River Downs Sept. 30, 1942

Dear Mother,
       Well I arrived back here
safe and sound. The train was an
hour late in getting into Dayton. I got
in camp just as my outfit was
ready to pull out for down here.
I had to hustle around an get my
outfit packed. We came by convoy
and got here about noon. Had a
small lunch and went to work pitching
camp. It looks like a regular army
camp by now. I drawed guard duty
for Monday night and was on duty
for 24 hours on 2 hours and off
4 hours. Boy was I tired.
          Last night the U.S.O. sent buses
out here to pick us up last night
and take us into town. We went
to a dance and did they treat us
swell.
          Our meals here and swell for the
setup we have. I will probably draw
K.P. in a day or two. This is for show down
here is for Army Relief Fund. They



really are going to have a real show.
Some of the best horses in the country.
We are camp in the center of the race
track right on the banks of the Ohio
river. It really gets cold here, but I
manage to keep warm at night. We
will be here until Tuesday next
week. The drum & bugle corps have
been practicing everyday. We draw
quite a crowd allready. I will try to
send some newspaper clippings on what
is going on down here.
          Well I must close for now. I will
receive my mail from Patterson field
at same as usual. So long for now.

                             Love  Ralph.


Background Information (and comments):

• It appears guard duty really wore him out as there are many grammatical errors and incorrect words. I type them as I see them so the reader can get a sense of his state of mind.
• I like the stationery provided by the U.S.O. The envelopes have a message that was also used on posters and in newsreels.

• For the history of River Downs, here is a website: http://horseracing.info/river-downs-race-track.html
• Some information about the Army Relief Fund
•  During World War II the ARC made a sharp distinction between civilian war relief and services for American armed forces. While the ARC provided supervisory and coordinating functions for relief to civilians, it generally did not send personnel to direct civilian war relief during World War II, except for some milk distribution to children in North Africa and limited efforts in Italy. Instead, civilian war relief delivery became the province of the state through the armed forces, the Office of Foreign Relief and Rehabilitation (OFRR), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA). The Red Cross spent as much as half of its funds on returning servicemen and women and their dependents. The government's extensive role in relief and rehabilitation contrasted sharply with its practice in World War I.
  
• Read more about ARC at: http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/E-N/Humanitarian-Intervention-and-Relief-World-war-ii.html

The next post will be on Oct. 3rd.