December 4, 1942 – General Patton Article in Life Magazine

Friday Evening

Dear Mom + Dad,

I’m sending you a bash of clippings from Life in a separate letter. They concern General Patton at one time my commanding officer at Camp Young. I have heard him speak and seen him several times. Thus I’m interested in him in his present activities in Africa. I wish you would save it for me and you might find it interesting to read. The article typifies him very completely.

Your dummy letter arrived in this morning’s mail as I expected. Naturally it was very interesting and I enjoyed reading it. As I told you air mail doesn’t seem to save very much only a half day. So I leave it up to your discretion if you want to use it or not.

Tonight is our weekly G.I. Party of cleaning up the barracks. I got my bay cleaned up early and now I’m writing this is the midst of the madhouse of the boys cleaning up. The reason for this of course the inspections that comes on Saturdays.

This afternoon we spent cleaning up our whole area and policing up the terrain. We even went through a corn field that adjourns our barracks. The road that runs around the area was swept with brooms by the boys. Some applesauce isn’t it? But then the first of next week a general is coming through here and I thing I have told you about those experiences before. It sure is a shame to waste the time of men on baloney, especially in times of war. There is nothing can be done about it though as this is the army.

A shipment is due soon out of here to pre-flight. I don’t know if I will be on it but I’m hoping for the best, and that I will make it. I’d like to get started on this aviation cadet deal, at least on the actual training part. This phase is just a necessary evil. That’s all for now

Love
Bob

December 3, 1942 – You Get the Radio for Me for Christmas

Thursday Evening

Dear Mom + Dad,

Your letter arrived today and I was glad to hear from you. I don’t know if it was me or not but your letters seemed to be far apart. The mail does take a long time. Your Sunday evening air mail came in the afternoon mail call. As yet I haven’t received the dummy letter but I’m fairly certain it will come in on tomorrow’s mail call. I’ll let you know the result but I still don’t think the saving will be substantial. However, we shall see! How is my mail coming?

I’ve changed my idea on Christmas present. It doesn’t look as if we are going to get out of here before Christmas. I had intended to pick up a radio in town but now I will be unable to. I’d appreciate it if you would try and pick one up and ship it off to me for Christmas. Get a cheap one, rather small so that it will be easy to carry around. Try and get a second hand one for me. I know it is rather late but I will get it sooner or later and that’s what counts. Let me know if that is O.K.

Well as I told you my days are almost the same so there isn’t much news. We have to sign the payroll tonight. I don’t know how much I’ll get. If I get what is due to me I should have around $75. I intend to send some home if I get it. If I get only a partial payment I’ll have to hang on to it.

I had to get my haircut down to 1 inch again. This is regulation around here. I look like the devil until it grows out a little but I’m not going anywhere so it doesn’t make any difference. I’ve had it about a week now and it is beginning to come back fairly well. I had just got it back after a short one for the desert.

I guess that’s it for now.

Love
Bobby

P.S. Have you found out about Jimmy yet?

December 2, 1942 – KP Because the GI Boys had Typhoid + Tetanus Shots

Wednesday Morning

Dear Mom + Dad,

I neglected to write you last night as I was in no mood to write. I was selected to be on K.P. and that is where I’ve been working from 3PM to 3PM today. All of the new fellows from civilian life took their typhoid + tetanus shots yesterday so they gave them time off as it some of them sick. As a consequence all the G.I. boys pulled down K.P. and guard duty. However, it wasn’t so bad but I was dead tired last night. I feel fine now and my day is all through. I’m figuring on going to the show to see a movie.

The routine of this life is rather tiresome and it is getting on my nerves a little. We drill and do calisthenics both morning and evening mix a stint of K.P. in now and then and you have a picture of my life. It isn’t tough but it is very monotonous after a few weeks of the same thing. Perhaps the worse feature is not getting any time off to break up the monotony. I’d like to get in town once in a while to at least get away from the post. I’m not really complaining but you know how it is. Well perhaps I’ll be off to pre-flight soon. I just have to wait now as I have been doing for the past few months and hope for the best.

I received a letter from Dr. Durgee that I will answer very shortly now. My correspondence is really catching up on me and I’m having a tough job answering the letters.

Well I guess that’s all for now.

Love
Bob

December 2, 1942 - Ltr from Gen Warren Carter - Your Boy now an Aviation Cadet

General Warren R. Carter

November 30, 1942 – Failed Daily Inspection of Barracks

Monday Evening

Dear Mom + Dad,

Your letter of Thanksgiving Day arrived today and I was glad to hear from you. The mail is sure messed up. You said mother wrote me on Tuesday and I never received that letter. It will probably come rolling in about two weeks from now. I was getting slightly agitated as I wasn’t hearing from you regularly but now I know the reason why. I imagine from now on it will come in. I hope.

Yes Bobby D broke his nose playing touch football and I’m sorry to hear he had an operation. Will you find out Mrs. Dever’s address from me so I can write to her? Also see if you find out any dope on Jimmy. I’ve heard he is overseas in Africa but I have nothing definite on it. I know he’s across somewhere but I have the slightest idea where.

Well I have what they call an hour of additional instruction to do tonight through no fault of mine. We have a daily inspection of our barracks and the lieutenant didn’t like ours. As a consequence the entire barracks have to work the ramp. Well since I wrote that last sentence I have completed my tour on the ramp. There were two barracks out there for the same reason and the place was really crowded. I use to be in a boy scout outfit now I’m in a glorified military academy. That’s the army through plenty of bad mixed in with the good. It really wasn’t too bad. We have a cadet officer who definitely is a rat and tonight really proved it. His is in our barracks and he rode us tonight. However, he will be taken down a peg or tow as there are too many G.I. soldiers here to stand for it. There are ways of taking care of men like him and the G.I. boys know how to do it within regulations. We don’t have to take what he was handing out as there is a limit to everything.

As you know there is now chance of my getting a furlough unless unforeseen events develop. I’d like to get a week around Xmas as I could fly home but I doubt that very much. We be lucky to get Xmas off. That’s all for now.

Love
Bob