November 3, 1942 – Little Bobby Stays Away from the Craps Games

Tuesday Evening

Dear Mom + Dad,

Another day another letter. It’s getting so that all the days seem the same. I guess I always did say that but it seems more appropriate in the present life I’m living. It gets awful tiresome as there is not much to do around here. Of course I wouldn’t mind loofing if I was in the right place but Camp Young is no place to loaf. I suppose it isn’t so bad it’s just the inactivity of it all. You kick when you have work to do and they you kick when you haven’t any. I guess that’s life. However, I want to get into that old air corps and this hanging around is not getting me anywhere. I want to get started and settled again in my new life. I’ll probably sit around here and rot for a few months. So I guess when I finally get in I’ll really enjoy it. There is not much I can do about it so I’m trying to make the best of the situation.

Today was payday for the boys but not for me. I think I’ll get mine around the middle of the month. I’m writing this in our recreation hall and there is a big crap game going on. That’s always one sure way of telling that the pay came in. They go strong for awhile and then quit until the first of the month rolls around again. It is a quaint old army past time I guess. I personally don’t go for it as there is to much luck involved and with my luck I’d surely lose. So little Bobby stays away from them.

Tonight Kay Kyser pays us a visit. I intend to be there with bells on as I know I’ll enjoy seeing him. I haven’t seen him in quite awhile as I’ll be over bright and early to get a good seat. Stokowski from the back end of a G.I. truck and probably Kay Kyser from the same vantage point. It sure is great some of the things I’ve done since I’ve come in the army.

I expect to go to Palm Springs this weekend. I can get passes if I want one so I think I’ll go over and try to have a good weekend. My last one was fine and I hope this coming one will be as good. At least it will serve to break up the monotony of this life.

I’ve been writing to all my friends as I have plenty of time. I expect to see some results soon. My mail is still not what it should be. I imagine a lot of it is still at the 5th Field. I’ve received only 2 letters from there and I must have more than that. I think I have received all of yours. I rather expect your Sunday letter will come down here at the D.E.M.Y. As yet I haven’t received any here but I have been getting it from the station hospital.

Well that the story for now. I’ll write again tomorrow.

Love
Bob

November 2, 1942 – A Rather Humdrum Existence

Monday Afternoon

Dear Mom + Dad,

This will probably be a short letter as not much happens to me these days. Eat, sleep, read, write and go to the movies. A rather humdrum existence. I only hope it doesn’t keep up to long as it get rather tiresome not having anything to do.

A bunch of air cadets boys left or rather got notice of their departure. I wasn’t on the list. The ones that are leaving are being sent to San Antonio, Texas. From that there is a chance of my being sent to someplace else beside Santa Ana. Of course, chances are very slim that I’ll be sent to the east. But at least I now have hopes of moving a little closer to home than I am now. So cross those fingers again maybe my break in the army is coming. At least it is a little brighter now than it was before.

I went to the movies last night and saw “The Major and the Minor” with Ginger Rogers. If you get a chance go to see it as it is one of the best comedies to come out of Hollywood in ages. I went into that picture last night with a slight case of the blues but it promptly made me forget them and I came out feeling fine again.

Tomorrow the old professor Kay Kyser makes a personal appearance here. I naturally will be there with bells on to take in the show. I think I told you Jack Benny will put on a show here soon.

I often wondered if you wondered why I crossed out all the junk on the envelop. Well the mail regulations of this post require that it contain no advertisements, U.S.O. Red Cross etc. So I have to cross them all out.

That’s all for now. I’ll write tomorrow.

Love
Bobby

Bloggers Note - Re-starting Up Again

After a brief break for the past month, I will again start posting in this blog (daily?). These are WWII letters from my father to his parents that I have in my possesion. (BTW, my father was affectionately called "Poops" by family and friends, thus the reason for name of this blog). I have hundreds of these letters from 1942 to 1945. I have not read them, but as I do, I post them in the blog. I’ve had fun doing this as a way to learn some history about WWII, to share them with family, and to remember my father who died many years ago.

Currently in the blog, Poops is in the Army, in Camp Young in the southwest deserts of California. Little does he know that had he stayed with this unit, he would have been sent off to desert warfare in Africa under the command of General Patton. However, he is awaiting a transfer to the Air Corps where he will eventually pilot B-17s in thirty bombing missions over various targets in Germany. These letters individually are less exciting than this summary of his WWII experiences, but feel free to follow along if you are interested.

November 1, 1942 – “Let’s get it over with and go home to the things we love.”

Sunday Afternoon

Dear Mom + Dad,

I received some welcome news from home today, if you know what I mean. Yes my $25 arrived safely in this morning’s mail. I will go up the first thing tomorrow and cash it. I’m going to try and send it back to you when I get paid. I think I should get paid on the supplementary payroll that should come in around the middle of the month. If not I’m fairly certain I’ll get a double pay at the end of this month. I may ask for more if I don’t get the supplementary but I expect to put it all back in my fund if at all possible. Of course with the time I have now I may find a way to spend it but that is what it is for.

I was quite interested in the experience Ken Schott had. I knew him quite well when I was going to school. He certainly had quite a time of it. When you read about things like that and about people you know it really brings the war home to you. I guess I’ve been pretty lucky almost 9 months in the service and no signs of actual conflict. So I guess I’m not so bad off. It is funny though after you’ve been in awhile it doesn’t make much difference just where you are. You rather hate the inactivity of army life and want some action. It’s in the back of everybody’s mind. Let’s get it over with and go home to the things we love.

I haven’t been doing anything the last few days except read, eat, sleep, and go to the movies. At least I’m catching up on some of my back reading. It isn’t so bad, although doing nothing gets on your nerves once in awhile. My friend Kay Kyser is coming here Tuesday to put on a show for us. I imagine I’ll like that. Some time in the near future Jack Benny is going to do one of his broadcasts here and I’ll be able to see that to. This being so near to Hollywood is the break for us in the way of getting entertainers. Also in our open air movies we get all the latest pictures and most of the time we see them before they are out to the civilians.

I guess that is all for now. Thanks for the money and I’ll do my best to get it back.

Love

Bob