April 30, 1944 Sunday

Dearest Honey,

For no good reason we stayed out last night, or rather Friday night, with a company that is on its bivouac. Made a bed roll and slept on the ground rather than pitch a tent. We got up early and followed the tanks on a blackout march. We officers were given a sector to guard, so I sat out in the moonlight and thought about us for an hour or so. It’s fun to think over all the possibilities. Our situation is one that could exist only in wartime. It gives us a chance to come to a lot of conclusions we never could in peacetime. As long as we don’t get scared of the whole thing, we’ll be in a position to do a lot. Perhaps we are lucky in that most of the usual patterns are broken down, and we can almost chart our own course. In the ordinary course of events we would be hemmed in pretty well to a small part of New England, and limited pretty much in profession and class of people we’d meet. Now anything can happen geographically and socially. We may get a chance to find out how big the world is, and how we stack up in it. If we are big enough ourselves that is all to the good.

The Nazi platoon attacked another part of our camp and tossed tear gas all around. They have been doing that all around since we got here and none of we “observers” have gas masks. I have shed a harmless tear or two over our plight, believe me.

My peep license came thru today, so I can go spinning off in one any time the opportunity arises. I hope it will be soon. I have told you what type of vehicle they are – they have replaced all the motorcycles in the armored outfits and can really go anywhere. Small as they are they are built like a truck in the way they shift. They have a four-wheel drive and all so they can just about lift themselves up by their own boot straps.

You must be crashing into Westmoreland society in great style. What with bridge putting you into the more exclusive circles and with the playwriting making you the idol of the masses. I knew they would appreciate you when you had a chance to show your abilities. How is your piano playing? Any appearances in the offing?

Once I went to a public card party; I think they were playing whist, but I never found out for sure because they played to fast that I could never get my cards arranged, to say nothing of following the game. I didn’t win any prizes.

Last night Tom and I went in to the Post to supper. We went over to the Officers’ Club there and paid our dues. Looked around a little bit. It is a nice place, all right. Listened to the last part of the hit parade and played billiards with Tom. Came back to sleep very late this morning.

Big news about Bob volunteering. Too bad he has to join up at all, but perhaps it’s best. He wants to be in the navy, so I hope he makes it. Be cleaner work than the army, I imagine. And the army is about at a standstill as far as advancement goes. The Armored O.C.S. closes completely with the 68th class, which is just starting.

Tomorrow I start on my first assignment as an officer. It’s as I said – I am to have point 12 on the crew tactics course, and for the first time in my career I will be a teacher rather than a student. Have a nice 10-minute lecture on ammunition selection and tank firing positions, as well as a critique of a practical problem. Have a visual aid and a sand table to help me. Expect the trainees will leave point 12 weak with emotion and filled with undying zeal for choosing the correct ammunition. I’ll tell you how it goes.

We didn’t get off early enough on Saturday for McCully and me to see about those blood tests. Even the P.X. was closed when we got in around 7 o’clock.

Word has it that since we have been assigned almost to a man to the A.R.T.C. at Fort Knox, almost all of us are due to a stay of at least one cycle, or 17 weeks, right here at Fort Knox. If that is the case, does that give you an idea as to where you could spend your summer vacation? Pat’s wife would be a big help to us in finding a place in Louisville or Etown. If your school is out by June 9 or so, we could work that out and be together at least until September.

Do wish we could get together for a nice long talk about now. We both have so many things to get coordinated before we can make definite plans. I can see how very busy you are at Westmoreland, Honey, and how a wedding would throw all those things out of schedule. But this leave is the time for us to get married. I can’t see a better time coming in this “epoc” of army life at all. And if we can get married, you see, we’ll have chances to be together thrown at us a good many times. Probably all this summer. Then we don’t know, but we’ll be ready for anything. As I see it, you have your job, finishing college, and your mother to consider. You have to consider getting away from your job only for the actual wedding ceremony. The rest enters when we want to live together. If you can get off just for 15 or 20 minutes while we have the ceremony, I’m in favor of getting married now. Anything more you can get will be so much better, of course. We can talk over the others when I’m home. They won’t be too hard for us, as I see it. The time from leave until your school lets out is about what we need to act on plans we can make then.

Remember I love you always, hon, and think if you more and more as the days go by. The great day is coming.

All my love,
Wallace


April 30, 1944 Sunday
Dear Ma,

Your letter came yesterday and had a lot of news in it. It’s getting so you can’t tell any more what is good news and what isn’t. Joining up could be good thing for Bob, although he doesn’t need the lesson in “living with people” they always talk about. He got that in college. He does look good in blue, and besides, think of the monstrous fox-holes he’d need in the army. In the armored force they always seem to put big men in light tanks on the assumption that even a small man doesn’t have room to move. So they let big men be stationary in a light tank and put little men in medium tanks where they can move a little. That’s why I expect to go to a medium tank outfit – plus the fact that my commission is in the infantry where most of the mediums are. Bob would be able to take a good rest in the service, tho, compared to what he has been doing.

There is one subject I’d like to bring up at this time. It’s a rather delicate one but I feel I must mention it, and I’m sure you would be interested. You remember that book by Chic Sales – The Specialist? As I remember he was pretty proud of his ten-holer. Well, you can imagine our pride here at battle training. We have what is undoubtedly the holer to end all holers. We claim the world championship with an officers latrine with a beautiful twenty-four holer. It is an artistic job, as well as being large and utilitarian.

About 6 young lieutenants from class 61 have been assigned to the position of field engineers. They go around over the bivouac area and supervise the installation of latrines. Super-latrines, they call them. They take great pride in their work, and we love to talk to them about it. When their girls are at the club, we like to ask them about field engineering and how their latest field fortifications are progressing.

Monday I stop being an “observer” and start my first assignment. They have a crew tactics course here with 20 locations. At each location they have an individual tank problem – an enemy machine gun or A.T. gun, for example. Tanks work from point to point and solve each problem. After doing so they assemble and listen to a critique and short lecture on the principle involved in the problem. That’s me. I will be in charge of location 12, stimulating trainees to fire H.E. ammunition at machine guns, while remaining in defilade themselves.

Now Ma, you do not have to hold your breath for the four weeks I am out here. My life until my third week is almost as civilized as yours. On those crew problems we fire no live rounds. Very few people ever have accidents at Battle Training – and then it’s usually a trainee who fell asleep at the wrong time. Just picture battle training as big area where a lot of men are playing cops and robbers.

Am glad Bob got his picture in the paper for my graduation. I didn’t get the clipping but you should save one for future reference, anyway. They just took the best looking Russell picture they had, I imagine.

My leave is scheduled to start May 20th, and I’ll be taking the first train home – arriving maybe on Sunday night. Will be on bivouac with my platoon until the day I leave, so I may not write for two weeks preceding my arrival.

See you soon,
Love,
Wallace