Name/Title
Spalsbury: #104 Letters Home November 26, 1944Entry/Object ID
2021.2.348A-CScope 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 26, 1944, 3 PM, Fort Smith, Ark., 8 cents Air Mail stampContext
Saturday Night -
25 November 1944
Dear Mom and Pop -
It's 9:15, and I just returned from War Dep't Theatre No. 4, where I saw "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo," a fairly good war picture. I saw a marvelous picture last week ....did I tell you about it? It was "None But the Lonely Heart," with Ethel Barrymore, Cary Grant, Barry Sullivan (the little Irish priest in "Going My Way"), and others. It's by far the best I've seen in a long time. See it if you can.
It was nice to talk to you folks the other evening, but I'm sorry I missed Duane and Lolly. By your telegram, I guess they left yesterday noon, so I suppose Lolly is in Chanute by now, and Duane is on his way back to Santa Rosa. I must write him a letter.
Speaking of letters, I certainly haven't had any lately. I just gotta find more time to write. I did write one to Russell Larson the other night, though. He's a good kid I knew in A Btry of the 778th ---now in England. I had a Xmas card from Haglund a while back, too. I guess I'll be trippin' into Ft. Smith sometime this week to buy some Xmas cards to send. I didn't send any last year, but have decided to this -.
Which reminds me, I'll be needing a little money for cards, and to tide me over until I get paid. I won't get paid at the end of November, since I wasn't here to sign the Nov. payroll. But I will get paid on the Supplementary Payroll Dec. 10th. So...how about a few greenbacks, huh? I'll appreciate it.
I've really been typing my a - off the last 5 or 6 days, for Mr. Weinstein, Chief Warrant Officer down at the BSO (Battalion Supply Office). I've been cutting stencil after stencil of the nomenclature of long lists of equipment. This saves each Co. Supply Sergeant much time and trouble, since he can just get one of the mimeographed copies for his check list.
I sure wish I had a license to drive a peep. The Sgt.-Major called down from Bn. Hqs. the other day for Clerk-Drivers. There will be 6 of 'em from the Battalion, who will drive, together with an officer, to the P.O.E. as Advance Detail, to get certain records, etc., in order. They asked me if I had a license, but since I haven't, that eliminated me. T/5 Daoust, ass't Co. Clerk, will go, since he can drive. I don't know when they'll go, maybe not for a month or so. By the way, I've heard rumors we'll go someplace back to the East Coast.
We had quite a downpour last night, and a very strong wind accompanied it.
I mailed a package to you folks this morning. It contains some chewing gum, a few cigars, and 4 bath towels, of which I had too many.
Hope to be hearing from you before long.
Your loving son, Bob
P.S. I got a "butch" haircut. I like it!
[NOTE - written along the left hand side of the back of the page: P.S. 2- Send me one each of those pictures of me (those snaps I had enlarged). ---By the way, how did my pictures at Townsend and Wall come out?Collection
Marshall WhiteLexicon
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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 26, 1944, 3 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 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
