Name/Title
Spalsbury: #22 Letters Home July 15, 1943Entry/Object ID
2021.2.266A-EScope 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 15, 1943, 11:30 AM SAN DIEGO, CALIF, 6 cent Air Mail stampContext
Tuesday - July 13, 1943
Dear Folks,
It's Tuesday morning. Now we're waiting for chow call. We got up around 5:30, dressed, swept and mopped the barracks, fell out for reveille (I was on the "can" when the whistle blew, so I had to "snap shit" - Army slang for "to hurry") After reveille, each platoon polices up around their barracks. We did this, then I came back in and washed my teeth, hands, and face, and combed my hair. I go through practically the same routine every morning. Yesterday I was on K.P., so the Battery C.Q. woke me at 5:25. You tie a towel to the foot of your bed, so he'll know whom to wake early.
The K.P.'s yesterday had to clean up the mess in the kitchen after the "beer bust." At the end of each cycle, each Battery usually gives a party in the Mess Hall for the boys who just completed their Basic Training, together with the cadremen and officers. We had our choice of beer and coke, so naturally I took the latter. We had ham and potato relish (or something) sandwiches, potato salad, tomato and lettuce salads, olives and celery, etc. There were some dull speeches given, and group singing. Chas. Keeler, a 19-year old magician, and his wife, put on a show of magic. He's upstairs here in the third platoon. He and his wife used to travel up and down the West Coast, playing in many cafes and night clubs.
Wednesday Evening
I failed to finish this letter yesterday, so I'm completing it this evening. I and some of the other boys were put on a "pick and shovel" detail out on Gun Position No.1 yesterday morning and afternoon, riding out and back in a truck. We picked and shoveled dirt out of the power plant pit, and piled dirt up around the machine gun pit, after bracing it with stakes, chicken wire, burlap and telephone wire, which we'd picked up at Salvage early in the morning. It was an easy detail, and we did a lot of "gold bricking" (loafing).
We came back yesterday afternoon, and didn't have to stand retreat because of our "detail." So I took a shower, and put on my O.D.'s ready for chow. After chow I made my bed, went to the P.X., then went to the Rec. Hall for a few minutes before going down to Theatre No. 1 with Walter Harman, where we saw - "Spitfire," with Leslie Howard. Guess who I saw at the P.X. - Foster Smith! Funny thing - I thought he was Ray Ottinger at first - his voice sounded like Ray's. I called him that, but he had to show me the name in his billfold before I recognized him. Was I embarrassed! I hadn't seen him very much since he left J.C. for M.U., and besides, people are harder to recognize in the service caps. He just arrived here Monday, and his cycle begins next Monday. From now on the cycles will be seventeen weeks long. He's about a block away from me in D-58. He was really surprised when I told him Raidt was down in D-52, and he said he was going down to see him right away. He was also surprised to hear that David Spencer and Paul Leibowitz were so close by also. I forgot to tell him that Speer and Buzard were also here. He and I were both in a hurry - he had to buy Barbara Clark a birthday present, and I had to report back to the barracks for roll call at 6 p.m., for (I forgot to tell ya) we scrubbed the floor early yesterday evening. We had an inspection of all our G.I. clothing and our barracks by some Major from headquarters. ----I must go over to see Foster in the next few days. I don't know whether any other of the M.U. boys are over there with him. I don't understand why he wasn't called in March with most of the other M.U. E.R.C's - he must have been deferred or something.
Yesterday morning about 50 fellows in our Battery were informed that they would be shipped out Friday to some Army Camp for further training. There were cooks and everything in the bunch; so I guess they will be trained as a complete unit for about three more months before being shipped across. Many of the guys in the Battery have left on furlough (5 days plus traveling time) before leaving on a "banana boat" (Army slang for a boat leaving from a port of embarkation). Some of 'em are anxious to get across the water, while others, I guess, are not so anxious to. I heard rumor today that ten more A.S.T.P. boys will be informed tomorrow that they're to leave in a few days. But you know these "latrine" rumors - you can't always depend on 'em. You're usually told several days before you're to leave. I hope I'm one of the ten tomorrow, if the rumor is true.
This morning after the inspection we donned our fatigues and fell out. We were put on little details, policing up mostly. John Rynerson and I were "gold bricking" in one of the tents in between our barracks with some of the holdovers from B Battery who live there, when Sgt. Davenport, our Platoon Sergeant, caught us. He immediately dispatched us to the kitchen, where we had K.P. the rest of the day. I really didn't mind - in fact, I rather enjoy kitchen detail, and much prefer it to some of the other details around here. I always have a nice knack of rationalizing, or something when I get extra detail. I always think things could be much worse. Nice attitude, isn't it?
Mom, I got the letter you wrote last Friday yesterday (Tuesday) morning, and the one you wrote Tuesday morning I got this evening. That fountain pen is broken - it doesn't hold ink anymore. But if you like it - o.k.
You folks really chased around looking for Duane, didn't you? I think I'll try to get up to Santa Ana this Sunday. It's only 75 miles north.
I wonder what detail I'll get tomorrow.
Hugs and Kisses,
BobbyLexicon
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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 July 15, 1943, 11:30 AM SAN DIEGO, 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 two pages, front & back, written in blue ink pen on air mail stationery. The letter was mailed in an regular envelope The stationary is larger than the envelope so folded in half then folded approximately in thirds. Includes a 6 cent Air Mail stamp.Dimensions
Height
10-1/2 inWidth
7-1/4 inCondition
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Very GoodRelationships
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Robert C. Spalsbury
