Document Type

Personal Letter

Keywords

Katherine Trickey; WWII

Rights Management

All rights retained by Bryant University

Abstract

[Transcription begins]

(Oct 10, 1944)

Sunday

4.30 PM

Dear Folks,

I am writing this in the hotel lobby of the New Perry Hotel at Perry, Ga. Marjorie & I came down here last evening and got a room OK. We just checked out of our room and are waiting for a bus back to Macon. It is about an hour’s ride. This is a rather pretty southern town with a surprisingly nice hotel with the best food we have found so far. It is a very small town with only about a dozen small stores and three churches, Methodist, Baptist & Presbyterian. We went to the Baptist this morning. – It was a rather attractive church with a sloping floor – woodwork all gray

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seats comfortable with cushions – choir loft above & back of the pulpit and the baptistry above & back of the choir loft. There were I imagine about 100 present. It was a good service.

I had yesterday PM off and it took me until 4.00 PM to do my washing & ironing, so I met Marjorie as she came from work and we started out together although I had planned to go in to Macon earlier.

I have had a really busy week – I’ve played tennis 3 times (Last Sunday, Mon evening & Wed evening), been to the movies twice – Tuesday to see Our Hearts Were Young & Gay and Thursday (after going to Macon for super) – to see “ A WAC, A Wave, & a Marine. –

The first was very, very good & the second very, very bad. It has nothing to do with women in service & besides

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that was corny in itself.

Friday we had special formation at which time 30 of the girls who have just finished a year’s service got Good Conduct Ribbons.

At the office also we’ve been busy. The boys in the File Section have all been transferred to other units so that now there are just 6 of us girls in the unit. I am in charge, and I’m going to have a job on my hands to keep those girls working as 3 of them decide[d]ly prefer to talk all day!

The two girls who have been working in the 201 files are on furlough – one on regular furlough and the other on an emergency

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furlough – which left me with only 2 brand new girls in that part of the files. On top of that, Lt Mahood, who had been working on the old 201 files sorting & packing them into boxes, has been sent back to the company to be mess officer, so I’ve got to do myself the work she was doing.

Of course, taking over the 201 files, meant learning a lot of new things – and planning new type of work – so I’ve had quite a week and was thankful we could get away for a rest today.

This new work makes a much better & more interesting job for me as Minnie can do most of the

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actual work on the Decimal File and leave me free to do more supervisory work. It’s going to mean that I probably won’t get a furlough myself until February instead of December as I had hoped. There is just too much work to do for me to get away. Anyway the traveling will probably be less crowded then! At least, I’ll have that compensation I hope. I was, of course, disappointed to lose my December furlough, but that is the Army and can’t be helped. I suppose I can’t complain too much at having to put mine off 5 or 6 weeks when the boys overseas have to put theirs off for years sometimes! I could have come in November, but the rule is that it must be at least six months between furloughs, and at the end of the year and beginning of the next with the

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change of the files is an impossible time to leave! Believe you me, I’m going to hurry things in January so as to get home as soon as possible! I’ll start planning now!

Sis, what was the name of the boy you and Phylis met at Ocean Park who was from Caribou? Marjorie would like to know.

I must stop now. – By the way, I bought the two Bobbys’ Christmas presents last night. The nicest wooden turtles to pull with a string. I couldn’t resist them and only hope I can pack them well enough so they won’t break in sending them. I believe I can all right.

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I don’t know what I want – but there are a few things which would be nice – a pair [of] pullman slippers to take with me weekends – my slippers take up so much room – always of course stockings – size 9 – medium length – Mother’s cookies, of course – if possible – the more, the better. If you could find any panties that have some legs to them, I’d be grateful. I doubt if you can, however, I wear large (no longer extra large!) Short leg pyjamas for summer, or any summer pyjamas for that matter – mine are all too large now. A Size 38 dress is right (18 ½ is perfect) – so perhaps you can judge sizes by that. I weighed only 153 the last time I was weighed. Lost 18 pounds in the army, not as much as I wish but I can’t seem to help eating!

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There isn’t much else to do for amusement except to go out to eat!

Really going to stop this time!

Love to all of you, especially Bobby today.

Kay

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