Name/Title
Spalsbury: #83 Letters Home August 25, 1944Entry/Object ID
2021.2.327A-DScope 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. G. C. Spalsbury, 806 South 11th, St. Joseph (10), Missouri. Post Marked AUG 25, 1944, 3 PM, Fort Smith, Ark., 8 cents Air Mail stampContext
Thursday Evening -
24 August 1944
Dear Mom and Pop -
It sprinkled a bit this morning, and really poured down for awhile this afternoon. I was out in the field about half a mile from camp, with my Message Center School group. The group I was in, four of us, was near to the truck that rode us out, so we just took our table, chairs, duplicators (coding and decoding machines), and papers, and hopped into the truck. The others had shelter halves, which they stretched above them under the trees. I don't really know much about the operation of a message center, but can operate the Duplicator. It's sorta fun. The code comes out in groups of five, thus: XBAJF GNPCD ORXUT ERBYG, etc., but when you decode, it comes out just as the message was written. It's an ingenious little machine, which works I don't know how.
Pop, I've really been indulging my sweet tooth this evening. Guess you know why. Yep, the box of Mrs. Stover's fudge arrived at Mail Call this evening after chow. It really is a relief to eat some good candy, in comparison to the candy they sell at the P.X. - Thanks a lot.-
I saw on the bulletin board this afternoon that two groups of 25 men each begin taking training starting Monday. The two groups alternate, one group one day and the other group the next. I suppose it's to be sorta like basic training. I hear they're going to fire the rifle, too. Another kid and I out of the group of 6 of us who came in together weren't on the list. We're lucky, I guess. Still, we may have to take it later. Who knows? I'm not asking any questions.
Looks as if the war in Europe is coming to a head. It seems like Germany is slowly cracking up, but I feel it'll go on for at least several more months. Then God only knows how long Japan will last.
Yes, Ft. Smith was terrifically hot last summer, they say. They say everything was dried up around here, but this summer the rains have come much more frequently, so it's not quite so bad.
Yes, I enjoyed the article about Rabbi Levin in last Sunday's paper. It arrived Tuesday in the morning. Pretty quick.
Yep, that'll be nice for you to go to Tonkawa to visit Grandma Whinery. It'll be nice for her, and nice for you, and a nice rest for you, Pop (Ha, Ha!).
Mom, are you still on your diet? And say, how much have you lost, and what is your present weight? And has the whole thing fizzled out, huh?
Say a fairly good movie last night. It was "Dragon Seed," a story of a Chinese family, and their triumph over the Japs. It was different.
Must stop and take a shower. There's a wonderful breeze, and sleeping will be delightful.
Love, BobCollection
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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. G. C. Spalsbury, 806 South 11th, St. Joseph (10), Missouri. Post Marked AUG 25, 1944, 3 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 is serving at Camp Chaffee at Fort Smith, Arkansas. He is working as a clerk in the Personnel Office.
This letter is only one page, front and back, written in blue ink on plain stationery with a matching plain envelope. The page is folded in thirds. The back of the envelope appears to have been used by Robert's mother after she received the letter to jot down a chili sauce recipe.Dimensions
Height
10-1/2 inWidth
7-1/4 inCondition
Overall Condition
Very GoodRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Robert C. Spalsbury
