightening up, repairing, etc. It almost seems like we’ve been on a vacation for about a week now.

I don’t know why but thoughts of home have been running through my mind a good bit for the last couple of days. I wish that I was up to date enough on the news to know what to ask about. It’s sort of hard to write letters getting ideas for a whole week from just one letter.

Just guessing, I suppose that the weather must be looking like Fall is really here back in Indiana. If you had heavy frosts three weeks ago likely things are pretty brown by now.

Football is over and I suspect that basketball is either started or very close to starting. I wonder how the prospects look for that this year. If Eulen stuck to his job, I guess he is senior manager this year. I wanted all last year to see a basketball game and of course I want to no less now but I doubt if it’ll be possible this time.

I’ve been intending for a good while now to ask what Richard is intending to do the last part of this school term. I have wished often enough that I had got a little college work that I wonder how he feels about it now. I wonder how much time he could get in before he would be drafted. I still am anxious to go back to school and if I had got started in college I expect that I would have been just that much more eager.

I also wonder what consideration Richard has given the different services. No bigger kick than I have got out of the army, I just wonder if he has thought of the navy. If he didn’t like it I’d hate to think I’d influenced his decision but I believe it’s worth thinking over. Don’t think I’m trying to rub it in or anything else. I just want to let you know how I feel about the matter.

Likely I won’t think of anything else and I’ve got just enough paper to quit on. I’m getting along OK. God take care of you.  Love,   Donald