Document Type
Personal Letter
Keywords
Katherine Trickey; WWII
Rights Management
All rights retained by Bryant University
Abstract
[Transcription begins]
26 May 44
Dear Folks,
This is a big day here. Colonel Hobby herself is coming to inspect us. My have we worked! Last night was a great scrubbing bee. The barracks are really clean even if cement floors, beaverboard (1) walls, and wooden beams can’t be made to shine very much. My detail had to put oil on all four of our stoves and shine them; rather messy but didn’t take too long. Then of course our own areas had to be done. Floor scrubbed with turpentine to take the tar off and then scrubbed on our hands and knees with soap and water and a brush. We had to make up nice white beds which have to have an exact six inch fold and be exactly six inches between the edge of the pillow and the fold of the upper sheet. All our shoes had to be shined and I’ve got some new polish which really does the trick. It is the best I’ve had. Unfortunately it’s an English polish and is rather scarce “Kiwi”
I’m still holding my breath about my furlough. I went home last night and found everybody upset because they’d found it was going to be necessary to enforce the rule that we leave for furloughs only on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursdays. All evening I kept trying to figure out which of those three days would work out best and had finally decided on a Tuesday. Came to work this morning and asked Capt Poslik if I could start on Tuesday explaining why I needed to change and he said the WACs needn’t follow that rule and I could start as I had planned on the 3rd of June. So at present that is the idea I’ll arrive home Monday on the Flying Yankee.
There is a new ruling out that we will have 10 days plus travel time instead of seven. So I won’t have to be back at camp here until Sat midnight Jun 17th. (sic) That will give me plenty of time to stop over at Phil’s on the way back. I figured I could leave Lewiston or Bangor Wed. get to New York Thursday morning stay over night and take [the] train to get to Washington in time for the evening train for Atlanta Friday evening, arriving in Macon Sat. PM.
Guess I wrote all the other news in the last letter. Haven’t done anything this week except wash and scrub anyway. I’m going to the show tonight if we get through in time.
By the way that new rule also said we’d get a furlough each six months, but anything can happen between this one and the end of six months. It’s something to look forward to anyway even if it isn’t very certain.
Must stop now and get to work.
Love to all
Kay
(1) Beaver board is a type a wall covering that is made of pressed wood fibers made into sheets. It made be described by some as cardboard walls. It was used in place of plaster and dry wall.
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