Author: dan

April 19, 1944
Wed. Noon
Hello Folks,

Perhaps I can get this started before we have to fall out again, I hope. I wanted to write last night but we had so many extra weapons to clean that it was time to go to bed before I got anything else done.

It has been a pretty wet week so that makes it all the harder to keep the guns clean. It is raining some now so I suppose it will be damp this afternoon.

Yesterday and this morning we fired the BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle). We fired part of our record fire with it this morning and we will finish either this afternoon or tomorrow. I’m pretty sure that I’ll be able to qualify with it but don’t know how good a score I will have.

The other day when we finished firing the carbine I wound up with a score that qualified me as a sharpshooter. That seems to be about my standing with most weapons. – Well that’s enough of that.

I was sure glad to get that roll of papers the other day. I don’t know how you are still getting the Baptist paper since you aren’t attending Lilly Creek but I sure like to get it. Even when you send both kinds of S.S. papers the Young Peoples’ are about all I get to read in my limited time. Of course, I always read them first and that might partly explain it. 

Mother wanted to know if May 1 was something special because of what I said about my clothes. I said that I traded a pair of khaki pants for some that would fit me on May 1. You must understand that we call our summer uniforms khakis and our winter one O.D.’s. The significance of May 1 is that we are changing to our summer uniforms on that day.

If Mary thinks that she might want to go to college I say go right ahead and take a college entrance course. With a little planning it should be worked out so that she wouldn’t have to load up much heavier than she already is. The only question in my mind is about a foreign language but since they are not so strict on this any more she might even be able to substitute her home ec. for this. Even if she later decides not to go to school there will be no harm done that I can see. This is only my opinion of course.

I am not prepared as yet to even express myself on Richard’s problem about college. By the way, I wonder how he likes chemistry by this time.

I didn’t get all this written at noon but some place back there I started again this evening. We didn’t finish the BAR but fired a little more with the carbine this afternoon.

Hope you are coming along OK.
Love
Donald

April 16, 1944 (and April 17th)
Sunday Afternoon
Dear Family,

You’ll likely get this letter at the same time as the one I sent yesterday but who cares. I feel a little homesick today and would like to have received a letter from you so the next best thing I guess is to write a letter myself.

I don’t feel quite as disgusted or discouraged or whatever it is now as I did last night. If we can work it as well tonight and get through as soon as we have from the other two meals maybe I won’t feel too badly about today. I guess there is some advantage in having a detail again so close to the last time. You sort of get to know the job and find quicker ways of doing it. I find that there is even a system to sweeping under a mess hall table. 

I got off this morning at about 9:00am and so I got to go to church. I enjoyed it but it was sure a job to keep my eyes open. Then after I got off at about 2:00 I laid down and took a nice nap. I just woke up and although I don’t know what time it is I imagine that they will be calling for supper before too long. I suppose it will be about 8:00 when we get out of there tonight. 

This is possibly a very dull letter to you but like everyone else I soon run out of anything to say.

We do about the same things all the time and if I tell you about it once I hate to tell about it again.

We had our regular inspection yesterday and in the afternoon we played softball to get exercise. We played M company and got beat but we had some fun anyway.

At the inspection yesterday the captain asked us if all our khaki’s fit us so that we will be able to wear them on May 1st. Yesterday evening one of the sergeants took a load of us over to the quartermaster depot and I exchanged a pair of khaki pants for one that will fit me. 

Do you ever write or hear from Ben? It has been quite a while since I heard from him.

It is a pretty nice day today and if it is any ways near as nice at home, I’ll bet that Richard and Jim went for a walk down at Lilly Creek. It is wistful thinking but it sure would be good to do something like that again.

I hope you are all O.K. I’ll not put this letter in an envelope yet and maybe I’ll think of something else to say when I get off tonight.

Loads of Love,
Donald

Monday (April 17th)
Hello again,
I didn’t get this sent out yesterday so I’ll try to write a little more now. I got off pretty easy yesterday evening but I just messed around and didn’t get writing.

We spent most of today dry firing but we did dry firing with the carbine and automatic rifle and I didn’t mind it so much. I have fired the M1 rifle and dry firing with it isn’t so interesting but when I can learn something I don’t mind it so much.

Well I have got another detail for tomorrow. I’ve got guard duty. I’ll go on tomorrow morning and be on for 24 hours then get the next morning off. I’ll tell you more about it later.

I got your letter this evening that you had written Saturday. Hope to hear again soon.
Love,
Donald

April 15, 1944
Saturday Eve.
Dear Folks,

I can’t decide whether I ought to be a little disgusted or not tonight. I find that I am on table waiter again tomorrow and that means that it won’t be much of a Sunday to me. I just hope that I can be off to go to church. I don’t understand why a certain few of us are drawing details so often but maybe it will be someone else’s turn before long.

I thought I might get on the bus and go to town tonight or go to a movie or something but this took all the wind out of my sails. Now I guess I’ll just sew “an acorn” on a couple of shirts, read a little and try to get a little extra sleep. I still say “This is a great life, if you don’t weaken.”

I got your letter tonight that contained the letter from the 7th grade. This shows how well I remember things. I had forgotten about Mr. Tappan having only one grade and addressed my letter to the 6th and 7th grades. I don’t know who wrote it but I got a great kick out of hearing about Blackie. It reminded me of old times which Richard will remember too. I wonder if the teacher realized that he gave away the fact that he proofread the letter  when he wrote a little 3 above the 37 pupils. (I got quite a chuckle out of how easy it was to tell his characteristic way of writing such a simple thing as that.)

Well I’ll sign off and maybe write a little more tomorrow. Hope all is well with you.
Donald

April 12, 1944 and April 13, 1944
Wed. Eve.
Hello Folks,

This will be a very scribbly letter because I am standing in the barber shop line and writing it. This will give me something to do while I am waiting and also will get this letter off my chest.
By the looks of things I may have an hour to wait.

Well we had our big parade today. We practiced on it Monday and thought it would be pulled off yesterday but it was called off till today. The occasion was that Sec. of War Stimpson was here to inspect the 87th division.

I can say that I got to see the “old boy” but it was from such a distance that I wouldn’t about to know him from anyone else.

We didn’t parade so long but we stood in ranks almost all afternoon so I am at least as tired as I would have been if I had worked.

This afternoon we also took a test to see if we are ready to start training with the regular company. It was fairly easy and I don’t have much doubt about passing. If we made it OK we go in with the company next week. 

About the only other thing besides the usual run of things that has happened was a night problem last night. We got back a little before ten o’clock so it wasn’t so bad.

Well I am back in the barracks again. I didn’t write all the time I was in line but I got to talking and just couldn’t get to writing again. I got my hair cut so now I can pass inspections for at least another week. That is one of the worst things about it here. They have so many inspections that it isn’t funny. Every night at retreat they inspect our rifles. I used to more or less enjoy retreat but here it is a worrisome thing.

The weather has got pretty snappy again. The wind was blowing hard enough that we had to wear our overcoats to the parade.

It’s not too late but I can’t hardly keep my eyes open.
Goodnight with Love,
Donald

April 13, 1944
Thursday Night
Dear Folks,

That was such a sad letter last night that I want to let you hear from me again tonight. It will be a very great miracle if I should get a chance to write tomorrow because as you know all Friday night must be spent scrubbing, etc. getting ready for Saturday’s inspection. I washed my ammunition belt and field jacket tonight so that they will be sure to be dry by Saturday.

We are going to go out on the range tomorrow to fire some sort of a combat problem. We are going to get up at 5:15 in the morning so by the time we get to bed tomorrow night it will be a pretty long day.

It looks like those of us that just came into the company are going to be about the entire company in a few days. About 4 out of 5 of the old men have been taking examinations for the last couple of days in preparation for shipment to the P.O.R. (Port of Replacement). They will be placed into units somewhere on the other side.

You can easily imagine what one of the great topics of conversation is now. “When are we going to get our furloughs?” Most of the fellows either haven’t been in as long as I have or they have been in school and got furloughs through that. So I hope when the time comes that I’ll have as good a chance as anyone. I don’t have enough news to start another sheet. So –
Love,
Donald

April 9, 1944 (Easter)
Sunday Afternoon
Dear Mother and All,

By this letter I want to thank you the best way I can for what I received yesterday evening. I wasn’t exactly surprised to get a package but when I found out what was in it you can be sure that I was very pleasantly startled. Everything arrived in excellent shape and in fact the icing was hardly even cracked on the cake. If one of Mother’s angel food cakes was a treat at home I don’t have any words to describe it here. “We” enjoyed it so much that now it is a thing of the past. I spent almost all morning reading the funnies but haven’t found time to start on the S.S. papers yet. 

Although I haven’t seen too much of Easter I have had more than you might imagine. They brought us in from the range at noon on Friday and then let us off for a little while in the afternoon so that we could attend Good Friday services. Then this morning they held a special Divisional Easter service. It was held in sort of an amphitheatre on a hillside with a very beautifully decorated stage and a band for music. I am sending the program so that you can see a little about what it was like.

We had our regular Saturday inspection yesterday and we are supposed to have the big one tomorrow. I don’t know whether it will be the Colonel or not who will inspect. I am expecting them any time now to tell us to scrub the floor yet this evening. These inspections consist of personal inspection, rifle inspection, inspection of our barracks and inspection of all our equipment. Here lately we have started to call this the P and I (parade and inspection) division. Some of this is necessary, of course, but since so much time is required in preparation it is easy to run it into the ground.

We haven’t been told for sure but likely we will start training with the regular company tomorrow. Even at that though it won’t be much of a change since most of the old fellows are scheduled to leave some time this week.

Maybe you weren’t very surprised but the story of Janette and Charlie sort of startled me. I guess I have been away long enough that I can’t realize the true state of things. Things are happening so fast anymore that it makes my head swim to think about them.

About suggesting what to send the boys in service I hardly know what to say. Besides something to eat most any little thing would be appreciated. If I get any great ideas I’ll let you know. The main thing to remember is that it isn’t so much what is received as it is the idea of just getting something.

Well keep plugging and I’ll do the same.
Love,
Donald

Partial letter – last two pages

With several other letters from Feb/Mar in an envelope postmarked March 8

(written after basic training – missing page 1 on United States Army stationary)

… work on even papering to do.

It has been raining here for the last couple days and it has given me just a little bit more reason to like it here. Back in basic we would work out even in a cloud burst but yesterday afternoon we had classes inside so that we wouldn’t have to work in the rain. At least they give us afair chance to keep well. Of course, we will be out in a lot of bad weather before this is over but there is no sense of going to extremes at the expense of health.

It cleared up this afternoon and we had an unusual class in airplane identification. We had a couple of classes in Benning on this but it was mostly from pictures and we didn’t get too much from it. But today we went out about a mile to the airport and saw the actual planes. We didn’t get to see them on the ground but they came down to 25 feet or less for us to get close ups of them and they did a lot of performing to show us their stuff. Boy some of them sure have got power.

I wonder what the chances of you getting my watch fixed are.

Well I’m pretty sleepy and I think I had better do a little reading before I turn in.

Love, Donald 

April 5, 1944
Wednesday Evening
Hello Folks,

Even though I haven’t any news I still feel like writing. With very few exceptions life has been going on around here as usual. We started dry firing again this week and so either next week or the week after we will go out on the range.

Yesterday I had the “privilege” of being on K.P. for the first time since I have been here. We worked pretty hard but the cooks that were on duty were pretty nice to work for.

I will have to get up early and go on a special detail again tomorrow. I will then be on table waiter. On this job you drill with the company during the day, waite on tables at meal times and scrubb the mess hall after supper. Unless I draw guard soon I should be free from details for a few weeks.

Several of the fellows that came from ASTP are shipping out tomorrow to other branches of the service. After the old men leave about Friday there will be only 50 or 60 men left in the company. Since around 200 is a full strength company it looks as if they will have to get in some more men or fold up the company altogether.

I hope everything is coming along alright back there. I was sorry to hear of Uncle Dave’s death. I really don’t have enough news to start a new page so if this isn’t much of a letter at least it will let you know that I am ok.
Loads of Love,
Donald

Donald’s letter promised to his Father’s students

Ft. Jackson, S.C.
April 2, 1944
Dear Sixth and Seventh Graders,

See if you can remember what you were thinking about at eighteen-thirty army time (or 6:30PM) on Sunday evening. Especially if you were studying Monday’s arithmetic or spelling, I’ll bet your thoughts were very similar to those that are running through my head right now. You were thinking that your weekend was almost over, and a new week would soon be starting.

Here is how my week will start. The lights will go on at 6:00 o’clock in the morning and we’ll have 15 minutes to get dressed for reville. Then we’ll eat breakfast, make our beds, clean up the barracks and be ready to fall out for work by 7:20.

For the first half hour we have physical training in which we do all kinds of exercises to build up the strength of our bodies. Then for the rest of the day we get training in the arts of soldiering. Of course, there is time off at noon for chow. The word chow stands for any meal served in an army mess hall.

At 5 o’clock P.M. we come in from the field, put on our dress uniforms and clean our rifles. Twenty minutes later we fall out for retreat and rifle inspection. You can be sure that there must be some hurrying done to get off the dirt that has accumulated on our rifles from carrying them all day so we will pass inspection. A rifle inspection is to a soldier what a spelling test is to you.

Perhaps you would be interested in hearing a little about the South. I am only familiar with Georgia and South Carolina and I find them almost identical. They have very sandy soil, are very hilly and have lots of pine trees.

There is one thing for which Georgia is noted that is very strange until you get used to it. Its soil is of a very red color. When I first heard of Georgia’s red clay, I didn’t think that such a thing could be true but you can take it from me that it is not just a tall tale.

Since I have been here only during the winter, I haven’t seen much of the crops except that I did get here in time to see the cotton being picked last fall. I saw it being picked by negros just as you have so often seen in pictures.

Two weeks ago the farmers were ready to start planting their crops. This means that down here the growing season starts almost two months earlier than it does at home.

All in all if you were just traveling through this part of the country it would be very beautiful scenery but personally I like Indiana a lot better.
Your truly,
Donald Tappan

Was in envelope postmarked March 3.

April 2, 1944
Sunday
Dear Folks,

It is a very nice day today in South Carolina and I considering how it is at home. I hope the weather has cleared up some by now.

I went to church this morning and no doubt you did the same. We had a larger crowd than usual but I think it was because of the nearness of Easter. I spent the evening last night at the library and the service club so I think that I’ll just take it easy this afternoon. Reading, writing, sleeping, etc. I got a book from the library so I’ll have plenty to do. I am now acquainted with the library and so I don’t have to worry any more about something to read.

I got your box yesterday evening and it was swiftly consumed. It sure helps a lot to get a package from home. The excitement of getting and the thrill of opening is almost as good as the actual contents.

The first of my mail from Ft. Benning also came yesterday. I think that I have received just about all the mail that has been sent to me now.

I am beginning to get just a little more into the swing of things around here and am feeling a little better about my lot than I did. I might as well make the best and get as much from it as possible. Even if I never get to enjoy it, I will be a lot less miserable if I don’t hate it. Since this has fallen my lot, I am glad that the SATP basic was an infantry basic.

I wonder how football practice is coming by now. I hope the sore ankle is coming O.K. Once in a great while during our physical training classes we play football and I at least have learned the difference between the line and the backfield but that is about all I know. I often wish I knew a little more about the game.

By the way, how did the state tournament come out. I missed that entirely during my move.

About my K.B.F. (Kiwanis) medal – It was supposed to be sent in about middle of April. If you should happen to be in Marion in the next 2 or 3 weeks you could drop it off or you can send it in. I’ll send you the letter so you can get the address, etc.

6PM:
I have a couple more things I want to tell you before I close this letter. One is that I found a scale in one of the PX’s and at last  I know approximately what I weigh. In my shirt sleeves but with my heavy shoes on I weighed 158 lbs. That means about 18 lbs gained since I have been in the army.

I am going to start the letter to Dady’s room and I’ll let you know later how I come out.

8:30PM:
I got the letter finished and am sending it at the same time as this letter. I sn’t very fancy but maybe it will serve. One thing I want you to remember is that it is for your room and not public exhibition. I think you can see what I mean.

If you would rather I’ll write the letter to the marion company.

Love, Donald

March 29th, 1944
Wed Night
Hello, 

Well another week is half over. Even though it has been in a new place it has been a whole lot like the ones we have spent in the past. We are doing quite  a bit of the same things we did in basic but the rest of the men in the division are doing about the same things so we aren’t so different. I can’t remember whether I told you or not but the division was on maneuvers all winter in Tennessee. They are more or less reviewing now – doing bayonet work, running squad problems, etc, etc, etc.

They shifted us all around into different barracks this evening so I have about spent my whole evening straightening out my stuff. 

Where I am now I have a lot more room than I did before and we all have single beds here. I have slept in the top bunk of a double bed ever since I left the 16th Company so it is quite a relief to have a bed to myself again.

It is raining outside tonight and the temperature is getting pretty cold. It has been raining off and on ever since we got here. I have caught some cold but it isn’t very serious.

I’ve got only about minutes till lights out so I’ll close for tonight. Likely I’ll put this excuse for a letter in the envelope in the morning.

Goodnight & God Bless you All, Donald