Name/Title
Spalsbury: #31 Letters Home August 4, 1943Entry/Object ID
2021.2.275A-GScope and Content
Letter Home from Pvt. Robert C. Spalsbury, STAR Unit 3906-Company B, 1905 Lincoln Avenue, Pasadena, California to his parents Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Spalsbury, 806 South Eleventh Street, Saint Joseph, Missouri. Post Marked AUG 4 1943, 3 PM, Pasadena, Calif., 6 cent Air Mail stamp.
Robert has moved from basic training at Camp Callan, CA to ASTP (Army Specialized Training Program). This is his final letter home from this location with a STAR Unit before being transferred to Loyola University.Context
Tuesday Afternoon - August 3, 1943
Dear Folks,
Well, a whole bunch of us - about 60 in Company B, I guess, were told to "clear" when we fell out at noon today. So at 1 o'clock we fell out and were marched to the Library, where we turned in our textbooks. Rudolph Haglund works as a typist in the Personnel Office, so several other guys and I asked him where we were going. He said he was positive it is Loyola University, and we're to leave at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning. My bunkmate, who lives in L.A., was telling me about it a while ago. He said Loyola is a very nice school - rather small, situated on high hills about 10 miles south of L.A., and in view of the Pacific, several miles away. I guess the weather will be very delightful there - fairly cool most of the time. Oh yes, Loyola is a Catholic men's school, so I guess we'll have to do without co-eds on the campus. We'll be able to study more, I guess.
I just came back from the barber. I told him to give me a crew cut, so that I wouldn't even have to bother with a part anymore. He cut it very short on the sides, but left it about an inch long on the top, so I still have a slight part. It really looks good, I think. -The barber said my hair was turning rather greenish from the chlorine in the swimming pool. I swim too much on the bottom of the pool - I surface-dive a lot and dive for things on the bottom, etc. Chlorine tends to settle on the bottom, so I picked up a lot of it. He tried to talk me into a shampoo, but you know me. I talked him out of it. So I just had to pay him 50 cents, the price of the haircut.
_______________________________
It's about 7 o'clock. Chow is over, and I'm lying on my bunk now. A lot of the guys are lying around on their bunks, some reading and some talking. We're all excited about leaving for Loyola tomorrow. I think I'll like it there. I hear it has a very pretty campus. It is out in the country, just outside of L.A. County. I see by a map which one of the boys has that a swampy region lies to the north, a desert region to the south, and of course the ocean several miles to the West. I'll like that a lot - it'll probably be conducive to study - out in the wilds, so to speak. But a lot of the guys don't think they'll like it - U.C.L.A., which is right in L.A., would be more to their taste. A lot of the guys have been sent there during the past week. A few advanced engineers shipped out yesterday afternoon for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C. - That's where Kathleen Lard is.
I've enclosed a few doo - dads you can put in my scrapbook. I believe I forgot to tell you we ate lunch Sunday at Clifton's Restaurant in L.A. - Maybe you've heard of it before. Prices are supposed to be very cheap, and you can pay only a small amount if you weren't pleased with your meal. It is decorated with a lot of gingerbread which is supposed to represent the South Seas, or the Pacific Seas. There are birds singing, fountains flowing, masses of flowers, etc. It was all extremely interesting.
I went swimming in the pool last night. Some other boys and I played tag. This morning I had Library from 9-10, and Physical Education from 10-12. In Phy. Ed. for the first hour we practiced throwing the baseball as far as possible, and we ran the obstacle course. The second hour we went in the pool and practiced the various forms of swimming, the kicks and strokes, and played around a lot.
From what I hear, the first quarter at Loyola will begin next Monday, August 9th. I certainly hope the weather is cool there, and there are other conditions conducive to concentration and study.
Loyola University, I see from the map, is about five miles from Santa Monica. I guess I will get into the town before long to see the Wenz's.
Yes, you told me before about Bub's attending Texas University and Mary in New York.
The cookies and candy were delicious - thanks again. The ants attacked the last of the cookie crumbs, so I had to throw 'em away. --I still have the News-Press and will send it back upon the first opportunity.
I may go see Duane this Sunday.
Thanks for sending the pictures. I'll send 'em to Warren.
Love, BobCollection
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Category 08: Communication ObjectsArchive Items Details
Title
Letter Home from Pvt. Robert C. Spalsbury, STAR Unit 3906-Company B, 1905 Lincoln Avenue, Pasadena, California to his parents Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Spalsbury, 806 South Eleventh Street, Saint Joseph, Missouri. Post Marked AUG 4 1943, 3 PM, Pasadena, Calif., 6 cent Air Mail stamp. Robert has moved from basic training at Camp Callan, CA to ASTP (Army Specialized Training Program). This is his final letter home from this location with a STAR Unit before being transferred to Loyola University.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, 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
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Person or Organization
Robert C. Spalsbury
