Name/Title
Spalsbury: #21 Letters Home July 5, 1943Entry/Object ID
2021.2.265A-IScope 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 July 5, 1943, 1 PM Camp Callan, CALIF, 6 cent Air Mail stampContext
Sunday - July 4, 1943
Dear People, and Pat,
I got your letter at Mail Call yesterday evening, just before we left to go out again on a gun position for the night. This time it was Position No. 6, several blocks west of the hospital far above the Pacific on a bluff. I stood guard from 9 till 12 last night at the machine gun pit. I was all bundled up, what with my heavy woolen overcoat, woolen gloves, woolen "idiot" cap (warn under my plastic interliner and steel helmet), mosquito netting about my head, gas mask, cartridge belt, and rifle. I sat there on the sandbags and challenged anybody who approached our position. A Major and Lieutenant came out to inspect our position and to ask a lot of questions to see if we were "on the beam" - alert. There are about fourteen guys altogether in the entire gun crew, and a Corporal or Sergeant in charge. We sleep in the area around the guns on the ground. We arose at about 5:30 this morning, and after straightening up a bit, we pulled out in the two trucks which brought all our equipment, guns, ammunition, etc. We got back to the Battery, cleaned up, putting our blankets away, cleaning our canteens - etc. I ate chow at about 7:45, came back to the barracks and took a shower, then found out that the boys wanted me to be C.Q. (charge of quarters in the barracks today). I tried to squirm out of it, but couldn't So I guess Warren waited in the Army-Navy Y.M.C.A. from 11 till 12 a.m., like we agreed, and left. We said we'd both wait just that hour, and if the other didn't turn up, we'd figger he had pulled some duty. So I guess Warren figgered I had duty, which you can see I did. I'll drop him a letter in a day or so, and let him know why I didn't turn up. I'm enclosing the last eight pictures I took with my Baby Brownie Special. Some of them are pretty good, don't you think? Send back the one of Frank MacMillan and the one of Warren sitting on the rocks, and keep the rest. Both of those I took when they didn't expect it, and both are fairly natural looking, I think.
I'm glad now I had C.Q. today. I spent a quiet, restful, unexpensive day in the barracks. I only have about $2.00 left to last me until July 30th, and if I'd gone I'd probably have had to spend almost all of it, for meals, transportation, etc. Say, after that long letter about frittering my money away, you'll probably boil over at this, but don't you think it'd be a good idea to send me a $5.00 money order to tide me over, especially because I may be shipped out soon, and will be more in need of it then. But I promise I will be careful and saving (reasonably so) with it. My first few months in the Army are pretty expensive because there were so many things I lacked - writing kit, fountain pen, and most important of all, wrist watch. But now I have all these, so can probably begin saving some. When I'm paid the last of this month, I'll send you folks 5 bucks. If you could see how most of the boys here gamble, especially right after payday, you'd be proud of me for not losing my money in that silly way. Some of the boys actually owe $40 and $50 to other boys. What a pastime!
I was certainly surprised to see in "Under the Stars and Stripes" that Jack Schultz was a sergeant! But when I saw that it was clerical, I wasn't so surprised. I always thought him somewhat of a drip.
It seems unbelievable that it is July already. The weather here is still not much different from what it was when we came, although a trifle warmer. But we still have cool breezes all day, with the warm sun for contrast.
Lights went out in the barracks, so I went down to the Service Club a while ago, where I bought some Hershey bars for the 3-day bivouac from Tuesday afternoon thru Friday afternoon of this week. We will live on rations - 2 of C and 1 of K, I believe. Some of the guys have bought 15 large Hershey bars to tide them over. They say the rations are almost tasteless, and naturally, not at all filling.
I saw Conrad Haglund at the Service Club Library, so he and I walked back to our Battery , and now I'm down in the Rec. Hall writing room finishing this letter.
No, Duane didn't send any of the Kodak pictures he took, so you send me one.
No, I didn't know Uncle Robert was discharged from the Army. I'm awfully sorry to hear it, because I realize what a dull life he'll lead in Tonkawa, but I suppose he and Grandma Whinery are happy about it. Are you? I never did get to answer the letter he sent me, I'm sorry to say, but will try to write him and Grandma Whinery soon, and thus kill two birds with one stone. Is Aunt Esther back now? If so, I'll try to write her.
I heard some classical records this evening in the barracks over Glen Doughty's (a boy from San Diego) radio, and it certainly sounded good. I hope when I'm transferred I'll be able to go to more programs of good music, or hear it some way or other, than we're able to here. On Thursday nights from 8 to 9 in the West Chapel are programs of recorded classical music, but I've never been to one yet, because something else always turns up, or I'm too busy, etc. But I really haven't missed the music too much, because we're kept so thoroughly occupied here. I'll never regret this Basic Training, because I know it's done me a lot of good. I'm fatter, firmer, and feel better all over in general. Of course my nose still peels.
I lent the swimming trunks to a boy last Sunday, and he brought them back today. I hope to use them before I leave here. Maybe next Sunday Warren and I'll go bathing on the beach, at Mission Beach or La Jolla, preferably La Jolla, since it's not so crowded, I believe.
Do me a good deed, Marie, and call up Mrs. Mann and ask her when Barbara's birthday is. I many send her a little something. She told me once, and I think it's sometime in July or August - I don't remember exactly.
I'm sending another post card folder in a day or two, on "The Desert." They're rather interesting, I think, and cheap, so I send 'em to you all.
Hurbert Speer told me he got last Sunday's paper - I must drop over to the 4th platoon to get it tomorrow. He also said Marian Dobler's picture was in the latest LIFE magazine. I must look it up. Its' about 18-year olds voting.
xxxx
xxx BobLexicon
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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 July 5, 1943, 1 PM Camp Callan, CALIF, 6 cent 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, is at Camp Callen, California for Basic Training. The letter is four pages, 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 stripes on the left hand and bottom edges. In the bottom left corner of the envelope is a red star and below reads Via Air Mail. The stationary is smaller than the envelope and inside with customary folding. The left hand side of envelope shows some damageRelationships
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Robert C. Spalsbury
