Letter 103- June 19, 1944

June 19, 1944
(Camp Reynolds, Pennsylvania)
Postcard

Dear Mother and Dad,

I’ve arrived in Camp Reynolds as of 8:00 P.M. last night—about 2 hours before dark—I had spent all day in Greenville, Pa.

“SNIFF SNIFF”

This camp’s not much of a place but God knows it’s better than Crowder. They treat us well but at best it’s still just another army camp, a hot one at that. I still don’t know much about what goes here, but I don’t think I’ll be here much over 3 weeks.

Best Love,

Bill

P.S. HAPPY FATHER’S DAY DAD

About Letter 102

Bill writes from Chicago enroute to his new assignment. He describes the train ride as "awful-it's very crowded and the cars are so hot and filthy." Along the way he gets a look at "those new B-29's. They're really tremendous."

Letter 102- June 16, 1944

June 16, 1944
(Chicago Illinois)

Dear Mother and Dad,

I have a few hours here in Chicago so I thought it would be a good opportunity to write you [to] let you know that everything is O.K. So far the train ride has been awful. We’ve had seats all the way but it’s very crowded and the cars are so damned hot and filthy that it’s disgusting. We had a holdup at Omaha due to the floods and our train was 7 hours late into Chicago. We missed our connection with the Erie but we found that another train leaves tonight about 9:30 so we would have taken that one anyway.

Just after we heard about the new bombing of Tokyo I got a look at one of these new B-29’s. They’re really tremendous.
That’s about all.


Love,
Bill

About Letter 101

Bill is "in the bush" . He writes that after 30 hours without sleep the men took tests and "of course everyone flunked, including me."

Letter 101- May 23, 1944

May 23, 1944
(Camp Crowder, Missouri)
“In the Bush”

Dear Mother and Dad,

Well, now after all this time I can finally write you a letter. I don’t know what kind of a letter it’ll be but under the circumstances it’s about the best I can do.

I’m now almost finished with bivouac. It’s been very nice in some way and not so hot in others. The work has been easy but it hasn’t given me any free time. It hasn’t given me any more respect for the Signal Corps. I don’t know but I’m coming to think less and less of this army all the time. Just SNAFU all the time. When one thinks of the high stakes and cost involved in this war it doesn’t make pleasant thinking.

Today after not getting any sleep for 30 hours we took tests and of course everyone flunked including me.

The mail service out here smells. I haven’t received anything from you for over a week.


Love Bill

“Hell of a letter”, “huh!”

About Letter 100

Bill writes from "a little sandbag shelter about 8 miles out of camp." The men are writing letters and operating a 284 radio. He ridicules the C.P.X. bivouac saying, "there is about as much similarity between this and bivouac 'ala Camp Abbot as there is between Wall St. and the Kremlin."

Letter 100- May 11, 1944

May 11, 1944
(Camp Crowder, Missouri)

Dear Mother and Dad,

I’m writing this note from a little sandbag shelter on the side of a little hill about 8 miles out of camp. I’m completely surrounded by trees and whatnot. In the shelter there are 5 of us. Two are operating a 284 (radio) and the rest of us are writing letters by the 25 watt bulb which is the only light for miles around. Hot stuff, huh?

This C.P.X on bivouac or whatever it’s called is really a laugh. We might as well be back in camp. There’s about as much similarity between this and bivouac ‘ala camp Abbot as there is between Wall St. and the Kremlin.

May 12, 1944

At the end of that last line we had a power failure so I went t0 bed. It’s now nine o’ clock in the morning. In two hours I go on shift. We’re on 6 hours and off 18!?!!! It’s really very nice here as long as you watch out for snakes. I’ve never got so much sleep since I’ve been in the army.
I’ve got detail, sorry, must close now.

Best Love,
Bill