World War II, chapter 17, Love Letters and More Training

World War II

First Half of August 1943

Love Letters and More Training

Chapter17

Courtesy of Wartime Press

Holey Moly! There are 18 letters just in August of 1943. A lot of them are two pages long. My dad is writing more and his letters are filled with love.  He is also writing about what he is doing.  Let’s see if I can get it whittled down to just the history with a little love story mixed in.

Some days it seems like the suitcase has an endless supply of letters. I am close but have not made it down the first row yet!

1 August 1943

It’s raining again. Sounds good but we had to close all the windows in order to keep it dry and now it is exceedingly hot. But we will get use [sic] to that. Or maybe it will stop. They don’t last long usually.  I feel a lot better today have a slight headache and feel lousy all around. Just I still insisted on living so we could be together, when I came in off the line yesterday I surely didn’t care much (the rain stoped [sic]) I believe that was as sick as I have been since I have been in the army. I got up this morning and was going on garbage, but they wouldn’t let me. So I went back to bed. The Capt. came up and inquired how I was, but didn’t say much else.  I feel as if I have lost 15 lbs. in the last week. Bob says to tell you he and Madeline are still on speaking terms. He sure wants to get married. I think if we keep on he will be sending for her. I wish you were that close so I could send for you. I think you could keep my money better. You know Honey today was the first payday I haven’t been paid since I got in the army. I didn’t get back from furlough in time to sign the pay roll so I’ll have to waite [sic] until about the 10^th. It seems funny to pass a payday without money but you know the feel of ready cash always counts. I guess I had better start stoping[sic] or I’ll be running out of something to say. You know how I think you’re the sweetest person in the whole world and have the grandest folks, How was the party sweet. I’ll bet it was a grand affair. And everyone had fun, I must stop now I love you more and more every day. Love always Lefty.

I believe the party he is talking about is one that Mom was going to have at work to celebrate their engagement. I cannot remember where Mom’s first job was. I do know she went to some kind of business school so I would have to assume she is working in an office.

Depending where he was going in Florida, it is about 160 from Camp Rucker.

Mom

2 August 1943

I guess I am back in good condition again. At least I haven’t felt any real effects today. I still have a slight headache. But I guess that comes from sleeping too much. We have a good week next week. They have cancelled the 25 mile hike and we have two 10 mile ones. So at least we have two nights taken care of. I guess Bob and Chaz have their names in for 3 day passes about the 16-17-18. So it will be pretty dead around here without them. About the 28 will tell the (unreadable) as to whether we go on maneuvers or across. No one knows yet. There are a lot of rumors. Everyone is ready to go to bed darling so I’ll tell you again. I love you and wish we were together, My God Honey this is a hell hole. I guess if there were something to do we would be better. I must stop now sweet. I love you lots more than usual and I usually love you terrible much so good nite [sic] my darling. Love forever, Lefty

After the war my father always had to have his bedroom cold. That was the one luxury he always afforded himself. He even had a portable evaporative cooler (a device that that works by evaporation of water) and Mom would go in and fill it with ice every hour or so. During the night Dad would take the task over and would just wake up when it needed more.  I have become the same way. If my room is not cold I wake up with a headache in the morning. I guess I take after my dad, not such a bad thing.

3 August

Guess what? We just got back from a 3.2 mile hike. Wasn’t that long. We just had to do something and that was it. The heck of it was I ended up with a blister on my toe. About the first one I have gotten. It really doesn’t look like a blister more like some poison, I ‘m not sure though.  Sweet no matter what I say, I guess you’ll just have to waite [sic] a couple of years if you haven’t changed your mind by then. Because it looks as if it wouldn’t pay for you to even start down and the chances are a million to one I won’t be getting a furlough. So that’s how it stands. It sounds good to talk though. And I do miss you terrible. So from now on in case I start rattling on just let me dream. I’ll get over it soon. Your future husband, Lefty

Oh dear, now we are waiting a couple of years?

I can remember my father talking about how much “poison” oak or ivy he had gotten while he was training. It seemed like every time he went out into the field he got it.  “I really had some bad cases, covered my legs and arms,” he told us.  It must have been bad to have remembered it 30 and 40 years after the training.

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6 August he writes.

They haven’t discharged any limited service men yet, but they are talking about it. What looks bad is us. Things are looking like we might be leaving. At least part of the div. Maybe just for more unit training.  Or something. Hon I sure got a good one last night. We were in the kitchen helping ourselves to the Ice Box materials. When in walked a cook and turned on the lights. Well I had a quart of milk in one hand and some cold meat in the other. Well nothing was done. They didn’t know how we had gotten into the Ice Box and we sure didn’t tell.  It happened to be a good cook or our name would have been mud. The other kid was John Keller. The kid who hitchhiked home with me. Nice going on the raise. I guess I get one in Sept. Or close to then. About $3.50. No promotion just a raise. I doubt anymore whether I’ll ever get a promotion. You know you’ll have to excuse me for not writing for the last two nights. We had a hike last night and Tuesday night I was on guard and didn’t have a chance. On guard is getting rough around here. In my last letter darling I said we would not get married very soon. But if we get a chance and your [sic]willing don’t be too sure. I sure want to because I miss you so much. Even your pictures seem so good. About all I have done today is looked at them. Every time I pass my locker I get them out, In fact I have them here now and have looked at them several times since I started. Darling I wish I had something to offer you. Then it wouldn’t be so bad. This way all your [sic] only getting [is] me and I’m pretty well beaten up. But I’ll still try to make you happy. More than try. We go to the field again next week and then I hear Florida the next.  I love you.

Bob and Dad have gotten a hold of a couple of keys to the division’s ice boxes.  They sneak in at night and get they get a snack.  Looks like they finally got caught, but it does not seem to have made a difference. They did not tell about the key so they did not get in trouble. Well played Dad, well played.

I am not sure what “limited service men” means.  It seems to me that Dad enlisted for a limited time, one year. Now he has been in the Army going on two years from what he thought would be his release date in December 1941.

7 August 1943

My Darling, Hi Sweet. Thanks for the nice long letter. I sure enjoyed it. Now on my letter last night I started to say we were going into the field again and didn’t because some go to Florida and the rest of us have to take III rd Corps test in physical condition. That will be good I hope. I get to go to Florida. It will only be 5 days. Oh! Well I guess I can take that either. So it does not make any difference. I’m Lt. Gordon’s (Claude Gordon) orderly next week I’ll bet he hates me when I get through. I’ll tie his hammock so he’ll be falling out all the time. Or it will be breaking or something. It was sure hot here today and we had to be out in the sun for marksmanship. I guess we will get to fire again sometime soon. I was sure hot but when we got through. After that we walked about ½ mile to shade to have our next class. Did that ever gripe me. I thought we could have had both classes there. It’s still plenty hot. I must stop for now my lovely darling. So until tomorrow remember I love you and you’re the only one on my mind. Night and Day. I love you lots my Darling.

Lieutenant Gordon does not seem to be on Dad’s good side. I am not sure I would have wanted him as my orderly. I am not sure Dad had a choice, though maybe that is what makes him mad.  He has been at it so long, for three years now. Taking orders from others, it also seems he has no way out.  I know he wants to marry Mom.  It seems like she is ready to join Dad as an Army wife.  I almost feel if he can get the time or money they would be married already.

8 August

Darling I guess by now you know I love you lots. I guess I cannot say how much though. About 3 times a day when Bob and I am get alone I we mention how nice it would be if you and Madeline were here with us. We were talking tonight and said that if we stayed here for another 12 weeks training and we would have three months together. Wouldn’t that be grand Honey. Me spending three months with the most wonderful women in the world. My wife Oh! My Darling I can’t wait.

I guess Mom mentions how see is not a good cook. Funny, I guess he did not listen to her as she was one of the worst cooks there was. For the most part that never changed. Dad was a better cook than Mom and we always wished Dad would do all the cooking. Dad ends the letter with lots of love and kisses.

Dad in Nancy France 1944-45

9 August

After lunch Bob, Charley, and I went to the shop to work on our knives. Then we went to a show. It was “Behind the Rising Sun.”A lot of heavy [stuff] if you ask me but I thought it was good. I guess most of it is true. Now we are all thinking of being up at 5 in the morning.  And the pleasant week in the field. Or should I tell what we call it here. What a set up it is going to be. Lt. Gordon said we had better do our best because it wouldn’t be long till it would be for keeps. But then he don’t know anything anyway.

There are several Charles on the 1945 Roster of the 35^th Quartermaster but there is only one Charley, a Charley Thompson.  I wonder if this is the Charley Dad speaks of. Or could this be Charles Lance? I know we have pictures of Charles Lance and he was in the same company as Dad was. Another question we can’t answer.

So that I can keep track of the men in the letters, he has mentioned, Robert Winter, John Keller, Claude Gordon and Charley. I wonder if he will mention others.

To keep this post short it seems as though I will have to make two chapters out of August 1943. Even condensing the letters made it too long for one chapter. I will say this is a great time for my father. He is totally in love with my mother. The letters are all filled with how much he loves her. For a man who once stated he did not like mushy letters he is sure doing a good job of writing them. I kind of get embarrassed with some of it, but it is there in each letter, an outpouring of love. Throughout the letters he writes how much he loves her and how he cannot wait to be married, or just be together. This love and her letters are keeping him going. I wonder if he will get a furlough before he goes overseas. If he does will they marry? Oh wait! I already know that answer but I won’t spoil it for you.

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