Name/Title
Spalsbury: #80 Letters Home August 14,1944Entry/Object ID
2021.2.324A-CScope and Content
Letter Home from Pvt. R. C. Spalsbury, 17135556, Hq Co - 216th Armd Engr Bn, A.P.O. 412, Camp Chaffee, Arkansas to his parents Mr. and Mrs. George C. Spalsbury, 806 South 11th, St. Joseph (10), Missouri. Post Marked AUG 14, 1944, 2 PM, Fort Smith, Ark., 8 cents Air Mail stampContext
Saturday Evening -
12 August 1944
Dear Home Front -
It's Saturday evening, and I'm sitting on my bunk, munching pretzel sticks. They're really making me thirsty. I missed chow this afternoon. I forgot Saturday supper is at 5 o'clock (1700 hours Army time), and went right down to the latrine to wash and shave when I got off work.
I'm in the fourth barracks, which is up the hill quite a way from the mess hall, and don't always hear the chow whistle. There are really a mess of barracks for one company. They're single story, long, narrow buildings, placed fairly far apart, in this order: mess hall, orderly room-supply room-day room (one barracks), 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th barracks , and the medical detachment barracks.
Just took a ten-minute break to get a drink at the fountain in the latrine. The water here has a sort of bitter taste. I miss the ice water which hung in the water bag by the mess hall at Yuma. I used to fill my canteen cup full and drink and drink.
Got a mess of letters today. All from gals too. Two in the morning - from Pauline Mangelsdorf and Barbara Mann, and one from Kathleen this afternoon. It seems that mail comes in spurts. I'll probably go several days now without any. I wrote Duane a letter before I left Yuma, telling him I was going to the 16th Armd Div at Cp Chaffee, Ark, so he owes me.
Mom, you didn't say whether or not the Kleins still lived in Kansas city, or have the moved back to St. Joe?
I don't know whether I'll stay in the office or not. There are so many clerks, it seems i.e., plenty to step in while some are taking basic training. Yes, quite a few up there are taking basic now, not having had it in the Engrs before. Including the Sgt. Major - a Master Sergeant.
More new guys keep coming in, many of them non-coms. There's a Cpl who's a 405 - he's working down in the Supply Room now. They've got some clerks down in the motor pool too. I'm not worrying much about it anyway. I'm not especially happy up there in Personnel. Just being transferred, along with the real reason why, sorta spoiled things for awhile, until I can get used to it. I can get used to anything - eventually.
I was paid $31.00 day before yesterday. I'm sending $10.00 home in this letter, and may send more later when I'm sure I won't need it.
Saw a good show last night - "The Seventh Cross" - best I've seen here. Guess I'll go again tonight, or maybe I'll take a shower. Yeah, that's a much better idea.
Love, RobertCollection
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Category 08: Communication ObjectsArchive Items Details
Title
Letter Home from Pvt. R. C. Spalsbury, 17135556, Hq Co - 216th Armd Engr Bn, A.P.O. 412, Camp Chaffee, Arkansas to his parents Mr. and Mrs. George C. Spalsbury, 806 South 11th, St. Joseph (10), Missouri. Post Marked AUG 14, 1944, 2 PM, Fort Smith, Ark., 8 cents Air Mail stampDescription
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. Then Robert was stationed at Camp Haan in southern California, a U.S. Army training camp for Coast Artillery Anti Aircraft gunners. During his time at Camp Haan, Robert was transferred from Battery B to Battery A and began working as an office Clerk in Battery A.
At the time this letter was written, Robert had recently been transferred to Camp Chaffee at Fort Smith, Arkansas.
This letter makes two references to time spent in Yuma, presumably Yuma, Arizona and potentially Fort Laguna a few miles west of Fort Yuma (operated by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers). Fort Laguna was one of twelve U. S. Army desert training camps used during WWII. Camp Laguna was deactivated and demolished at some point this same year, 1944.
This letter is only one page, front and back, written in blue ink on plain stationery. The envelope has red and blue hash marks around the edge. The page is folded in half then again in thirds.
This is the first letter which features an 8 cent Air Mail stamp reflecting an increase in postage rates.Condition
Overall Condition
Very GoodRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Robert C. Spalsbury
