August 1,1944
Dear Father,
The situation in this new outfit is still peaceful.
Saturday my first full day we did an hour of calisthenics and then the rest of
the day was bunk fatigue. Saturday afternoon when I went for my pass the CO
told me that I was to report to line Monday as a driver. Bright and early I
showed up because after that haces(?) physical torture Saturday I was pretty
sure that I was going to have to find a peaceful job until the mechanics work
opened up.
Monday morning I was put to driving a Command Car. By
description a Dodge ½ ton truck with 4 forward speeds, one reverse. A front
wheel drive which due to the poor rear wheel traction is darned handy most of
the time. I took the trip ticket but when I looked at the passenger I started
to feel quite unhappy. Man it was none other than the Lt. Colonel or Grafep CO.
I had one trip for him then 3 for a major. In all I did 14 miles around Camp. I
had the job again this morning. Wrote to the Colonel a couple of times. He was
apologizing for not giving me more business; then he wanted to know what I did
in my spare time. My answer was first and second echelon on my vehicle. This
afternoon while I was doing a grease job on the propeller shafts, my feet
hooked over the running board for better leverage, the old boy came out to
watch. Maybe he had been there much longer than I suspected but about an hour
later the CO told me that I was to drive all the time for the Colonel. I
imagine that eventually I will be back to the job of mechanic but while this
lasts it is a good deal lotle(?) from the resting point and into letter writing
point. If I could be sure that I would hold this job all the time I would
enroll in an Army extension course in German with an eye to the future. This
morning the old boy and I had a long session about Devers and Edwards. It seems
he was with the 1st Brdpack Anphifias Engineers, but he won’t say
much more. This outfit landed in Africa, Sicily and Italy. Maybe he was there
maybe not. All he would commit himself to was that he wished he was back in
either Denvers or Edwards and clean of any part of Texas.
Sunday I sent home a First Day cover and the two letters
from Brazil. I had a fast weber cleaning so I popped them off.
Probably my only gripe is the fact that this outfit
doesn’t pay supplementary pay and my own outfit red lined me upon shipment. I
have gotten by on close quarters before this so it won’t be anything new
sweating out a month without pay. My activities have never have been too
extravagant but even these must be cut down.
Finally the heat got at me to the extent that I have
again begun to take salt pills. They just restore the salt, nothing more.
Whenever I can go swimming if there is a cheap recreation I am the man to know.
I rather wish I had my old laundry business but you can’t have everything I learn.
I guess that about covers all the business that has
transpired since Friday
Sincerely,
John