Name/Title
Spalsbury: #51 Letters Home October 4, 1943Entry/Object ID
2021.2.295A-EScope and Content
Letter Home from Pvt. Robert C. Spalsbury, ASTU 3938, Loyola University, Los Angeles 34, California to his parents Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Spalsbury, 806 South Eleventh, St. Joseph, Missouri. Post Marked OCT 4, 1943, 5 PM, Los Angeles, Calif., 6 cent Air Mail stamp.Context
Sunday Evening -
3 October 1943
Dear Folks,
Having some free time, I thought I'd write you. I should have written more letters today, and sooner than this, too, but I was doing other stuff. Lazy me, I stayed in bed until about 11:30 this morning, after going to bed a little after one last night. I got up, put on my fatigues, and shined and polished some of my insignia buttons with a blitz cloth. I went over to the mess hall and ate chow, then came back and just loafed around the room until time for evening chow. I looked through the magazine you sent, Mom, which, incidentally, came the other day together with the News-Press. Thanks for the paper, Pop, and thanks for the magazine, Mom. I enjoyed them both. I cut the article about Melvin Welch out of the News-Press to send to Duane. By the way, Duane called the other evening - Friday I believe it was - and we chatted for awhile. He was to be shipped out very shortly from Santa Ana to some place around in the general vicinity of Los Angeles. But of course he couldn't tell me where, or when. I told him to be sure to send me his address, and I'd write him. He said we'd probably be seeing each other some weekend in L.A., so I guess he's stationed fairly close. A call came through on Friday morning from Santa Ana, but by the time my call to Santa Ana was put through, Duane was gone.
Thanks for looking into the matter of transportation, Mom. The school is not going to let us out Thursday evening, but instead on Friday evening. That still gives me ample time however. The Santa Fe agent was out last Saturday, and a bunch of boys bought their tickets. He'll be out again soon, and we have to have the money by October 15th. So you can send it any day now. Conkey bought his ticket to Kansas City from him, and he said it was $43.50, I believe. Believe me, I won't eat very extravagant meals on the train - mostly soup, I guess. The train leaves L.A. Friday at 6:30 p.m., and is supposed to arrive in K.C. at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, but it'd probably be about 11 or 12. Don't worry about me getting home from K.C. - I can take a bus, or maybe transfer trains. Bob Raidt doesn't believe he'll go home now that we have one day less. Paul Leibowitz already had his ticket bought to leave Thursday evening - I don't know what he'll do about it - maybe they can change it to Friday for him. He's going home on a train which doesn't have furlough rates - I believe it's costing him about $80.00.
As I said before, I didn't do much this weekend. Yesterday afternoon Cribben and Witherspoon and I hitched over to Inglewood, where we shopped about for awhile. We had some banana splits at an ice cream shop. They were pretty small for 25 cents. I picked up some prints from negatives I'd left at Spalding's Drug Store the Saturday before. They were those two pictures of me holding my barracks bags; now I'll have plenty to send to people. Witherspoon left some civilian shoes at a repair shop. Then we hitchhiked on straight up La Brea Avenue into Hollywood. We went to the NBC Studios where we got tickets to "What's New" - a program from 4-5. It was much too early, so we went up to a Christian Service Center, a small place a block up from the regular Hollywood USO. There we looked at magazines, played ping-pong, and drank punch and ate cookies and cake. We walked back over to NBC for the program. We sat 'way down on the very first row. Don Ameche was master of ceremonies; Dinah Shore sang several songs; and Ruth Hussey appeared on the program in a skit with Ameche; there were also other less important people. After the program the boys wanted to see "Sweet Rosie O'Grady" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, but I wanted to go to the Hollywood Y.M.C.A. for a shower and swim. So we agreed to meet at 8:30 p.m. in the Christian Service Center. I had my shower and swim, but didn't stay in very long. It's more fun when there's someone along. I certainly wish Loyola had a swimming pool; there's nothing I'd rather do than swim, except maybe play tennis. I had a wonderful time in the swimming pool at Pasadena Junior College. After the swim I walked along Hollywood Boulevard looking for a good show to see. I finally went in a movie house which shows horror movies exclusively. I hadn't seen a horror movie for so long. There was a double - feature. One was "The White Ghost Walks," or something like that. They were both pretty old. I met the boys at 8:30, then we walked down to the Hollywood Canteen. After waiting in line about half an hour, we filed in, and heard Kay Kyser's Orchestra play and watched people dance. Kay himself wasn't there, but Harry Babbitt led the orchestra. We left finally and went back up to the CSC, where we ate and ate - sandwiches, cake, cookies, and coffee or iced tea. We all made hogs of ourselves. Then we walked down Sunset to La Brea, where we hitch hiked on home to Loyola, getting in about one this morning.
I enjoyed your lecture about borrowing money, Marie. It's very true. Luckily, pay day was the day before your letter arrived, so I'd already paid Hanlin and Olsen. It really relieved me.
My watch is still running fine and dandy, and only stopped once - when I forgot to wind it.
Had a cute letter from Kathleen the other day. She drew little pictures all over it.
I think I'll bring home some of my socks and drawers to be mended. The laundry is pretty hard on our stuff.
We start wearing ODs (woolens) tomorrow. No more suntans.
Love, Bob
[Note: written along the left side of the back of page 2] P.S. - I wish I'd gone to church this morning. It was Communion Sunday. There are quite a few churches over in Inglewood.
[Note: written along the left side of the back of page 1] P.S. - I'm enclosing some old negatives.Collection
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Title
Letter Home from Pvt. Robert C. Spalsbury, ASTU 3938, Loyola University, Los Angeles 34, California to his parents Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Spalsbury, 806 South Eleventh, St. Joseph, Missouri. Post Marked OCT 4, 1943, 5 PM, Los Angeles, Calif., 6 cent Air Mail stamp.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, was stationed for a short time with a STAR Unit for ASTP (Army Specialized Training Program) soldiers in Pasadena, CA and is now stationed at Loyola University in Los Angeles, CA for additional training.
This letter is two pages, front and back, written in blue ink on plain stationery. The letter was mailed in a plain envelope with a 6 cent Air Mail stamp. The paper is folded in half and then in thirds.Condition
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Person or Organization
Robert C. Spalsbury
