Dear Mother & all,
Received your letter today of the 24th
so will try to answer it now. I have been
under the weather today. I have a very
hard cold. It seems to be a chest cold
but I think it is breaking now. I just
got out of bed long enough today to eat.
I received a letter from Harley today.
He is in Germany now. Gosh he sure
is getting around over faster than I
am. He will receive his mail much
faster now that he is assigned to an
outfit. He didn't say much about it.
I imagine he has just arrived there.
Your Thanksgiving dinner sounds as
if it was very good. I sure would like
to have some pumpkin pie and Jello.
We don't get much desert [sic] at all. Could
you believe it now that I ear carots
and cooked turnips? I guess a person
2
will eat almost anything if
he gets hungry enough. We
have been getting plenty of rice to eat.
It doesn't go so bad.
I sure am glad Freeman has
been deferred again. Army life might
be ok if you are in the states, but you
can see just how rough Harley has
had it.
Did you pay up my insurance
this fall? I hope you did. I should have
a very good account in the bank now.
I have sold my diamond ring and I
put the money in soldiers deposit.
They pay 4% interest. I think it is a
very good investment. I will be able
to draw it out upon discharge. I don't
know when that will be.
I had a letter from Irene's mother.
From the sound of it I sent for the ring
and now I am engaged to someone
over here. I never mentioned to Irene
3
about writing to Kathyrn
Snyder (?) but maybe she
got word someway and figured I wanted
the ring for her. Oh well, she had to tell
her folks someway. I never hear from
her anymore. I see by the clippings
Luella sent me, that the Bay View
Naval Training Station is being
closed. Wonder what Irene will do
now. It sure will be lonesome for
her. Well she was the one that ask
for it.
Thanks for Morgan's address. I
received a letter from him already and
have answered it. Donna Staup tells
me they expect Morgan Meham home
by Christmas. He sure deserves it. I
guess he has as much time overseas
as I do in the Army. Those boys
in the Pacific sure have had it
rougher than we have. I guess Morgan
has had Malaria a couple of times.
4
I hope your package and
Luella's will come through ok. I
have only received Luella's and your
Christmas packages as yet. Last year they
all came so early it didn't seem like
Christmas. I told one of the fellows today
I hoped it would snow for Christmas.
I hope the packages all get here before
Christmas. We all treat each other
after we get our packages. In a tent of
six we really get varities.
Had a USO show last night. It
was rather good. Our thearte [sic] is a
big building that the Germans had. It
wasn't put up but comes in sections.
It is 40 x 100 feet and has plenty of room.
We have four legged stools which
the Germans also provided. Most of
our office equipment is German stuff.
We found a German diesiel engine
generator and that provides our lights.
5
One can find almost anything
he wants if we can use it we get
it. I bet it would burn the Germans up
if they knew we was using a lot of this
equipment.
Well I guess this is about all for
now. Please write as often as possible.
Just what happened to Clareance F.
that he was killed?
Goodnight for now. Merry Christmas
to all of you.
Love Ralph.
The next letter will be posted on December 22nd.
Background Information (and comments):
- Here's what I found about the Bayview Naval Station (also referred to as Bayview Naval Armory):
 On March 1, 1896, an act was passed by the Ohio General Assembly providing for the organization of two battalions to be known as the Naval Brigade of the National Guard of Ohio. Without funds for outfitting or maintenance, they mustered in Toledo in July and through further organization, one battalion was located in Cleveland and one in Toledo.
In 1898, the United States Congress declared war against Spain. In an effort to get Spain out of Cuba, President William McKinley was authorized to use all land and naval forces, as well as militia to enforce Congressional demands. At this time, the naval forces in the State of Ohio became the Ohio Naval Militia (ONM). The Ohio Naval Militia participated in the war, fighting as part of the 10th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
 The ONM later purchased the old revenue cutter Andrew Johnson, which was refitted accordingly. The U.S. Navy also assigned the USS Michigan to train naval militias on the Great Lakes. The first training was at Johnson's Island in Sandusky Bay in July 1897.
On 20 April 1917 the USS Dorothea Ship's Company at Cleveland, part of the ONM, was the first Ohio National Guard unit activated for service in the First World War.
In 1936, a new Naval Militia Armory, located in Bayview Park in Toledo and built by the W.P.A. was dedicated. It served the needs of the ONM until 1947 when it was taken over by the newly-formed U.S. Naval Reserve.
 The ONM was deactivated following World War II, and remained so for nearly 30 years. In 1974, the former Lieutenant Governor, John W. Brown began the process of reactivating the Ohio Naval Militia; and on November 1, 1977 the ONM was reactivated with John W. Brown as the first commandant.
Currently the Ohio Naval Militia is headquartered at the Camp Perry Joint Training Center in Port Clinton, Ohio. It consists of a Communications and Operations Center, office space, training facilities, a workshop, and barracks.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment