Name/Title
Spalsbury: #74 Letters Home March 8, 1944Entry/Object ID
2021.2.318A-CScope and Content
Letter Home from Pvt. R. C. Spalsbury, 17135556, Btry A - 778th AAA Auto.Wpns. Bn (S.P.), Camp Haan, California to his parents Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Spalsbury, 806 South 11th, St. Joseph (10), Missouri. Post Marked MAR 8, 1944, 10:30 AM, Camp Haan, Calif., 6 cents Air Mail stampContext
Tuesday Night -
7 March 1944 -
Dear Mom & Pop -
Monty Woolley, an old conceited English actor - he played in "The Man Who Came to Dinner" - was at the Guild-Canteen Saturday night, so I got his autograph three times. I had him write "To Bob" on this one. He was sitting at a table in the dining room, half-plastered and bleary-eyed, and self-sufficient as ever.
Pop, thanks for sending the $60.00. I got the telegram Sunday evening when I came back from my weekend pass spent in L.A. and Hollywood. I cashed it Monday at the Bank and gave it to the 1st Sgt. to hold for me until I get ready to leave. He holds a lot of the fellows money for them. So don't worry about me losing it or having it stolen, or about its "burning my pockets", for it's in safe hands.
Yes, I've been sorta negligent about writing lately. I had your card today, Mom. I've been looking for a letter from you, and will probably get one tomorrow. I haven't had a letter since last Friday or so. About a week ago I had a card from Lilbern Roberts, who's been sent from Keesler Field, Miss., to Loredo, Texas, where he's attending Aerial Gunnery School. He's disappointed - thought maybe he'd be sent to San Diego. Says he's right by the Mexican border, and the civilians - or many of them - talk Spanish.
I wonder where Planalp and Sewell will be sent, now that the Language Division of the A.S.T.P. is being discontinued. I see by the paper you sent that Corlis Robinson and Norman Trenton are back in the ranks again from C.C. N.Y. In a way I'm lucky to have got out of it when I did. They say the Army needs the majority of the 110,000 it's taking out - in the Infantry. And I'd much rather be in Anti-Aircraft. Hanlan's worried about the deal he'll get when he's separated from Loyola - sometime before April 1st. He, like Raidt & Leibowitz, is in Term III of Basic Engineering. ---Saw Hanlin and Haglund at the Guild Sat. nite - they bunked there also. Haglund's outfit - the 468th, is out at Camp Irwin and will return to Haan within a few days. - Guess they're not ready to leave yet. Haglund, who's a militant Presbyterian, insisted on dragging Hanlin and me to the 1st Pres. Church of Hollywood Sunday morning. It's a beautiful Church, has a high-class congregation, and Dr. Evans is very very fine. The singing of the choir and the service in general were very good also. ---Haglund dragged me there once before last fall. I've enclosed the program.
Mr. and Mrs. Riddle have a very comfortable apartment in a nice residential district of L.A. I dropped in on 'em a week ago Sunday afternoon and had a nice couple hours visit with 'em. They'd just taken Jack back to school. Ruth is sick about his leaving the A.S.T.P. and returning to the Army, but she said he wants to see some action. They showed me a picture of him, and he's a very fine-looking boy. I'd like to meet him and see what kind of personality he has. Mr. Riddle gave he his business address, and they want me to drop in some weekend for dinner with them. Send me Ruth's letter, please. ---I liked 'em- they're rather conservative, but I guess they're pretty well-fixed and have to look after their interests. (I'm in the latrine & my pen ran out, so I had to finish with pencil.) I'll write more later. -----
Love, Bob
[Note: along the left hand side of page two - P.S. The clipping was in the Camp Haan paper. Maj. Schreiber's the fellow I had a "conference" with while at Callan.]
[Note: along the top of page one, above the autograph - P.S. My job is fascinating. Lt. Montgomery, the Adjutant, had me working over in Battalion Headquarters two days last week, copying confidential progress records on all the officers in the Battalion, and typing a list of the over strength in the outfit. I heard the Bn. Comdr., Lt. Col. Arthur, talking to the Colonel who's head of the AAA Group we're in , and he thinks it'd be a good idea if we go out out to Irwin for some more firing in the future. I'll probably be one of the last to get my furlough, since I'm new in A Btry. It'll probably be some time around the last of March. - I'm not positive, though.]Collection
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Category 08: Communication ObjectsArchive Items Details
Title
Letter Home from Pvt. R. C. Spalsbury, 17135556, Btry A - 778th AAA Auto.Wpns. Bn (S.P.), Camp Haan, California to his parents Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Spalsbury, 806 South 11th, St. Joseph (10), Missouri. Post Marked MAR 8, 1944, 10:30 AM, Camp Haan, Calif., 6 cents Air Mail stampDescription
Handwritten letter home to parents back in St. Joseph after being called up to serve in the US Army during WWII. Pvt. Spalsbury, at the time of this letter, has completed Basic Training at Camp Callan, California, was stationed for a short time with a STAR Unit for ASTP (Army Specialized Training Program) soldiers in Pasadena, CA then moved to engineering training at Loyola University in Los Angeles, CA. After flunking out of the ASTP program, Robert was briefly stationed at Camp Roberts, located in central California assigned to the Infantry Replacement Training Center. Robert is stationed at Camp Haan in southern California, a U.S. Army training camp for Coast Artillery Anti Aircraft gunners. At the time of this letter, Robert has recently been transferred from Battery B to Battery A since he began working as an office Clerk in Battery A.
This letter is one page, front and back, written in blue ink and pencil on The Hollywood Guild & Canteen stationery (1284 North Crescent Heights Boulevard Hollywood 46, California HEmpstead 7184). The envelope appears to be similar to those Robert has used in the past with the thin stationery and shows signs of deterioration along the edges. The page is folded in half and then in thirds.Condition
Overall Condition
Very GoodRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Robert C. Spalsbury
