Name/Title
Spalsbury: #93 Letters Home October 8, 1944Entry/Object ID
2021.2.337A-EScope 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. George C. Spalsbury, 806 South 11th, St. Joseph (10), Missouri. Post Marked OCT 8, 1944, 4:30 PM, Fort Smith, Ark., 8 cents Air Mail stampContext
Saturday Night -
7 October 1944
Dear Mama and Papa.....
I spent a nice, quiet, uneventful evening in the Company area tonight. I finished reading a paper, took a shower and shaved, put some dubbin on my new pair of G.I. shoes, donned my suntans, walked up to the P.X. on the corner, bought a Pepsi-Cola and a pint of ice cream, returned to the barracks and mixed myself a "black cow" (ice cream soda) in my canteen cup. Ah, the simple life - that's for me.
My G.I.shoes "stood up" since March '43 until just about a month ago, then they both broke down. I turned in one pair and got back a pair-size 10 1/2 C. My old ones were both 10 1/2 B, but the new ones don't seem too large. The Supply Sergeant must have written down the wrong size, but he got it right when I turned in the second pair last week.
We put away our suntans for the winter on Monday, when we officially begin wearing our woolen O.D.s. Most of the past week has been fairly warm -- much too warm for woolens ----but tonight is pretty cool. The wind blew hard last night, bringing with it quite a downpour.
I've been kept pretty busy all week. The mail-clerk job doesn't take up much time -----I'd say on the average one hour in the morning, one at noon, and one in the evening. I call the mail twice daily - at 12:30 and 5:30. Believe me, I know practically everybody's name in the Company now - 159 of 'em. I have to keep up to date an index file of cards of everybody who is now in or has been in the Company since this outfit was activated in July '43. I must keep track of who's on furlough, in the hospital, in confinement (jail), AWOL, on D.S. (Detached Service...various Service Schools), etc., and either save for them or forward to them their mail. When a person ships out, or transfers, I must get their new address from the Special Orders, and write it on their card. A mess of guys have certainly shipped out from this outfit since it was activated.
Besides taking care of the mail, I've been helping the 1st Sergeant a bit around the Orderly Room (the Company Office), and today we all straightened up the Supply Room, connected with the Orderly Room. I've also helped Cpl. Manke up in the Personnel Office. I'm certainly glad I don't work up there all day, like I did when I first came here.
Mom, those cookies were very good. You said they were a new kind. What kind of breakfast food are they made of? They tasted a lot like oatmeal cookies, but I could tell by the texture, which wasn't as course, that they weren't.
Duane hasn't heard from me in a long time because he's owed me for sometime now. But I imagine he doesn't find too much time to write so many letters. And what with thank you letters, he and Laura Lee were pretty swamped there for awhile. Boy, he's really been all up and down the West Coast, hasn't he? I wonder where he'll go from Santa Rosa.
I'm sending you folks in another envelope this week's copy of THE ARMODIER, Chaffee's weekly newspaper. It's the smallest of any Camp I've been in....but rather interesting.
I'll also send a souvenir folder of the "glorious" state of Arkansas. Quite a contrast from my adopted state ---California, isn't it? However, it is somewhat interesting.....in a very rustic sort of way. The wooded countryside and hills around here are pretty, and I imagine will be even more so in a few weeks, when all the scrub oaks and other trees and shrubs will be coloring.
Speaking of shrubs reminds me.....on last week's bivouac my squad was near a blooming "rose bush" --so-called by one of the guys who didn't know. It was a crepe myrtle.....they winter O.K. down here.
Rex Russell and I went into Ft. Smith last night, and saw "Andy Hardy Plays Cupid" at the Temple Theater. Also picked up the prints of the roll of film Russell and I snapped several weeks ago. I'll send 'em home for you kids to see in a few days.
Oh yes, you wanted to know how the cookies carried. Very good, except they seemed to be over-moist. You can bet your boots this didn't detract from their taste, though.
No, we didn't go on maneuvers that second week. ---Different platoons have been going out for the last coupla weeks for a day or two in the field, taking AGF tests, working with the Infantry and Tanks, etc. I've gotten out of all that, thank goodness! Tomorrow morning (Sunday) the 2nd platoon gets up at 5 o'clock, to go out on a field problem and demonstration. I can't sleep very late on Sunday mornings anymore, since I have to get the mail up to Bn. Headquarters Mail Room by 9:00 or 9:30.
No, the 4th Army isn't connected with the 4th Air Corps. The Air Corps is organized entirely differently from the Ground Forces, and does away with a lot of the red tape.
Had a letter from Verlin Wells a while back. ---He seems to think he's quite the wolf. I never thought a lot of him ----his personality was too superficial. Planap's was more sincere.
That was a good picture of Mary C. Lammers in last Sunday's paper.... Yes, you'd already told me of the Neil girls ...Geology sounds like a good deal for Jeanne.
Love, Bob
[NOTE: along the left hand side of the back of page two was written: P.S. -----I just figured up the total no. of bonds I should have now: 2 $50.00 and 13 $25.00, with a total maturity value of $425.00 --- Not bad!Collection
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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. George C. Spalsbury, 806 South 11th, St. Joseph (10), Missouri. Post Marked OCT 8, 1944, 4:30 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 then transferred to Line Company A. Recently, he was given a new job serving as Mail Clerk for the Company.
This letter is two pages, front and back, 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 pages were folded 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
