Stinson Field Texas Nov. 21, 1942

Dear Mother,
           Here it is Saturday morning. I have
some pictures ready to send to you. They are
the ones I told you about. I have written
on the backs of each one telling you what
each one was.
          You asked me once what the Alamo
is. It is an old mission in San Antonio.
During the Mexican war David Crockett and
36 men used this for a fort. It was held
11 days by these 36 men against thousands of
SantaAnn soldiers. On the 12 day was the
mass assalt. The Mexicans rushed the mission
and every American soldier was killed. Later
the bodies were burned in a huge bondfire.
It is now preserved at a historic marker
for the peace and independence of Texas.
You have heard the song - Remember Pearl
Harbor. It is mention in that.
          I was in the Alamo the other day. It
is just like a church inside of the main building.
They have the baptism rooms, monks burial
rooms, altars and different rooms for the old
missions. Everything in it is made of stone.
The original wall is still around the
courtyard. In the courtyard is an old well.


This well is about 35 feet deep and is all
lined up with stones. It has the old
windlass and bucket that was used during
the siege of the Alamo.
          The San Antonio river is just a
narrow stream running thru San Antonio. It
has control dams built to keep the water
at one level all the time. There are flowers
all along it. They call it the little Venice
of San Antonio. At night it is always lighted
by large flood lights.
         In San Antonio there are a lot of Parks. Some
Sunday we are going out to there and take some
more pictures. It seems funny to have the
trees all leaved out and then sweat all the
time. Sometimes when I start a letter I almost
write July instead of November.
          Mother I wanted to surprise you, but
I think it is best to tell you. If you send
presents for Christmas don't send any. If my
plans work out, and they told me they
would. I have applied for a furlough.
I will leave here according to plans and they
are good ones. I leave Dec. 19 and will arrive
in Toledo Sunday at 8 P.M. Dec. 20. My
furlough will start Dec. 21 until Janurary
4th or 5th. I hope these plans won't be


changed in anyway. I was told by one of
the fellows in the office that my application
went through for a furlough. So I hope to be
home for Christmas. I will want you to send
me the remainder of my money in the bank.
I will even be home in time to do my
Christmas shopping in Toledo and I do hope
it will really be true. I haven't told anyone
yet but you. I would like to surprise Irene
but I am afraid she will mail my present
before I can get home. So I guess I will have
to tell her.
          I suppose you will be busy next
week for Thanksgiving dinner, or aren't you
haveing much? I am on for that day. We are
going to have turkey.
          Harold Belding has returned back to camp
and all the punishment he gets in to loose 1/3 of
2 months pay, and he will never receive any
stripes.
          Well I guess this is about enough for
one letter. I am ok and feeling fine. Getting
a little tan on. I hope to have a good
tan by Christmas and I am sure this is
really going to be a very merry Christmas
I know it will be if I can come home.
Tell everybody I said hello and if any


of them wants some of the pictures I have
all of the negatives. So long for now.
                                      Love Ralph.


 
Background Information (and comments):

• Here is one of the photos he sent with the letter. On the back he wrote:
• In the park near the Alamo. Hotel Crockett in the background.

• In 1965, Ralph returned to San Antonio on a family vacation. We visited Stinson Field, the Alamo, and walked along the San Antonio River. Here are a few of those photos.

The next letter will be posted on Nov. 23rd.

• Here are the lyrics to the song "Remember Pearl Harbor. It was sung by Sammy Kaye.

History in ev'ry century records an act that lives forevermore.
We'll recall, as into line we fall, the thing that happened on Hawaii's
Shore.

Let's REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR
As we go to meet the foe.
Let's REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR
As we did the Alamo.
We will always remember how they died for Liberty.
Let's REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR
And go on to victory."