December 13, 1953

 (Turkish 5th RCT patch)             

Sun  Dec 13, 1953

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

I got up about 10:00 this morning.  I missed breakfast so I opened up a can of fruit cocktail, made some coffee and had some fruit cake.  It sure was good. 

I went back to the company and saw some of the guys.  Sgt. Gretize is leaving tomorrow.  Him and Sgt Hill.  He said he would call you up.  He is a nice guy and you would like him OK.  Some of the guys are gone already. 

I ate dinner and fooled around for a while.  They had a USO show but I think I saw it here so I didn’t stay. 

I think I will be a squad leader when I go back.  They also lifted the time in grade, so I might make corporal when I get back.  I hope so.

I came, back took a shower and studied a little bit.  Guthmiller left and Simonie came down.  I think I will go to the show again tonight.

I got a package to day dated Dec 3.  Cookies and candy.  I also got a Xmas card from Keith.  The first card I have got yet, a letter from Evelyn and a Westinghouse paper and 2 letters from you. 

I am glad you are OK.  Guess you hadn’t heard about me making PFC.  The night problem we had when were were out for 3 days wasn’t bad at all.  They had another one over night this last week and one next week already and another one is scheduled for Jan 14 already.  That one will be a 3 problem exercise.  So I will be back for that one.

I doesn’t seem like two years that JQ took his physical and didn’t pass. 

What rank did Glen have when he came home?  I just wondered whether they gave rank out when he was in.  I am glad everything is going OK at work.  It will really be a boom when the plant expands.  Well I don’t know much more to say, so I will close.

Lots of Love, Ted

5th Army Patch

December 12, 1953

Dec 12, 1953

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

Well I finished my 2^nd week of school today.  First two weeks weren’t bad and went fairly fast.  I think the next two weeks will go fairly fast too. 

I saw a good show tonight.  “

Main Street

to Broadway.” 

I opened the other package tonight.  It was loaded with food.  I’m going to enjoy it.

I might go back to the company tomorrow if I can.  Guthmiller finished school today.  He finished 20 th  in his class with 834 points out of 1000.  His class only had one honor student and he was from the 5^th RCT.  In fact the first 4 in the class were from the 5^th RCT.  This is a 3^rd Div. school and the 5^th only sends a few men each week.  I think there are only 7 from the 5^th in our class.  The rest are from the 3^rd. 

 

It sure has been cold here the last couple of night.  I think it has gone down to about 20 or 18 above.  It doesn’t seem much like it because we are exposed to the weather so much.  We keep the stoves on here at the school all night and it is not too bad when we get up in the morning.  This morning we put a liner in our tent.  It is made out of muslin and it goes on the inside of our tent and it hangs down a little bit and leaves a space between the liner and the tent.  It sure helps a lot.  It is white and it makes the inside of thent light too.  I hope we get them in our tent back at the company. 

My cold seems better.  I think I am getting over it fairly good. 

I sure like my bracelet and lighter and the other things in my box.  I hope you get the things I sent for Xmas.   Your should get the things I sent first by the last of this month and the other things I sent last weekend, by the last of January.  I hope you like it OK  They are not much but I thought you would like it.  They were not many gifts I could send to one person so I just sent them to all of you and for the house.

Well I wish I could be home for Xmas.  I guess they are putting up light and trees by now.  They have a tree up here in the mess hall.  Well you can plan on me being home next year for Xhmas any way.  It won’t be to long.  I hate to be away but I don’t mind to much.  After you are away for so long you get fairly use to it.  There isn’t much you can do about it.  I am doing fine and we can make up for this Xmas next year.  Well think I will go to bed now.  I will write later.

Love, Ted

December 11, 1953

Friday Dec 11, 1953

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

Well today I gave my first talk.  I did OK as far as the instructor was concerned.  He said it was one of the best so far.  I still have tow to go.

I took a map reading test and go 50 right out of 50, so I didn’t lose any points there.

Tomorrow we finish our 2^nd week and we just have two more to go. 

At noon today I got 2 letter and 2 Xmas boxes you mailed the 4^th of Nov.  Also the can of fudge you mailed Nov 7.  I opened the fudge at noon.  It sure was good.  Tonight I opened the smallest box.  I sure was thrilled with my lighter and bracelet.  I sure liked them.  I needed the lighter.  It is the first one like that I have ever seen.  I needed the smokes too.  Thank Daisy for me will you.  Also Evelyn and Harley for the hand warmers.  I will use them too.  I can’t remember everything I got but all of the package hasn’t been opened yet.  Thanks for the shaving lotion.  Was that Rum or what?  I tasted it and thought I was drinking shaving lotion at first.  I haven’t ever gotten the packages that Jim sent yet.  I was wondering if his stuff was in that package.  I haven’t opened the other package yet.  I think I will wait a few days. I will be here Xmas unless I go back to the company.  I hope I can.

Well I think I will go to the show.  A Jessie James picture is there.  Last night I saw the USO Show again.  They told us the USO fund was out of money and we wont get many  more shows unless a Company back in the states send some over like Stanly Home Productions.  I don’t think anyone cares much.  I don’t care.  You get use to not seeing anything like that so you don’t miss it.  A good show is OK. ……. Well I just got back  from the show.  It didn’t show me much. I guess I will shave and go to bed now.

I got a letter back that I mailed Snapper.  I am supposed to write my name and the word free airmail rather than to print it.

I guess in my last letter I sounded like I felt bad.  I wasn’t exactly.  I am ok and doing Ok.  I still have my cold but I think it is getting better.  Well I don’t know much more to say for now .  So I guess I will cloes.  Will write again soon.  Sure enjoyed the packages

Lots of Love, Ted. 

December 9, 1953

Wed 9, 1953

Dear Folks

I got plenty of mail tonight.  4 letters from you and one from Bill Anwalt.  I also got the package with the coffee and tobacco in it.  I haven’t got the package with the fudge in it yet.  You said you mailed it Nov 7.  It should have been here Nov 15 anyway.  This package I got tonight was mailed Nov 12.  The mail must be slow because of the Xmas rush.

I was glad to hear you had a good thanksgiving. 

Everything is going good here at school.  I for got to tell you it snowed the other day but by noon it was all gone.  It is cold some days and some days it isn’t.  We wear our thermo boots most of the time here.  They sure are hard on you feet.  Your feet sweat all the time and when you take your boots off your socks steam when they hit the cold.

I haven’t  given my talk yet.  They had some guy give a talk and it was good and the instructor asked him if he wanted to stay at the school.  This fellow was a Sgt First Class.  That would be a good deal.  I am ready to give my talk.  I don’t think I will be afraid to give it.  I am going to talk on the Phonetic Alphabet.  I am going to give my second talk on intelligence.  A part of it will be about war documents.  I think my third talk will be on the motor.

Some of the guys are flunking the course already.  We had a USO show and they would not let the guys go who had failed any tests.  The show was good.  Had 4 good looking girls in it from the states.  It was the Home Production Overseas Show.  I didn’t hear about the fire in Pusan.  I think my mail comes from around Seoul.

I didn’t mean to sound in my letter that I was angry about the place.  I was just griping a little bit.  Everyone does .

I think the tour will be cut down to 1 year.  The cold doens‘t bother anyone to much.  You get use to it.  Well I haven’t got much more new to say and I have a lot to do.  I have to study a little.  I think I will make some coffee and eat the little fruit cake.  I’ll write you again later.

Love, Ted

December 8, 1953

Tues Dec 8, 1953

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

I thought I had better write you a letter so you would know I was still thinking of you.  I studied last night and didn’t have time to write.  I thought I would give my talk tomorrow but I wont give till Thursday.  I haven’t had any mail for a couple of days.  I have some mail at the post office but when I went over to get it tonight they were closed.  I will get it tomorrow.

School is going OK so far.  I took a test the other day and got 29 out of 30.  That was on CBR.  We had a map reading test today but I don’t know the score on it yet.  I think I did ok on it.  Thursday I also will give my PT test or class.

 I went to the show tonight and saw Return to Paradise with Gary Cooper.  It was a good picture.

 Time goes fast here and it won’t be long till I’ll be back at the company.  I hope I can get over 900 points while I am here.  So far I am doing OK and I haven‘t had any demerits or gigs yet.  Well I don’t know much more so I will close for now.  I have a lot to do.  I’ll write again later.

Love, Ted

December 6, 1953 (letter to Snapper)

Sunday  Dec 6, 1953

Dear Snapper

How are you.  I guess you are being a good boy like you always were.  How do you like school.  What would you like to have Santa bring you for Xmas.  Your Daddy is in school now and I am learning jus like you are.  I sent Baba some Korean money.  10 Hawn, 10 Won, 5 Won.  Hawn and Won are the same thing.  It takes 180 Won to make one GI Dollar. I also sent some military script.  That is what we use in place of silver.  They have 5, 10, 25, and 50 cents in the same size.  The one dollar is a little bigger and the 5 and 10 dollar ones are larger than the one dollar.  I got you letter the other day.  You sue can write good.  Your daddy has one stripe now so I will send you one for your jacket and also a patch that I got from the Korean PX.

December 6, 1953

Sunday  Dec 6, 1953

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

Well I  have finished my first week now.  It wasn't to bad.  I give my first talk  Wed  Dec 9.  It will be for 10-12 min and on anything you want to talk about.  I think mine will be on the Phonetic Alphabet.

I was on guard Friday night and didn't get much sleep.  Last night I went to the show and saw Kansas City Confidential.  I saw it once before. 

This is the first letter I have written you sense Thursday so you will probably go awhile before you get any letters.  Yesterday I sent  some more gifts home to you and Dad.  Remember I sent 2 things home once before.  They have mail order places here at the school.  I sent 3 things this time.  They said it will be about 60 days before you get it.  There isn't to much but I thought the things I sent were pretty and that you might have some use for them.  I hope everything gets there in good shape.  Let me know.  I could not afford to send them airmail so I sent them parcel post.

I still have my cold.  I can't seem to get rid of it.  I am really tired of it.  It doesn't bother me except for my coughing  . 

Yesterday I gave my squad drill.  I think I did OK on it.  I don't know what I made on it.

I wrote Llewellyn a letter.  I think you saw his picture in one that I sent home.  He is a red headed guy.  He use to be in my squad in basic and bunked next to Martin and myself.  He is from Center, Mo. 

I guess the mail is slow because it is during the Xmas season.  Xmas cards and packages.  I mailed Mr. Sharps and Jacques Xmas cards to their old address.  I forgot they moved.  I hope they get it.  The only two people I missed was Corley and Stafford. 

How did you like Ted Lewis?  He is an old timer isn't he. 

Well I hated being away on Thanksgiving but it is just the way is is.  I will be here at the school over Xmas.  I am going to try to go back to the company Xmas and see the boys.  All the packages you sent will probably come here.  I think it probably takes  a day or two  to get here from the company even though it is only two miles away.

This will be my first Christmas away from home.

I have just had 3 letter s from you, Nov 23, 24, 25 and one package.  The cookies sure were good.

How did Jim and Roslyn like it at Thanksgiving.  Daisy sure wrote a nice letter.  Not long but she has nice writing and spelling.

Guthmiller and I were going to go back to the company today but I don't think I will.  I sent some clothes to the laundry last night and I also got my 2 shirts back from the tailor.  They are pretty nice.  They have cuffs on them, patch, stripes, pockets in the sleeve, seems sewed in them, name plates etc.  I got hold of a couple of fatigues shirts before I came here to school and had them fixed this way. 

The school is going OK.  Seems funny, there are Sgts, corporals, etc int he class and they don't have anymore say than I do.  Well guess I will close now.
Love, Ted