Name/Title
Spalsbury: #61 Letters Home November 23, 1943Entry/Object ID
2021.2.305A-FScope and Content
Letter Home from Pvt. Robert Spalsbury, 17135556 Btry B - 778th AAA Battalion, Camp Haan, Calif. to his parents Mr. and Mrs. George C. Spalsbury, 806 South 11th, Saint Joseph 10, Missouri. Post Marked NOV 23, 1943, 11 AM, Camp Haan, Calif., 6 cent Air Mail stamp.Context
Monday Night -
22 November 1943
Dear Folks,
I've been in the Army eight months today. It's certainly been a full eight months, crammed full of all sorts of experiences. In general, they've been a happy eight months, regardless of what I write. I've traveled around more and feel I've seen more than I have in my whole previous life. Of course there have been disappointments and setbacks, but that's just natural, I guess. I guess the biggest disappointment of all was the A.S.T.P., since I'd planned on it and looked forward to it so eagerly from the first time I heard about it, back at Callan. But it's a thing of the past now, and surprisingly enough, I'm glad to be out of it. God knows it was pretty dull compared to the real Army! --- I know I've gained much more from being in the regular Army than I did back at Loyola. Oh, it's a great life if you don't weaken!
Folks, you may see me home within the next few days. We new fellas in the Battery were informed today that we could have our 15-day furloughs, probably beginning Wednesday. I didn't think that I'd take it at first, but everybody I've talked to say "For God's sake, take it!" So many fellows - Speer and Haglund - for instance - have been screwed out of theirs, and they've all wanted 'em so badly, that I guess I'm really nuts if I don't take it. Two Staff Sergeants told me I'd better take it now, because it'd probably be pretty long before I'd get another. You see you've got to take furloughs when the Army offers 'em to you, not when you want 'em. ---After the Lt. Colonel (head of our Battalion) checks over our records to see that we've completed all requirements for going overseas, we'll get our furlough papers (probably tomorrow). We've all been over an Infiltration Course and fired the required guns, so we'll be granted them, I'm sure. Then I'll go down to the Red Cross Office here, and borrow $50.00 from the Army Emergency Relief. It's pretty easy to do that, I hear. It'll save me the trouble of wiring home to you for the dough. I can get the money at home and pay 'em back when I come back. I have eight dollars left now, so will have plenty to get home on. I have the new pair of dress shoes I bought at the General Store for $5.50 last Saturday, which I'll wear home. I'll probably take the Santa Fe from Riverside in the evening, getting into K.C. in a little over two days. Then I'll take the bus or train to Joetown. -Don't worry about when I'll arrive. (I still have that key you told me to keep!) And don't go to any extra trouble. Don't feel you have to be home most of the time. I know its a pretty poor time - the first of December, when you'll be busy preparing for Christmas - but I can take care of myself and you won't have to wait on me hand and foot. After all, I've been in the Army 8 months!
Boy, it was really chilly last night - reminded me of Camp Roberts. And it's been cold all day, too. We went on a 5-mile hike the first two periods this afternoon. It was good to hike again. Unlike most of the boys, I enjoy the hikes very much. I'll never forget the ones we took at Callan. - - The last two periods we had classes on Map Reading and Field Sanitation - Malaria, give by Lt. Graham. We sat around on the ground shivering - boy, it was chilly today!
Tonight another fella who's been pretty nice to me, and I went down to the P.X. and bought some candy and gum. Then we headed over to the 516th, looking for Hubert Speer, but he wasn't there - on Guard, someone said - so we came back and wrote letters. No matter where I go in the Army, there's always some kind soul who befriends me. They probably think, "Poor boy, he looks so confused and unhappy!" Ha - ha - ha. - Gee, I'm having fun.
I'll certainly be glad to see you folks, and Pat, and play my records again, and see some of the old kids and neighbors, etc. I hope it's not too cold back in St. Joe. I'm not going to take my overcoat - they're so big and heavy - but just my field jacket - and of course we have to wear our blouse (our O.D. suit coat) on furlough.
Yes, civilians have a hard time getting gum out here (oh, of course there's usually plenty of that peroxide gum), and usually candy, too.
Be seeing ya (I hope),
Love, Bob
P.S. - Of course something may turn up at the last minute. Who knows?Lexicon
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 Spalsbury, 17135556 Btry B - 778th AAA Battalion, Camp Haan, Calif. to his parents Mr. and Mrs. George C. Spalsbury, 806 South 11th, Saint Joseph 10, Missouri. Post Marked NOV 23, 1943, 11 AM, Camp Haan, 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 then moved to engineering training at Loyola University in Los Angeles, CA. After flunking out of the ASTP program, Robert was briefly stationed at Camp Roberts, located in central California assigned to the Infantry Replacement Training Center. At the time of this letter, Robert is stationed at Camp Haan in southern California, a U.S. Army training camp for Coast Artillery Anti Aircraft gunners.
This letter is two pages, front and back, written in blue ink on plain, off white, heavy stock writing paper. It is folded in half and then in thirds.Dimensions
Height
10-1/2 inWidth
7-1/4 inCondition
Overall Condition
Very GoodRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Robert C. Spalsbury
