I finally heard the good news. I leave for ASTP this Thursday. I haven’t received any official notice as yet but have received the info from what you might term “generally reliable sources” or, as it is expressed in the army, a shit-house rumor. But from my four month experience with army rumors, I can term this one as correct.
How is everything going on the home front? Anything happening lately?
Keep your chins up–Love Carl
Figure 2-2. Enlisted Men’s Service Club letterhead, Camp Hood, Texas, September 13, 1943. Author collection.
. . .
Camp Maxey Service Club17
October 12, 1943
Hi, Maw,
Well, I have been here a week and I guess I should have written you before and I still don’t know where I’ll be sent. There is, however, a very nasty as well as persistent rumor that our group will end up in Baylor University, which is right in the middle of Waco, which is just thirty miles from Camp Hood. I can think of no more horrible a fate. But if that’s where they want me that’s where I’ll go. I’ll probably find out this week.
Now tell me all about Chicago. Did either the American Meat Packers’ Association or the Exalted Order of the Hadassah reach any decision? Did you see that play about the Russians?18 Did you have fun? Did anything exciting happen? Tell me what.
I got a three day pass this week-end for Yom Kippur.19 I spent them in Dallas. Had a pretty good time there, too. Stayed with some very nice people that I got through the Jewish center. They had a lot of people around both nights and we all had quite a gay little time of it. Went to two dances at the center which were enjoyable. Found the best steak place in Dallas. In fact I did about everything but go to temple. Tsk, tsk.
About all I’m doing here at Camp Maxey is taking it easy and resting up for my coming college days. Of course, a few things do pop up now and then to interrupt, such as the ten mile hike we had today and K.P. duties.
Did Fred find out yet whether or not he’s going to be staying in Miami for another semester? Tell him he’s owed me a letter for a month now. I ran into a guy in Dallas who was a Frosh at Miami with me and was at Camp Wise with Fred. I forget his name, though. He’s been in about seven months. I told him all about Fred.
Figure 2-3. Camp Maxey Service Club letterhead, Texas, October 12, 1943. Author collection.
I saw For Whom the Bell Tolls while in Dallas. She is a marvelous actor and it really is an exceptional film.20 It’ll probably be named one of the ten best of the year, but I’m not too sure I’d call it that good. I also read a book by Hemingway this week—A Farewell to Arms—disappointing. The only thing I’ve read by him and judging by this one book I don’t like him.
And that’s about all that’s happened to me since you last saw me. Write soon.
Lots of Love –Carl
. . .
Oct 25, 1943
Sunday
Hello Mother,
Glad to hear that both you and the tonsil are better. You still haven’t told me whether the latter has been removed or not. Has it? And you didn’t say whether it was serious or dangerous or not. Was it? If it was, I presume that now it isn’t. Yes? Good.
Stop worrying about my hair, woman. I haven’t been able to find any barber who could pamper and coax it. But it is now at the place where I have to comb it, and a semblance of a wave is reappearing. At the latest sounding for depth it was “mark one—and—a—half.” I’m expecting a “mark twain” at any time.21
Is Fred home yet? If so, hello, Alfie. Do you know what’s going to happen to you? I suppose you’re in the same boat that I’m in (or perhaps I should say you’re in the same M-10 tank destroyer I’m in.)
For about two weeks there hasn’t been a single shipment out of here. While we were here the previous three weeks about twenty shipping numbers went out and they stopped one number short of mine, or rather ours; “ours” meaning the guys that came in with me from 665 and came into Ft. Hayes with me.
But anyways a brief analysis of all the latest latrine-grams (rumors) reveals that this week they will start sending us out once more (Ohio State, Purdue, Brooklyn, West Coast, to name a few locales).
I would like to have seen that first snow you wrote about. Howz the weather now? Many blizzards? It’s pretty cold down here now, about like it was up there when I was on the furlough. We have three field ranges to a barracks and they keep us nice and cozy. In fact one of them is beside my bunk and same is gradually taking on a fairly charred appearance. We’re getting into the rainy season now. And when it rains here I mean the drops come down. Last night while in Paree (Paris, Texas to you—comparable to Alliance) it started to rain. Two minutes later the streets were flooded. Of course, this wouldn’t be something to write home about except that this was the first I’ve seen in three months that didn’t come out of a Lister bag.22
Well, take care of yourself and don’t neglect to have your tonsils taken out if they need it.
We just had our monthly examination for venereal diseases. I passed with flying colors. Thot you might be interested. Still pure as driven snow.
‘Bye—Love Carl
. . .
Camp Maxey, Texas
Friday Oct, 29
Dear Mom,
At last, at long final last, the jolly news has come! I’ve found out where and when I’ll be going! I’m going to Queens College in Queens, N.Y. So it’s not such a bad deal. I’ve never seen the big city yet. And this will be my chance. From what I’ve been able to gather from the guys from N.Y. I’m pretty lucky in getting Queens. It’s got a campus, unlike the other city schools there, and is supposed to be a rather good school and not one of these real tough ones.
I’d guess I’d have a little trouble coming home on week-ends, but it’ll be pretty good for the seven day furlough, which I have only three months to wait for now. Who knows, maybe I can get home for Xmas or New Years.
I don’t know which way the train will go—but if it goes through Chicago I imagine it will also go through Canton—which it probably won’t. If it does, however, I’ll call you from somewhere and I can see you and pop for ten minutes. Maybe you can get on and ride to the next stop and we can have twenty minutes together, but that probably won’t work because you won’t have any way of getting back and also it most likely will be a troop train and civies won’t be allowed on it.23
I may not even be allowed to get off of it so I may not even be able to call you. Soooo, don’t stay at home all week just to wait for a phone call.
By the way, are any of your activities going to take you to N.Y. again? Come on up, I’ll show you around.
But enuf of that. Where is Fred now? Back at dear old Miami? How did he enjoy his furlough? What did he do? Has anything exciting happened in Canton lately?
The Houston Symphony Orchestra played here a few days ago. I enjoyed it very much—for the laughs. I thought Texas had become civilized but I found out how wrong I was. The Houston Orchestra is supposed to be the best in Texas and Texas is quite proud of it, of course, as they are of everything having to do with said state. Well, do you remember how the Canton Symphony sounded a few years ago when they were going strong? That is a favorable comparison with the Houston Symphony. They played Tch’s 5th, some Strauss,