Well here it is Sun. I had plans made to catch up on my letter writing. Well my plans were changed. I went into town last night on the convoy to the U.S.O. dance. We were late in getting back to camp. I had been placed on K.P. and I only had a few hours sleep. So you can see how my plans were changed.
You asked about breakfast & Supper. For breakfast we have fried potatoes, bacon or ham, eggs scrambled or boiled, rolls, cereal, 1 pt of milk, coffee, plums, peaches or muskmelon.
For supper we had tonight, potato salad, slice tomatoes, cold meat, cold tea, ice cream and cake. Our meals all run about the same. On K.P. today in general mess I found out about how much it takes to feed about 4,000. They had 1000 lbs of turkey, 1 ton of mashed potatoes, 500 lbs of carrots and 40 gallons of peas.
It has been really hot here this week. Nine men have died, most of them from the heat. One fellow I chumed around with died of double pneumenia (spelling wrong).
Friday we had a mass parade. A Major General was here to review it. During the parade 700 men fell from the heat. That started the ball to rolling and he made them let up on drilling us so long and so hard. Things will be little more cheerful now I hope.
What did you mean Harley got his car? Hasn't he always had one? Ding's mentioned it too. I can't figure it out.
They are shipping the men off to school fast right now. I probably will get sent in a few days. I will let you know as soon as I do.
I haven't received any letters in the last two days. Today on account of K.P. So I will probably get a slew of them tomorrow.
How is everything around home? Have you the threshing done yet? It seems like I have been gone a long time. But the time still goes fast to me here in camp. Are you using my car now or have they laid it up? I hope I will go to school somewhere nearer home. Got a letter from Charles Stutzman he said if I was sent to Chanute Field Ill he would bring Irma and Irene out some weekend. I hope so. But I can't plan on it. My plans always are changed. Probably land in Salt Lake City or Denver. Everyone one says those two fields are swell places.
I guess I will have to have you send me my camera when I get to another base. Can't seem to buy one around here anymore at all. I would like to take snapshots of places I have been at.
Well I guess that is all for now. I can't think of anymore to say. I must answer a few letters or people will think I forgot them. I have been so busy and it is so hot you can't sleep nights. K.P. was easy today. We got some sleep on it. It takes about 200 K.P. in one mess hall. Weekends are always easy. Well goodnight and write soon and often.
Love
Ralph
Background Information:
- The Dings were friends of the Browns, In fact, Ralph's brother Glenn married Audrey Dings in 1944 (but he'll write about that later).
- To understand why Ralph would like to go to Chanute field here is some information from the internet: Chanute Air Force Base is a decommissioned United States Air Force facility, located in Champaign County, Illinois, south of and adjacent to Rantoul, Illinois, about 130 miles south of Chicago." For more detailed information, here is a site with photos: http://artofabandonment.com/
- I also found this information about the history of Jefferson Barracks at this website: jbccstl.org
The next post will be tomorrow, July 20th.
As a note - the Chanute air base now has a museum on its grounds - and is just down the road from where I currently live.
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octave_Chanute_Aerospace_Museum