Spalsbury: #89 September 18, 1944

Archive

-

St. Joseph Museums

Name/Title

Spalsbury: #89 September 18, 1944

Entry/Object ID

2021.2.333A-D

Scope 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 mother (while she is visiting his grandmother in Oklahoma) Mrs. George C. Spalsbury, c/o Mrs. R. C. Whinery, 309 South First, Tonkawa, Oklahoma. Post marked SEP 18, 1944, 11:30 AM, Fort Smith, Ark., free postage

Context

Saturday Night - 16 September 1944 Dear Mom.... Your letter written Thursday night came this afternoon, so I imagine you are in Tonkawa now by what you said. How long do you plan on being there...2 weeks?...or aren't you sure? I wrote a letter to Pop last night, and will try to write more to him, but am not so sure I'll be able. You see, we're leaving tomorrow on a bivouac, and won't return 'til Friday or Saturday, and I don't know exactly what the conditions will be, and how much chance we'll get to write. They'll probably keep us pretty well occupied, though. We're also going out the following week, which will make two weeks straight, the longest I've ever bivouaced. I've got some news for you.The 1st Sgt. has informed us that this outfit is getting ready for overseas. The T/O (Table of Organization) list is made out, and I'm on it as a Basic. We were advised several weeks ago by the 1st Sgt. to begin sending home our personal stuff, and today he told us, almost for certain, we would leave Camp Chaffee around November 15th. The other day we turned in any changes in the sizes of our clothing since we are to get entirely new outfits before long. Although we have been going over many battle courses lately, I'm almost positive this outfit will be used in the Army of Occupation. Everything points that way. These battle courses are always a requirement for any outfit going overseas. We were out on the range all day, firing the M1-Carbine, a small rifle. I scored 149 (out of a possible 200), Marksman. Last Monday + Tuesday we fired the M1 Rifle, first day for practice, second day for record. Monday I scored 177 (Sharpshooter) out of a possible 210, Tuesday I scored 190 (Expert). Highest in the Company -194- won the 5-$ prize offered by 2nd Lt. Kandigian, and I won the 2nd prize, $3.00, and a fellow with 188 won $2.00. Really surprised me. It was the first time I'd ever fired over Marksman. My highest score before-made at Camp Cooke-was 164. We had a Physical Proficiency Test yesterday afternoon. I'm pretty much out of condition, having done very little physical work since last February, when I started working as a Clerk-Typist. The 2nd week of our bivouac we are to be given this Phys. Prof. Test by a 2nd Army Inspection Team. We are going to be taking all kinds of Proficiency Tests, Inspections, etc. pretty soon. Went into Ft. Smith tonight, and had my glasses straightened and fitted to my face. Rex Russell got 'em for me last Tuesday night, so I hadn't had a chance to get 'em straightened. Only cost $6.00 for 2 new lenses and straightening of the frames. Russell goes on Special Duty with Division Trains Monday morning. Lucky boy, he'll miss the bivouac. He's not so happy about it, though. He's afraid it'll be some police-up detail at Divisional Headquarters. He used to be in Divisional Headquarters Company before he was transferred to Company A last March. The outfit will soon get rid of all men physically unfit, and all extra non-coms for whom this is no place in the T/O. Russell will go out in this bunch, since he's unfit for overseas duty, because of poor hearing. He says he's been in the outfit so long he'll hate to leave, and would like to go across with them. Wish I could feel the same way. Had another letter from N.J. Klein...she answered right away. I just counted the letters I owe...there are nine of 'em. Of course I probably won't get much chance to answer 'em, either, i.e., within the next two weeks. Well, it's 11:40 p.m., so I'll close.... Give my love to G. Whinery + U. Robert. Love to you, too, Bob

Collection

Marshall White

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Letter

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Correspondence

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Other Documents

Nomenclature Class

Documentary Objects

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Archive 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 mother (while she is visiting his grandmother in Oklahoma) Mrs. George C. Spalsbury, c/o Mrs. R. C. Whinery, 309 South First, Tonkawa, Oklahoma. Post marked SEP 18, 1944, 11:30 AM, Fort Smith, Ark., free postage

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. 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 clerk-typist. This letter is two pages, front and back for page one and just front for page two, written in blue ink on United States Army stationery which features a red and blue inked emblem centered on the page with an eagle in flight carrying a U.S. flag. The letter was sent in a plain envelope. The page is folded in thirds.

Dimensions

Height

10-1/2 in

Width

7-1/4 in

Condition

Overall Condition

Very Good

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Robert C. Spalsbury