Category: Letters

[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

December 30, 1943
Dear Folks,

Well I’m still here. There isn’t much news but I feel like writing anyway. I have been doing so much of the same things that I can hardly remember how I have been spending my time.

I have been dividing my time between the supply room and the kitchen. After I had worked all day in the supply room yesterday I was informed that I was supposed to do K.P. after supper while the regular K.P’s went with the Co. on a night problem. Well instead of going to KP after supper we went on at about 5:00 and worked till about 11:30. Five of us did the work that 8 were supposed to do so you can see that we really worked. And to top it all off I was really feeling terrible. I was chilling and aching all over. I surely was taking the flue. Boy was I glad to hit that bed!

When I got back to the hut I took an aspirin and rubbed some vicks on my chest. Then I went to bed and piled all the covers and clothes on top of me that I could find. 

This morning when I woke up I was really surprised how much better I felt. I must have just caught it in time. I got along today without any trouble at all.

I spent today working in the supply room with about 2 hours in the kitchen this afternoon.

I have been thinking about something that maybe crazy but I think I’ll try it. If you remember on my medal I got from the Kawanis there were a couple of letters missing. I feel that some day I will want this to be complete so I would like for you to send me the address of the company that made it. The address is on the inside of the lid. It might be alright to send a rough sketch of the face of the medal, too. I will write to the company and explain the situations and if it can be fixed you can send it to them.

While I am in the begging mood I will say that I hope you got my letter in which I asked you to send me 5 or 6 dollars. If you don’t, I’ll explain why later.

I hope everything is coming along pretty well back there. Since tomorrow night is New Year’s eve I want to wish you a Happy New Year. I think I will welcome the New Year by sleeping. 
I want to take a shower so I’ll sign off.

Love,
Donald

Christmas Afternoon (to Carver Grandparents)
Dear Folks,

This is Christmas but it is sure different from my other Christmases. I wonder how you folks back home are spending your Christmas. I hope it is possible for you to enjoy it.

This morning I went to a Christmas church service and I came away feeling a lot more like Christmas. At noon we had a very good meal and of course we all enjoyed ourselves. I have spent the afternoon just being lazy, reading and otherwise enjoying myself.

I suppose the folks told you that I spent a few days off duty trying to get rid of a cold. Since you must get all of the training in order to complete basic, I was supposed to be put into another battalion that was just at the same place in their training where I lost out. But instead of doing this they put me into a battalion that is just in their second week of training. This army sure does funny things sometimes. Since I am about 6 weeks ahead of this battalion in my training, I am just doing extra duty around the company area here until they catch up to the place where I left off. This will mean that it will take me an extra 6 or 7 weeks to finish my basic. I hate this and don’t understand the necessity of it but if the army wants me here, I guess that it is the best place for me.

Right now I am spending my time doing all kinds of jobs. I spent one half day helping haul coal, another part of an afternoon cleaning up the area, part of a morning working in the kitchen and a couple of days working in the supply room. In the supply room I helped with the equipment and also did some paperwork. It takes a good bit of bookwork to keep track of all the equipment of a company of soldiers (250 men).

This is a pretty uncertain life not knowing from one minute to the next what job I am going to be put on, but I am not going to let it worry me. Of course, the worst part of it is that I am spending time that if I had been put into the right outfit could have been used to finish my training.

It is a cold, nasty, rainy day outside. I suppose that if I were up north this cold rain would be snow and then I would have a white Christmas. Anyway I am glad that I can be inside today instead of being out in this slop.

I hope things are coming along at least as good as usual back there. I would surely have liked to come home for Grandpa Tappan’s funeral but the army thought otherwise about it. I tried to get off but it couldn’t be done. They said that the death had to be your immediate family before an emergency furlough could be given.

It takes a good bit of time for mail to start coming to a new location so I haven’t got any mail for over a week. Therefore I don’t know how things are coming back there. I hope OK.

Love and keep writing,
Donald

My new address:
Pvt. Donald Tappan 35893186
12th Co. 5th Trng Regt. ASTP
Ft Benning, GA

Christmas Afternoon, Saturday
Dear Family,

I’ll start this letter now and finish it after mail call. I can then let you know whether I heard from you or not. I haven’t heard from you yet and since it was under unfortunate circumstances then, I sure would like to hear.

If I were home I guess it would be a white Christmas. It has been raining all day and likely it were at home it would be snow. But instead of that it is cold and miserably muddy here. Not being at home today is about the biggest pill I have had to take yet. I am wondering if you were in a position to get much enjoyment out of your Christmas.

I went to the Christmas church service this morning and felt a good bit better after it was over. We had a big meal at noon and I feel pretty lazy over it. The fellows in my hut have all received packages so we have all had a lot of candy, cookies, cake, etc. to eat.

I have had several different jobs in the last few days. I spent a little time in the kitchen and a part of one afternoon policing up the area. I also spent some time in the supply room. This is a pretty uncertain life but there is no use to worry about it.

This isn’t much of a letter but maybe I’ll feel more like writing and think of a little more to write about later this evening.

Sunday Afternoon

Well I never got my my letter finished yesterday and anyway we didn’t have any mail call. It also looks like we aren’t going to have any today. It is almost supper time and on Sunday’s mail call is generally held at noon.

I went to church gain this morning and I have spent the whole afternoon writing letters. This one just about catches me up. The only trouble with it is if anyone reads anyone else’s letter, it will contain the same news that his did.

Right now while I am not learning anything I can’t help but feel that I am wasting a lot of time. I can’t even improve myself by reading. They sell a few magazines and these pocket sized books sat the PX but they are just junk reading. I wish you would send me a book from the dime store if it is still possible to buy them. I don’t care whether it is a good literature book or a book on some school subject. Just so I can spend a little time that won’t be wasted.

I don’t want to seem to be begging but I need a pocket knife pretty bad and I can’t find one here. I am also finding a lot of use for a watch while leading this kind of life.

There are a lot of rumors going around about the ASTP being discontinued. This wouldn’t have affected me in the other battalion but since this battalion is just beginning a lot of things could happen before the next 11 weeks are over. You don’t need to be surprised by anything.

I hate to say this but when I think about how near I would be through this basic if I hadn’t had a bad break, I have a hard time being very happy.

I hope things are O.K. back there. I hope my letters are coming through alright. I am sure anxious to hear from you.

Keep writing and I’ll do the same.

Lots of Love, 
Donald

Thursday Eve.
Dear Folks,

This time tomorrow it will be Christmas Eve. I’ll use my imagination and if I try real hard, I’ll bet that I can feel that it is Christmas Eve.  Christmas Day will be a real holiday in that it will the first week day that I have had off since I have been in the army (except the days I spent in the hospital).

I am sure leading a great life right now. So far I have spent all of my time working in the supply room. There is a lot of supplest take care of and also a goof bit of book-keeping.

Yesterday morning I helped with the laundry. It’s a pretty good job to load and unload a truck full of laundry but I got a trip to the main post out of it. Yesterday afternoon and all day today, I did paper work. There are sure a lot of different forms to make out in the army. I may be put on a different job any time but I have ceased to worry about anything.

I had a pleasant surprise when I moved into my new home over here. There are 20 men in this hut and about 9 of them are from Indiana. This is quite a contrast to my old company; there were only about 2 or 3 from Indiana in the whole Co. No telling how many from Indiana I may find here if there are this many in one hut.

They are mostly from the northern part of the state. The fellow that sleeps below (in the double bed) is from somewhere near Ft. Wayne. Not making fun of them or anything but I get a great kick out of how green they act.

I wonder how things are coming along back there. I am certainly anxious to get a letter. I haven’t heard from you since last Sat. I hope everything is alright.

Well Goodnight,

Donald

I think that’s the right date, postmark is hard to read

12th Company 5th Trng. Regt. ASTP
Tuesday Evening

Dear Folks,

Well here I am in the 12th Co. of the 5th Regiment. And you will sure be shocked when I tell you what week they are in. This army sure does weird things. They are in their second week. Another fellow who lost out at about the same time I did came over with me. We aren’t going to take all of this training but we are just going to spend the next 6 or 7 weeks till they catch up to where we were working around the company area here. In case you don’t understand that complicated sentence: I am just going to spend the next several weeks.

I spent the afternoon working in the supply room and loafing. I imagine that I will really be working when they really get started on us. I guess that I will just not worry about it and consider myself doing my part for the war. If that is what the army wants me to do. 

Maybe it will be warmer anyway when I go out on the range and on bivouac.

I don’t know what to ask you about. You will just have to tell me a little about what has happened. I am anxious to hear from you. I haven’t heard since I got the telegram. 

I hope you are all well.

Love,

Donald

Tell anyone you see about my address.

December 20, 1943
16th Company 6th Trng Rgmt ASTP

Dear Richard,

I got this program just before I went on the range and didn’t have a chance to send it back. I put it in my footlocker where I would see it when I came back. I am sending it in a special letter so I won’t fool around and lose it. I’ll bet you thought I had forgotten about it.
Donald

I opened this letter to tell you something that concerns you. I just bought you a brand new pair of army shoes. I don’t need them and if you can’t use them I can someday. Our corporal ordered them a long time ago and now he doesn’t need them. They are size 8 and they only cost me $3.50 a real bargain. They cost $4.00 at army prices and would be a lot higher outside. They also didn’t cost a stamp. Send me a handful of stamps to send them home. I didn’t get to sign the payroll this month because I was in the hospital so I won’t get pid on Jan 1. With my telephone call and this I am about out of money. Would you send me 5 or 6 dollars to last me till Feb 1.
Donald

Don’t talk too much about the shoes.Wait till I get moved to send money so that the money will come direct.

Letter after learning of death of Grandfather Tappan

(letter seems incomplete – just released from the hospital)
Saturday Eve.
Dear Folks,

I don’t know how to start this letter but of course I am sorry for what happened. It came as quite a shock to me. I got your telegram about noon today and because I was more or less dazed anyway from  just getting back from the hospital a few minutes before, it hit me pretty hard.

I went immediately to my company officers to see what could be done for me. They thought that since I had lost out anyway and would have to be transferred that I should have a furlough. But they cannot give emergency furloughs for death outside your immediate family. So they sent it to battalion headquarters and it was refused.

The only thing I knew to do then was to call you. I hope you could understand me. I was surprised at the rate the call went through. Most of the time the boys call home it takes 3 or 4 hours to the call to go through. My call came through in about 15 minutes or maybe less. It cost me $1.75.

I hope you took care