Name/Title
Spalsbury: #102 Letters Home November 18,1944Entry/Object ID
2021.2.346A-DScope and Content
Letter Home from Pvt. R. C. Spalsbury, 17135556, Co A - 216th Armd Engr Bn, A.P.O. 412, Camp Chaffee, Arkansas to his parents Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Spalsbury, 806 South 11th, St. Joseph (10), Missouri. Post Marked NOV 18, 1944, 2 PM, Fort Smith, Ark., 8 cents Air Mail stampContext
Friday Night -
17 October 1944
[NOTE: Robert has written October but from the context of the letter and the postmark on the envelope it is actually 17 November 1944]
Dear Folks....
Spalsbury returned and is in the old groove again. I guess you received the post card I sent from the K.C. USO. Also, the writing kit arrived today. Thanks for that. Your were very prompt. Congratulations!!!
I had a very enjoyable visit with the Kleins - - Norma June, her mother and Dad ---before train time. I called N. J. from the City Hall and then waited back by the bus station for her to meet me. She arrived in about 20 minutes and we walked the 8 or 10 blocks to their apartment. It's one block directly south of the Municipal Auditorium. We all had a dandy time visiting and talking over old times and the kids we knew. Mr. Klein is working at a Coach (or Carriage) Works nearby their Apt. and Mrs. Klein is working 3 days a week at the 5 + 10 cents store. She fixed a very delicious meal and (as usual) I enjoyed it muchly. We visited some more and then I walked with them up to the Aud. at 8:30, where they had tickets to the Ice Follies. It was nice getting to visit with 'em again. She's still the same old N.J., although I believe she's very conscious of everybody getting married. Too bad she's not better looking.
After I left I walked back to the USO, showered and shaved, picked up my baggage at the bus station, then took a cab to the Union Station.
I bumped into Cpl. Buckley of our Medical Detachment, which was a pleasant surprise. He was returning to camp from a combined weekend and 3-day pass to his home in Iowa. So we had an enjoyable visit back. We were supposed to wait at Gate 8, but managed to slip thru Gate 7 when a Redcap let some officers thru, thus getting a good seat on the train.
Arrived in Ft. Smith at 8:15 Thurs. morn. We had breakfast, then Buckley "took off" for Camp, as he was a coupla hours late. I went over to the USO, and played records, etc. Returned to camp about 7:30 p.m. The Co. was going out on a Night Problem, but of course I didn't go.
The last date for furloughs has been moved up to Jan 18th, so we probably won't leave at least 'til February sometime.
Letters awaited me.....one from Duane, Planalp, Larson, and Russell. Duane's was postmarked Nov. 2d, so didn't contain anything new. Planalp's, as usual, was delightful; he says his Division is in the same Corps and Army as mine....XXXVI Corps, 4th Army, and that he returned from his 8 days or so at home to find that their date has likewise been moved up. Larson and the old 778th is now "somewhere in England," which he says is very neat and clean, but quite rainy. Says the chow is as good as in the States, tho going over is was lousy. Russell is still at Sheppard Field, doing nothing yet, just waiting to be shipped out to some Army Air Base.
Cpl. Manke, Co Clerk, is in the hospital, and Daoust is going on a weekend pass tomorrow, so Daoust is having me work at Headquarters tomorrow while he is gone. I'm still handling the mail, also.
As always, Bob
[NOTE - written along the left hand side of the back of the page: P.S. I'm enclosing a 16th Armd. Div. patch. Put it in one of the little boxes up on top of my closet----- with the other patches. Thanks.Collection
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Category 08: Communication ObjectsArchive Items Details
Title
Letter Home from Pvt. R. C. Spalsbury, 17135556, Co A - 216th Armd Engr Bn, A.P.O. 412, Camp Chaffee, Arkansas to his parents Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Spalsbury, 806 South 11th, St. Joseph (10), Missouri. Post Marked NOV 18, 1944, 2 PM, Fort Smith, Ark., 8 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. Then Robert was stationed at Camp Haan in southern California, a U.S. Army training camp for Coast Artillery Anti Aircraft gunners. During his time at Camp Haan, Robert was transferred from Battery B to Battery A and began working as an office Clerk in Battery A.
At the time this letter was written, Robert is serving at Camp Chaffee at Fort Smith, Arkansas. He had been working as a Clerk-Typist in the HQ Company then transferred to Line Company A. Recently, he was given a new job serving as Mail Clerk for the Company.
This letter is one page, front and back, written in blue ink on small, plain stationery. The letter was sent in an envelope with red and blue hash marks around the edge. The page is folded in thirds then one end is folded over to fit in the envelope.Dimensions
Height
10-1/2 inWidth
7-1/4 inCondition
Overall Condition
Very GoodRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Robert C. Spalsbury
