Keywords

WWII;William A. Bliven;Camp Niantic

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All rights retained by Bryant University

Transcription

[Transcription begins]
HEADQUARTERS DETACHMENT
706th Military Police Battalion
Camp Niantic, Connecticut

16 June 1943

SUBJECT: Acknowledgement of Receipt of Package.

TO: Bryant Service Club, Bryant College, Providence, R. I.

1. This is to acknowledge the receipt of your box of candy in a military manner. I wish to thank you for it as it is great to know that so many remember one after they have left College. I wish to take this opportunity to extend congratulations to those classmates of mine who were able to finish the year and earn their degree; they are the envy of many in the service. There is a great number of men in the service who had to discontinue their schooling in order to enter the service, some had no choice in the matter at all.

2. The weather is getting very uncomfortable right now, and working inside all the time isn’t what everybody on the outside thinks the life is. Once in a while a hike or two breaks up the monotony of the office routine and they have quite a bit of athletics and calesthenics [sic] in which everybody must participate. To work in a personnel office, nobody should worry about the work being too hard, or be afraid that they couldn’t do the work. Anyone who has interest can do the work, and it really can prove interesting, in turn, to them.

3. Things happen in this outfit so fast that you never know when your [sic] going to move or what is next on the program. The night work as a rule is eliminated, but at times, the work is a little heavy, and then night work is the only solution to our problem. It is nice to be only twenty-eight miles from home for a while so that you can get home even when you only have a short time off, such as an evening. We fellows in the army feel the gas shortage as well as the others, I mean, civilians, the number of which, in the male, is suffering a great reduction.

4. The routine of the office work in the army is quite a bit different than that of college. Even the style of letter and method of answering is a great deal different. This is an example of one of the many letters which I type during the course of every week. Tonight is an extra busy night, you would think that it was only noontime in the office but when there is work to be done, it must be done or else! Hoping to be remembered to those lucky classmates who will finish the year and thanking you heartily for the package and what the club is doing for a great many fellows in the service.

Yours truly,
William A. Bliven ‘43
WILLIAM A. BLIVEN
Pvt 1cl AUS
[Transcription ends]

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