Month: September 1944

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

Friday Night
Hello,

I got about half an hour so this can’t be very long. We have just finished scrubbing the barracks and getting everything cleaned up for inspection tomorrow.

I got the letter you sent out on Wednesday this evening. I also got a letter from the Montgomerys today. They sure are great folks. They said that they had the Lilly Creek ministry read my letter to the church. I suppose it was alright but it wasn’t a very fancy letter. Most of what they had to say was news about happenings that likely you know. I was glad to hear that Bob has taken up football and that Richard is helping him out a little.

They sent me the first news I have had about the Lilly Creek preacher, but I don’t quite get the whole story on him yet.

It seems to me I have heard of the new teacher but I just can’t place her now. No doubt I have seen her. It sounds like you’ll be able to get things straightened out and running in good order.

Down here we’ve been doing the usual kind of thing. It does seem that it may not be very long before we’ll move out of here. We took a physical examination today and they are packing up equipment all the time. Things like this don’t happen all at once though so we may be here for 3 or 4 more weeks.

I don’t have much news and maybe I’ll have time to write a decent letter Sunday. I sure hope so anyway. Good luck and God bless you.

Love,
Donald