Name/Title
Spalsbury: #85 Letters Home September 4,1944Entry/Object ID
2021.2.329A-GScope and Content
Letter Home from Pvt. R. C. Spalsbury, 17135556, Co A - 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 SEP 4, 1944, 3 PM, Fort Smith, Ark., 8 cents Air Mail stampContext
Sunday Evening -
3 September 1944
Dear Mom and Pop -
Here I sit down in the Company dayroom. It's 10:00 p.m. already. I should have written much sooner than this, but I've neglected letter writing all last week.
I've been kept a little busier in A Company than I was in Hq Company. I've been helping Cpl. Manke, A Co. Clerk, at the Personnel office most of the time. Then a few times I fell out with the Company. One morning we had practice in the various positions for rifle marksmanship, throwing ourselves on the ground into all sorts of agonizing positions. In order to be in the right position, it's supposed to hurt.
The first half hour of every morning and one period in the afternoon is spent in the motor pool, first echeloning the "hell" out of the trucks, trailers, etc., there. First echelon maintenance is nothing more than keeping the equipment in good condition. Most of us grab a rag and just wipe on some part of the clean equipment. Just so you appear busy - that's all that matters.
Thursday night we had a night problem. The whole company rode put into the country about 5 miles at about 2100 (9 o'clock). Part of the company was the enemy. We all had 32 rounds of blanks for our rifles, and machines guns were set up, firing blanks also. Also booby traps, and flares. It was all very impressive, but a lot of trouble. We walked about a mile thru fields and wooded areas, then brush and weeds. Everything was very wet, and there were puddles and mud everywhere. We got back to the company about 2 a.m., cleaned our rifles, and went to bed. We got Friday morning off, to sleep and clean up. We're scheduled for another night problem tomorrow night.
At last I've got a friend here. He's a T/5, Rex Russell, a fat, screwy 19-year old who lives in Springfield, Missouri. He was a freshman at a Jr. College in Amarillo, Texas before being drafted. He came here about a year ago from Camp Campbell, Ky., and was in Div. Hq. Company up until several months ago.
We went into Ft. Smith Wednesday night, walked around and had a malt, and shopped around a bit, and went to a movie. He likes to eat a lot, too, but doesn't smoke or drink. I looked around for a fountain pen for Duane, but couldn't find any good ones. He asked me in his last letter to try and get him one. I also looked around for a pocket knife for myself. I lost my Boy Scout knife at Yuma. The stores wanted $1.50 for cheap-looking knives with just two blades. Russell works in the Supply Room occasionally, so he said he could get me one easily. So-the following day he got one - a regular G.I. engineer's pocket knife -complete with can opener, screwdriver, punch, etc. - just like my old one. Not bad. I almost took one when I was working in the Supply Room at Yuma, but was afraid I'd have a guilty conscience, so asked Schmidtke if he could spare one. He said not, so I didn't get one.
Yesterday afternoon Russell, a friend of his - T/5 Peebles, Mail Clerk in Div. Hqs. Company, and I went swimming in the Chaffee Pool. I really got a neat sunburn - you should see my legs and back.
I heard a rumor yesterday that the barracks here in the 16th Armored Div. had been condemned for the coming winter. I believe there were lots of cases of colds and flu here last winter.
The 1st Sgt. said one morning last week that we'd better pay attention to our training, since we might be needing it shortly. "This is authentic, too" said he. Oh, how the rumors fly here.
Right now the guys playing pool here in the Day Room are saying they've heard most of the guys in this outfit will be in the Armies of Occupation. Mr. Gohs, Warrant Officer in the Personnel Office, said several weeks ago it looked like that's what might happen to this outfit.
Personally, I take it all with a grain of salt. I've heard too, too many rumors before. One thing I'm sure of - this outfit is a replacement outfit. A few here are disqualified for overseas duty - I saw the list being typed up in the Personnel Office several weeks ago. There is a new classification - they're Class D, instead of Class C. I didn't see myself on that list, but believe I'm Class C - I'm not positive. -Take this with a grain of salt. I have a very vivid imagination when it comes to myself.
Russell, Peebles, and I went to Chapel Service at 11 this morning, and had Communion - first I've had in a coupla years, I guess.
I went into Ft. Smith this afternoon, walked around, ate, and saw a double feature.
Sorry I waited so long to write.
Love, Bob
[NOTE - written along the left hand side of the back of page 3: The cookies and candy were delicious - We finished 'em this morning. Thank you!!!]
[NOTE - written along the left hand side of the back of page 2: P.S. - N.J. Klein said in her letter you'd lost so much weight she didn't even recognize you, Mom.]Collection
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Category 08: Communication ObjectsArchive Items Details
Title
Letter Home from Pvt. R. C. Spalsbury, 17135556, Co A - 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 SEP 4, 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 had been working as a Clerk-Typist in the HQ Company but has now been transferred to Line Company A, still working as an office clerk.
This letter is three pages, front and back, written in blue ink on plain stationery with matching envelope. The pages are folded in thirds.Condition
Overall Condition
Very GoodRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Robert C. Spalsbury
