May 9, 1944
Mon. 8:30
Dear Martha,
Your letter came this morning and I enjoyed it as I always do. I’ve just finished playing volleyball with the boys for the last 2 and a half hours, so I am sort of pooped out, but will write you what little news I know before I clean my rifle and turn in.
Today was
the first pleasant day we’ve had since we have been here and it is a little
cool tonight. It has been real hot up to
today. I haven’t done much today but
sort and bundle up our old wool clothes and other stuff that we’ve turned
in. We had a two hour Regimental Parade
this afternoon and I have a lid Division on Wednesday. Boy, do we hate these tiresome parades and
reviews! Wouldn’t be
surprised if this is our last one “over here,” because from all appearances we
are pulling out in a few weeks, maybe before June. We turn in all our vehicles next week. This time we have no idea of where and when
we are going and no doubt we never will, for it will be very secret. We all had hopes of
“last” furlough but the chances look very, very slim now.
I went to church yesterday morning and then J.D. and I went to see “And the Angels Sang” in the afternoon. After supper, we went up to see D.M.B. and stayed up there until after dark. He had been home recently on an emergency furlough and we went up, hear the nuns!
The airplane accident must have been quite exciting to you people. Glad it didn’t hit you all. Back in Obispo we saw a dive-bomber crash and burn just over a hill in front of us. Two men burned to death, but none of us went to see their wreckage. In fact, we weren’t sure it was the flame we saw smoking, for the wind was very high and they were bombing and we didn’t know if it was a bomb. One of the men in another regiment was killed by a plane strafing on the cruise before us on one of the landings.
They are asking us to send all of our extra personal stuff home, but guess I’ll keep my radio until I’m forced to get rid of it! It is really a lot of pleasure.
Joe M. was still at home the last I heard, so hope the new “26 year rule” will keep him out for a while. I had a nice “short” letter from J.G. recently.
I was expecting a T/5 (Corp.) rating soon but they transferred another Corp. into the Com. Or Com. Clark and then put the old Com. C. in our section so as to keep his rating, so guess it’s goodbye rating for a while. That’s a sample of “Army Justice” for you. You work and go to school for 1 and a half to two years on a job and then put in someone that has no experience at all just because he is “a jut”. So we carry on as usual!
I may go to Sacraments or Frisco this weekend if J.D. will go along with me. It’s such a job getting on a bus and then finding a place to stay that it kills all the joy of going on a trip!
Hope you got down to see mother and maybe I can be there on Mother’s Day next Sunday. That’s almost all I can think of now, so I will close until I hear more.
Love,
Russell