February 22, 43
Dear Mother:
What do you think of my new stationary. You are the second person who I have written to on it. The other one was to Muriel and I will mail them both the same time only I will mail yours air mail and send hers free and I want you to let me know which one gets there first. I found out the other day that the Air Mail goes North through Fort Worth then over to El Paso and on the California so in that case the Air Mail may not travel faster than the other. I am rather curious.
Which ink do you like best on this stationary the red or the blue I am using in my pen. I just could not resist buying it. Or do you think I am rather silly over stationary. The librarian here who I have become rather well acquainted with let me use the red ink. There are certainly some very nice books and stationary stores here in San Antonio. I saw a book the other day I would sure like to have in fact two, both of them by J J Audubon. The one on bird prints and the other on flower prints. If I continue to want them I will get them and send them home. What do you think of the idea?
The Camp Barkeley Boys are leaving next Sunday so I understand I do not believe that I am going because of the teaching affair. In fact I rather like it here and I would not mind being stationed here permanently that is of course for the duration. Although the heat may be too much for me in the summer. Although it is quite nice here now, the trees all coming into leaf and signs of Spring all around.
The other day I saw some daffodils in bloom and they were sure nice. They reminded me quite a bit of my own.
You know the little red spots I spoke of in my last letter, well the doctor tells me that it is pityiriasis rosacea, harmless non contagious type of disease and the pay off came when he told me he didn’t know where I got it and that they know of no treatment. Then a nurse at the hospital who knows the head nurse in the operating room told here that she knows of cases that come to her allergy clinic that it is quite often caused by linen or the water here.
Well anyway after complaining to the high heavens about my shoes the doctors gave me a written note to the supply office to exchange for some more larger ones. I now have 8 ½ C and he wrote down 9-D which is more like it I think. By the way do you still have my ration book. It may come in handy in some way.
And another good piece of news is that I do not have to pay tax on my army salary of last year. Which is quite a relief for I have enough to pay as it is, don’t you think so?
February 23
Well here I am back at the letter again and I intend to finish it this time and get it well on its way.
It sure has been warm here today and they are still trying to enforce the wearing of wool shirts, although in looking around I find there are quite a few of them being worn.
I also found out that I am for sure going to be here for another one month as an instructor in the practice ward. That news sure made me very happy as I wanted to stay here for a while longer.
We sure had some very interesting operations today, on one of them a hemorrhoidectomy. They removed a piece of flesh and fat around five by five and about two inches deep and they had an interesting herniated vein in the abdomen and I saw the beginning of another one on the back.
I went down the hall to the ward today with the nurses and intended on being of a … help and bringing him back for them. Well anyway after I got down there they decided to give him a retention enema so she asked me to give it for her and the both of them stood there and asked him to relax and watched me. I never would have thought that I would be doing such things, did you? The enema contained a sleeping narcotic of some kind and he was to sleep before we got back to surgery.
You ask what they intend to do with the boy that has the tumor on the brain well they are going to operate again. I also stood by and wiped the major’s brow today while he was operating. I watched a case today on a major and he was quite nice before and after the operation, thanked me etc.
I for some reason looked toward to receiving a letter from you today but suppose I will get one from you in the next couple of days. I sure realize you have your hands full both at home and garage and it surprises me to think you get as much done as you do. And I sure appreciate the nice long letters you write,
Have I mentioned to you that I sent Aunt Maibelle a couple more elephants the other day. In a previous letter I asked her if I could send her anything from S.A and she replied with her Valentine card to me “If you find any stray elephants without a home you can get them and send me a bill for them”. Although I didn’t send her a bill I think and hope she likes them.
I am looking forward to hearing from Marshall. Have you heard from him yet?
I got a very nice letter from Esther the other day and she was mentioning having big washing etc. I sure feel sorry for her.
I believe I will answer her very soon on this stationary.
I also owe Mrs. Sherwood a letter (Aunt Dell) otherwise I am not very far behind on my mail and I hope to have more time yet with my new occupation when my work is once in the hospital. I think I shall like the job of instruction for a while anyway.
I think I am going to be rather unhappy for a couple of days with Whitney going and the other acquaintances leaving. Whitney is the boy that came from Washington and I have grown to like him very well. Of course the army is very much that way. Well I had better close now for it is very near closing time here. So goodbye and good night with lots of love from your son.
Stanley
March 2, 1943
Dear Mother,
Well here I am again several days behind in writing you and I keep telling myself to write but there seems to be so many distractions and there has been so many things happening here of late that they are very hard to recall and to tell you of them and it perhaps will take a couple letters to describe them all to you.
I received your letter today and was very glad to hear from you and to hear that you have received the box and hope you find the grapefruit good as some of them that I have had and the cards may prove of interest to you. Your questions about Fort Sam Houston. I will answer another day when I finish reading about it. It dates back to before the Spanish American war I understand.
I was one of the lucky ones to be able to get in and see two brain operations and they were certainly interesting even though the agony the two patients went through was not so interesting. And the noises some of them made were terrible although the operations were very interesting they became very tiring. The one lasted 5 ½ hours and it was on the boy I spoke of and they discovered that he has a tumor at the base of the brain which cannot be removed and which was stopping the flow of blood from the head but he put a tube in and it may never cause him any trouble. And the other one only took four and one half hours. The captain drilled only five holes in the man’s head and then sawed between the holed and took quite a large piece of skull out. That man was able to talk today upon my return to the hospital, but the first one is not recovered as yet fully of course he was so bad off before.
The hospital train brings in the war casualties ever so often and there was one from Santa Barbara here today. You see they evacuate all of the important ones from the coasts inland whenever possible.
Well I felt rather sad Monday because the bulk of the friends that I came from Barkeley left early Monday morning just as I was getting up. They slipped some of their baggage out Monday. Some went to Colorado Springs Colorado and others went to Louisiana and Alabama and Whitney went to Camp Bowie still here in Texas just where he did not want to go. Camp Bowie is about 80 miles from Barkeley and from what I hear it is about as bad as Barkeley.
Well we awoke this morning to find it was thundering and lightening and I was looking forward very anxiously to having a good rain out of it because I have not seen a real good rain since I have been in Texas, but it just rained a little and finished there after all the expectation I had built up but then one of those cold Texas winds came up and has been blowing hard and cold ever since and is now quite cold outside now, in fact I had to wear my overall I am going to enclose some clippings from the paper here which you may be interested in. And I thought Spring was coming.
I inquired at the Internal Revenue Office here the other day and they told me my type of Income Tax form did not have to be notarized because the Sargent told me it did not have to be done so I inquired about it. I am enclosing the form with my letter and am disgusted with the whole affair and this amount of course the tax bothers more people than I.
March 3, 1943.
The wind blew all night and was as cold as could be this morning and the lieutenant who is officer of the day here this morning still ordered exercises and the company commands came out and made them much shorter and the same lieutenant turned the heat off as usual last night and the barracks became very cold.
The barracks were sure quiet when I went home last night. The lower floor only has two on it and the upper floor only has about 6-8 on it and that is out of about 20 beds which make up a full capacity barracks.
Well, my first class does not start until the tenth and even then I will only teach every other class. In other words it will be just a nice luxurious job until I leave here that is as long as I have this job. Probably the only thing that will bother me will be when it comes my turn to stay with the ones that fail the test for some evening for two hours and that is to make sure they study. During my ten free days we are able of we want to, to go over to the hospital. We went over yesterday in one of those command cars and we drove up to the front door of hospital and got out and went in the front door.
The man I spoke of as carrying his bottle to class in a briefcase last month. Well he returned this morning after being gone two days and I suppose they will finally get rid of him this time I hope.
Well the mailman’s job is now mine again and I am not too glad of it either. I raised such a rumpus about them giving the mail to anyone and everyone and I guess the postal sergeant decided to give it to someone else so he went to the First Sgt with it and he in turn appointed a new one. I also notice that the mail goes only to one person now and that is the mailman who in turn signs for it.
Well yesterday the corporal asked me to take the job back. I guess I was the only one that would put order into it.
I am sitting at the desk here in the practice ward desk trying to finish this letter and get it well on its way.
We are planning on going over to the nut ward this afternoon which should be very interesting. I believe I shall close now and write more tomorrow. Quite amusing about M & Nelson.
Love,
Stanley
Between Nov. 1942 and Aug. 1945, Stanley W Safford wrote around 180 letters to his mother. These were found neatly preserved in the order they were received, in his old bedroom at his parents'. They were wrapped with a green ribbon. Stanley was one of the first Army medics. He spent 19 months at Fort Sam Houston, TX training other medics. His group was attached to the Ninth Army in the Summer of 1944. His letters give a front row seat to a medic's life during WWII.
Showing posts with label Medic training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Medic training. Show all posts
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
February 15, 1943
February 15, 1943
My Dear Mother:
Love,
Stanley
My Dear Mother:
I suppose you have been wondering just what has happened to me, well I have been just too busy trying to work and try to get sleep during the day which is just an impossible feat to try and do here. I had the awful hours of eleven to seven last week and then tried to sleep during the day. At noon the gunny comes in with all the noise that comes with them and then I could not go back to sleep until perhaps towards evening.
We would do nothing except clean down the tile walls which run seven feet up and then mop the floors. The four operating rooms are just simply beautiful in their way. The tile is all green with a very nice design in the floor. They would make very nice kitchens. Then after that we would treat the rubber gloves, the two of us. After which we would just sit around and try and sleep sitting on stools the balance of the time, about 5 hours.
So Saturday night the Corporal in charge said they were short of help on ward four and asked me if I would volunteer for the night. So down I went and I think I learned more the one night there than I learned all week in the operating room. I gave a hypodermic to one of the boys who has a tumor on the brain. He was surely thankful. I took temperatures, respiration and pulse in the morning. They have our Chinese boy in one of the rooms and he was sure no joy to wait on and there were a couple others that would run a person to death if they were given a chance. In fact I really enjoyed it.
I went up town this morning and mailed the pictures there are three of them: one I had left out of the folder for you so that you may have it framed if you wish or take one of the others out and put it in. You can charge the framing to me. I would have had it done here only the frame may have gotten broken in mailing.
I am not so terribly satisfied with them. I should have gotten smaller ones and they make me look about twelve years old. I will know better next time.
I am working from 3-11 this week and I am in the library writing and I will soon have to go to work. I have no idea what I will do today. Maybe get a chance to see an operation.
Yesterday I went out to the zoo with the boy from Washington. It was my second time out and got some very good pictures I hope, which I will send home in a box which I will send one of these days. It will have two pink grapefruit in it. They will not ship them to California because of the inspection on citrus fruit.
So I will see that you get at least a couple of them and I am going to send also the cards I mentioned previously.
I shall also attempt to answer the questions of your last two letters another day when I have more time than I have today.
I am going to start complaining my soon about my show they gave me eight and a half as you can imagine the condition my feet get at times, they sure get tired. They should certainly know better.
How are the cymbidiums coming along?
I gave a fellow named Des Saurins(?) dad’s phone number and told him if he in L.A. ever needed any help to call up. You do not have to extend any special courtesy to him on my part. I just thought if he needed direction etc. he may call. Also a man named Ellard may call you. He lives not far from us there and he got his discharge papers the other day (over 38). He came all the way from L.A with me. I had better be closing now for it is getting near starting out time. I will write sooner next time.
We would do nothing except clean down the tile walls which run seven feet up and then mop the floors. The four operating rooms are just simply beautiful in their way. The tile is all green with a very nice design in the floor. They would make very nice kitchens. Then after that we would treat the rubber gloves, the two of us. After which we would just sit around and try and sleep sitting on stools the balance of the time, about 5 hours.
So Saturday night the Corporal in charge said they were short of help on ward four and asked me if I would volunteer for the night. So down I went and I think I learned more the one night there than I learned all week in the operating room. I gave a hypodermic to one of the boys who has a tumor on the brain. He was surely thankful. I took temperatures, respiration and pulse in the morning. They have our Chinese boy in one of the rooms and he was sure no joy to wait on and there were a couple others that would run a person to death if they were given a chance. In fact I really enjoyed it.
I went up town this morning and mailed the pictures there are three of them: one I had left out of the folder for you so that you may have it framed if you wish or take one of the others out and put it in. You can charge the framing to me. I would have had it done here only the frame may have gotten broken in mailing.
I am not so terribly satisfied with them. I should have gotten smaller ones and they make me look about twelve years old. I will know better next time.
I am working from 3-11 this week and I am in the library writing and I will soon have to go to work. I have no idea what I will do today. Maybe get a chance to see an operation.
Yesterday I went out to the zoo with the boy from Washington. It was my second time out and got some very good pictures I hope, which I will send home in a box which I will send one of these days. It will have two pink grapefruit in it. They will not ship them to California because of the inspection on citrus fruit.
So I will see that you get at least a couple of them and I am going to send also the cards I mentioned previously.
I shall also attempt to answer the questions of your last two letters another day when I have more time than I have today.
I am going to start complaining my soon about my show they gave me eight and a half as you can imagine the condition my feet get at times, they sure get tired. They should certainly know better.
How are the cymbidiums coming along?
I gave a fellow named Des Saurins(?) dad’s phone number and told him if he in L.A. ever needed any help to call up. You do not have to extend any special courtesy to him on my part. I just thought if he needed direction etc. he may call. Also a man named Ellard may call you. He lives not far from us there and he got his discharge papers the other day (over 38). He came all the way from L.A with me. I had better be closing now for it is getting near starting out time. I will write sooner next time.
Love,
Stanley
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
26 January 1943
Hope you don’t have to pay extra postage on this letter. If you do let me know and I will cut it down next time or add postage.
Jan 26, 1943
Dear Mother
You mentioning how the days slip by, well they do here also, our days here go by very fast and my time after class goes much faster and before I know it, it is nine o’clock and bed time and I have so much study after class that it seems I hardly have any time at all and I am looking forward very expectantly to not having any after next Thursday or rather this week Thursday for we are due to finish our classes then and we will more than likely have our first day in the hospital Friday and I am wondering just what kind of ward I am going to fall here to. I hope it is a nice ward with some very interesting patients or it may even be the operating room.
I went last week over to the practice ward to try my best in draping the operating room and patient and I got into the gown without contaminating it and got my hands into the rubber gloves quite easily after the technician in the act very carefully poured powder on them and held my hands above my waist all but once. And I look quite funny in a gown and gloves, you would not recognize me. The gown hangs within 6 inches of the floor and I had to put in on without it getting against tables, floor or my clothes that is the front of the gown can not come into contact with anything and the technician finishes putting it on and tying the belt. In all it is quite an interesting and tedious art called Surgical technique.
I received a letter from Edward Pfare and he is the same old Ed, rattle bearned(?) as ever and upbraided me for not writing him. I am going to write him back and tell him he was so good at writing me and giving me his address.
Well now for the surprise of surprises. Yesterday was payday and they gave me the huge amount of $5.00. How or why I do not know for I can not see how they figure that amount as two thirds the amount of pay I am supposed to receive but most of us from Barkeley received that amount and am I burned up. I am almost tempted to cancel that bond affair right now. But I do not necessarily need the money for I have been conserving for just such an occasion so I don’t need any. Of course next month I shall get more yet and when I leave I will get the entire amount due me.
I believe that I will make out the Income Tax blank and I think that if you will do it for me if it is properly made out etc.
The weather here has been very cold and rather foggy and a very cold wind and we have had a severe frost or two lately because quite a few of the plants around here are all black.
Sunday I went into town early and went to the famous Buckhorn Saloon, and talk of horns etc.
They really have them there. I am going to send home something and amongst them shall be some post cards folders etc which you can look at and I will send you cards from time to time so you perhaps can enjoy them with me.
I also went by the old Spanish governor’s palace but it wasn’t open as yet so we went to a show which I was not too fond of doing but went along with the others.
As for the cymbidium you can give Mrs. Miner perhaps one of the flowers and if you want to you can give Aunt Nina the balance or keep some for yourself but I think Nina would like a couple. You may have to stake up the spike and if it rains you may take it into back porch for the mud will do them no good. It stains the flowers. Clear water won’t bother them much. And I don’t think I would have any use for it here although I would like to see it.
As for a leave it will probably not be now until I am stationed somewhere. If it wasn’t for this school it would have been sooner.
Yes cameras were contraband. They ordered them all turned in but their orders were not followed so they issued another order the other day stating that all that turned them in to come and get them and go to the Provost Marshall’s office and register them and then they would be alright. I kept mine wrapped up and took it into town once.
As for a needle for the phonograph you might get one of the $1.00 ones which will play 1000 times or you might get two or three cheaper ones for they may become extinct also. What do you think I wrote Mrs. Scheltima in my first week here and Joe 2 or 3 days later but as slow as the mail goes in and out of here. No wonder he has not heard from me and I mailed him a couple of cards also. I may be mail clerk here in this barracks this coming month. The boys that are leaving here this month are leaving Thursday and I am going to get rid of the half wit that sleep across from me. He is just plain crazy.
Yes one of the surprises is a photo. The photographs were very good although Nelson looks quite old. Joseph wrote me quite a descriptive letter of your calling at their house.
Miss Mosher sent me a camellia flower and for some reason they opened it here at the Fort and did they mutilate it in rewrapping it.
At Barkeley they had a habit in some company offices of opening some outgoing and incoming mail and then call the person in and give it to them opened. It never happened to me if it had they would have heard of it for they have no right to because they are not censors. And then some people wonder why they tell us any complaints to congressmen etc must go through their offices or it will go hard with the person who violates it. Big bluff some more of the dictation they try and put once at Barkeley. They should oust that Gen in charge. He gets more silly every day.
Did you know that the Argonaut runs directly between here and L A in fact I watch it go by down in the little valley from here. I can also see some horses grazing in a pasture down there and it is quite useful to look down there.
Will you call up Mr. Matson and ask him if he would be able to mail the roses for me to Miss Mosher for me if I was to send him an order that is if he has time if not I want you to order them elsewhere for me. If I don’t get them soon it will be too late to get them bare roots. Did you show them the pictures of the antiques if so what did they think of them.
I received a nice letter from Aunt Mai Belle and Thelma the other day.
Ray Coates sent me a short note telling me of a play he was in last Friday and wanted me to come in but I was unable to. I shall wait for him to write again and I shall have to write Marshall very soon also but I did send him a card with the picture of the hospital on it because he told me how he liked this type of work. I sure feel sorry for him.
We sure have a lot of pineapple here. They had a very delicious mixture the other day canned peaches and pineapple cobbler, last evening they had cherry pie only made in a large baking pan, for they feed 300. At Barkeley they made 50 pies at a time. If I remember correctly I think. I think the cook told me it took about $4000 per week to feed the company. So you can imagine what it costs here with a few more and better food also. So them you see why when through here we are a very expensive piece of property of the government.
I had better be closing now for I have some study and a lot of it. So good bye for now and I will write sooner next time. Lots of luck and take care of yourself and get your arm taken care of. Thank Muriel for her letter and I will write her also.
Love,
Stanley
Jan 26, 1943
Dear Mother
You mentioning how the days slip by, well they do here also, our days here go by very fast and my time after class goes much faster and before I know it, it is nine o’clock and bed time and I have so much study after class that it seems I hardly have any time at all and I am looking forward very expectantly to not having any after next Thursday or rather this week Thursday for we are due to finish our classes then and we will more than likely have our first day in the hospital Friday and I am wondering just what kind of ward I am going to fall here to. I hope it is a nice ward with some very interesting patients or it may even be the operating room.
I went last week over to the practice ward to try my best in draping the operating room and patient and I got into the gown without contaminating it and got my hands into the rubber gloves quite easily after the technician in the act very carefully poured powder on them and held my hands above my waist all but once. And I look quite funny in a gown and gloves, you would not recognize me. The gown hangs within 6 inches of the floor and I had to put in on without it getting against tables, floor or my clothes that is the front of the gown can not come into contact with anything and the technician finishes putting it on and tying the belt. In all it is quite an interesting and tedious art called Surgical technique.
I received a letter from Edward Pfare and he is the same old Ed, rattle bearned(?) as ever and upbraided me for not writing him. I am going to write him back and tell him he was so good at writing me and giving me his address.
Well now for the surprise of surprises. Yesterday was payday and they gave me the huge amount of $5.00. How or why I do not know for I can not see how they figure that amount as two thirds the amount of pay I am supposed to receive but most of us from Barkeley received that amount and am I burned up. I am almost tempted to cancel that bond affair right now. But I do not necessarily need the money for I have been conserving for just such an occasion so I don’t need any. Of course next month I shall get more yet and when I leave I will get the entire amount due me.
I believe that I will make out the Income Tax blank and I think that if you will do it for me if it is properly made out etc.
The weather here has been very cold and rather foggy and a very cold wind and we have had a severe frost or two lately because quite a few of the plants around here are all black.
Sunday I went into town early and went to the famous Buckhorn Saloon, and talk of horns etc.
They really have them there. I am going to send home something and amongst them shall be some post cards folders etc which you can look at and I will send you cards from time to time so you perhaps can enjoy them with me.I also went by the old Spanish governor’s palace but it wasn’t open as yet so we went to a show which I was not too fond of doing but went along with the others.
As for the cymbidium you can give Mrs. Miner perhaps one of the flowers and if you want to you can give Aunt Nina the balance or keep some for yourself but I think Nina would like a couple. You may have to stake up the spike and if it rains you may take it into back porch for the mud will do them no good. It stains the flowers. Clear water won’t bother them much. And I don’t think I would have any use for it here although I would like to see it.
As for a leave it will probably not be now until I am stationed somewhere. If it wasn’t for this school it would have been sooner.
Yes cameras were contraband. They ordered them all turned in but their orders were not followed so they issued another order the other day stating that all that turned them in to come and get them and go to the Provost Marshall’s office and register them and then they would be alright. I kept mine wrapped up and took it into town once.
As for a needle for the phonograph you might get one of the $1.00 ones which will play 1000 times or you might get two or three cheaper ones for they may become extinct also. What do you think I wrote Mrs. Scheltima in my first week here and Joe 2 or 3 days later but as slow as the mail goes in and out of here. No wonder he has not heard from me and I mailed him a couple of cards also. I may be mail clerk here in this barracks this coming month. The boys that are leaving here this month are leaving Thursday and I am going to get rid of the half wit that sleep across from me. He is just plain crazy.
Yes one of the surprises is a photo. The photographs were very good although Nelson looks quite old. Joseph wrote me quite a descriptive letter of your calling at their house.
Miss Mosher sent me a camellia flower and for some reason they opened it here at the Fort and did they mutilate it in rewrapping it.
At Barkeley they had a habit in some company offices of opening some outgoing and incoming mail and then call the person in and give it to them opened. It never happened to me if it had they would have heard of it for they have no right to because they are not censors. And then some people wonder why they tell us any complaints to congressmen etc must go through their offices or it will go hard with the person who violates it. Big bluff some more of the dictation they try and put once at Barkeley. They should oust that Gen in charge. He gets more silly every day.
Did you know that the Argonaut runs directly between here and L A in fact I watch it go by down in the little valley from here. I can also see some horses grazing in a pasture down there and it is quite useful to look down there.
Will you call up Mr. Matson and ask him if he would be able to mail the roses for me to Miss Mosher for me if I was to send him an order that is if he has time if not I want you to order them elsewhere for me. If I don’t get them soon it will be too late to get them bare roots. Did you show them the pictures of the antiques if so what did they think of them.
I received a nice letter from Aunt Mai Belle and Thelma the other day.
Ray Coates sent me a short note telling me of a play he was in last Friday and wanted me to come in but I was unable to. I shall wait for him to write again and I shall have to write Marshall very soon also but I did send him a card with the picture of the hospital on it because he told me how he liked this type of work. I sure feel sorry for him.
We sure have a lot of pineapple here. They had a very delicious mixture the other day canned peaches and pineapple cobbler, last evening they had cherry pie only made in a large baking pan, for they feed 300. At Barkeley they made 50 pies at a time. If I remember correctly I think. I think the cook told me it took about $4000 per week to feed the company. So you can imagine what it costs here with a few more and better food also. So them you see why when through here we are a very expensive piece of property of the government.
I had better be closing now for I have some study and a lot of it. So good bye for now and I will write sooner next time. Lots of luck and take care of yourself and get your arm taken care of. Thank Muriel for her letter and I will write her also.
Love,
Stanley
Thursday, June 18, 2009
January 16, 1943
My dear Mother:
I suppose you have been looking in the mail box every day and in hopes of finding a letter there from me. But I think I am in the same boat as you are as far as having a lot of time to write in, because we sure have not had too much in the past week and they have really meant a lot of study for me. I brought my grades up on my Anatomy and Physiology test, as I told you in my brief letter of last week. I got 89 on my first test which did not phase me too much although there is a lot of them leave here with an average of lower than that. So on my Anatomy test which we had for two hours and were graded two times, one for each hour and I got a ‘Xs’, which stands for excellent and is the highest a person may get. How I made out on the other ones I do not know for the grades have not been given out yet.
I received your letter of Jan 11 Friday and was sure glad to receive it as I am all of your letters, for I sure like to receive letters though I am not able to write much myself.
Yes I will receive the large sum of 54 dollars a month now but when they get through hacking at it for insurance which comes to $6.50 and the bond a month at 418.75, and $1.50 for laundry, these deductions will lessen it $26.75 and here at school we only get half or two thirds pay for some very silly reason of which no person has been able to explain as yet, not even the company commander. The only excuse is that this is not our permanent camp or something of that type. So if I find myself running short I will cancel my bonds and if that bond is not there by the fifteenth of February, you let me know and I can cancel it in short order because of they take it from your pay they will present the bond very shortly thereafter or they will hear about it. Some of the boys have been in four and five months and made out family allotments and have had the $22 taken from their pay each month and the family has not received a cent yet. That is very poor management, in my opinion and they treat me better or I will take care of my own money.
The Brooke hospital is strictly an Army hospital but they do have a few civilians there but the head of the hospital is an army man. I have as yet not been once but hope to next month. One of my acquaintances is in the officers ward and says some of them are very easy to care for but there is one Col there who is quite a problem and is always fighting with the nurses and ward attendants all the time. There was a Col. Over there that died last week. Most of the army hospitals are named after Medical Corps generals etc such as the Letterman in San Francisco and the Fitzsimmons in Denver. They practically established the Medical Branch and there is the Walter Reid in Washington DC.
I also received the box of letters and the handkerchiefs and sox for which I want to thank you for as you say they come in handy and also the letters. The one from Camp Cooke I do not even know the person although he knows me. He speaks of Mr. Vosbery and school and of Carl Hamilton but do not think I will even answer it for I cannot even read his name. If it comes to me who he is I may but I already have too much writing. I also sent a short note to Ray Coates telling him I was here, perhaps I will see him soon and Marshall’s letter was quite peculiar and he did not state why he wrote to me instead of here. One of his statements was: “I am saying these things because I realize now, more than ever that I may never see you personally again” and he refers to Dec 7, 41 a year ago and also refers that he may go overseas or that I might. What do you think of that?
I sure appreciate your sending me the newspaper clippings from home, although San Antonio has newspapers but they do not compare with L.A. papers.
What did you think of the inside of Joe’s house and the Chinese rug etc. Quite nice of Mrs Scheltina to call on you. She is quite sociable that way and her curiosity was probably getting the best of her and if I know them they have discussed us pro and con, and both of them are good at flattery. She never gets much company from Mr. Scheltina. You know he is 80y old and that is quite a bit older than she.
Do not forget my s----(?) is in the chest in my room, so watch it once in a while. Do this Nelson’s parents have money?
The reason I asked about the church is that there is one of those religious fanatics here who’s always talking about his church but since I have learned to stay away from these religious fanatics. You wouldn’t want to meet a much lazier bunch or a worst bunch. There was a 7-day Adventist and he would not do a thing on Saturday until the company commander let him go into town on Saturday and then he had Sunday off with us also. The whole bunch of them give me a pain.
Cameras are prohibited here on the post.
You speaking of chauffeurs: all the colonels, majors etc here have negro chauffeurs in uniforms. In fact this school is quite the style. But most captains etc have not had any real military experience and it gives me a laugh to try and carry on a military display of any kind.
One of them who we call Dr. IQ because he has a fifteen minute question period every day at the beginning of class and he talks just like the Dr IQ of the radio. His real name is Dr. Rosenbaum. Guess what? He can not stay in step with our platoon so he changes cadence to match his about every 30 steps. He came out yesterday morning for inspection with a lovely pair of nice brown shoes and we had quite a heavy fog and the ground was quite moist and the soil quite sticky. Only the soil is black here and in digging a place to stand (he can’t see as the others can where to stand so he has to step it of and mark it so when he comes back he won’t lose his place). He got mud or soil all over his shoes and if he wasn’t a sight standing there at attention trying to scrape off the mud. Of course they are all like that here, because they were given their commission upon entering the army.
And then we have the cute little major who comes in for inspection Saturday morning in a large overcoat and nice kid gloves with which he rubs his finger things to find dust and he is quite agile for he climbs up on beds so that he may his fingers on the rafters to see if there is dust there also, all the time moving very quickly.
You would enjoy seeing some of the beautiful spots here. The big shod(?) houses and there is quite a few of them have huge ancient houses here on the post. The houses are a cross between true southern and probably little French. Some of them 2 or 3 stories high. I would sure like to have some pictures of them.
Last Sunday I went to Brackenridge park where they have an enormous zoo with loads of animals and birds of all descriptions.
I also saw my first Texas longhorn steers there and also a cross between the steers and one of the Burmese animals. With the hump on their back. I can’t think of their name now and what a huge animal it made.
I just turned around and there stood the colonel with an elaborately dressed captain and two women one of them has on a gorgeous mink coat. I suppose she is the colonel’s wife. Quite a show here all the time.
Also at Breckenridge park I went to the Sunken Gardens which is an abandoned rock quarry which has been made into a sunken garden with water in the bottom and little planks. I will send you post cards of it. I am sure you would like it.
The reason I asked about Camp Young was that there is a boy in the barracks who is attached to a tank destroyer outfit who has moved there and he will join them there the end of the month after he is finished here with his schooling here.
I shall go into town one of these evenings and have some pictures taken to send to you.
I asked Mr. Matson if he would send me a copy of his rose list so that I could order some for Miss Mosher and asked if he could mail them to Alhambra, but he in his letter to me said he did not as yet have one made up but he didn’t mention sending them for me. So I am in a state of wonderment. I had intended them for a Xmas gift and told her they would be later. Although I suppose he will send it later and I hope not too late, for he is that way.
The weather here was quite warm until today the coldest wind came up and it made everybody want to go inside and I decided to stay in also and not go into town, instead write letters and got caught up on them.
I have seen one show since leaving home and that was “Once Upon a Honeymoon”.
I think Cary Grant and Ginger Rodgers and it was quite good but I would just as well spend my time when I do go into town in seeing the beauty spots. The Alamo is quite interesting and quite pretty in the Spring time. I suppose you know that it is directly in the center of town, quite an unusual place for something of that type.
I had the other evening or that is Friday evening while I was in town for the third time since I have been here. My hair cut and the stripe sewed on my coat – one on each sleeve, but I would like it much better if it were about three of them but I can wait a while.
You had better go see a doctor about your arm because do not take chances with it. Did you ever get both Blairs’ addresses. I might send him a card sometime.
I had better be closing now for this letter is becoming quite bulky and will save some to write later.
With lots of love,
Stanley
Insurance receipt enclosed.
I suppose you have been looking in the mail box every day and in hopes of finding a letter there from me. But I think I am in the same boat as you are as far as having a lot of time to write in, because we sure have not had too much in the past week and they have really meant a lot of study for me. I brought my grades up on my Anatomy and Physiology test, as I told you in my brief letter of last week. I got 89 on my first test which did not phase me too much although there is a lot of them leave here with an average of lower than that. So on my Anatomy test which we had for two hours and were graded two times, one for each hour and I got a ‘Xs’, which stands for excellent and is the highest a person may get. How I made out on the other ones I do not know for the grades have not been given out yet.
I received your letter of Jan 11 Friday and was sure glad to receive it as I am all of your letters, for I sure like to receive letters though I am not able to write much myself.
Yes I will receive the large sum of 54 dollars a month now but when they get through hacking at it for insurance which comes to $6.50 and the bond a month at 418.75, and $1.50 for laundry, these deductions will lessen it $26.75 and here at school we only get half or two thirds pay for some very silly reason of which no person has been able to explain as yet, not even the company commander. The only excuse is that this is not our permanent camp or something of that type. So if I find myself running short I will cancel my bonds and if that bond is not there by the fifteenth of February, you let me know and I can cancel it in short order because of they take it from your pay they will present the bond very shortly thereafter or they will hear about it. Some of the boys have been in four and five months and made out family allotments and have had the $22 taken from their pay each month and the family has not received a cent yet. That is very poor management, in my opinion and they treat me better or I will take care of my own money.
The Brooke hospital is strictly an Army hospital but they do have a few civilians there but the head of the hospital is an army man. I have as yet not been once but hope to next month. One of my acquaintances is in the officers ward and says some of them are very easy to care for but there is one Col there who is quite a problem and is always fighting with the nurses and ward attendants all the time. There was a Col. Over there that died last week. Most of the army hospitals are named after Medical Corps generals etc such as the Letterman in San Francisco and the Fitzsimmons in Denver. They practically established the Medical Branch and there is the Walter Reid in Washington DC.
I also received the box of letters and the handkerchiefs and sox for which I want to thank you for as you say they come in handy and also the letters. The one from Camp Cooke I do not even know the person although he knows me. He speaks of Mr. Vosbery and school and of Carl Hamilton but do not think I will even answer it for I cannot even read his name. If it comes to me who he is I may but I already have too much writing. I also sent a short note to Ray Coates telling him I was here, perhaps I will see him soon and Marshall’s letter was quite peculiar and he did not state why he wrote to me instead of here. One of his statements was: “I am saying these things because I realize now, more than ever that I may never see you personally again” and he refers to Dec 7, 41 a year ago and also refers that he may go overseas or that I might. What do you think of that?
I sure appreciate your sending me the newspaper clippings from home, although San Antonio has newspapers but they do not compare with L.A. papers.
What did you think of the inside of Joe’s house and the Chinese rug etc. Quite nice of Mrs Scheltina to call on you. She is quite sociable that way and her curiosity was probably getting the best of her and if I know them they have discussed us pro and con, and both of them are good at flattery. She never gets much company from Mr. Scheltina. You know he is 80y old and that is quite a bit older than she.
Do not forget my s----(?) is in the chest in my room, so watch it once in a while. Do this Nelson’s parents have money?
The reason I asked about the church is that there is one of those religious fanatics here who’s always talking about his church but since I have learned to stay away from these religious fanatics. You wouldn’t want to meet a much lazier bunch or a worst bunch. There was a 7-day Adventist and he would not do a thing on Saturday until the company commander let him go into town on Saturday and then he had Sunday off with us also. The whole bunch of them give me a pain.
Cameras are prohibited here on the post.
You speaking of chauffeurs: all the colonels, majors etc here have negro chauffeurs in uniforms. In fact this school is quite the style. But most captains etc have not had any real military experience and it gives me a laugh to try and carry on a military display of any kind.
One of them who we call Dr. IQ because he has a fifteen minute question period every day at the beginning of class and he talks just like the Dr IQ of the radio. His real name is Dr. Rosenbaum. Guess what? He can not stay in step with our platoon so he changes cadence to match his about every 30 steps. He came out yesterday morning for inspection with a lovely pair of nice brown shoes and we had quite a heavy fog and the ground was quite moist and the soil quite sticky. Only the soil is black here and in digging a place to stand (he can’t see as the others can where to stand so he has to step it of and mark it so when he comes back he won’t lose his place). He got mud or soil all over his shoes and if he wasn’t a sight standing there at attention trying to scrape off the mud. Of course they are all like that here, because they were given their commission upon entering the army.And then we have the cute little major who comes in for inspection Saturday morning in a large overcoat and nice kid gloves with which he rubs his finger things to find dust and he is quite agile for he climbs up on beds so that he may his fingers on the rafters to see if there is dust there also, all the time moving very quickly.
You would enjoy seeing some of the beautiful spots here. The big shod(?) houses and there is quite a few of them have huge ancient houses here on the post. The houses are a cross between true southern and probably little French. Some of them 2 or 3 stories high. I would sure like to have some pictures of them.
Last Sunday I went to Brackenridge park where they have an enormous zoo with loads of animals and birds of all descriptions.
I also saw my first Texas longhorn steers there and also a cross between the steers and one of the Burmese animals. With the hump on their back. I can’t think of their name now and what a huge animal it made.
I just turned around and there stood the colonel with an elaborately dressed captain and two women one of them has on a gorgeous mink coat. I suppose she is the colonel’s wife. Quite a show here all the time.
Also at Breckenridge park I went to the Sunken Gardens which is an abandoned rock quarry which has been made into a sunken garden with water in the bottom and little planks. I will send you post cards of it. I am sure you would like it.
The reason I asked about Camp Young was that there is a boy in the barracks who is attached to a tank destroyer outfit who has moved there and he will join them there the end of the month after he is finished here with his schooling here.
I shall go into town one of these evenings and have some pictures taken to send to you.
I asked Mr. Matson if he would send me a copy of his rose list so that I could order some for Miss Mosher and asked if he could mail them to Alhambra, but he in his letter to me said he did not as yet have one made up but he didn’t mention sending them for me. So I am in a state of wonderment. I had intended them for a Xmas gift and told her they would be later. Although I suppose he will send it later and I hope not too late, for he is that way.
The weather here was quite warm until today the coldest wind came up and it made everybody want to go inside and I decided to stay in also and not go into town, instead write letters and got caught up on them.
I have seen one show since leaving home and that was “Once Upon a Honeymoon”.
I think Cary Grant and Ginger Rodgers and it was quite good but I would just as well spend my time when I do go into town in seeing the beauty spots. The Alamo is quite interesting and quite pretty in the Spring time. I suppose you know that it is directly in the center of town, quite an unusual place for something of that type.I had the other evening or that is Friday evening while I was in town for the third time since I have been here. My hair cut and the stripe sewed on my coat – one on each sleeve, but I would like it much better if it were about three of them but I can wait a while.
You had better go see a doctor about your arm because do not take chances with it. Did you ever get both Blairs’ addresses. I might send him a card sometime.
I had better be closing now for this letter is becoming quite bulky and will save some to write later.
With lots of love,
Stanley
Insurance receipt enclosed.
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