Name/Title
Spalsbury: #25 Letters Home July 23, 1943Entry/Object ID
2021.2.269A-EScope and Content
Letter Home from Pvt. Robert C. Spalsbury, 1713556, STAR Unit 3906, 1905 Lincoln Avenue, Pasadena, California to his parents Mr. and Mrs. George C. Spalsbury, 806 South Eleventh Street, Saint Joseph, Missouri. Post Marked JUL 23 1943, 7 PM, Pasadena, Calif., 6 cent Air Mail stamp.
Robert has moved from basic training at Camp Callan, CA to ASTP (Army Specialized Training Program).Context
Thursday - July 22, '43
P.S. - I was surprised to hear that Bernard Fine got a commission. - But he's a hard worker.
Dear Folks,
Well, today was my third day here at Star Unit 3906. Beginning at 8:30 this morning, I took the Physics Test, which lasted until noon. Boy, was it ever long! It consisted of five parts: Mechanics, Heat, Sound, Light and Electricity. I'd just had seven weeks of it, just in Mechanics, so there was a lot I had to leave out. But some of the boys who took it hadn't had a bit of Physics at all. I answered quite a few of the Mechanics section, and a number of the Heat section (my meteorology helped me a bit there), but not many of the others.
Then this afternoon from about one till three I took the Chemistry Exam, which was even tougher than the Physics. I answered very few of those. It's been about three years since I took those five hours of Elementary Inorganic Chemistry at J.C., and then I didn't do so well in it.
I'm scheduled to take two more tests tomorrow - one at one o'clock and the other at two. I don't know what they are, but I imagine one is the Language Aptitude Test, since I applied for Languages, and some of the fellows took the test today.
I hope and pray I can get into Languages, but I'm just afraid I'll be put into Basic Engineering. If I am put into Basic Engineering it will probably be the second or third quarter, however, since I've had college Algebra and Trigonometry. Basic Eng., is a nine-month course consisting of three quarters each three months long. These tests I've been taking are much more advanced than those that some of the fellows are taking. I believe they're given in order to see if I'm qualified for the Advanced Course. Most of the fellows merely took the Algebra and Geometry Test instead of the Advanced Math. Test. I'll probably go before the Board Saturday. Many of the fellows went before the Board today, but they only had two or three tests to take.
Another bunch of men arrived from Callan today - about 25 more from C-57. Bob Raidt was also among the bunch. I talked to him and Paul Leibowitz this evening. Bob would rather be back at Callan, he says. He likes physical work much better than mental. There are times when I, too, miss "Dear Old Callan." It is really a dandy place to take Basic Training. A lot of the non-coms (there are scores of 'em here from various camps around here) tell us it's a very superior camp.
I got your letter this afternoon, Mom. It was forwarded from Callan. It's very hot here, too. The humidity is so high. We're almost surrounded by mountain ranges. They're so pretty.
I believe I'll go down to Santa Ana this Sunday, and try to see Duane.
Saturday night Rudolph Haglund and I are going to the Hollywood Bowl.
Send me all of the 8 pictures I sent last - Warren wants to see them. You have the negatives, haven't you?
XXXXXXXXXX BobCollection
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Title
Letter Home from Pvt. Robert C. Spalsbury, 1713556, STAR Unit 3906, 1905 Lincoln Avenue, Pasadena, California to his parents Mr. and Mrs. George C. Spalsbury, 806 South Eleventh Street, Saint Joseph, Missouri. Post Marked JUL 23 1943, 7 PM, Pasadena, Calif., 6 cent Air Mail stamp. Robert has moved from basic training at Camp Callen, CA to ASTP (Army Specialized Training Program).Description
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 and is serving in a STAR Unit for ASTP (Army Specialized Training Program) soldiers in Pasadena, CA.
The letter is two pages, both front & back written in blue ink pen on plain stationery. The letter was mailed in an regular envelope with a 6 cent Air Mail stamp. The stationary is smaller than the envelope and folded in half.Condition
Overall Condition
Very GoodRelationships
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Person or Organization
Robert C. Spalsbury
