Author: dan

Friday Morning

Dear Principal and All the Rest of My Family,
    I’m showing off my new pencil this morning. And since it came with the compliments of the Principal, I’m addressing this letter to him. The truth of the matter is, I thought all last year of sending him a letter but this is the first time I ever got around to it. Seriously though, thanks a lot and thanks also for all the rest of the box. Somebody has either been thinking about me for quite a while or went to a lot of trouble on the last minute and made all that candy. My favorite is still the divinity. You did go to a lot of trouble and if it had been a smaller box, I’d have appreciated it just the same.
    Well the time sure rolls by doesn’t it. Another week is just about gone and it sure won’t be long before I’ll have been at Ft. Dix two months. That’s just two months closer to getting out but I kinda wish I had some idea when that’ll be.
    What happened at home this week? I don’t know whether the first full week of November holds any excitement or not. The biggest thing that has been in the papers here is the New York City election. I haven’t heard a word about the election at home. I know that the first Tuesday after the first Monday is the proper day but maybe this isn’t the proper year. I hadn’t thought much about it till this brought it to my mind but this time next year, I’ll be of voting age. If I just had a couple of years of college to my credit now I’d feel better about it. I wonder if I should break my neck now trying to catch up with myself or just forget it and let things go along as near normal as possible.
    I went to Trenton yesterday afternoon, mostly, as I said before, to see about train schedules. I also had a new strap put on my watch (the old one pulled in two the other day) and then because I had nothing better to do saw a movie. I still feel exactly like I always did about going to town. I don’t mind it a bit if I’ve got something to do and can go do it and get it over with. But I don’t get any thrill at all out of merely being in town to spend time.
    We sure can’t complain about the weather so far for November. It’s been a little cool sometimes and has rained once, I believe, but on the whole it’s been exceptionally nice. The sky is just a little bit overcast today and I thought that it might turn out to be pretty cloudy. But I see the sun is breaking through now enough to make shadows so it may be pretty nice after all.
    It wouldn’t surprise me a bit to get a letter from you at noon today and if I would wait till then to finish this letter no doubt I could make it a little longer. But I think I’ll sign off and get this started. I’ll need something to write about the next time anyway. Be good and good luck.
           Your son and brother,  
                          Donald

The note on the back of the envelope is probably written by Mary.

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Wednesday Evening

Dear Folks,
    Since I’m not writing on the army’s time as I did my last letter, I won’t feel that I have to hurry. Now I hope that I can think of enough to keep this from being too short. I know that since the last time I wrote enough things have come to my mind but I’ll be able to remember only a small fraction of them. Oh yes, my reason for having extra time tonight is because this is my day off this week.
    I expect it seems that I talk about it too much but I want to tell you what I’ve decided about coming home the last of the month (and it’s only two weeks from this weekend). I’m making plans to come but I’m keeping the thought always in the back of my mind that things might happen so that the plans might have to be changed. I’ll let you know some way or other if I can’t come. There’s just one thing that would change things that I’d be glad to happen. That is if the discharge situation should change so that I could get out soon enough to make such a short visit impractical and unnecessary. I can’t actually expect it though.  
    I already have a train schedule and the best route seems to be from Philadelphia to Indianapolis. The rest of the way would have to be by bus but that isn’t so bad. Since I can get to bed at a reasonable time tonight, I won’t have to sleep late in the morning and I think I’ll go into Trenton mostly to inquire about methods of getting between there and Philadelphia. I know it can either be by train or bus but I want to be sure that the method I use when I do start out on my pass is going to get me there in time to meet my train. So you see I really am seriously planning.
    At noon today the mail brought me your Sunday letter and also one from Richard . What a record he made for himself in his first semester! I sort of wish that I could start to college without having to worry about grades, myself. Unless I can be satisfied with what I can get out of it and not let grades play too important a part, it might turn out to be a little disappointing. But I’m going to do my best and be prepared for the worst.
    What has happened by this as far as the school house robbery goes? It’s a shame that fellows lose their heads and do things like that (if that’s what happens) but it just can’t be allowed to go on. So for everyone’s sake, even the boys themselves, it’ll be better if the police do find out who it was.
    If it isn’t too childish, I’m just a little excited about the box that’s coming. I’ll be looking for it tomorrow. Well be good and God bless you.
                Donald 

On back of envelope:

Dear Mommy
We have gone to bed (as you can plainly see) and we took our fizzers like we were supposed to.
James warmed his pillow. See if he needs more covers.

November 1, 1945

Hello Folks,
    I doubt if there’s quite time enough for me to finish this before supper time so it may be tomorrow morning it’s completed. That’s not a promise but just a possibility. I might as well tell you to start with that that I’ve got a little of what may turn out to be bad news. It was my fault for telling you so far ahead about my pass coming up for November. I should have waited till nearer the time and there wouldn’t have been so much chance for disappointment. But it happened already. I’m pretty sure that the pass schedule will be completely changed and maybe three day passes will be out altogether. Don’t plan on my getting to come home this month. Then, if I do it’ll be alright and if I don’t you won’t be disappointed. It’s just too soon to know yet. Perhaps I shouldn’t even be thinking of coming home now. It might be better to postpone it and hope for a chance to get off around Christmas time. Or should I try both times (if the chance comes)? Don’t misunderstand  me. I’d like to come home every week. But I’m just not sure what’s right to do.  
    In case you wonder why I can’t write after supper tonight: I suddenly got shifted to nights again in the change around and so I’ll be working tonight.   
    Naturally I was glad to get your Sunday letter yesterday evening but I think the thing that pleased me most was to hear about the bonds. I was just a little worried about them because yesterday when I got payed there had been two $25 bonds a month taken out for the last three months. I don’t know how it got mixed up and if I would complain they could be stopped. But since all that I am paying for are getting home, it’s alright with me.
    It sounded good to have Richard  say that he expected 5’s in most of his subjects. All I can say is “congratulation’s”; I’m very happy about it.

Supper
    Now I’m ready to go to work and in the few minutes I have left I may be able to finish this and get it mailed tonight so it’ll start out on the first mail tomorrow. If I hurry, that is. I’m really about out of anything to talk about anyway.
    As might be expected, I’m wondering a good bit about what Richard’s doing this week. It really is better than you might have expected that Eulen and he can be home at the same time. How much of a furlough did Eulen get? There have been times when people got as little as five or seven days after basic but surely it’s a little different now.
    Now a word to Richard: I haven’t given up hopes of hearing but so far I haven’t heard from Daymon. You don’t happen to have an extra catalog or something along that line that might help me out a little, do you? I’d just like to keep the ball rolling in the right direction.
    Well I think I’d better sign off till next time. As usual I’ll be looking for word from you and I’ll be writing again soon. Be good.
                      Your son and brother,  
                                 Donald

This is dated, and postmarked, October 29, but he says it is a Sunday. Sunday would have been October 28, so presumably he lost track of the date.

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October 29, 1945

Hello Folks,
    It just wouldn’t be Sunday without writing you a letter so here goes nobody nowhere. As usual there’s very little that really needs to be told but perhaps just plain news isn’t the most important thing anyway. You know that I’m working days now so I had to miss church this morning. After being able to attend for the last couple of weeks I hated to miss more than ever.
   Well I wonder if next week looks as exciting or busy to you as the past one did this time last Sunday. Now that State Teacher’s Institute is over, I suppose that things at school will settle down for a few weeks.
    I got such great enjoyment out of the weather yesterday and today that I’d like to tell you about it even if weather isn’t the most important topic for conversation. We had such miserable weather the first half of the week that any change would be appreciated. But the change was so great and so sudden that it was almost unbelievable. It began to clear up Friday night and since then you couldn’t ask for anything nicer. There’s been bright sunshine continually. It’s been cool but not real cold. Just right to make you feel like speeding your walk into a run. I’ve really enjoyed it. I couldn’t help thinking today that if I were home with such nice weather and Richard  being at home too, we’d sure have to take a walk somewhere.
    And I think about going home so much that I've begun to think about this. I wonder what shape my little travel bag is in. If it’s worth anything it would be a bad idea to have it. I’ve also been thinking about something else along that line. I’ll be needing a little bag like, I hope, for the next few years if I go to school. There’s a place here on the post where you can buy all sorts of suitcases at very low prices. In fact all the PX’s seem to specialize in suitcases but I suppose it’s because of the number of men being discharged. They have very nice leather bags just a little larger in size than the canvass one I had for six dollars and something. That’s three times what I paid for the other one but I know one of these would outwear a half dozen of the others. I understand that in the towns around here the same bag costs between ten and twelve dollars. I’ve a big notion to (and may) buy one just to make a start on things I’ll need in college. Do you have any definite ideas on the subject? Richard’s traveled back and forth enough to know if that kind of bag would be useful or just something that would be in the way. Of course, there are larger suitcases too at about half what similar quality ones would cost in a civilian store.
    How is everything at home? Be good and so long for now - 
                Donald

Oct. 26, 1945
6PM

Dear Folks,
    These sheets look awfully big staring me in the face when I have little to say. That’s the only thing I’ve got against this stationary; it just takes too much to fill a page. I’ve learned that there’s even a happy medium in the size of sheets of paper. Too small pages irk me just as bad as these. Please don’t take these remarks as a criticism (since you sent me this) but I just needed to say something to get started. I do find though that my writing tends to get sloppy on a page this size.
    Tonight I got letters from you, Grandma Carver and Judith Davis. I think I’m going to have to begin writing to people before I get too far behind. Maybe I’ll start tonight.
    It sounds like you did as well as could be expected on the Halloween carnival. I was just thinking tonight how much the atmosphere this evening reminded me of Fall at home. It was cloudy all morning then at noon we had a good big rain. But this afternoon it cleared up and turned cool. It made me think of all the picturesque things associated with Autumn - pumpkins, colored leaves, fodder shacks, and the not so picturesque evenings we’ve spent hulling walnuts. I can’t say it made me homesick but a queer tingle did go down my back.
    I guess I felt like everyone else did about Marlston’s coming home. It just doesn’t seem possible. I’d like to see him. Is he going to stay in Indiana now or not?
    Mother asked about my feet and here’s the story. They’re not perfect but are 200 percent better than when I first got home. Maybe even better than when I left. I wear my civilian slippers about ¾’s of the time so they don’t sweat much. I think that helps a lot but, of course, it’s hard on the shoes. I like to wear them so much better than the others though that I just shut my eyes and go ahead. Now the feet again; they break out a little once in a while but I use the foot ointment and it gradually clears up. It’s just an off an on situation but never too serious. The ointment is running low though so sometime you can please me with that when you can think of nothing better to send.
    Well be good and I’ll be seeing you one of these days.
         Your son and brother, 
                Donald

Oct. 24, 1945
Wednesday

Dear Family,
    I’ll start this now in what is left of my noon hour and I expect it’ll be evening before it gets finished. I started working days this morning so I’ve got a new routine to get used to. I got your letter of Oct. 19 yesterday and I feel exactly as Mother said in that: I’ve very little news so this will have to be mostly chatter. I sort of hope that your weekend letter will get here in tonight’s mail.
    Well how are things coming this week? By the time this gets to you the Halloween Party will be over and most likely the Indianapolis trips too. We sure are having typical State Teacher’s Institute weather. I wonder if you are having the same. I guess we just had too much nice weather last week. It’s turned cold, rainy and just generally damp. It was foggy all day yesterday and then in the evening it turned to rain and rained about all night. It hasn’t rained yet today but just the looks of things make you hold your breath for fear it will.
    Of course, I’m still interested in the bicycle if nothing more. So it tickled me to hear that Jim has turned bicycle mechanic again. I’m kind of expecting to hear from him to find out how it works.
    I guess Richard  comes home the end of this week too, doesn’t he? Boy you guys should accomplish things for a few days now. No school tomorrow and the next day and then Richard home next week.
    It’s time I signed off now so I’ll finish later.

Evening
    Well I guessed right about getting mail tonight. I not only got a letter from you but also one from Richard and from Uncle Floy. Of course, Uncle Floy told me about the halloween boys upsetting “Egypt”. I’ll bet somebody I know got a big lick out of that.
    Some way or other, I had the idea that the school party was tonight. But I see in your letter that I am mistaken. So that’s one thing out of the way.
    Since Richard will be home next week, he’ll probably read this letter and I won’t be writing to him this weekend anyway. Just in case he doesn’t read this will you remember to tell him that I wrote to Daymon last week. I haven’t heard from him yet but I’ll be disappointed if I don’t. We both had the same idea concerning what I should write. Just so there won’t be any mystery about all this, I wrote Daymon just  to see if there’d be any way he could help me decide what I should study.
    Did you succeed in getting Forrest’s cement mixer?
    That seems to be just about the end of me for this time. So long, 
                   Donald

Sunday Morning
9:30 AM

Hello Folks,
    Maybe 9:30 seems like church time to you but my church isn’t until 11 o’clock. So I’ll see what I can do about writing in the hour and a half between now and then.
    Since I wrote you last, the mail has brought me the little box you sent containing candy and cake (Friday) and your letter of Oct 18 (yesterday). The flowers were pretty well wilted, as you said they would be, but I think I made out what they were. It was almost wholly by guess that I decided the one had been a rose but the other two were at least all in one piece and not turned brown. How were the bouquets made; all three kinds together or each one separate? Of course, the rest of the contents were in good shape and I made good use of them. I wonder where the napkins with the printing on them came from.
    Last Sunday was a busy day for you and I’ll bet if stewing around had anything to do with it, today would be just as busy. Perhaps stewing isn’t the right word for it but I can just see the wind work going on about next week. Troubles always come in bunches, don’t they? You’ll soon have your wish about October being over though. The next ten days will be gone hardly before we know it.
    Mother spoke about the leaves beginning to turn at home and it just made me realize what I’d been missing about Fall. There seemed to be something missing but I couldn’t quite decide what it was. Perhaps I haven’t paid enough attention to what I have seen but I actually don’t believe they are as beautiful here as in Indiana. Of course, they do take on a little color but in comparison they almost just turning brown and falling off. 
    As far as beautiful weather goes, though, we certainly haven’t been lacking. I’ve heard several people say that we’ve been having Indian Summer and I’ll agree it does look like that. You can’t ask for any nicer weather this time of year. It’s been warm enough a few days to be out without a jacket of any kind on and that's quite a change from what it was. I don’t remember of Indian Summer lasting more than a few days though and it’s been like this for at least a week. That’s why I hardly thought it proper to call it Indian Summer. And isn’t it just a little early for that, too! Of course, I realize that I can’t expect New Jersey to conform to the standards that I have been used to. 
    Like you I certainly am thankful not to be where I was this time last year. Maybe just being there wouldn’t be so bad but I’d sure hate to have to look forward to what I can now look back on.
    I wonder if Eulen is home yet. I’m kind of anxious to hear about him and I’d like to see him but - . How much of furlough does he have. I hope at least that he doesn’t have to leave before Richard  has his little vacation. I wonder if you’ve heard any more about what Waldo thinks he’ll have to do. How has he acted this time?
    I think that ‘s better stop now and get ready for church. I don’t suppose you folks will have a preacher today. If I think of anything else important before the day’s over, I’ll add a PS. Luck to you in all your happenings of the coming week.
         Your son and brother, 
           Donald

Thursday Noon

Dear Family,
    I might have started this, at least, this morning but it always is a little easier if I wait until after I get my mail. But since I didn’t get any today, waiting didn’t help much. I had a good time yesterday at noon reading your letter and the one Richard  had written. I don’t know why it is but the mail from Lafayette makes better time than yours does. Always if you both use regular mail, his letter will get here a day ahead of yours. So because he used a three cent  stamp and you used air mail, they both arrived here at the same time.
    I take it that the clipping you sent me was taken from the Herald and I want to make a guess about it. I’ll bet that Aunt Myrtle gave them the notice1Probably referring to an article about his Grandparent's Golden Anniversary. I guessed that from the little paragraph under the picture but of course I could be wrong.
    It sounded that everything went about as well as could be hoped for and maybe a little better than might have been expected. (I’ll bet those guys washing the dishes got fat from the candy that people had left on their plates.)
    No one had told me anything about Mr. Seiferd for a while so I supposed that maybe he was better. It sort of surprised me when Dad told me that he was having an operation. I’ll bet I can guess who will have the job of trying to find someone to fill in until he gets better.
    It hardly seems like a whole semester could be almost over for Richard. I guess that he’ll have at least a year’s work in before I can get started. But even at that three years (if nothing else happens) in college together will be better that the two we’d have had otherwise. I sure hope that he gets to continue with his work now. I’ve been doing things by myself for so long that I’m really looking forward to doing things as a member of our team again. We do a good bit of planning or at least discussing in our letters; and in this last one from him, he did a lot more talking about the future even than usual.
    Well I seem to have said just about all I had to say so there’s not much use spending any more time at this.
Be good and don’t work too hard.
         Your son and brother, 
              Donald

Tuesday Afternoon

Hello Folks,
    How’s everything at home? I wonder if the weather is as nice there as it is here today. In a letter I received a few days ago mother said she hoped I got to see some nice days this fall and this certainly is one. We’ve been pretty lucky so far in having nice weather. There were a couple of days like the one I told you about when I thought it was going to snow but fortunately not many of them. It is pretty chilly and at night almost bitter but I really don’t mind that myself.
    I received the letter today that Dad had written and had been sent out on Friday. It must have been held up someplace over Sunday. You said not to even to call it a letter but I don’t know what leaves me to call it.
    All the talk about Halloween and Halloweening seems a good long ways from me now. Of course, it's even early to be thinking about it everywhere. I don’t know how he feels about it but I felt sort of glad to hear that W.V. is running the fish pond again at the party. I don’t believe I ever attended more than one of those parties but I remember the fish pond. In fact I believe I had I had a little hand in it.
    I’m getting anxious to hear how the wedding anniversary turned out. But I should be hearing from that in a day or two now.
    Say I’d like to have a report on how my bonds have been coming. I see on the payroll for this month that I signed yesterday that I’m charged with 2 - $18.75 bonds. There may be a little mix-up there that I’ll have to see about. I thought that I got all of that straightened up in Ft. Benning.
    As far as news goes about my work, I guess there’s just nothing to tell. Still working nights and sleeping most of the morning. 
    I don’t think I’ve asked for it yet and there’s no hurry but sometime when there’s an extra corner in something coming this way maybe my little sleeve-less sweater could come along. Well don’t work too hard.
       Your son and brother, 
                    Donald

Sunday Afternoon
October 14, 1945
1PM

Hello Folks,
    Even though I did write to you yesterday, I’m going to try it again today. I’ve always enjoyed writing a letter on Sunday and, of course, enjoyed receiving your Sunday letters even more. You’ll just have to be lenient with me this time if this doesn’t turn out to be much.
    I worked last night as usual so all I accomplished this morning was just to get up and go to church at eleven o’clock. But I’ll bet that you guys didn’t sleep till 9:30 and no doubt you’ve been flying around faster than I did when I finally did get up. I can’t do anything but just wonder about the celebration today and hope that it goes off alright. But that much I am doing. I didn’t hear from you yesterday so I sort of expect a letter tomorrow but it’ll be Wednesday at least before I’ll know what happened today.
    Well for lack of anything better to talk about I want to tell you about a couple of names I’ve run across since I’ve been here. I have had not exactly trouble but at least confusion a couple of times in getting my mail mixed up with a fellow by the name of Tappen. I’ve never seen him but he’s stationed somewhere here at the Separation Center. Then the other day on one of the lists of people being discharged I saw Sgt. Donald J Tappenden. This is the first time since I’ve been in the army that I’ve ever found anyone with anything like my name. It looks like their names and ours at least come from the same name originally. Since the Tappan stove is made up here in the corner of the country1Actually, the company was founded in Ohio, I wonder if maybe there wasn’t a settlement of Tappans, Tappens, or something around here at one time.2There was. In fact, Isaac Tappan, his ancestor and the son of Abraham Toppan, the original immigrant, migrated to New Jersey 
    Well I won’t start another sheet now because about all I have left is just the signing off anyway.
    I can’t say when but I’ll be seeing you some of these days. Be good, 
               Donald