January 24, 1943. The first letter from Dad’s brother Stanley is written. Stanley is writing from the University of Mississippi (AKA Ole Miss) in Oxford, Mississippi. After a few perfunctory niceties, he gets on to describing his trip to Mississippi in great detail. The highlights are:
January 12: Up at 7AM. Loaded on trucks for Denver at 2PM. Boarded the train at 7PM. Dinner in the Dining Car. In bed by 8:45
January 13: Up at 7AM, Breakfast in Lincoln Nebraska at the Lincoln Hotel. Back on the train at 10:50 AM. They had a station stop at St. Josephs, Missouri, then supper in Kansas City AT 7:45pm. He makes no mention of where his accommodations were that night.
Union Station in St. Louis circa 1940s. Fortunately the facade of the station has been preserved throughout the years.
January 14, Pulled into St. Louis, Missouri, arrived in Oxford, Mississippi at night and at Midnight were assigned their dormitory rooms. They got to sleep until 10 the next morning.
Stanley’s detailed description of his trip from Ft. Logan, CO to Oxford, MS.
They eat in the same cafeteria as the students, but in a dedicated section of the room. Since the army is contracting with the university for room and board, there is “no KP for us at all. This is just like home. We have only 3 men to a room here. We have closets, sink and dresser and also a nice desk to write on. You couldn’t ask for more.”
He notes, “We got to school in one of the University buildings. We have officers teaching us instead on non-coms (non-commissioned officers).” The classes are 50 minutes long with morning sessions from 8:00 to 11:50 and the afternoon sessions from 1:30 to 4:10. After class they drill until 5:15 PM. After 5:15 their time is their own until bedcheck at 11PM. He says, “The campus is very nice. This is better than Ft. Logan or St. Petersburg.”
Stanley wraps by offering some brotherly advice, “It’ll be tough for you till you get stationed somewhere for a while. All I have to say is keep your chin up and don’t speak out of turn and all will be O.K.”