Dad’s Letters Home
He Will Be a One Man Army
September 15 and 19, 1943. A couple of letters home from Dad while stationed in Topeka. Both letters seem to have been written in the evening while he was relaxing in the barracks with the radio on. The programming that he mentions on the radio includes Nelson Eddy and Susanna Foster in the “Phantom of … Continue reading
A Lot of Time and Typewriters
September 6 and 11, 1943.Two letters from Dad to home. He spends a good bit of the September 6th letter advising Anna on the status of his income tax payments. He essentially tells his sister that she should advise the IRS that he is in the Army. “…it would be a good idea to let … Continue reading
It Feels Fine to Be Sgt.
August 30 & September 1, 1943. A couple of letters home from Dad while he is stationed at Topeka Army Air Base. He starts off with the news of another promotion, this time to Sergeant after being a corporal for only month and a half. He boasts, “How does it feel to have two brothers … Continue reading
Chief Clerk of Everything
August 24 and 27, 1943. A letter home to Albany from Dad while stationed in Topeka. It looks like he is back into the swing of things having been back at camp for a week since his furlough, even though he reminisces “when I was home mama fixed up such eats which I never get … Continue reading
Too Darn Fast Back to Camp
August 18 & 21, 1943. Dad writes two relatively brief letters home after his furlough. He is getting back into the swing of things in the office at Topeka Army Air Base after two weeks off and a visit home. The train ride to Topeka from Albany took 25 ½ hours. In Dad’s estimation, it … Continue reading
All Set to Be Seeing You
July 31 & August 3 & 4, 1943. A few notes home from Dad as he is preparing for his furlough, his first since being sent to Camp Upton in January. In his letter of the 31st he writes that he signed his furlough papers and will have his furlough from August 5th to the … Continue reading
Time Isn’t Dragging
July 23, 24 and 28, 1943. A few letters from Dad in Topeka, Kansas to the family back home in Albany. Dad is looking forward to his furlough (his first since being inducted at the beginning of the year) and he is starting to make preparations to head home. He is planning to leave either … Continue reading
I Will Try Again Later
July 17 & 20 1943. Letters home from Dad responding to the letter that his sister wrote him on the 14th. As he is writing on the evening of the 17th he is pulling CQ duty and has time to catch up on his correspondence. He was glad to hear about their friend Joe Miller … Continue reading
Articles of War
July 5 & 7, 1943. Dad writes two letters home to Albany from Topeka. The first is relatively short. In it he explains that his rating for Corporal has been held up by the higher ups considering whether his boss (T/Sgt. Ball) gets his promotion at the same time. Apparently both Dad’s and T/Sgt. Ball’s … Continue reading
This World Isn’t Only for Hitler
June 28, 1943. Dad writes home and notes that it is a special day as he opens his letter, “I can think of no better way to spend my 20th birthday then to write you and Stanley a letter.” He says that he still gets “a lot of enjoyment” out of looking at the birthday … Continue reading