Name/Title
Spalsbury: #94 Letters Home October 11, 1944Entry/Object ID
2021.2.338A-HScope 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 OCT 11, 1944, 11:30 AM, Fort Smith, Ark., 8 cents Air Mail stampContext
Tuesday Night -
10 October 1944
Dear Mom and Pop,
I'm sitting down here in the Day room, where it's rather cool, since the windows are open. We shut the doors and most of the windows in the barracks, and it really made a difference. I guess cool weather is here, for awhile, anyway.
However, I hope Indian Summer comes along during our coming maneuvers. How I dread 'em! The entire 16th Armored Division is slated for a month's maneuver ---from Oct. 15th to Nov. 15th, which means it begins next Sunday. Oh, unhappy day! I heard today in the Supply Room that all equipment, etc., is supposed to be packed and all ready for movement by Dec. 7th. Then I suppose the outfit will sit around for a month or so. - - -We are taking all Supply Room equipment out on these maneuvers.
I haven't heard from you folks in about a week, I guess. And me the Mail Clerk, too! I swear, it seems as if I've gotten much less mail since I've been Mail Clerk, than I ever have before. But then, I haven't been writing too much lately. ----This morning I had a letter from Frank Hanlin, at Camp Butner, N.C. He's been transferred out of his Infantry outfit, where he was the Company Mail Clerk, and is now a chaplain's assistant in Hq + Hq Btry of a Field Artillery Group. However, he says it's not as good a deal as it sounds, since the Group is definitely "going across" in a month. Then, too, he says the Protestant Chaplain he's assisting is rather old and feeble, and will probably not go across. Besides, since the other Chaplain is also Protestant, and the T/O calls for only one Protestant and one Catholic, his Chaplain will undoubtedly be replaced by a Catholic one; and, he reasons, he'll probably want a Catholic assistant, which Frank isn't. --So you see, you can't really be too sure of anything in this Army.
Hanlin informs me Haglund is now in the Hawaiian Islands, in Honolulu, specifically, and not minding it too much. He says Honolulu is just like San Diego. Boy, I'd really like that! --Wonder how long he'll be stationed there.
A week or so ago --- did I tell you this? --- I had a letter from Russell Larson, a fellow I knew in A Btry of the 778th. The letter was censored, so before I opened it I supposed they'd arrived overseas. However, in the first sentence he informed me they were on the East Coast, (he didn't say where, of course), and had been working until late every night. ---Suppose they are loading the equipment onto the ship, or something. He said if the work let up he'd try to get a pass to see some of the surrounding countryside..... imagine he meant New York City.
Cpl. Manke, the Company Clerk, brought down a list of 14 names the other day of men who are overage (overstrength) in the company, and my name was on it. Some of them are Class "D" personnel, and some Class "C", I believe, etc. I wonder if the company will hold onto us clear up until the time they leave for P.O.E., or what. Can't ever tell.
The Mail Clerk job is very interesting (and easy), and I learn something new every day. Occasionally I help the Cpy. Clerk, and also help around the Supply Room --- all "good deals", and around very congenial people. S/Sgt Hughes, the Supply Sergeant, left on furlough the other day, which leaves Pfc. Ryan rather swamped. I'm doing a lot of typing for him tomorrow.
The three platoons have been going out alternately every day for the last several weeks, on problems and demonstrations, and have been getting up all hours of the night and morning for this. I'm glad I'm not assigned to one of them, believe me. ---Thanks to 1st Sergeant Vozella, who gave me the mail clerk job. However, on the forthcoming maneuvers, everybody goes, except a few 050s (Carpenters) who are staying behind to make boxes and crates to pack equipment in.
We've two new officers assigned to our Company now, 1st Lt. Sopousek and 1st. Lt. Goldman. Sopousek was formerly Battalion Adjutant, and had a good soft job up in Headquarters. Goldman has been on sick leave, but is really putting the company "on the ball" now, though. This makes him a lot of enemies, but I really admire him for the change he's wrought in the Mess Hall. The Mess hall was the sloppiest I've ever been in before. We also got a new Mess Sgt. yesterday. ---- Goldman is Jewish. One thing about most Jewish officers I've seen...they're usually very competent. At least they give me that impression. (Except Warrant Officer Weinstein ----he's an absolute screwball ----a very comical little man).
Well, it's 11:30. Enuf chatter for now. You'd better write, or else.
Love, BobCollection
Marshall WhiteLexicon
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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. G. C. Spalsbury, 806 South 11th, St. Joseph (10), Missouri. Post Marked OCT 11, 1944, 11:30 AM, 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 three pages, front and back, written in blue ink on small, plain stationery. The letter was sent in an envelope with red and blue hash marks around the edge. The pages are folded in thirds.Condition
Overall Condition
Very GoodRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Robert C. Spalsbury
