Donald V. Tappan

Tuesday Evening, August 15, 1944
Hello Folks,

Now I’ll try to get you at least a little letter. There’s not too much time but I sure want to write you tonight. I went to a show tonight and I think I should have been writing instead. There wasn’t anything wrong about the show but I hardly believe it was worth two hours of my time. I suppose I would messed around enough though that I would have only got a half hour or so extra sleep anyway so maybe I don’t need to worry too much about wasting the evening.

So far this hasn’t been such a hard week and there’ll be work but I don’t expect anything extra for the rest of it. Yesterday and today we spent running problems in an area pretty close to here. We are supposed to truck out to the range tomorrow sometime and after bivouacing tomorrow night we will run some sort of a fire problem Thursday.

We’ll be back here Thurs. night and then Friday and Saturday will be spent in a similar matter – bivouac Friday night and then run a problem Saturday. Only I don’t think we’ll use live ammunition.

I was very glad to get your letter yesterday. Richard won’t have so much longer to do the painting so it could be worse. There’s no use denying the fact that factory work’s any snap even at best.

I don’t quite understand about the watch. It looks to me like Leo would at least make the watch work after charging us so much. I don’t know how it worked before you sent it but it sure never worked after I got it. A watch that won’t work well will be pretty hard to get rid of anyway.

I was really a well equipped man in the problem today. I was carrying both a radio and a bazooka. A bazooka is as light or lighter than a rifle though so I wasn’t weighed down as much as you might expect. I also felt pretty good about getting to use the radio again.

I got three tribunes, so I’ll have a little news to catch up on. I hope you are all getting along O.K. Pardon this scribbling tonight but I am writing on my lap on a magazine that keeps bending on me. 
Lots of Love, Donald
I ordered some air mail stamps but the mail man forgot to get them so I don’t have any yet.

This letter is datelined “Saturday Night July 12, 1944”, and also “7-13-1944”, but was in an envelope postmarked August 14, 1944. July 12, 1944 was not a Saturday, and August 12, 1944 was, so apparently he forgot what month it was.

Saturday Night, July 12, 1944
Hello,

Well I’ll try to get you a letter at last and hope you are not too disgusted with me to be glad to get it. You can be sure I have been glad to get your letters and I wish I could have kept up with my share of the writing but this week it was just impossible. This week we have just been so busy that I doubt if I’ll even be able to remember it all.

I was out on that bivouac on the range Wednesday night when I get your first letter this week and then I didn’t get your second one till today at noon. I don’t know whether or not I’ll get  a letter from you tomorrow as I usually do on Sunday or not. But I sure hope I do. I am really anxious to hear how Daddy comes out on his job. I wish him all the luck possible.

On Wednesday we spent most of the day running problems out in one of the training areas not too far  from here. Then we came in just a little early, rolled our packs and trucked out to the range where we bivouacked over night. Then we ran plateau fire problems the next day. We fired live ammunition in the problem and I carried an automatic rifle (BAR). This weapon has the most fire power in the squad and I fired a total of 196 rounds of ammunition that day (a round is one shell). I have been working on the rifle ever since trying to get it clean and I didn’t get it into really satisfactory condition till noon today. Besides being a very hard weapon to clean, it is also heavy to carry (22 lbs and I also had 12 or 15 lbs of ammunition). But it can really spit the lead and I sure would hate to be on the opposite end of it.

We got in late that night then with straightening up everything and cleaning weapons, the evening was shot before I got any writing done. 

On Friday, yesterday afternoon, we went out to an area that was far enough away you could almost call it a hike going out and coming back. Then in the middle of the afternoon we came in and rolled our packs to start out on another problem. We were out till about 11:30 last night and four hours of the time was spent hiking. So you can see why I never did any writing yesterday.

We got up at 0600 this morning and we were sure a sorry, sleepy mess for a while around here. We spent the first hour or so cleaning up our rifles for an inspection. Then after the inspection was over we went out and spent the rest of the morning doing formal drilling and taking physical training. This afternoon we went swimming again and we got in from that sometime around 3 or 3:30. I jumped right into my weeks laundry then and got it over with before night this time. I had enough dirty clothes and equipment that I either couldn’t or don’t dare send to the laundry that it took me almost two hours to get everything washed.

After supper I went to the PX and got a Science Digest to read but instead of getting very much reading done I dropped off to sleep. It was so miserably hot that I woke up literally laying in a puddle of sweat. By the time it was about eight o’clock and I started right in on this letter.

It is now 9 o’clock and I’ll have to sign off for tonight pretty soon. While writing this letter I heard the President’s speech over the radio. If you heard it maybe you remember hearing him tell about the Aleutian Islands. Well some of the fellows here were up there durinmg the time they were being taken from the Japs. Most of them were in the anti-aircraft artillery at that time and have been transferred to the infantry since coming back to the States.

One of the fellows was sitting here listening with me tonight when the President thanked the men who had taken part in the Aleutian campaign.

Goodnight and I’ll “see’ you again tomorrow.

Sunday Afternoon, 7-13-44
The date today reminds me that I have spent 11 months in this army. It seems like an awfully long time and the worst part of it is what I would have accomplished during the last year. But I guess there is no use to even think about that.

It sure is amazing what a little relaxation can do for a person. I suppose that the climax of a nerve shattering week came yesterday morning. In the first place I hadn’t had much sleep  and I was trying my best to get the BAR cleaned up. Generally the whole squad cleans it but everyone else was trying to get his own rifle cleaned. (There is one of these to a squad and it is so much harder than the rest of the rifles to care for that everyone usually has to help clean it up. Last week was just my week to carry therefore be responsible for it.) Well every time I would start to work on it there would come up something else to do. I was about at the end of my patience.

But today after just resting I feel like a new man. And even last night you can see by my letter that just the lifting of the pressure without rest yet I was beginning to feel better.

I got up for breakfast this morning but when I came back I couldn’t even stay awake to read so I slept till church time. Then after church I read the funny paper and otherwise messed around till lunch time, I didn’t hear from you at mail call today so I’ll be expecting a letter tomorrow.

So far this afternoon I haven’t done anything but just enjoy myself and I don’t expect to do much else for the rest of the day.

I hope you folks were able  to have an enjoyable rest of some kind today. If you went down to Uncle Ernie’s, how is everything down there?

Mother asked if I am still getting the Tribunes and I can tell you that I am. I generally get them two at a time but the news is just as good even if it doesn’t get here every day. I am sure glad that the insurance took care of RIchard’s accident.

That just about takes care of my news for now but maybe I’ll have a little more before night.
Love, Donald

6:45PM
We had another little shower her this evening. It started raining on the Sunday evening I got back from furlough and it has rained about half the Sunday afternoons since then. Of course I would just as soon see it rain on Sundays as any other day. It should be a little cooler for sleeping tonight.

There are several new men coming into the company now from Camp Craft, SC. They have just had basic and it is my opinion they are just coming here for maneuvers. So unless I miss my guess we’ll be maneuvering next month.

God Bless You All,  D.V.T

Oh yes. I wanted to tell you that my bill fold is just about shot. The leather is still good but it is coming apart. I’ve sewed it up several times but my thread is too weak. Maybe I could get it fixed sometime. But until then do you suppose that you could find me something not very expensive to serve this purpose. The treatment is too rough for one with anything.  Five years is pretty good for a bill fold, I guess.

Monday Evening, August 7, 1944
Dear Family,

Here is the reason why I am starting this letter tonight. I didn’t do my KP today but will do it tomorrow. So you know that it may be impossible to do any writing tomorrow night. And we are supposed to spend at least one night in the field this week and I think it will be Wednesday night. So if I am going to get  any writing done before very late in the week, I’l have to do it tonight.

This morning I went out on the problem that I told you about that I was supposed to act as sort of an umpire. So I had a fairly easy morning.

But this afternoon was altogether a different story. We hiked out about four miles to run a problem. And boy was it hot. The problem couldn’t last very long because the hiking out and back took up a little cover half the afternoon. But the temperature was just sweltering and it about cooked us all. In fact I have taken 2 showers this evening in an attempt to be comfortable. I got heat rash over it today and I expect tomorrow won’t help it any. In fact, I got heat rash the last time I worked on KP and I have it this time before I even start. But I do believe I would rather have heat rash than the poison ivy and poison oak that so many of the fellows have. I have been having to mess around it a whole lot in the last few weeks. But I don’t feel like bragging or anything because there can always be a first time and I have had it in the past. 

I am sort of at a loss for something to read tonight. I finished the reader’s digest  and they don’t have any magazines over at the PX right now that interest me. I didn’t even get a Tribune today. When they get here I would likely have plenty to keep me occupied but I do hope you are still able to send the Sunday School papers for me.

Well tomorrow will make two days in a row of getting up early for me so I’ll sign off and hit the hay pretty soon. I just have a little time tomorrow to write a letter.

Goodnight with love,  Donald

Tuesday night
Well I am off KP now and I’m glad it’s over. I had a fairly easy day for KP but I’m really tired. I don’t have any news to tell you so I’ll just say I am doing OK. Hope everything is well with you. Donald
My rash is still with me but it didn’t get any worse.

Sunday August 6, 1944
Grandpa and Grandma Carver,

I have been saying to myself all week that I would write to you today. And then when I got a letter from you today I certainly did want to write to you. I remembered that August 6 is Grandpa’s birthday after Grandma mentioned it but like other things I don’t suppose it would have come to mind otherwise. So I want to wish Grandpa a happy birthday and good year to follow. May God bless you.

I was very glad to hear about the school house work. Here’s the way I look at it. If you get the place as clean as you can with what you have, I don’t think there is anything you should need to worry about. You can’t help what the trustee doesn’t furnish you so just don’t even think about that and let him worry about it. If school starts before he decides to do anything he’ll just have to wait till it can be done conveniently. There’s no use worrying about something you can’t help.

I have been working hard lately but I am not worrying about working too hard. There is no use in their trying to work us any harder than we are able to stand and therefore I just do as well as I can as one job follows the other. I, like Ben, will be glad when this war is over.

I am mostly just doing the regular work with the company but once in a while I do some work with the little radios. I spent 3 or 4 days last week and the week before learning a little more and reviewing what I did know about them. I am supposed to use one out on a problem tomorrow morning if nothing happens between now and then.

You mentioned about using vaseline on your feet and I have never thought about it but it would be worth a trial. If you want to put in a little bottle when mother sends me something go ahead. I certainly am using my feet enough but they are getting so that they can take it better than they used to. We walk several miles at least every day and here lately we have been having two ten mile hikes every week.

I understand you have been getting a few little rains lately and hope that the dry spell won’t be too severe from now on. We still get rain every once in a while but they don’t come quite as often as they did.

As long as I can have my Sundays off so that I can rest up I can get along very well. Today I went to church this morning and outside of that I have just taken it easy. I have read a letter, written a couple of letters and slept a good bit. 

Well I’ve about run out of news so I’ll close till next time. I hope you get along OK in your undertakings. Let’s trust in the Lord till we can all be together again. With love,

Your Grandson,  Donald

Saturday Night – August 5, 1944
Hello Family,

Well just in case I have an extra lazy spell on in the morning and don’t want to wake up, I am going to get a little writing done now. I have messed around now till there isn’t too much time before lights out but I’ll write what I can.

We got off pretty early this afternoon and I got my necessary laundry done before night this time. I finished up about supper time and after supper I spent a little time reading. Then as Lula Bell and Scottie were on at the show I decided to spend my evening watching them perform. There was also sort of a “Rube Band” and couple other barn-dance style actors in it. The story wasn’t much but they just gave it life and the crowd really enjoyed it. There was as much real laughter (not just noise as I have seen from a bunch of soldiers.) 9:30

Morning
I’ve got 20 or 25 minutes before I leave for church so if I don’t get distracted I’ll get a letter written. Before I forget it I want to ask you about my watch. Have you received it yet and if you did what did Leo say about it? I am still in the notion of swapping if everything can be worked out. I wonder if Daddy or Richard remembers those watches we saw in Ft. Wayne or someplace that time we took the Slate car home last fall. They are something more like what I am interested in. But don’t get excited about this, just let time have its way and I believe everything will work out.

I got up at 7:30 for breakfast this morning and then I finished what little I had left in the August Readers Digest. I don’t know exactly what I’ll read this afternoon but maybe I won’t do anything but sleep anyway.

I’ve been trying to think who I’ll have to write to this afternoon. I believe I’ve about got caught up enough that I’ll write to Granda Craver and let it go at that.

1:30PM
Now to try and do some more writing. I received a letter from you at mail call just before chore at noon today. To be sure I was very glad to get it but I suppose I had about received my quota of letters this week and really didn’t expect any today. It almost surprised me when when you said that you had your first mess of corn the other day. The corn down here has been in the roasting ear stage for several weeks and we have had corn on the cob half a dozen times at least. 

A little of what I’ve been doing – On Friday morning we went out to the area about 3 miles from here I have told you so much about and ran a problem. Then in the afternoon I worked in the pits out on the range for a group of new men in the company who had a fire for record.

On Saturday morning, two of us from each company who had had radio training went out with a captain to get oriented on the problem which will be run next week. The radios will be used for control of the problem and we will be more or less umpires instead of taking part in the problem itself. I am supposed to go out on that tomorrow morning but I see they have me up for KP so I don’t know what I’ll be doing for sure.

I notice I mentioned about the corn crop and I remember that I have been wanting to tell you about the area we went to when we stayed out 4 or 5 days a couple of weeks ago. This area is known as the South Carolina maneuver area and is some 30 miles from here. 

It is composed of several large strips of land (a lot of it wooded) scattered though a typical southern farming area. There is even a little town in the area and another one not far away.

Everyday we would hike past several farms on our way to the training areas and you could get a real insight on the country. This was a lot different from hiking on the post and made training a lot more interesting.

I suppose this area here might have been typical countryside once upon a time but this has been a post since the last war. All the land is either heavily wooded or has grown up in scrub growth. Once in a great while you find an old building but it is very seldom.

I wonder what you folks are doing today. I surely hope you can have an enjoyable day. I suppose you had a minister today. I am happy that you have begun to get a little rain no matter how little.

I wrote this letter on some of the new stationary just to be a little different. Thanks for the package I got yesterday. I am about out of foot powder so that will come in very handy. I’ll find use for the darning cotton but as for mending sox – I have about quit. Whenever  they wear out I just salvage them and save myself a lot of work. I feel like a nap now so I’ll sign off. 

Love, Donald

I see I forgot to tell you we had a hike  Friday night. Also I want to thank you for the clippings you have been sending. I like them.

Marked “Wed. Noon” but was actually Thursday – based on the letter content and the postmark date.

Thursday (not Wed) Noon – August 3rd 1944
Good Afternoon Folks,

Well I have ruined this paper with sweat before I ever start by just laying my arm on it but you’ll bear with it. I hope. I don’t need to tell you that it’s a very hot day and that this afternoon will likely not be comfortable.

In my letter to you I wrote Tuesday I said we were supposed to have a hike that night. Well for some reason or other it was cancelled until yesterday afternoon. Yesterday morning we hiked for an hour each way out to and back from an area where we ran a problem so that wasn’t so bad but the hiking wasn’t so good.

With two hours of hiking in the morning and four in the afternoon we were walking for 6 hours yesterday. And the afternoon was about like today’s will likely be as far as heat goes. I needn’t tell you that we were ready to quit when we got in.

Besides that I was on table weather yesterday and had gotten up at 4 o’clock. So I had to spend my noon hour and my evening till 8PM in the kitchen. After we were through and I was back in the barracks cleaning up, the pay off came. Most of the fellows were out as they usually are in the evening (movies, Service Club, PX, town, etc.) and they needed someone to go on guard. They had already picked the guard but one of them had some sort of detail and they needed someone else.

As you can guess they took me, even in the condition I was and I walked 3 hours of guard last night. Well that brought up my total to 9 hours of walking yesterday. I was pretty well aggravated about it but that’s all the good it did me. 

But for being on guard we got the morning off today and so I brought up my total hours of sleep enough to equal a pretty good night’s rest. I don’t know what I’ll be doing this afternoon but no doubt there’ll be something.

I was pretty glad to get your weekend letter yesterday at noon. I was so busy I didn’t get to read it ‘till last night but the thought that I had a letter to read helped me through the afternoon. 

I am interested in knowing how Daddy’s job comes out and I was amused at Mr. May’s letter. I sure hope Dad gets the  job but like so many other things, I guess, it won’t be a life or death matter. Just do what you feel is right as best you can.

I was sorry to hear of Richard’s accident but it couldn’t be helped so just take care of it then forget the whole matter.

I can’t predict whether or not the motor cart will work but I do want to hear how it comes out. The idea of having no clutch and running it something like the railroad men do their put-put might be a good one. 

I doubt if the letter prediction about the end of the war will turn out to be anything other than wishful thinking but it did interest me.

Well if any more news turns up before night I’ll include it. Otherwise I’ll close with my best wishes in all your undertakings.

Lots of love,  Donald
Night
Well I sure had a break today. The company had gone out in the field this morning and didn’t come back at noon. So they told us (guards) to just keep busy around the barracks – cleaning our equipment, straightening up etc. That means I had an easy day today. Then I went to a show this evening to sort of spend the evening and it turned out to be real good. KP generally comes soon fter table waiter so I’ll probably get it Saturday so I won’t feel so bad. Love. Donald

Tuesday August 1, 1944
Hello Folks,

We have been half way promised a hike tonight so I’ll at least start this during my noon hour. And even now my time is very limited because I’ve got to fall out at 12:30 for some more radio school.

We went to radio school yesterday morning and then spent about an hour yesterday afternoon taking a test. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon working in the supply room.

This morning we were supposed to take another radio test but we spent most of the morning waiting for our turn to take it. The reason why we had to wait was because it was it was a test in the use of equipment rather than a written test. Only a few could use the equipment at a time so we had to wait  our turn.

I think there is some sort of a test coming up this afternoon but I don’t know much about it yet.

The shipping list or POR list as it is called (Port of Replacement) came up yesterday and my name wasn’t on it. About 2 out of 3 of those qualified took their physicals yesterday afternoon and I can’t quite understand how I missed it. It might have been chosen by lot for all I know. But I still could go in case someone doesn’t pass the examination or if they need more men but I doubt if I will this time. Now that they’ve started taking men I may go any time. So much for that.

Evening
I got in just a little early this afternoon so I’ll try to get a little more of this written before retreat. I took another test that took about an hour in all this afternoon but it took about all afternoon waiting for it. These radio tests are a whole lot alike every time they give them but here’s why we get them so often: One time the regimental staff gives a test, then the division tests us, then the Corps officers, then a staff from the Second Army headquarters test us and then it is about time to start over again.

It’s been raining a good bit here for a couple of days and we have had several showers today. Yesterday evening we were having a Regimental parade and it began to rain. It looked as if the bottom dropped from something and it wasn’t a half minute till we were soaked clear through. Of course, we were in khakis and we were drowned rats when we got to the barracks.

Well I’ve got to start cleaning my rifle so if nothing else important happens I’ll seal this up and send it. Likely there won’t be any time to write anyway even if I did have something to say – so good luck.

Love,  Donald

Sunday 11:30 – July 30, 1944
Hello,

How are all you folks now? I wonder what you are doing today. Since I don’t have to be out in the sun, I can call this a beautiful day. It is not hard for me to see how people can like the South. Because if you can be inside and look out as I am today or if you can view it from such a place as a shady park, it does really look beautiful. But it is just too hot to enjoy when you must be out in the weather. I hope you are having nice weather too; or if you are still needing rain, I imagine rain would be about as welcome as sunshine.

After Dinner
I was stopped by chow call and then mail call but here I go again. At mail call I got a paper, the cookies from the Ladies Aid, and best of all a letter from you. It looks to me from your letter that some of my class are going to see action and just to be truthful it may not be long before I’ll be with them. There is a shipping list coming up shortly and I have as good a chance as the next one of being on it. I got my G.I. glasses yesterday and that fills all my requirements to make me eligible. But even those in the outfit who don’t go now will leave (I am pretty sure) soon after the maneuvers are over in October. Here’s my attitude towards it right now. The way we have been working lately it wouldn’t be a whole lot worse than it is right now, and with the exception of maneuvers I have had all my training and ought to be able to look out for myself as well as the rest. I may also be able to help get this over with sooner and if I do or don’t I’ll be filling my little spot. Also remember that “All things work together for them that love the Lord,” so I don’t want you to feel any different about it than I do. This is all I am going to say about this until I learn something more definite. Don’t be surprised when it happens and don’t worry about it.

The hike we had Friday night didn’t make me feel much worse after it was over than I did before I started. The blisters were a little larger but I worked on them yesterday evening and I can hardly tell I have them today. My right ankle was a little sore before I started but it got limbered up after a mile or two and it didn’t bother much after that. I went to radio school yesterday morning and we had a pretty easy afternoon yesterday so with an easy day yesterday and a vacation today I ought to be pretty well rested for next week.

I did my weekend washing last night so I didn’t have to get up to do that this morning and I slept till church time. I wouldn’t even have woke up then if one of my buddies who sleeps next to me hadn’t known I was in the habit of going to church and woke me up. By the way he himself is a Catholic. When he woke me up it was about three minutes till ten and I was going into the chapel at 6 minutes after. The chapel isn’t very far away but even at that I did some hurrying.

The chaplain, who I mentioned once before that I liked so well, spoke to us again this morning and I really enjoyed the service. THis fellow is so common acting and preaches so plainly that you can’t help from liking him. The other chaplain must be from  some church that has a very formal service and it is much harder for me to enjoy than one more like our own.

Well I’ll sign off now and maybe write a little more this evening. Thanks a lot for the needles.

7PM
When reading over my letter so far I see I have told you about one of my buddies and it reminds me that I have another buddy whom I have been intending to tell you about. He is the one who pitched his tent with me last week and I like him very well. He lives in Greenville, Ohio. If you remember when we took Mattie and Aunt Mary over into Ohio we went to Greenville. He is familiar with the territory over to about as far as Muncie so he and I have just a little in common. When you are stuck away like this it is good to find even so remote an “acquaintance.”

We have been working for 6 days a week lately and haven’t got to go swimming for a good while so I decided this afternoon if I couldn’t get a tan one way I would try something else. I put on my bathing suit and layed out in the sun for about three quarters of an hour this afternoon. I see that my back and one shoulder is sort of pink now but it is entirely cool so it didn’t burn any.

I succeeded in getting a letter written to the Ladies Aid so maybe they won’t be bothering you with questions about whether or not I received the cookies this time. I find that most of the cookies have  to be eaten with a spoon (they have been crushed so) but they sure taste good.
You’ll have to admit this is a pretty good letter for me. I’ll read a little and then hit the hay pretty soon. It looks like we may get some rain tonight.

Lots of Love,  Donald
I sent for a stamp with my initial and last four serial numbers on it so you don’t need to worry about sending me this.