May 31, 1943

Dear Mother,
          Well here it is Monday morning and what
a morning. It has rained here five times since
I have been here in November and now it has
rained 3 days in a row. It really is damp
here. The paper and our clothes are just
limp and you can't keep and press in them.
          I received a nice box of stationery from
Irene and also a money belt. These both
will certainly come in handy. I think if you
were planning to send me something for my
birthday it would be ok to send it now. Things
have cooled off now. I think we will be here
for a month or more yet. They just got excited
and hurried a few things. I don't know what
I would want for my birthday. Most of the
stuff that isn't G.I. we had to send home.
The space in our barracks bags are really
limited when we get all our stuff in them.
Things like razor blades, soap and the
essiantial stuff I can buy at the P.X. a lot
cheaper than anywhere esle so you would have
a chance sending me any of that. It is really
hard to decide what I want for a present.

          I went to church yesterday morning and wrote
a few letters yesterday afternoon and took in a show.
Last night I went into town and seen Will Osborn
and his orchestra. He is a big radio band. It
really was a grand show. So you can see
now how I spent my 24th birthday.
          It looks like we will get some more rain
today. We have a hike scheduled for this
afternoon and we also get paid. I hope the rains
have ceased up home now. My mail had
been held up some from the floods in
Missouri. I guess a lot of the trains are
held up by it.
          I received a nice long letter from
Mr. Meyer the other day. I wrote to him that
night. It seems so I don't hardly have time for
anything anymore.
          Well this is about all for this time. I
can't think of anymore. So long for now and keep
your letters comeing to this address. The government
will send you a notice in the change of address
when and if I do leave. Goodbye and write soon
and often.
                                     Love Ralph.


The next letter will be posted on June 6th.

Background Information (and comments):

• Here is a link to information about Will Osborne and his orchestra - http://www.bigbandlibrary.com/willosborne.html
• Here is a link to a 1939 recording by Will Osborne - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj_8pbg_fto

May 26, 1943

Dear Mother,
          Just a short letter to let you know
nothing new has yet developed. I don't know
what will be in store for us now. We are
still here at the field. This is about the
only morning we haven't been busy yet.
I was busy Sunday morning so I missed
church. We have been working night and
day lately.
          Well mother I have a new title now.
I have been promoted to Sargent. Everyone
has been writing and asking me what I
want for my birthday. I really don't know
what I will be able to have. As you probably
know or will know I have sent home most
everything I don't need or can't take with me.
I had to send it collect because there was
a truck taking all of the stuff into town.
          I have to go to work now. So will write
more later on in the day. It has been cool
here this morning and is rather cloudy yet.

          Well it is almost time for retreat. I have
been cutting stencils for barrack bags today. This
noon there was an outfit left the field. It was
a nice send off they gave them. One more
and then maybe us.
          I just finished sewing on a pair of Sgt.
stripes. This will mean $78 a month. I will
or can increase my alloment now.
          Well this will be about all for this letter.
We have a big inspection tomorrow. So long
for now and write soon. Advise the others
of my promotion.
                                     Love Ralph.


The next letter will be posted on May 31st.

May 22, 1943

Dear Mother,
          Well here it is Saturday noon. Just got
through dinner and have a few minutes to
myself. We are very busy here. On the jump
from 5:30 in the morning until 10:30 at night.
We have to work tomorrow to. I will try to
write to you while I am here. I don't know
where or when we are going. Keep your letters
comeing here but don't send me any presents
here. Tell the rest of them too.
          It started to rain here this morning and still
is raining this noon. It really seems good
to see it rain again. It has been so dry
and hot here all the time.
          Well I am ready to be sent across. I have
had my training so I might as well put into
use all my training. The other day I took out
another $5,000 insurance. It makes $10,000 all
together. I also took out an allotment of
$20 a month to be sent home to you. Put it
in the bank for me. I think I will make out

a power of attorney and have it made out in
your name.
          I got a letter from Marie, and Luella yesterday.
Marie is afraid Clifford soon will be in. They
have enough in already. But I guess you can't
tell them that.
          Well it almost time to start in again.
I don't know what is in store for us the rest
of the day and night or tomorrow. But there will
be plenty.
          So long for now. You will be adviced on
my departure. If I go across write by V mail.
It is a lot faster. I don't think your letters
will be censored. Mine probably will be after
they we are across. Goodbye for now and
don't worry. We are a non combat unit. So long
for now.
                                           Love Ralph.


The next letter will be posted on May 26th.

Background Information (and comments):

• Clifford was one of Ralph's older brothers. He was 30 years old when this was written (born Oct. 19, 1912). He was married to Marie and they had an infant daughter, Donna, (born Oct. 7, 1942).
• Ralph's mention not to send presents was because he had an upcoming birthday on May 30th.
• During the war over 1.5 billion (yes, b as in baker) V-Mail letters were processed. And yes, at some point in the future, Ralph sent some V-mail letters which will be posted.
• Here's a link and some more information about V-mail: 
• http://www.skylighters.org/encyclopedia/vmail.html

A "V-Mail" was comprised of a single sheet of paper measuring 4-1/4 by 5 inches. During World War II cargo space and weight on ships was at a premium and the hundreds of sacks of mail weighing tons took up too much valuable space. Mail was often held up in favor of supplies. To overcome the demoralizing effect of not getting the mail delivered,the post office came up with a standardized size paper and envelope. Letters were written and then microfilmed. The microfilm was then sent in place of the letter, saving valuable space and still getting letters to our troops and home to soldiers families. The letters were printed on the receiving end and then delivered. V-Mail was sent and received from June 1942 through November 1945.

May 16, 1943

Dear Mother,
          Well another week has gone by and
what a week. We have been put on the
alert as you probably already has received
my letter about it.
          We had another overseas physical
and they said I had to go to the hospital.
I went over for an examination yesterday
at Brooke's General at Fort Sam Houston
and they said there was nothing wrong.
They thought here that I had a pilo
nidos cyst on the base of my spine. But
there is none there. I feel a lot better
about it now. It had me worried for
awhile.
          There is a lot of rumors going around
about where we are going and how soon.
But nobody knows. So they are still
all rumors. An outfit left yesterday and
there is 3 more yet to leave and have been
ready longer than we have. But you can

never tell what the orders from Washington will
be. They have been issuing equipment and we
have been marking our equipment and clothing.
We are still working on the line yet
so I don't know much more about it than
the other day when I wrote to you.
          What have you been doing today? I went
to church this morning and have written a few
letters. I think I will take in the ballgame
this afternoon. Its windy here this afternoon
so maybe they won't play on account of the heat.
          Gee I don't know what to write about at
all. I didn't get any letters today at all. Not
even one from Irene. I haven't heard from
Luella or Marie for a couple of weeks now.
I don't think I will write there is nothing
to write about. I probably will be sending
home a lot of junk and my letters. Put
them away for me. Well I guess this is about
all for this letter. Please write. Your letters
are always interesting. It is the only way
I know what is going on at home. Goodbye
for now. Don't worry about my shipping out.
                                   Love.
                                          Ralph


The next letter will be posted on May 22nd.

Background Information (and comments):

• A pilonidal cyst occurs at the bottom of the tailbone (coccyx) and can become infected and filled with pus. ... Pilonidal abscesses look like a large pimple at the bottom of the tailbone, just above the crack of the buttocks. ... A pilonidal cyst is an abscess or boil.

May 12, 1943

Dear Mother,
          Well here it is another hot day
and it is hot in more than one way.
Yesterday our outfit went on the alert.
We will be pulled off the line work in
a day or two. All furloughs and leaves
have been cancelled. So I guess my
plans have been blown sky high. I don't
know how long we will be at this field
or anything about it. There is 3 outfits
here at the field ready to pull out. But the
orders could be changed so quickly we
would leave here before the other outfits.
          Last night for supper we had corn
on the cob and fresh strawberries. We
have been haveing fair meals lately again.
So I guess we can't complain on any of the
food. I will be sending home my personal
belongings soon. I have a lot of letters and
a few pieces of clothing. A garrison cap and
a few pieces of junk. All we are allowed

is G.I. equipment. I have been expecting these
orders for sometime. I will keep writing to you
as long as I am allowed to. I don't think they
will stop our writing letters.
          Well this is about all I can say now. We
may just move to another field. If we do furloughs
me be given out again but I doubt it very
much. So long for now. The news of our
being on the alert should not be spread to
far. But I don't think it would harm anything
no shipping date has been set. We had passport
pictures taken last night. Goodbye for now.
                                         Love Ralph.


The next letter will be posted on May 16th.

F.Y.I.

• On May 12, 1943, during World War II, Axis forces in North Africa surrendered.
• 1943 Tunisia World War II 12th May 1943 : Allied Armies completed the conquest of Tunisia in North Africa as a base for invasion of Southern Europe capturing some 150,000 prisoners, 1000 guns and 250 tanks. The two generals commanding this part of the war in North Africa General Eisenhower and General Alexander said the conquest of North Africa is now complete. 

May 9, 1943

Dear Mother,
          Well here it is Mother's day already
and the month of May will soon be half
gone. What are you doing today?
          I went to church this morning. We had
a real nice service. There was quite a
few out to the services too. This afternoon
I am going to write letters and I might go
across to the atheletic field to the ballgame.
The wind has been blowing a gale all
yesterday and allnight and is still keeping
it up. It is so dusty here you can hardly
breath. Then it is hot and you sweat.
You live look like you had a mud bath.
The paper said a small tornado had
struck in Laradeo Mexico. So I guess that
is where the wind is comeing from. Bob
Adams returned from D.S. (detached service)
Wednesday night. It seems good to have
him back again.

          All you can get on the radio lately is
the Allies Victory in north Africa. The news
men seem to think this is the end of the
war. It does help a lot but there is still
a lot yet to do.
          I got a letter from Lenore today. She sent
me a money order for $5. She must be getting
generous lately. It will come in handy next
month for me. I think I will be able to get
home on a furlough again. I am looking forward
to it anyway.
          Mother what do you think or what would
you say, if I told you Irene and I are
planning on being married while I am home. We
have been planning on it for a long time. It seems
so nothing can be considered or planned on that
something doesn't always turn up to spoil it.
We have talked things over and decided we
both would feel a lot better if we were
married. She wants to keep her job in Toledo
though. I don't want you to think that I am
going against your wishes but we have
always had our plans spoiled by something
turning up. Irene was comeing down here
but her dad was taken sick so we are
planning on haveing a small wedding if I am
able to get a furlough in June.

Probably my furlough will be cancelled
before we can carry these plans through. It
doesn't have to get out though on what we are
planning. Irene's folks don't object so I hope
you won't.
          Did any of the others come home for
this weekend? I just reread your letter and
see you were going to Monroe. I didn't get
a letter from Luella, or Marie this week. I
didn't even get one from Irene today. I guess
it keeps her busy working and going to the
hospital all the time. Fred had his operation
last Tuesday. He had two gall stones. It
really left Mrs. Setzler with a lot of work
at home.
          Well I guess this is about all I can
think of to say this time. I hope you had
a very nice mother's day. I would have
liked to be home to help your celebrate your
day but we can't always be where we
want to be. I am hopeing that I will be

able to get home in June. I am going to try
hard enough to. Goodbye for today and please
write soon.
                                          Love Ralph.


The next letter will be posted on May 12th.

Background Information (and comments):

• Ralph's brother Cliff, and his wife Marie, lived in Monroe, MI.
• Here is a website with information and photos about the fighting in North Africa:

http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2011/09/world-war-ii-the-north-african-campaign/100140/

The North African Campaign began in June of 1940 and continued for three years, as Axis and Allied forces pushed each other back and forth across the desert. At the beginning of the war, Libya had been an Italian colony for several decades and British forces had been in neighboring Egypt since 1882. The two armies began skirmishing almost as soon as Italy declared war on the Allied Nations in 1940. Italy invaded Egypt in September of 1940, and in a December counterattack, British and Indian forces captured some 130,000 Italians. Hitler's response to this loss was to send in the newly formed "Afrika Korps" led by General Erwin Rommel. Several long, brutal pushes back and forth across Libya and Egypt reached a turning point in the Second Battle of El Alamein in late 1942, when Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery's British Eighth Army broke out and drove Axis forces all the way from Egypt to Tunisia. In November, Operation Torch brought in thousands of British and American forces. They landed across western North Africa, and joined the attack, eventually helping force the surrender of all remaining Axis troops in Tunisia in May of 1943 and ending the Campaign for North Africa.

May 3, 1943

Dear Mother,
          I missed writing to you yesterday I
was very busy. Yesterday morning I attended
a field Mass at Kelley Field. It was
a very beautiful and colorful affair.
The speech was a very good speech and
they had a good crowd. It was estimated
at 37,500 people but I believe there
was more than that.
          Yesterday afternoon I went to the
ball game at Tech Stadium. It was
a nice game. We won. It was almost
8:00 o'clock when we got back here.
This week we started on the lines an
hour early so that means getting
up at 4:00 o'clock A.M. Boy that is
sure some work. We are on duty from
4 A.M. until 5:30 P.M. Then people still
go on strike when they have a job and
their time isn't set for them. The way
all the fellows here talk they would
just love to be sent to Pennsylvania.

All of them say they would shoot
Lewis before they returned to camp. Did
you hear the president last night? We
all listened to it. Everyone thought it
was a good speech and I believe ever
man in uniform is standing back of
him 100%.
          It has been awlful warm here today.
It was 90 degrees before noon and it
wasn't in the sun. I guess summer is
really here now. It never rains here.
          Did you know Irene's father is in the
hospital? He has gall stones I guess. I don't
know if they have operated on him yet
or not. I guess it is really tough on
Mrs. Setzler now. All the work to do at
home.
          Well I can't think of much more
to write about. I received a letter from
Gail last week. He doesn't like the army
either. I am hopeing I will be able to
come home next month. I don't know
for sure but I am going to try hard.
Goodnight and write soon.
                                        Love Ralph.

The next letter will be posted on May 9th.

Background Information (and comments):

• The strike Ralph refers to was by coal miners; John L. Lewis was president of the United Mine Workers of America at the time.
• Here is and excerpt from FDR's radio speech:

I want to make it clear that every American coal miner who has stopped mining coal -- no matter how sincere his motives, no matter how legitimate he may believe his grievances to be -- every idle miner directly and individually is obstructing our war effort. We have not yet won this war. We will win this war only as we produce and deliver our total American effort on the high seas and on the battlefronts. And that requires unrelenting, uninterrupted effort here on the home front.A stopping of the coal supply, even for a short time, would involve a gamble with the lives of American soldiers and sailors and the future security of our whole people. It would involve an unwarranted, unnecessary and terribly dangerous gamble with our chances for victory.Therefore, I say to all miners -- and to all Americans everywhere, at home and abroad -- the production of coal will not be stopped.

• Here's the link to FDR's entire speech: http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/050243.html
• Ralph enclosed this newspaper article with his letter: