Month: January 1944

[Date unclear – probably February 6, 1944]
Sunday Morning
Dear Folks,

I am now again at the middle of the range. But this time I am not feeling miserable like I did on Sunday before.

It is sort of a miserable day today but we have had a fairly nice week. The only day last week that it rained I was lucky enough to work in the pits of the rifle range where I didn’t get too wet.

I guess our important qualifying with weapons is over so now I won’t have to worry about that anymore. We worked in the pits while the 11th company fired on Thursday. Then we fired on Friday for practice and yesterday for record. Again I didn’t do anything extra but I did do a lot better than I did before. I fired 163 before which only lacked 2 points of being a sharpshooter but this time I fired 175. Of course, as you might know this lacks only five points of being an expert. But I have a feeling that being a sharpshooter is just as good or better for me than being an expert. I am not in the lowest bracket and if I ever see actual combat too much responsibility might be placed on my ability as an expert riflemen (that is if I had become one).

Maybe since I had shot before I should have shot expert but I did my best and I feel better than I would have had I cheated a little to pick up those extra five points that I lacked.

I suppose that next week will be spent doing combat firing etc.

I don’t know whether I told you about our record firing before or not. We fired 4 shots at 200 yds from the sitting position, 4 shots from the kneeling position and 4 from standing. Then from 300 yards we fired 4 rounds from the prone position and 4 from sitting and at 500 we shot 8 from the prone. We also shot rapid fire 9 rounds from both 200 and 300 yards. This is about right anyway whether it is perfect or not.

Incidentally our rifles shot shells or rounds as we (the army) call them the same size as those Richard and I picked up after the graveside services for John Flemming. Only our rifles are alot more modern than those they fired that day. The ones we shoot are semi-automatic which means that we insert a clip of 8 rounds and all we have to do is aim and pull the trigger 8 times. It loads each round and extracts the empty shell automatically.

Whether you have heard tales about the army rifles kicking or not, the kick isn’t anything to worry about. They kick a little worse than a 12 gauge shotgun but they teach you how to hold it so that the kick is absorbed by your shoulder and you don’t feel it at all.

My shoulder after firing about 150 rounds in the last two days feels no worse than it would if it had been a year since I had fired. Maybe Richard will be interested in this anyway.

I just got your package yesterday and have been getting your letters regularly. That little flashlight will do me more good out here than anywhere else and I am grateful to Richard or whoever is responsible for it. Those pictures you sent me were sure welcome. I don’t suppose I’ll get to send you a picture of me till after basic but I’ll send one as soon as I get a chance.

By the way did you ever get those shoes I sent home. I have never heard of them.

About the Spectrum, I would sure be glad to see one but I would want to send it home after I have thoroughly absorbed it. Do as you like about buying one for that purpose. I might get to come home about that time anyway.

So far I haven’t heard anything about church services today so I suppose I’ll have to miss another Sunday. I sure am glad though that I don’t have to be firing out in the rain.

Well I hope everything is OK back there. I hope Dady’s ear doesn’t give him too much trouble.

Love,

Donald
P.S. Thank you for the little extras in the package!

Sunday Night
I had this letter sealed but just for fear that it might be a good while before I get to write againI decided to write a little more.

The main thing I wanted to tell you was to be sure and have my Gruen taken care of. Thanks for reminding me of it. By the way, how has it been acting?

Well I have sure spent a lazy day today. I wrote your letter this morning then took a nap. I spent almost all afternoon catching up on my newspapers and reading the Sunday School papers. I maybe should have written a few more letters but I didn’t feel in the mood and the relaxation sure did me good. I am going to hit the hay

January 27, 1944
Letter to Carver Grandparents
Thursday
Dear Folks,

Well time flies by and here another week is almost gone. I have been intending to write to you ever since Sunday but I have been so busy that I just never got to it. It seems like that by the time I get cleaned up of an evening I must even hunt for time to write home.

I got your letter this morning and was sure glad to hear from you. Boy it seems that every day that passes makes me want to go home worse and see all of you. In fact it seemed that your letter today made me want to go home worse than ever for some reason or another. Especially when I think about all the work of the folks moving again I sure would like to help them out.

I’ll bet that it isn’t as hot back there today as it is down here. It is actually hot enough to make you sweat. Although I wouldn’t want it to get too hot I hope it does stay nice while I am living out in a pup tent. I think that I will start training with the company again some time next week. The company goes out to the ranges on Saturday and Sunday so that they will be ready to start right to work on Monday morning.

I slept out in my pup tent again last night. We ate canned rations for supper then slept out and came back in for breakfast. I guess they just want to give us a little practice in this kind of thing. Although it was a little damp, the weather wasn’t too cold and I slept fairly comfortable.

The supply room has been pretty much of a job this week – getting everything ready to go out on the range. Some of the work has been pretty hard but I have been able to take it with no worse effect than just feeling tired when night comes.

It sounds like you must be having to work pretty hard to keep up with the school house job. You don’t know how much I would like to be back there where I could give you a hand once in a while. I hope you are still coming along alright.

I sure appreciated the little bits of the Orestes (Indiana) news in your letter. Well chin up and I’ll be seeing you.

Love,

Donald

January 25, 1944
Wed Night [was actually Tuesday]
Dear Folks,

Well I am pretty tired tonight, I haven’t done so much extra but for some reason I feel the effects of it.

Yesterday and today I have worked in the supply room with, of course, odd jobs of all kinds on the side.

I suppose I will go to the laundry tomorrow and then I will have a real treat tomorrow night. Ha Ha. I’ve got to go out with the company on a practice bivouac. In other words, live in a pup tent for one night. This will kind of ease me into the spirit of training, I guess.

I suppose that I will start training about the first of next week. I had a whole week of the range but this company starts right out by firing the machine gun. Since I didn’t do this before it will mean that I must take the whole 2 weeks over again.

I worked in the supply room till about 8:30 tonight and tried to get some of my things ready for the next two weeks. So with about 20 minutes of this letter I must hurry and sign off before the lights go out.

I hope you are all OK and that things are straightening out alright.
Love,
Donald
P.S. This will arrive too late for this but today is Dady’s birthday – So Happy Birthday

[Probably January 23, 1944]

Sunday

Dear Folks,

I’ll start this letter before dinner and I’ll try to get it finished sometime between now and tomorrow morning. I didn’t get to write you a very newsy letter on Friday so I hope I can think of all I had in mind to tell you then.

It is another beautiful day today. I hope that we continue to get decent weather now for about 7 weeks but of course there is no telling what may happen.

I got up for breakfast this morning and then cleaned up for church. Then I layed down again and slept till about ten o’clock.

Well I finally got your package sent out yesterday at noon. I had all intentions of sending it Thursday but I couldn’t find my pocketbook (I’ll tell you more about this later), and then just before noon on Friday Lt. Blain told me he wanted me for a coal detail as soon as I finished my dinner so that fixed mailing the package on Friday.

The PFC. who is assisting in the supply room went on a pass Friday and since Sgt. Steele went to see something about his Air Corp transfer, I was in complete charge. I even had a couple of fellows working under me. And then in the afternoon I was put in charge of the coal detail. I had 3 men besides myself, a truck and a truck driver under me. Of course, this wasn’t anything great but it had a little responsibility to it and it shows that they have faith in my honesty. Usually they take a corporal off duty to put him in charge of the coal detail. Of course I worked as hard as anyone else even though I was in charge.

Yesterday I was back in the supply room again doing office work so I finally got a chance to go to the post office at noon.

About the day I couldn’t find my pocketbook, here is the story. After dinner just before I went to the post office I felt for my pocketbook and it wasn’t in my pocket. Well I looked all around for it and finally I decided that someone had reached into my pocket and took it out. When I was so near broke I took off my money belt and had never put it on again so I had all my money in my pocket book. Boy losing every cent I had didn’t make me feel very good. I spent a miserable afternoon thinking about where it could possibly be and then looking for it every chance I got.

When bed time came I had borrowed a dollar to send the package home and had written a letter telling you about it. After all hope was gone, I undressed and started to crawl into bed. In doing so I moved the pillow and there under my pillow was the pocket book. Somehow in dressing or undressing the night before it has fallen on the bed above the pillow and slid under the pillow. Then I had made the bed over it. Boy was I glad to see it and I was sure glad to give back the dollar that I had borrowed.

The little incident caused me a lot of worry but it turned out a lot better than I ever expected it to. It also taught me never to trust all my money to my pocket book again. 

You asked about my glasses the other day. Well I can’t get G.I. glasses as long as I still have a pair. It’s foolish to spend money to get glasses when they are supposed to be furnished so I am trusting that if these ever break it will be at a time when it won’t make too much difference.

Sunday night

Well I finally got my letter written today about my KBT award. I suppose that we will be hearing a report on it one of these days.

I haven’t accomplished much but write letters but I want to do a little more reading before bed time. I wonder what you have been doing today.

I will be going out on the range a week from yesterday and so I wish you would send me a half dozen  or 8 candles. It would be alright if they should arrive a few days after I get out there. The ones that are issued last for a while but not nearly long enough. The kind 4 or 5” long are good enough.

Goodnight with love,

Donald

P.S. In the package I put both of Ben’s pictures. I wish you would drop the one of him in his white cap into one of my letters and send it back. After you have got your satisfaction of seeing it of course.

[Date Unclear – but probably January 12, 1944]
Wed Night
Dear Folks,

Well here I come again. I’ve been doing the same old seventy-six as usual. Supply room, going to the laundry, etc., etc. We have been and will be extra busy getting ready for the range. Besides getting all the thousands of things ready we must take care of getting everybody’s clothing and shoes repaired and all the outfits changed for the correct sizes. Stuff that you can’t wear won’t help a bit when it comes to keeping warm. Another reason that we are extra busy is that the Supply Sgt. is transferring to the Air Corps. He is trying to get everything into top-notch shape before he leaves. I hope that he doesn’t get transferred before I start back to training.

Someone else might not be quite so pleasant to work for.

I’ll bet that you think that the box I said I was going to send got lost on the way. Well it is still in my barracks bag. The only chance I have to mail it is at noon and I have had only or 2 noons free in two weeks. And when I could have done it, of course, it never entered my head. Be patient, I’ll do my best.

I got your roll of Sunday School papers and magazine today. I finished my last Sunday School paper on Sunday so you timed it perfectly.

Well how’s everything back there?

Love,
Donald

[January 10, 1944 – written to his Carver grandparents]

Monday Evening
Dear Folks,

I wonder how things are coming along with you by this time. I am feeling fine and not having to work quite as hard as I did, so I am not complaining. I wonder how the school house job is coming by now. I’ll bet that things look quite a bit different down there now than they did in September. It doesn’t seem like it but it won’t be many days before I will have been gone for four months. I sure hope to see you again before another four months have passed.

I have been doing all kinds of odd jobs around here. But the time I spend doing hard work is easily over-balanced by the time I don’t work nearly so hard. Of course, I am busy almost all of the time doing something or other.

I haven’t had time to hear from the folks since the sale. Mother said that Grandpa might help clerk so I suppose that you attended. I certainly hope that things went off favorably.

I haven’t much news so I’ll tell you something that I was thinking about a while ago. I was thinking about how much different I would look to you then when I left. In the first place of course, my uniform would make me look different. I don’t know how much I have gained but I’ll bet that you could tell that I have picked up quite a bit. And then my short army style haircut certainly does change my looks. II don’t know whether I’ll keep it that way or let it grow out; but if you could see me now, I’ll bet you would smile to yourself at my looks.

Aunt Mildred says that Ben’s address has changed to the west coast so he has seen quite a bit of new territory by now. And no doubt he will see quite a bit more before long.

Well I want to do a little more writing before bed time so I’ll close now.

May God bless you and keep you,

Donald

[Probably January 6, 1944]
Thursday Nite
Fort Benning, GA

Dear Folks,

I was using my pen after supper to get the fellows to sign some papers for the supply sergeant so since I have it in my hands I will use it now.

I am still looking after the boys in the sick hut. I keep wishing that they will all get well so that my job will come to an end but instead of that it keeps growing. It isn’t such a hard job but I just can’t enjoy it. It is helping the war effort so I sure am not worrying.

I don’t have to spend too much time down there so I spend a good bit of time in the supply room. I really enjoy the supply room work so life doesn’t get too monotonous for me. The supply sgt. Is a real nice guy so I go in and help him out and he lets me spend any spare time that I might have in the supply room.

Shux this sure isn’t much of a letter but I can’t think of anything else to write.

I want to take a shower before I go to bed so you’ll forgive the letter. Ask me some questions so I’ll have something to write about when news is short.

Love,

Donald

No envelope.

Jan 4, 1944 (Tuesday)
Dear Folks, 

I can’t make any promises about the length of this letter because time is very short. The main purpose of this is not to tell my exciting adventures but just to let you now that I am OK.

In our Regiment there is a hutment where they send fellows to recuperate from flue colds, etc. Well for the last 2 days I have been nurse maid to the boys of our Co. that are in the hut. There are 5 of them. I carry their meals, keep the fires going, sweep the floor, etc.

This morning I was also put on a detail of policing up the area. General Bonesteel was going to make an inspection tour and so just in case he came here the place had to be spic and span. I don’t think he ever got here but anyway he caused me to spend a very exciting morning. Also I have been working some in the supply room between trips to the sick hut.

This is all the news I can think of and I am heading to bed.
Love,
Donald

Jan 2, 1944 (Sunday)
Fort Benning, Georgia

Dear Folks,

Your letters sort of came at me all at once so I had to read them all over before I started this one so that I might be able to answer your questions.

I will start by saying that I got your package and letter with money on Friday. Everything in the package arrived in fine shape. I don’t know any of the qualifications of the watch but it seems to be alright to me. It is very nice looking and it runs fine. I am sure proud of it and very glad to get it.

I don’t know how you happened to run on to the nail clippers but I certainly never expected to get anything that will serve my purpose as well as they will. Even the Bible is a lot better than I ever expected to get. When I mentioned a small Bible I was afraid to mention one with a zipper on it for fear that they would be impossible to get. But this one is a very nice size and even has a zipper. 

The candy sure didn’t go begging this time. I’ll bet I had more Christmas than anybody back there!

A funny thing happened about that money you sent me. I opened the letter that contained it at exactly the same time that the other fellows were getting paid. You guys sure do things right; you wouldn’t have needed to send so much. Richard sure needn’t send me any money for the shoes now.

I surely do want you to take the rest of the money for the watch out of my graduation money. I hadn’t entirely forgotten about the money but I just didn’t think about it when I was talking about buying a watch.

I also want you to take the ten dollars you sent me out of this money. The rest of it (except the 2 dollar bill, which I want you to hang on to) I would like for you to save to put in with money that I will send in the future to be put into bonds. Does this straighten me out financially?

Now for a little more news. I have been working in the supply room with about an hour or 2 in the kitchen just to make it interesting. Ha Ha. Yesterday I spent all morning hauling coal. We were off yesterday afternoon and I read quite a bit in my Reader’s Digest. This morning I went to church as usual.

After I got back from church I tried to do a little sewing. As I was doing it I was thinking about how easy it would have been to ask Mother to do it if I had  been at home. She would have done it quickly and there would be no doubt about it staying fixed. But I struggle along with it and just hope that it stays. I’m learning though.

This afternoon I went over to see the fellows of my old company before they leave. Of course, the main thought on their minds was where they were going to be sent.

Well I feel a lot brighter than I did last week at this time. I hope you can get things straightened out all right back there.

Oh yes, I was glad to get Janette’s picture but you will have to keep it for me.

Love,
Donald