Keywords
World War II
Transcription
[Transcription begins]
CAMP BARKELEY, TEXAS
Thursday, Jan. 28, 1943
Dear Miss Blaney,
I’m sitting on my bunk in Hutment (?) No. 9 writing this note at about 2:15 P.M. The reason I am here and not drilling is I am on the sick list. When I first arrived in Texas, I caught one of those Texas colds as did most of the boys from the East. Today is the first time mine really got the better of me. However, this is not supposed to be a “sob” letter.
The package from the B.S.C.’s Cigarette Committee came last week, but this has been my first opportunity to write and express my sincere thanks for it. I wish I could really put into words how a gift such as the one from B.S.C. makes a soldier feel. I am not a soldier as yet, but still in the processing stage, however they call us soldiers.
I was just rereading your letter and I came to the part “where you are.” Right now I am 12 miles from Abilene, Texas, but we had our first overseas alert Monday and probably within a month we will be enroute for parts unknown, at least to us. It gave us all a funny feeling, but we all agreed that we were a little bit anxious to get over. So you see it will be a little difficult to keep you posted. I shall do my best though to drop you a card once in awhile.
My duties, as I guess I told you, are taking dictation from our Regtl. Commander, Col. McCoy, an old World War I soldier, Major Whitsett, the Executive Officer, and Lt. Writner, the Adjutant. They keep me busy and up till Tuesday night, I worked until 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning. You see it is the largest Truck Regiment in the Army and as a result this Headquarters is BUSY. We have about 4 companies on maneuvers and several more in active duty. The remainder is at Cp Barkeley (Cp is abbrev. for Camp).
It is nice working at Hq even though the hours are long. Every officer in the Regiment drops in and the Military Correspondence is interesting. I have this advantage over most of the boys as I take all the confidential “stuff” but of course I am sworn to secrecy.
The Military abbreviations and the set-up of Military Correspondence is, of course, quite different from civilian life and it is a fine thing that Bryant installed a course in the Military this year. By the way, a fellow with a working knowledge of Shorthand “gets places” in the Army.
We have just had a cold spell here and it looks as though we were [sic] in for a hot spell now. The weather here is more changeable than in New England. I heard you are having quite a storm there. I feel sorry for the folks back home--what with no oil--rationing of food stuffs, etc.
You see in the Army we get everything--even butter. There is also a great deal of waste which is unnecessary. Our three meals are very large, so much so that I have given up eating breakfast. (I can stand it.) I am losing weight, not so much as I thought though.
I just purchased a San Antonio paper, The San Antonio Light, and the War news is very encouraging. San Antonio is about 2 - 3 hours ride from here, I think. Our American fliers are doing a nice job over there in the Rhineland.
The news in your letter was also interesting. And I certainly shall feel free to ask for anything. That was very very nice of you. I always did feel very much at home at Bryant.
Please remember me to everyone at Bryant and especially the B.S.C. and pray for all the boys in the Service.
Very sincerely,
Nick Coracci [Transcription ends]
