Name/Title
Spalsbury: #19 Letters Home June 29, 1943Entry/Object ID
2021.2.263A-CScope and Content
Letter Home from US Army Pvt. Robert C. Spalsbury, 3rd Platoon-Battery C, 57th A.A. Trng. Bn., Camp Callan, San Diego 14, California to his parents, Mr. & Mrs. George C. Spalsbury, 806 South Eleventh Street, St. Joseph, Missouri - Postmarked June 29, 1943, 6 PM Camp Callan, CALIF, 6 cent Air Mail envelope with postage printedContext
Tuesday Morning - June 29, '43
Dear Folks,
It's about 7:45 this morning, and I and two other guys are sitting up here soaking our feet in the Dispensary. We have slight touches of athlete's foot, blisters, callouses, etc. We're supposed to soak our feet here morning, noon, and evening, if possible, for a number of days. We soak 'em for 45 minutes in a hot-as-we-can-stand-it solution of pottassium permanganate, which is supposed to toughen up the skin and make our feet less susceptible to these ailments. It is a dandy excuse for goldbricking, (loafing), and believe-you-me, I'm taking advantage of it. It makes the boys in the barracks kinda mad, but as long as I can get out of infantry drill and the obstacle course and automatic weapons drill and gunner's instruction, etc., I'm goin to do it. I have to come here 5 or 6 more days, I guess. Most of the guys here also soak their feet regularly, sitting here on stools so we have enjoyable little visits. Guess where we soak our feet - the Propalaxis Room! It's the best empty room available here, so we don't mind.
I should have written you kids last night, and went down to the Rec. Hall a little after 9 o'clock, intending to, but I got a hold of the July Esquire, and sat there reading it till 10:30. Besides, I was pretty tired from the 25-mile march yesterday, which lasted the whole day. After cleaning up my equipment yesterday afternoon after we got back, I went up to the P.X., had a choc. soda and root beer, bot a tooth brush and candy and gum, and then soaked my feet at the Dispensary. I went to chow, then another guy and I put on our fatigues to clean up the Battery Office, then he and I went to the P.X. and had a coke and some fritos. I came back to the Barracks and took a shower, then put on my O.D.s and went down to our Rec. Hall.
Tonight we have another overnight bivouac in the Eucalyptus Grove east of Camp. It'll be our 5th one, and the last one before our 3-day bivouac next week (the 13th) which will bring our 13-week Basic Training Cycle to a glorious end.
One more boy from our Battery (the 2nd) is to leave today or tomorrow for the University of Illinois STAR Unit. He's a good friend of mine - from Houston, Texas, where he was just a freshman at the Rice Institute.
I've asked the girl at the P.X. to lay aside for me the 17-jewell Latham Service Watch ($28.70) until after pay day tomorrow. I expect to have a letter from you today or tomorrow, maybe with a little graduation money in it.
Warren and I had a grand time Sunday - in San Diego, Mission Beach, La Jolla, & Camp Callen.
Bob
[Written along the back page] PS: - I'll write a longer letter, tell you more, probably within two days.
[Written along the front page] PS: - I'm enclosing those negatives. Just put 'em with my other negatives or pictures. PS: - I got your letter yesterday, Marie. There was a lapse of 5 days between it and the last one. - My! My!Lexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Secondary Object Term
LetterNomenclature Primary Object Term
CorrespondenceNomenclature Sub-Class
Other DocumentsNomenclature Class
Documentary ObjectsNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsArchive Items Details
Title
Letter Home from US Army Pvt. Robert C. Spalsbury, 3rd Platoon-Battery C, 57th A.A. Trng. Bn., Camp Callan, San Diego 14, California to his parents, Mr. & Mrs. George C. Spalsbury, 806 South Eleventh Street, St. Joseph, Missouri - Postmarked June 29, 1943, 6 PM San Diego, CALIF, 6 cent Air Mail envelope with postage printedDescription
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, is at Camp Callen, California for Basic Training. The letter is one page, front & back, written in blue ink pen on plain stationery. The letter was mailed in an Air Mail specific envelope with the red and blue hash mark edges. The stationary is quarter folded to fit 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
