June 17, 1943

Dear Mother,
          I received your nice letter today and
the knife yesterday. Thanks a lot and I will also
thanks Cliff's. I suppose you have received
my letter from Austin by this time. It really
is a lot nicer place then San Antonio.
          It started to rain here about 4:00 o'clock
today. The sun was out bright and no one
thought of it raining. It has been so hot and
muggy though. Almost anything is possible
to happen here in Texas. It also rained
last weekend here. We are getting quite a lot
of rain lately. They need it here to. The cotton
is about six inches high and the corn is
eared and tasseled out. I seen a field of peanuts
and it must have been about 80 acres in it. The
people we were riding with said it was peanuts.
          Our orders for our destination were
changed this noon. Now we have turned in
some of our equipment and will be issued
other kind. I am working in the supply room
and this really makes a lot of extra work.
          Yesterday I was awarded the good conduct
merit award. It is a ribbon. It shows I
have no bad points against my record for
one year of service in the Army.

          What are the folks raising this year? Are
they raising tomatoes for seed or for canning
and who for?
          You spoke about haveing your first
strawberries. We have had some strawberries
and have had corn on the cob for about a
month now. We have been getting real good
meals here lately.
          I also heard Glenn was going to get
married. Irene said Lenore had told her.
What is this all about anyway? Or is it
just Lenores idea.
          Irene's sister Ferne came home last
week. She is expecting the last of this
month or the first of July. I guess Mrs.
Setzler is haveing her hands full. Fred is
going back to work next week or maybe
went this week.
          Well this is about all for tonight.
Please write soon and often.
                                    Love Ralph.


The next letter will be posted on June 21st.

Background Information (and comments):

• Glenn was one of Ralph's older brothers. He was 26 years old when this was written.
• Here is what I found on the internet about the Army Good Conduct medal:

• Product Description

  
  

  Service: Army

  Instituted: 1941

  Criteria: Exemplary conduct, efficiency and fidelity during three years of active enlisted service with the U.S. Army (1 year during wartime)

  Devices: Bronze, Silver, Gold Knotted clasp

  Overview

  Authorized on June 28, 1941 for exemplary conduct, efficiency and fidelity and awarded to Army personnel who, on or after August 27, 1940, had honorably completed three years of active Federal military service. These military medals could also be awarded for one year of service after December 7, 1941 while the U.S. was at war. The award was not automatic and required certification by a commanding officer (usually a battalion commander or higher). The Army Good Conduct Medal was designed by Joseph Kiselewski with an eagle perched on a roman sword atop a closed book. Around the outside are the words, “EFFICIENCY, HONOR, FIDELITY.” The reverse of the medal has a five pointed star just above center with a blank scroll for engraving the soldier’s name. Above the star are the words, “FOR GOOD” and below the scroll is the word, “CONDUCT.” A wreath of half laurel leaves, denoting accomplishment and half oak leaves, denoting bravery surrounds the reverse design.

  The ribbon was designed by Arthur E. DuBois, the legendary Director of the Army Institute of Heraldry, and is scarlet with three narrow white stripes on each side. The ribbon is divided by the white stripes so as to form thirteen stripes representing the thirteen original colonies of the United States. During the Revolutionary War, the color scarlet symbolized the mother country and the white stripe symbolized the virgin land separated by force from the mother country.

  Unlike other additional award devices, e.g., oak leaf clusters, bronze, silver, or gold clasps with knots (or loops) are used to indicate the total number of awards of the Army Good Conduct Medal. For instance, two awards of the medal are indicated by two bronze knots, three by three, etc. Six total awards are indicated by one silver knot, seven by two silver knots, etc. Eleven total awards are indicated by one gold knot, twelve by two gold knots, etc. While all regulations since World War II only authorize a clasp to be worn after the second award or higher; it is not unusual to see veterans with a clasp having a single bronze knot on their AGCM or ribbon; this may have indicated either a single or second award and seems to have been an accepted practice.

  Although the AGCM was officially instituted by executive order in 1941, it really goes back to the American Revolution. When General George Washington established the Badge of Military Merit in 1782 he also created an award called the Honorary Badge of Distinction. This was the first good conduct award since it was to be conferred on veteran non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the Army who served more than three years with bravery, fidelity and good conduct. General Washington directed that the good conduct badge be made of cloth and each soldier who received it sew a narrow piece of white cloth on the left arm of his uniform jacket. Soldiers with more than six years service were to be distinguished by two pieces of cloth set parallel to each other. General Washington went on to express that this good conduct badge was a high honor and those who received it should be treated with particular confidence and consideration. However, just as the Badge of Military Merit disappeared after the Revolution so did the Honorary Badge of Distinction.

  When President Roosevelt signed executive order 9323 on March 31, 1943 he officially changed the policy that the Army Good Conduct Medal could be awarded after one year. It should be understood, however, that additional awards of the Good Conduct Medal cannot be given for each additional year of service in World War II but required completion of a subsequent additional three-year period.