Figure 3-1. Queens College letterhead and envelope, Flushing, New York, January 6, 1944. Author collection.
Jan 28, 1944
Thursday
Dear Mother,
I’m going to leave here Sunday morning at 8:00—decided it is the best time. However, the train doesn’t go to Canton, only Alliance. So I’ll get in Alliance at 7:03 Sunday nite! I’ll take a bus to Canton from there, don’t bother to drive all the way over to get me. If you did you’d probably end up having a three hour wait or something.
We finished all our finals Monday, but still haven’t found out about them. We won’t know our grades for a month or so yet. I did find out about three, though—Math, English, and Geography. In Math I got about the fourth highest grade in our class and I’ll get an A in the course. In the English test I got the highest grade in the whole unit, but I’ll probably get a B in the course because I didn’t do too well in Speech. In Geography I got one of the highest grades in class, but don’t know what I’ll get—probably miss an A though.
I think I did pretty well on the other tests, too. Happy?
Be seeing you soon, with Love Carl
. . .
Feb 11, 1944
Thursday
Dear Mother,
We’ll be taking those aptitude tests for medical school I was telling you about, in a few days now. I’ll tell you more as soon as I learn. We still haven’t received last semester’s grades yet, by the way.
The Astor Hotel is on Broadway between 44th and 45th St, not 41st. That was definitely established by me when I stood across the street from it and read the street signs. So that would be the best location for you in N.Y. You might tell Sam N. that, but maybe you’d better not if he’s getting those tickets. How are they coming along, anyhow?
Happy Valentine’s Day! [drawing of heart] (It’s this Monday.)
I took my watch into a jewelers here, and he fixed it in 15 minutes and wouldn’t even let me pay for it. Works swell, too. Maybe you’d better send your repairing to me to be done after this.
Did you ever find that paper for those extra ration points I brought home?27
Keep the home fires burning.
Love, Carl
. . .
16 February 1944
Dear Mom,
I received your little valentine and got a laugh out of it. Very cute. Where did you get the idea?
We took those medical aptitude tests yesterday. I believe I did pretty well in it, but that doesn’t mean much since they only take about 5 or 10%. If I passed it I’ll go before a board in about a month for an interview, but I won’t find out their decision until the end of this term, so I’ve got a wait of about 10 weeks before I can find out whether the army wants to make me a doctor or not.
How is your back? Have you decided yet what you’re going to do about it? Did you go try those treatments yet?
They still haven’t told us our 1st term grades, by the way.
How are your plans for coming to N.Y. developing? Any notable changes, additions, or subtractions? Did Fred find out yet whether he gets that furlough or not? He’s owed me a letter now for quite some time. Bawl him out for me, willya?
Well that’s about all from here except that I’m still going with Edith and I still like her more each time I see her.
Write. With love Carl
. . .
ASTP was supposed to last a regular school year, but it would last only five months for Carl. By that time the army was in Africa fighting Rommel, and quite a few Americans were in combat. Adding to this manpower shortage, a large-scale invasion was in the works.28
The hue and cry went up: Why are some of our guys getting killed in the deserts of Africa while others are going to college?29
First came the rumors.30 Then came the news: the army was drastically cutting the program nationwide, recalling all men not in the advanced courses. About 8 out of every 10 men, or approximately 120,000 soldiers total, were returning to active duty.31
Included was one Carl Lavin.
. . .
Queens College
Feb 28, 1944
Friday nite
Dear Mom,
I was impressed by the beauty of your logic in giving the reason why you sent ten instead of twenty. However, I didn’t need the other ten since I still haven’t bought that shirt yet. But I will buy it.
I was also impressed by the volume of good advice you two have been piling on me. I realize what you say is true and I have not stopped studying. If my telling you so does not convince you, perhaps this will: after considering all the rumors and reports, and knowing how the army works, I think I can say that we probably will remain here until the end of the term, or at least until we can get a term’s credit. The chances are that we’ll be here until the middle of April, at least. Therefore I haven’t stopped studying. Also—therefore, I think you’d better keep your plans of coming up here as you were, or as they were rather.
I’ve been living from day to day just waiting for the food you said you were sending—but no package. What happened?
I received the tickets for Othello.32 Thanks, and thank W for me, willya? Did he, by any chance, get any of the other ones I wanted? Did he get any more tickets for you?
Have you had those pictures taken yet that you said you were going to? If not, why don’t you? Take some snapshots of yourselves if nothing else. I’d like to have some decent pictures; the ones I have aren’t very good.
‘Bye—lots of Love –Carl
. . .
March 6, 1944
Dear Mother,
Your ten arrived in good condition but the box is still wandering around somewhere between us. It probably came over the weekend and I’ll get it today. Thanks.
You still haven’t said anything about coming to N.Y. How do your plans stand? And how about that date for Fred. By the way, I haven’t heard from Fred in a month now. Tell him to write me. Are you going up to see him get his commission [as Ensign]? It sounds rather silly, and I know it’s a long way to go, but it would make him happy if you were there.
Well, write and tell me what’s going on, willya? As far as I’m concerned, the situation is exactly what it was a week ago, nobody knows nothin’. Yesterday I had a talk with Capt. H for about an hour and a half. Seems to be a pretty nice guy, but he can’t help me at all. He has the job of getting aviation cadets and, since I can’t get into that, he can’t help me any. The representative for Canton district of his firm was here also. I forget his name but you know who I mean. He says he’s the one responsible for my lifting around those 100 lb. cases of M.F.B. back in the shipping room. But I got a free meal out of his expense account.
I didn’t sleep over at Edith’s yesterday. We had our yearly physical exam Sunday and had to get up at 5:15 in the morning for reveille. By the way, I am deeply in love with Edith—thot you’d like to know. Bye—write—with Love –Carl.
. . .
On March 15, the entire unit at Queens College was “inactivated.” A farewell dinner was held March 20.33
Carl, with new orders, left New York a few days later. All that remained of ASTP unit 3222 at Queens College were memories and the group’s mascot, a cat named Queenie.34
.