Category: Fort Benning

Letter to Grandparents Alfred and Grace Carver
February 15, 1944 (Tuesday)

Dear Folks,

I sure owe you a letter by this time but I have been so busy that you will have to excuse me. I lived out on the range in tents for the last two weeks and I could hardly even find time to write home. I am trying to get caught up on my writing this week because I will be living in the open for the next two weeks and I doubt very much if I will be able to get much writing done.

Boy you sure can’t imagine how good these old huts looked after we had been living out in the tents. The electric lights and the stove were a lot better than no heat and candles to read by.

We all slept well enough out there because we slept on cots with plenty of covers but the really hard part was getting up in the cold.

We have been having some rainy and cold weather down here but today is about as nice as you could ask for. The sun is shining brightly but the temperature is just cool enough to make you feel like working. I understand that you have been having some real winter weather in Indiana lately. I wouldn’t mind being back there getting in on some of it.

Today is Richard’s birthday and one week from today will be Jimmie’s. I guess this is one time I won’t get to be in on such fun as giving them birthday spankings, etc.

Well February is a little over half gone now so it sure won’t be long before the folks move again. I hope that they can get moved in time for Uncle Paul to get a good start on his work.

Saturday (February 19, 1944)
As you can see I got side-tracked again. I got busy and this is the first real chance I have had to get started again. I suppose that I will have news enough to make the letter a little longer at least. We had a night problem last night so we have a little time off this morning to catch up on our rest. Of course, we are all trying to get our clothes, etc. ready for next week and there are dozens of odd jobs to do so there is very little rest that we are getting.

We have been doing a lot of physical training this week and since it has been so long since I have done any of this kind of work, it has been pretty hard for me to keep up. We have also been getting considerable tactical training and also training in airplane recognition and recognition of tanks. We must be able to recognize whether the airplanes and tanks are those of our own country or an enemy country.

The last few days have been pretty rainy and wet. I sure hope that the weather clears up before next week when we get to sleeping out on the ground.

I was sure sorry to hear the news about Mr. Davis. It certainly was al lot of bad luck that they had at Rigdon.

Well this will possibly be the last letter I will get to write you till I get back from bivouac but I certainly will be thinking of you.

Love, Donald

[Date unclear – probably February 13, 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

February 8, 1944 (Tuesday)

Dear Folks,

Well I finally have one more day of training to my credit. It took me exactly 9 weeks to go from the first day of the 9th to the second day. And as yet  I am still going strong.

So far this week we haven’t been working too hard and I think that maybe the rest of the week won’t be too bad. Most of this week has and will be spent in the range firing.

It has been on the rainy side today but the temperature has been fairly warm. I don’t think it will be too cold tonight either.

I got daddy’s letter today that he had written at school. Little newsy chats like that make me feel more like home anyway.

A week from today (if today is the 8th) will be Richard’s birthday. So if this is the last letter you receive from me before then I sure wish him a happy birthday.

Candle light is hard to write by and I am tired anyway so I’ll close. You can imagine this is a letter anyway.

I’m still coming alright and hope you are.

Donald

February 4, 1944
Friday Night
Dear Folks,

Well I’ve got to be on duty in the supply room this evening so I am going to use some of my spare time for a good purpose. We have a lot of ammunition in here and we are going to load machine gun belts tonight. The work isn’t going to be done in here (supply room) because of the limited space and my job is just to watch things as there will be people going in and out all evening.

I shouldn’t ell you the number but you would sure be surprised at how many rounds of machine gun ammunition this company will use on the range. And they all have to be loaded into belts tonight.

It sure won’t be long now before I’ll be out on the range again. It doesn’t seem long since I was out there before but I guess it has been around seven weeks. I’m not sure but I don’t think I’ll have to make the march out there this time. There are a lot of things that will have to be taken out in trucks and Sergeant Steele says that I will possibly help on that.

We had our little bivouac last night as planned. We ate C rations for supper and then came back to the company for breakfast. It was kind of damp but the weather wasn’t too cold. I wrapped up good and warm and spent a fairly restful night.

I am not exactly dreading the range but it has been so long since I had any dry firing with the rifle, machine gun or mortar that you can easily see why I’ll be glad when it is over.

In your letters you talk about moving and I sure would like to be in a position to help you out. Not that I especially am cut out for the work but it sure hurts to think of just not being able to lend a hand. It seems that for some reason or other I have been a lot more homesick than usual. I guess I am just dreading the range and need someone to tell my troubles to.

I suppose you are able to keep things going alright without my asking about them every time so I’ll not ask this time. 

Love and keep praying,

Donald

P.S. I wish you would tell me a little about my watch. Its recommendations, no. of jewels, where it came from, etc. I sure appreciate it and especially when I am out such as last night where I wake up several times during the night.

[Date unclear – probably January 29, 1944]
Saturday Night
Dear Folks,

I expected to be out somewhere where I couldn’t write a letter if I wanted to tonight but it jusst goes to show, you never can tell what to expect. The rest of the company left for the range this afternoon and are camping out in the woods somewhere tonight but here I am spending one more night in the barracks. I am on the detail for hauling out the equipment.

We got all the stuff packed and ready to go yesterday and were expecting to ship it out anytime today. But they never got the trucks down here today so I have spent one of my easiest days in the army (outside of those in the hospital, of course).

I guess we’’ll make up for it today in having to work tomorrow though. But anyway it will be easier than making the march out there. Little things like this prove to me that the good Lord knows how to take care of me..

Well as usual after I say what I have been doing I am about run down.

This letter tonight will very likely be my last regular letter for a while. I’ll do very well to write a very short note while I am on the range. Boy I certainly am praying that I can make it through the range this time. Of course, after I get through basic I don’t know what will happen to me then. There seems to be very little chance of our getting to go to school now. I don’t know whether you have been reading about it in the newspapers or not. Of course what ever happens will be for the best.

Well I am wondering what you are doing tonight. How are things coming back there.

Love,
Donald

P.S. Thanks for the pictures of Richard and Mary. The only thing that was strange to me was that I couldn’t help noticing the length of Richard’s hair. I am so used to seeing everyone’s hair an inch or an inch and a half long. I don’t know whether I told you or not but that is how I am wearing mine now.
How do you like my new stationary?

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 Friday January 21, 1944]

Friday Night
Dear Folks,

Well I doubt if I will get this letter finished tonight so if time gets short I’ll just saw off and put it in an envelope rather than wait a day or two to finish it.

To start with I got your package today and also a letter from you. I was sure glad to get both of them. You can just guess what I thought of the candy and the rest of the stuff works fine.

In your letter you asked when my basic will be over. Well if everything goes off alright March will be about 10 days old when I get through here. And then about the furlough. Of course anything can happen but there isn’t enough chance that I will to plan on it.

And you asked about where my old company was sent to school. Well I asked them to write to me but so far none of them have.

I have been working in the supply room and this afternoon I spent almost all afternoon hauling so you will understand why I am closing now to go to bed.

Love,

Donald

[Date Unclear – Probably Sunday January 16, 1944]

Sunday Afternoon
Dear Folks,

Boy is this a nice day! We have had so many cold rainy days this week that it is really hard to find fault with anything on a day like this. This morning it was frosty and cold but the sun was shining so brightly that it really made you feel good. The sun has shined ever since and now the temperature is very pleasant. If I were at home on the farm I know I would want to go for a walk in the woods or out to the old orchard. Or if I were in Orestes I would want to walk down to Lilly Creek or down to the Arch and see if our dam is still there. But here weather like this makes me want to talk to you in a letter.

I went to church this morning and of course this always helps to make me feel better. We had a communion service this morning. I guess several other people must have felt good today too because we had a very nice crowd out.

My life has been spent very much as usual the last few days. Yesterday morning I worked in the mess hall because they needed extra help. The colonel of the regiment was going to make an inspection and everything had to shine. Incidentally the colonel said that our mess hall was the best one that he found and he had the other mess sergeants down looking at it.

Yesterday afternoon I went to the main post with Sgt. Steele (my boss or in other words the supply sergeant) to get the laundry.

We had a better than usual dinner today and I am setting down to an afternoon of reading, writing and sleeping so there is no reason why I shouldn’t feel good. For dinner we had cork chops, dressing, sweet potatoes, ice cream and cake. Of course a meal with pork chops and cake would have been more tasty if mother had made it but nevertheless, it tasted good. Although I am not especially fond of working for the cooks in this company they are a lot better cooks than are generally found in the army.
I hope you are finding it possible to get as much kick out of today as I am getting.

Love,
Donald
Bed Time:
Well I am still in a pretty good mood. I haven’t succeeded in writing many letters but I have done considerable reading. I have read about half of the book on China that you sent me. I didn’t think it would be overly interesting but  it is anything but dry. When I get started in it I can hardly stop.
Goodnight.