From Pvt Stanley Safford
US Army
Co A 62 Med Tng Bn
Camp Barkeley
Texas
November 22, 1942
Dear Folks:
Hear it is Sunday and my first free Sunday in the army. I awoke this morning quite early and the usual cold strong wind was blowing and I did not get up for breakfast and understand that I did not miss very much, then got dressed and went out with the intention of going to church but could not find it and nobody at that time could tell me where it was. It was in one of the tents last Sunday. SO I then returned home to our tent and like to have frozen half to death before getting back. SO I will spend the most of the day writing letters which I am far behind on because of lack of time and by the (way) I do not have Jay Elmonts’ address which you can send me.
We have had the fire in the tent all day and upon going out I have had to put on our field jacket and the pair of gloves and lunch was quite good but this evening meal was not very good.
They opened the new latrine (lavatory) and shower room last evening and it was a very happy occasion for our camp to have hot water once again and it sure feels good.
Last Tuesday we went on a nine mile hike up into the hills where there are a few small cypress and some small undergrowth and we then had lunch there then returned home after repacking our tents etc. They not only had the ambulances but the kitchen and water trucks full of boys who thought they could not make it and didn’t. On the march we walked through the ground where the 90th division of infantry practices and saw their camouflaged trucks and guns, also we had some gas masks practices on the way.
We also had a class on gas masks drill this week. First we went out on the field and they exploded three different types of gasses to let us smell and we then went into the gas shelter to see what one was like. From there we went into a house with our gas masks on and went through the procedure of a drill we were then told to take off our masks and walk from the house. We then discovered that the room was filled with tear gas. From there we went outside into the air. The purpose of the drill was to give us confidence in our mask. The gas comes at a person like a huge cloud of smoke and quite thick and it was all quite interesting and we have had some very interesting classes on gas, orientation, bandaging, Germany invasion scheme etc. Can’t you just see me all wrapped up in bandages of all kinds and descriptions around the legs etc.
We have also had the first stages of letter carrying which does not seem to(o) interesting any way the first part of it.
We have some interesting character here in camp. One of them can ask some of the funniest questions imaginable and when the officers see him getting ready to ask one they grim to themselves, such as the one he asked on what to do with the gas mask when crossing a stream to protect it from the water. The captain answered him to use his own judgment in carrying it but only above water – quite a character(!) how he even got her is a problem to us all because he even looks crazy.
We then had the person whom I often wanted to ask if I had ever seen before, the first thing we heard was that they had him in the guardhouse for going under an assumed name and having had a previous jail record in L A and that he was a real colored boy from the Central Avenue district and his real name was Brown and he was using the name Martiny but he could speak a little Spanish, which made it the much more surprising but anyway they have gotten rid of him.
They are just beginning to start separating the cooks and truck drivers from our company, they will be for the balance of the six weeks given classes according to their line because they all have to have the basic two weeks training. They will still belong to the medical corps only they will do the cooking and the ambulance driving.
The camp was in quite an uproar last evening because the two weeks quarantine was up and that meant the granting of passes to town etc. But quite a few of them could not go because we have not as yet got our hats or caps back, which they tool to have braids put on them about a week and a half ago they are to be maroon piped with white you have perhaps noticed it but did not know that you could tell what they belonged to by the color of the braid.
In our handbooks it tells us all the designs we will see and the colors they will be in we now have three handbooks and two books of mimeographed papers which we as yet have not had much time to study. I may have spoken of it before but our emblem is called the caduceus. It is Mercury’s staff with wings attached and two snakes entwined around it. I think it is probably one of the nicest emblems that I have seen before. Of course you know that the officers wear a black and gold braid in their hats.
I received the box of things you sent and I sure appreciate them especially the candy, almonds, pecans and the dictionary. It has come in very handy already. I also received Muriel’s letter and want to thank her for Luther’s address and she is right about his mother being able to talk a leg off a person. I have been trying to find something to send home as a souvenir but yet have not found anything worthwhile but perhaps will find something of some value in the near future. I walked over to the other side of the camp this evening but didn’t find anything there to give you an idea of the size of the camp. They have a three thousand bed hospital over there. You perhaps do not have any idea of the size of this camp.
You speaking of cameras, there is a fairly nice camera and camera supply store on the North side of Sixth street between Olive and Grand anyway in the same block as the Beltmore. You might be able to find something there.
Tell Muriel that is she wants gum I can get it for her at 3c per pkg. approx. if she want it they do seem to have plenty of that here.
If the things on the back porch are bulbs, you can plant them now, as for the bulbs along the fence they are not planted clear to the South end and I thought I left a ridge there.
As for the bulbs in the refrigerator you can plant them anywhere as long as they get a part day shade and plant the crowns about five inches deep and perhaps you can wait until about Xmas before planting them. How are the callas coming out front. If you get time, would you check all the labels on my cymbidiums and make sure they are all kept tagged in some way and if you would make out a list of them and what size pot they are in and if they are in the ground, I will perhaps then let you know further what to do with them. Have you as yet seen Mr. Matson and showed him the pictures of the antiques and gotten the Hollandin azalea for Mr. Ricks.
Speaking of pictures will you have another set of them made including the ones taken at Joe’s house and send them to me because I would like to send him the ones taken at his home and distribute the other ones taken at his house and distribute the other ones in a couple chain letters to them and back to me and out again. Have you got the antiques covered as yet? There is a table cloth out in the backroom on the table that may be used if cleaned maybe. Do you play the phonograph very much? But don’t let Muriel play it. I have Aunt Maybells’ address.
And if Ned Safford follows the footsteps of his parents you probably won’t hear from him.
The letters and cards I mailed in Phoenix were mailed by the lieutenant in charge because we were not able to go into any depot of any kind.
I sometimes wonder if the Tanabes’ really trusted you with the packages you speak of as for insuring them for twelve thousand dollars I do not know.
I do not know or see any signs of any one getting fat on the food here.
The dark glasses will sure come in handy.
One of the boys in my tent is a Basque and is sure a nice person to good hearted for his own good the one next to him is a nice person perhaps a man of 35 or 40 rather hard of hearing and easy to get along with the next one is a dirty Mexican which I did not know until just 5 or 6 days ago. I knew he had some Spanish or something in him but when he tells you he does not speak Mexican and does not associate with them and then you catch him in his lies and he starts talking and associating with them, there is something wrong. The lieutenants have jumped him several times about his sloppy wearing of clothes and the mess he leaves his bed and surroundings but he still tries to pass for a white man with the name of Richman. Then the other boy is Italian on the verge of a breakdown and just goes to pieces everyone once in a while. He has been married 3 or 4 months and it is easy to see why they do not make good fighters. Then the other person is perhaps a man of 30 years and very easy to get along with.
I have as yet quite a few letters to write and I do want to answer Marshall’s letter.
Will you please send me some of my latest stationary or just a mixture of it and also my flashlight because I may have difficulty in getting batteries for the one Miss Mosher gave me here, but check the batteries and get a new bulb for it. Because I may have use for a stronger light, also send me a couple of air mail stamps for I may have use for them. I do not know when I will get a PO(?)
I also have to write Aunt Nina and thank her for the dictionary. Also, Richard Rohde, is the last name spelled correct or is it Rhode?
I received a nice long letter from Joe the other day. He always writes long letters and nice ones.
I surely wish I could be home for Thanksgiving but suppose we will have the day of so it will be a short week for us. If you ever have to reach me quickly you can sometimes reach me through the Red Cross sooner than by telephone. They come through so slowly.
Your son,
Stanley
US Army
Co A 62 Med Tng Bn
Camp Barkeley
Texas
November 22, 1942
Dear Folks:
Hear it is Sunday and my first free Sunday in the army. I awoke this morning quite early and the usual cold strong wind was blowing and I did not get up for breakfast and understand that I did not miss very much, then got dressed and went out with the intention of going to church but could not find it and nobody at that time could tell me where it was. It was in one of the tents last Sunday. SO I then returned home to our tent and like to have frozen half to death before getting back. SO I will spend the most of the day writing letters which I am far behind on because of lack of time and by the (way) I do not have Jay Elmonts’ address which you can send me.
We have had the fire in the tent all day and upon going out I have had to put on our field jacket and the pair of gloves and lunch was quite good but this evening meal was not very good.
They opened the new latrine (lavatory) and shower room last evening and it was a very happy occasion for our camp to have hot water once again and it sure feels good.
Last Tuesday we went on a nine mile hike up into the hills where there are a few small cypress and some small undergrowth and we then had lunch there then returned home after repacking our tents etc. They not only had the ambulances but the kitchen and water trucks full of boys who thought they could not make it and didn’t. On the march we walked through the ground where the 90th division of infantry practices and saw their camouflaged trucks and guns, also we had some gas masks practices on the way.
We also had a class on gas masks drill this week. First we went out on the field and they exploded three different types of gasses to let us smell and we then went into the gas shelter to see what one was like. From there we went into a house with our gas masks on and went through the procedure of a drill we were then told to take off our masks and walk from the house. We then discovered that the room was filled with tear gas. From there we went outside into the air. The purpose of the drill was to give us confidence in our mask. The gas comes at a person like a huge cloud of smoke and quite thick and it was all quite interesting and we have had some very interesting classes on gas, orientation, bandaging, Germany invasion scheme etc. Can’t you just see me all wrapped up in bandages of all kinds and descriptions around the legs etc.
We have also had the first stages of letter carrying which does not seem to(o) interesting any way the first part of it.
We have some interesting character here in camp. One of them can ask some of the funniest questions imaginable and when the officers see him getting ready to ask one they grim to themselves, such as the one he asked on what to do with the gas mask when crossing a stream to protect it from the water. The captain answered him to use his own judgment in carrying it but only above water – quite a character(!) how he even got her is a problem to us all because he even looks crazy.
We then had the person whom I often wanted to ask if I had ever seen before, the first thing we heard was that they had him in the guardhouse for going under an assumed name and having had a previous jail record in L A and that he was a real colored boy from the Central Avenue district and his real name was Brown and he was using the name Martiny but he could speak a little Spanish, which made it the much more surprising but anyway they have gotten rid of him.
They are just beginning to start separating the cooks and truck drivers from our company, they will be for the balance of the six weeks given classes according to their line because they all have to have the basic two weeks training. They will still belong to the medical corps only they will do the cooking and the ambulance driving.
The camp was in quite an uproar last evening because the two weeks quarantine was up and that meant the granting of passes to town etc. But quite a few of them could not go because we have not as yet got our hats or caps back, which they tool to have braids put on them about a week and a half ago they are to be maroon piped with white you have perhaps noticed it but did not know that you could tell what they belonged to by the color of the braid.
In our handbooks it tells us all the designs we will see and the colors they will be in we now have three handbooks and two books of mimeographed papers which we as yet have not had much time to study. I may have spoken of it before but our emblem is called the caduceus. It is Mercury’s staff with wings attached and two snakes entwined around it. I think it is probably one of the nicest emblems that I have seen before. Of course you know that the officers wear a black and gold braid in their hats.
I received the box of things you sent and I sure appreciate them especially the candy, almonds, pecans and the dictionary. It has come in very handy already. I also received Muriel’s letter and want to thank her for Luther’s address and she is right about his mother being able to talk a leg off a person. I have been trying to find something to send home as a souvenir but yet have not found anything worthwhile but perhaps will find something of some value in the near future. I walked over to the other side of the camp this evening but didn’t find anything there to give you an idea of the size of the camp. They have a three thousand bed hospital over there. You perhaps do not have any idea of the size of this camp.
You speaking of cameras, there is a fairly nice camera and camera supply store on the North side of Sixth street between Olive and Grand anyway in the same block as the Beltmore. You might be able to find something there.
Tell Muriel that is she wants gum I can get it for her at 3c per pkg. approx. if she want it they do seem to have plenty of that here.
If the things on the back porch are bulbs, you can plant them now, as for the bulbs along the fence they are not planted clear to the South end and I thought I left a ridge there.
As for the bulbs in the refrigerator you can plant them anywhere as long as they get a part day shade and plant the crowns about five inches deep and perhaps you can wait until about Xmas before planting them. How are the callas coming out front. If you get time, would you check all the labels on my cymbidiums and make sure they are all kept tagged in some way and if you would make out a list of them and what size pot they are in and if they are in the ground, I will perhaps then let you know further what to do with them. Have you as yet seen Mr. Matson and showed him the pictures of the antiques and gotten the Hollandin azalea for Mr. Ricks.
Speaking of pictures will you have another set of them made including the ones taken at Joe’s house and send them to me because I would like to send him the ones taken at his home and distribute the other ones taken at his house and distribute the other ones in a couple chain letters to them and back to me and out again. Have you got the antiques covered as yet? There is a table cloth out in the backroom on the table that may be used if cleaned maybe. Do you play the phonograph very much? But don’t let Muriel play it. I have Aunt Maybells’ address.
And if Ned Safford follows the footsteps of his parents you probably won’t hear from him.
The letters and cards I mailed in Phoenix were mailed by the lieutenant in charge because we were not able to go into any depot of any kind.
I sometimes wonder if the Tanabes’ really trusted you with the packages you speak of as for insuring them for twelve thousand dollars I do not know.
I do not know or see any signs of any one getting fat on the food here.
The dark glasses will sure come in handy.
One of the boys in my tent is a Basque and is sure a nice person to good hearted for his own good the one next to him is a nice person perhaps a man of 35 or 40 rather hard of hearing and easy to get along with the next one is a dirty Mexican which I did not know until just 5 or 6 days ago. I knew he had some Spanish or something in him but when he tells you he does not speak Mexican and does not associate with them and then you catch him in his lies and he starts talking and associating with them, there is something wrong. The lieutenants have jumped him several times about his sloppy wearing of clothes and the mess he leaves his bed and surroundings but he still tries to pass for a white man with the name of Richman. Then the other boy is Italian on the verge of a breakdown and just goes to pieces everyone once in a while. He has been married 3 or 4 months and it is easy to see why they do not make good fighters. Then the other person is perhaps a man of 30 years and very easy to get along with.
I have as yet quite a few letters to write and I do want to answer Marshall’s letter.
Will you please send me some of my latest stationary or just a mixture of it and also my flashlight because I may have difficulty in getting batteries for the one Miss Mosher gave me here, but check the batteries and get a new bulb for it. Because I may have use for a stronger light, also send me a couple of air mail stamps for I may have use for them. I do not know when I will get a PO(?)
I also have to write Aunt Nina and thank her for the dictionary. Also, Richard Rohde, is the last name spelled correct or is it Rhode?
I received a nice long letter from Joe the other day. He always writes long letters and nice ones.
I surely wish I could be home for Thanksgiving but suppose we will have the day of so it will be a short week for us. If you ever have to reach me quickly you can sometimes reach me through the Red Cross sooner than by telephone. They come through so slowly.
Your son,
Stanley
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