Friday, February 2, 2018

The War Letters

February 2, 1944

Today he received his first letter from home, eliminating his growing worry because he hadn't heard from home since his arrival. The day before he didn't write because he was up at 4 AM for KP. He had to keep 8 coal stoves going - "one of the dirtiest jobs I have ever done and now my one and only fatigue uniform is filthy". He worked like hell to finish KP by 5:30 so he could report for a Fireman's job, which begins at 4 AM-12 midnight the following night, explaining that he took the job so that he could be "on the alert in the day time if anything should or can be done about getting me back in the Air Corps". The job is known as a "Goldbricking" job, but gets him excused from other details including KP. Each of the 3 or 4 fellows he  pals around with has their own tale of woe and he's surprised "how quickly men cleave to one another and how we all look out for one another." One of his pals has already left, which leaves him with two other Fireman waiting to be shipped out.

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