Document Type
Personal Letter
Keywords
Katherine Trickey; WWII
Rights Management
All rights retained by Bryant University
Abstract
[Transcription begins]
8 May 1945
Dear Folks,
This is quite a day isn’t it? Have you been excited at home? It has been quiet here but we’ve had special speeaches (sic) etc. The announcement came through at 9 this morning that this was officially V-E Day as we had expected it would. All soldiers and WACs were restricted to the post and we didn’t know how long that restriction would last some said just today others 3 some even as many as 7 days. Rumors were many. However, it was lifted at 5 this afternoon, so it really didn’t inconvenience anyone at all I guess.
This afternoon we marched to the parade ground with the Headquarters Company of Men and the Trainees of the 1st and 3rd Regiments. That is about half the Camp. We listened to the President’s speech from a recording and then to a speech by our General Hearn. He gave a good talk stressing, of course, the fact that the War is only half over and that we must still continue to work until the Japs are also beaten.
I really have been busy as I told you I probably would be. I had intended to find time to write Sunday without fail and then the last minute all my plans for Sunday were changed. I had intended to come to work for most of the day but instead I spend [spent] a very delightful and different day. Marj came over to my room just as I was waking up about 9 oclock Sunday morning and said that she had just had an invitation from one of the Women in the Macon Business and Professional Women’s Club to come in to Sunday School, Church, and Dinner and to bring a friend.
We went to the Tatnall Square Baptist Church and went to a women’s sunday (sic) school class at 10.15 and then to church. both services were very good and I enjoyed them very much. Everyone was friendly and came up and spoke to us and invited us to come again and seemed to mean it.
The[n] Mrs Miller took us in her car to her sister’s where we had dinner. There [were] she and her two sisters and an aged aunt and Marj and I. It did seem good to sit down to a regular table again. There was a negro woman to wait on the table the women were spoken of to her as Miss Louise, etc. just as you read of southern homes. I can’t unfortunately remember the name of the woman at whose house we had the dinner but she invited us to come again and to spend a week-end with her this summer at her cottage at Indian Springs. I hope Marj and I can take her up on her offer. She was very nice and I know we’d enjoy it.
We sat and talked until six oclock so you see we really did enjoy ourselves; then Mrs Miller drove us around some of the pretty streets of Macon which we had not seen on our bus rides and took us to the bus. She also gave us a beautiful Magnolia blossom. Mine is filling the barracks with its fragrance. They are much prettier off the trees than on, I think.
Going in on the bus, Sunday Morning, we overheard two trainees talking about Maine, and so, of course, had to get acquainted. We found that they knew ever so many people whom we knoew (sic) and it was just like old home week. One was the 4-H club worker in Oxford County and graduated from Maine in ’37. He knew Bunny Callaghan and both Betty Libby’s. [?] They were meeting a Naugler boy in Macon and he turned out to be Warren’s brother. Remember I had [known] Warren in Brewer. Mrs Naugler is living with Dot Babcock while he is in the Army. I didn’t have but a moment to talk with him but definitely intend to see him again soon if possible.
As you can see, it was quite a day.
Last week, Minnie and I worked several nights and got pretty tired. We finished the job we set out to do however, so feel better now. I am back at the office tonight and if I can get the daily work caught up again, we’ll be back on our feet and won’t have all this night work, I hope. We expect to move to the new office the last of the week. It will mean that Minnie will stay here as head of the Enlisted 201 files and I’ll have to break some [one] new in on the decimal file stuff. That seems silly but that’s the way he wants it. I don’t anticipate liking the new set up but maybe it won’t be as bad as it seems.
I did get the bathing suit and the slippers thank [you] so much. It has been so cold that I have had no desire to wear them!!! We got the stoves all closed up for summer and had to open them again and build fires. I noticed tonight that is was really hot again and I expect that that cold spell has broken and probably in a day or two we will be wishing it were back again.
I am so sorry mother that you had to have that fall. Do take care of your back and have as many treatments as you need won’t you.
Capt Stokes is back again. She has been away at school for the last three weeks, and we have a new Supply Officer, a Lt Crutchfield who seems very nice. Lt Allen has been transferred to headquarters at Birmingham. I hated to have her go as I liked her very much.
The Glee Club is going to put on a program as part of the local War Loan Drive and are(sic) singing Friday, May 17th at Cochran Field, Sunday at Wheeler, Mon at the Grand Theater in Macon and Tuesday at Warner Robins. We are only one small item on the program which will [have] Army talent from the surrounding camps. We’ll get out of work one whole afternoon to rehearse.
I haven’t even had time to go to a baseball game yet although they have played several in town. I had to give up the idea of going out for the team as glee club and this extra work just interfered too much with the practices. I don’t particularly care as I don’t like baseball very much anyway.
We certainly did have a storm the other day. Trees down all over Macon which seemed harder hit than out here at Wheeler. In a town nearby several people were killed but there was no serious damage in this vicinity.
I had a nice letter from Beryl Philbrick yesterday but have not heard a word from Miriam as usual.
I am still getting the Bangor News and it is a nice gift I don’t know what I would do without it.
As far as I know my insurance for the car is paid up to July 23rd. If you hear anything different let me know. I can’t seem to find my receipts but I’m sure I paid the rest of it in January.
Have you taught Bobby to say “Aunt Kay” yet?
Love to all of you,
Kay
[Transcription ends]
