3679 Q M Truck Co.
Ft. Jackson, S. C.
17 December 1944

Bryant Service Club
Bryant College
Providence, R.I.

Dear friends:

Many thanks to you for the Christmas package of candy which arrived a few days ago. Besides being an appetizing looking treat- we haven’t opened it yet- it’s a darn swell remembrance of the good days when we were all together at Bryant.

Incidentally, there are two people thanking you for the gift this year instead of the usual one of past years. My wife is with me enjoying the things I enjoy! The marital know was tied last Sept. 23d, so you see we are still newlyweds.

Things seem to be quite stable and quiet with me in the army. We’re still touring Georgia and South and North Carolina in our army trucks. Expect to shove off soon for France (I, hope, but of course don’t know.) We soon will rise from 2 ½ ton trucks to 10 ton trucks, mighty machines of the highway. Just picture the supply situation in Germany and France where there are 4800 to 5000 trucks like ours to each army, and my platoon of 16 trucks could just about carry all the supplies of Bryant.

Many thanks again, and best wishes for a happy holiday season and new year.

Yours sincerely,
Paul B. Plumb

[Transcription ends]

CAMP LEE
VIRGINIA

Sept. 12, 1943

Dear Bryant friends:

After many months here I am again with a little news about a few of our Bryant servicemen. Since I’ve been on the move most of the time during the past 4 months I’ve lost contact with many of our boys, but seem to run into a few of them in my travels.

Pfc. Erle D. Forrest who was president of Phi Sigma Nu 1939-40 is located at Det. 921^st Q. M. Co. Boat (Avn.), 12 Atlantic Ave., Bar Harbor, Me. Erle has been in the Army about 8 months, has been stationed at Atlantic City, N.J., and Baton Rouge, La. before going to Maine. Recently his engagement to Euphemia Mac Millan of Knollwood Avenue, Cranston, was announced. I understand the [sic] will be married Wednesday, Sept. 15^th. Erle is a Boat Clerk.

S/Sgt. Albert F. Wiesner, ’40 is still on the same old job as Chief Payroll Clerk at the hospital at Patterson Field.

Theron (‘Ted’) Johnson, ’39 is a lieutenant in the 9^th regiment here at Camp lee. Pvt. Leonard Upham, ’40 or ’41, is now finishing basic and technical training after a few months of service in Co. F, 6^th QMTR, Camp Lee. He is married and has one child. He spent 2 years as a civilian worker in Newfoundland. Cpl. “Marty” Brennan, ’41, is a clerk in the Personnel Office, 6^th QMTR, also at Camp Lee.

Since my commissioning last May 14^th I’ve been at schools at Ft. Benning, Ga., Chicago, Ill., and several Camp lee Schools. I am just starting a one month course in preactivation training prior to activation a unit in Illinois and taking them over the pond.

Yours truly,
Paul B. Plumb

[Transcription ends]

9 December 1943

Dear Bryant friends:

I was really glad to hear from you again today and receive the cigarettes. Thanks loads for the gift and for remembering me. If you’ll get me a leave or make the war end soon so I can come home, I’ll convey my thanks personally.

I guess I haven’t written to you in a couple of months. Hope you will forgive a busy little shavetail. Almost 2 months ago I was sent here to Wyoming to help activate a new company, a bakery company of all things!! In spite of the type of company I did manage to land most of the administrative work (or should I say it was dumped in my lap) mostly as a result of my Bryant, civilian and enlisted training. It has kept me working an average of 72 hours weekly with the worst still to come. In 4 days this week I’ve put in over 60 hours, so you see I can’t write often but nevertheless appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Yours sincerely,
Paul B. Plumb
[Transcription ends]

April 4, 1943

Dear Bryant club-members:

Many thanks to you for the cigarettes and letter. They came at a time when they were most appreciated, since I was having a rest as a patient in the hospital when they arrived. All’s well here now, and I’m rapidly getting back in shape.

Since a few months passed from the time we last corresponded with each other there have been a few changes in my status. The Army gave me a Christmas present of a promotion and furlough, so I spent a happy Christmas season in good old New England, Connecticut and R. I. to be exact. Then a month later I came to OCS at Camp Lee in the Quartermaster Corps for a 13 week course. All was well for 6 weeks, and then came my first bad luck in 11 months in the service. I got sick and spent 2 weeks in the hospital—not so bad compared to what some of the boys have had. Now I’m back in school working for the gold bars again. Hope to graduate on May 14th and may be able to visit you shortly thereafter.

I’ve heard no news from other Bryant men so I’m unable to give any more news. I’d be glad to hear about them through you.

Sincerely yours,
Paul B. Plumb
[Transcription ends]

3980 QM Truck Company
Camp Gordon, Ga.

October 14, 1944

Bryant Service Club,
Bryant College,
Providence, R I

Dear friends:

It’s been ages since I last wrote, I know, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you have dropped me from your list. Like all Bryant men and in service I’ve been quite busy and have found it hard enough to keep writing home, so I’ve slighted you quite unintentionally I assure you. I’ve missed hearing from you and receiving the alumni news. From the Providence papers and my family I’ve heard of Gene Schmidt’s marriage a few months ago. He’s here in Georgia at Camp Stewart, too far away for me to visit him. I’m still in close contact with 2 of my other Bryant buddies, Erle was in RI last I heard, stationed for a few weeks at Ft. Adams and soon to go to Langley Field, Va. Al is in Ga. at Robins Field, also too far away for us to get together. Al the last bachelor of our old Bryant crew.

Not long ago, September 23d to be exact, I lost my bachelor standing and became married to Shirley Brown of Worcester and Middleboro, Mass. The knot was tied in Worcester. She’s Pembroke, BA ’40 and Boston University, MA ’42. In spite of housing problems, rationing, and what-have-you, we’re maintaining a very happy little love-nest ‘way down here in Augusta, Ga. After the war we expect to settle down in Denver, Colo., where I shall probably work with Haskins & Sells in whose Providence office I had my pre-war job.

There is little news concerning my army career. I’ve been a 2nd lieutenant for about a year and a half during which time I have pretty well covered the west and south. Have had all kinds of duties except accounting work. Now I am in a truck outfit – our job is to maintain 48 trucks and haul equipment, supplies, and personnel. Expect to take a boat ride soon unless I get transferred to accounting work in the air corps.

“That’s all there is; there ain’t any more” – to quote a favorite expression. I would appreciate hearing from you and learning the news about our alumni and doings on the campus.

Yours sincerely, PB Plumb
[Transcription ends]

S/Sgt. Paul B. Plumb
Med. Det., Sta. Compl.
Fort Myer, Virginia

[Printed greeting inside card]:

Cordial greetings
for a joyful
holiday season and
A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR

Paul B. Plumb
[Transcription ends]

Pvt. Paul B. Plumb
Med. Dept. 1323d S.U.
Fort Myer, Va.

AMERICAN RED CROSS

July 1, 1942

Dear Bryant friends:

When your gift arrived last week it was a very pleasant surprise. It was especially kind of you to remember me since it has been so long since I wrote to you. Since my last letter I have been north on pass and received a transfer and new assignment so you see I have had little time to write.

At Camp Lee I was fortunate in being sent to clerk school for training. Now that I have received my assignment I realize the value of my training both at Bryant and Camp Lee. Of the 14 in our group to be transferred I was the only one who had typing experience and so was lucky in receiving a job as clerk in the front office of the hospital. My work consists of keeping personnel records and receiving visitors as well as typing.

Since we were quite split up at the end of the training period at Camp Lee there is little I can tell you about other Bryant Alumni. About 10 days ago Corp. Mike Miller came up from Camp Lee to spend a Sunday with me seeing the sights of Washington, which is only a mile from the post. He and Corp. Ralph Dion have qualified for Officer Candidate School, so we may be addressing them as “Sir” in a few months. Pvt. Merrill Whitney is now at Camp Pickett, Va., where he is a company clerk. He was an outstanding man in our platoon at Lee and should also become an officer. Al Wiesner is now a Pfc at Patterson Field, Ohio. I’ve lost track of the other Bryant alumni. As for me, I’m still just a private with hopes for advancement.

Yours sincerely,

Paul B. Plumb [Transcription ends]

U. S. ARMY

May 17, 1942

Dear Bryant Faithfuls:

What a swell club you have, and so well organized too. It certainly was a grand surprise to receive the cigarettes. You may be interested in knowing that Chesterfields are by far the favorites here at Camp Lee, that soldiers smoke about a package a day (because our days are so long--from 5:30 A.M. to 11 P.M.), and that cigarettes are the most welcome gifts to receive since we earn only 70 cents a day and cigarettes cost 12 cents. That means our average soldier would spent 17% of his income on cigarettes--if my training under Mr. Naylor has been absorbed--if it were not for friends like you.

How are things going up on the campus? I suppose you have fewer men around now that the [ ? ] men are with Uncle Sam or else getting ready to help him spend his money! Bryant men always have been good men--just ask our general. We have about half a dozen Bryant grads here all the time. By the way, if there is a shortage of us handsome males at B.C. what are you girls going to do on Sadie Hawkins day?

I’ve been in the army since April 10th, only 5 short weeks, but time enough to change me from an accountant into a medical soldier with an MD after my name (MD for Medical Department). Although I wanted to get in the Quartermaster Corps I’m not disappointed because I was fortunate enough to get into clerk school here and can look forward to office work after I leave here. (Bryant deserves a plug here because it was my typing and degree which gave me the break.) Al Wiesner, Bryant ‘40, was in clerk school, received very high marks, and now is a clerk attached to an air base. Soft job but he earned it. We are having final exams in school now and so I may be following him in a few weeks. Must close now to study for an exam tomorrow in Supplies (stock records, etc., just what Mr. Gulski and Mr. Shors taught us). Easy stuff. Regards to all.

Sincerely,

Paul Plumb [Transcription ends]