Letters dae September 26, 27, and 29, 1054

Sept 26, 1954 Sunday

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

It isn’t raining anymore and the sun is hot today. It rained all day yesterday and all last night. I went to the show yesterday and saw "From Here to Eternity." I sure enjoyed seeing it again. It was cool last night and I sure slept good. Not much of anything new to write about here. It’s a nice day to day. I might go over to the 32nd QM this afternoon. I cleaned my boots and washed some other equipment this morning. Yesterday I got a letter from you dated Sept 18. I bet the kitchen will be pretty when it is finished. I bet I wont know the neighborhood and the kids around there when I get home. Don’t worry about my birthday. You don’t need to send anything at all. I could use a billfold, that’s about all I need. I hate to have you send anything at all. Nothing seems to last very long over here in the weather. T shirts and shorts get washed and they are rough on them and they don last long. I guess if you want you could send a couple of T shirts and a billfold. That’s about it. Nor hurry about it. You don’t need to send a big box. I don’t eat much between meals and if I get hungry I eat at the NCO Club or over at the 32 QM.

I guess Jim is at Lee by now. I haven’t heard anymore from him That will be a good school for him. Well don’t have much to writer about for now so I will close. Write more later on.

Lots of Love, Ted

Sept 27, 1954

Dear Mom, Dad, Snapper

Well this month is all most over. I just have a little over 2 months to do after the 1st of Oct if the luck holds out. Yesterday I went over and saw the 5 RCT boys. They were leaving this morning and I guess they did. They are supposed to get a 30 day leave when they get home. They don’t know much of what kind of training they will do. I sure hated to say good by to them Seemed like I should be with them If I go through Ft Lewis when I go back I am going to look them up.

This is the 19th Stationery I got today. The Regt Cress is in the upper left hand corner.

Didn’t get any mail today. Probably get some tomorrow. In another week or less I should be getting mail direct to this address. Probably get it a little better.

Well it seems like winter is about here. I don’t know whether it’s fall or not as I haven’t noticed any trees around to see if the leaves were turning. Anyway the days are growing shorter and the eve is cool and you don’t get the breeze from the rice paddies much. I doubt if you have ever smelled anything lie it in the States. I never have. They use human fertilized in them. One of the worse things that can happen to you over here is to step or fall in a rice paddy. There is about 3 inches of water over 2 or 3 feet of mud. In the winter they freeze over. They have well around the rice paddy where they keep the fertilizer. You cant imagine the smell. Also the Kempshe when its cooking. That’s what they eat with their rice. It looks like brown gravy. It’s got fish etc mixed with it, heads and all.

Well not much more to write about for now so I will close. I’ll write again tomorrow when I get a letter.

Lots of Love, Ted


Sept 29, 1954


Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

I had 3 letters today Sept 19, 20, 21. I was glad to get them. Not much new here. I guess Jane’s brother is not around here. (note: He has mentioned Jane and her brother a couple of times now and I don’t know who he is talking about.) He must still be up north. I enjoyed reading about what Snappers teacher said. That was really nice of her and it was quite a compliment to say about Snapper. (note: Don’t know what she said, but I liked Mrs. Dodd <she lived to be 100 and had a son who went to West Point> and I have always been charming.)

We will have to go to one of those smorgasbords when I get home. Sounds good. (note: they were just coming into popularity around KC.)

I don’t think I told you but 1st three grades have their own dining room now in the mess hall and the Korean boy named George serves us. I get plenty to eat now and the food is good. Guess it taste better and I can ear more because some one is serving it. It the 5 RCT we had our own table to eat at and the Platoon Sgts and officers were the only one who got served. Its pretty nice. I think I am picking up weight again. We are training etc and do PT every morning. I think we start pulling guard on the docks again about Oct 6.

Haven’t seen Zink anymore. He is probably in the 19th Regt. He was in King (K) Company. That was the 3rd Bn and they are about 50 miles north of here at Tugrea. The 1st Bn is 5 miles out of Pusan and of course the 2nd is here in Pusan. That is why I haven’t seen him. He is to far away. Probably wont see him again. Seems like in the army if your best friend was next door you would never seen him. I don’t know why. The 8the Army is what all the Div here in Korea are in. Its just the 8th Army Headquarters that is moving to Japan not the whole 8th Army.

I am glad you got a good grade at Westinghouse. It must have been darn good. I am liking this out fit less every day. The officers throw all the work on the NCOs and don’t do anything but lay around the orderly room and mess hall drinking coffee. They don’t come around the troops much. I’ll be glad to leave here . In ways it’s better that the 5 RCT but over all the 5 RCT was much better. I am sure hoping that I don’t have any field training with them as they will really be messed up. The officers don’t know much. Most of them are ROTC or jst out of OCS and don’t know to run the new army the old way. The 5 RCT had a lot of West Point Officers, Airborne, and rangers. They had been in the army a long time and new the ropes. These officer try to teach by the book and the manuals. You can’t always do that. The 5 RCT was never like the old army from what they old timers say.

Well I don’t know much more to write about so I will close . Will write again.

Love, Ted