Name/Title
Spalsbury: #28 Letters Home July 31, 1943Entry/Object ID
2021.2.272A-HScope and Content
Letter Home from Pvt. Robert C. Spalsbury, STAR Unit 3906, 1905 Lincoln Avenue, Pasadena, California to his parents Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Spalsbury, 806 South Eleventh Street, Saint Joseph, Missouri. Post Marked JUL 31 1943, 4 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
Friday Evening - July 30, 1943
Dear Folks,
Thanks for the Centennial Edition of the News-Press. I got it at Mail Call this evening after chow. Paul Leibowitz helped me read it. I guess if I see Bob Raidt I'll have to give it to him.
Bob Raidt asked me for Duane's address this noon at chow. I believe he's going down this Sunday to try to see him. Me - I'm gong with a bunch of other kids into L. A. to see a comedy called "Two in a Bed." I live for our weekend passes here, because I hate it so here. So I'm going to try to enjoy myself in L.A. Sunday, and Saturday night, too, I guess. Maybe we'll go to the Hollywood Canteen this time. We didn't last Saturday night.
I wish I could get my mind off myself just long enough to learn something about chemistry and physics. But I seem to have lost entirely my ability to concentrate. Of course I never was very good at it, anyway.
I worry because I was put in Basic II, but if I'd been put in Basic I, I'd probably have just as much trouble. I believe it's not so much the subjects, as just me. Of course I've never gone to school away from home before, and I suppose that's one reason why I find study so hard.
I went swimming last night with some of the boys. We had so much fun. We'd carry each other on our shoulders, and try to push or pull another pair over. Then we'd swim under water and try to pull people under. One trouble with the pool is that it's so crowded at night - it's impossible to swim in a straight line for any distance.
Tomorrow - Saturday - my schedule is as follows: From 9-10 I have Library (Study Hall); from 10-12 I have Physical Education; from 1-2 physics; from 2-3 chemistry; and from 3-4 Library again.
Yesterday in Phy. Ed. we went up to the exercise room, and practiced chinning ourselves. The most I could do was three in a row. Then we practiced pushing ourselves up over a bar, raising it higher each time. I went over it at 4 1/2 feet, I believe. Then we swing on six whatever-you-call-them. We'd swing down the row and then swing back again, without touching the floor. I did it in 26.9 seconds - pretty fast. But my muscles along the sides of my chest under my arm pits are really sore today.
After the work out in the exercise room we went into the pool - always refreshing in this hot place. The advanced swimmers (I put myself in that group) practiced various lifesaving positions, and the scissors kick, etc.
So you see I was in swimming twice yesterday. I really enjoy it, if there's someone I know in swimming. It's always much more fun when there's someone you can play with.
We signed for our weekend passes this afternoon. We have to go thru so much red tape around here. But it's that way all through the Army - . There is always a very long line for chow. We go alternately by platoons. I'm in the fourth platoon, and today was our day to go first, so we didn't have to wait so long.
One day last week - did I tell you this? - a whole bunch of guys had the "G I Shits," or diaharea (?). I didn't have to get up in the night, which some guys did several times, but in the morning my bowels were rather loose, so I went on sick call like the doctor told us to. He gave us (there were a mess of us) all six pills, to take one every two hours. So I wasn't bothered anymore. Besides, I didn't have it very bad in the first place.
When I began this letter I was sitting on a concrete bench by the fountain. The grounds are really very pretty her - not ornate, but very plain. ---- I stopped when it got too dark, and went over and talked with several boys I know. One of them had his comforter on the lawn, so we lounged around on that. Then I talked to Chas. Keeler, a 19-year old -boy who is married and who's a pro. magician. He's perfectly miserable here. Now it's 10:10 p.m. and I'm finishing this letter in the study room across the hall from the Library.
I see in the News-Press that two of Kathleen's best friends, Allison Bailey and Helen Lynch, are joining the WAVES.
Love,
BobCollection
Marshall WhiteLexicon
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 Pvt. Robert C. Spalsbury, STAR Unit 3906, 1905 Lincoln Avenue, Pasadena, California to his parents Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Spalsbury, 806 South Eleventh Street, Saint Joseph, Missouri. Post Marked JUL 31 1943, 4 PM, Pasadena, Calif., 6 cent Air Mail stamp. Robert has moved from basic training at Camp Callan, 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 three 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 thirds.Condition
Overall Condition
Very GoodRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Robert C. Spalsbury
