Letters Dated Sept 30, Oct 2 and 3, 1954

Sept 30, 1954  Pay Day

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

Well its noon now and we are going to get paid.----I just got back from Pay call and I drew $119 and put $70 in the soldiers deposit which make me an even $900 now.  I got only tow paydays left.  It make me feel like a short timer now.  I should have well over $2000 all together when I get home. 

I didn’t get any mail yesterday and I think the mail is in now but they haven’t delivered it as yet. 

I don’t k ow why I am printing this letter, just started out that way.  I can print faster than I can write anyway.  Hope you can read it. (note: he prints much better than he writes.)

Not much to say about any thing.  Our company is on guard today around the compound.  I am not on guard.  It only take on Sgt and we have plenty of Sgts.  I think we will pull compound guard about one more time and then start pulling dock guard. Around Oct 6/  I don’t mind that but what I don’t like is going to the field Nov 1^st..  Well I think I will wait and see if I get any mail before I finish this letter.-----Well I got one letter, it was late getting here.  Dated Sept 17.  Its 4:20 now here in Pusan.  Must be morning back home about now and you are starting your work day and I am finished with mine as much as I know except for a show and lecture by the CID on narcotics.  For the 1^st three grades.  That’s at 6:15 and then will probably go to the NCO club with a few of the boys.  We usually go every night.  I usually manage to get away early and walk a straight line back but most of the other close the club up and stagger back.  Then the next day they don’t feel so good and they take it out on the troops till about noon.  I guess that is one thing that make the Sgts sour and mean.  And the old timers have done it so long they stay that way all the time except when they are at the club and then they forget about duty and are more like their selves. 

Quite a few of the boys are going home now.  I think there is about 260 or 270 left now from the nearly 300 that was her at first.  I am 38 on the 5 RCT list now.  I am still section Leader in the 57 and only have about 17 men for now.  Probably get some more before long.  The 17 is just right.  TO&E is three 5 man squads and a runner and one section leader.  So its just the right amount.  But always before we have had more to help out o the guard.  Simonie is mortar Section Leader.  He will probably make Sgt before long.  Sgt Turner is Asst Platoon Sgt now because he going home soon.  Well not much more tow rite about so I will close for now.  Will write soon.

Love, Ted

Oct 2, 1954  Saturday

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

I had the usual today.  Sat inspection and it went very good.  It rained today a so we just had the inspection in the quarters rather than outside and inside booth.  Its rained most of the day and it has been cool.  Not much to write about.  The executive officer asked me today if I was going to stay in the army and if I ever thought about OCS.  They always try to talk army to you and it’s more so in this outfit than in the 5 RCT. 

Yesterday I I got a letter from Sgt Wood and I answered him today.  He was home in his old job and seemed to doing OK.  I got two letter from you today.  Sept 22 and 23.  Guess you hadn’t had the letter about me being in the 19^th Regt yet.  Probably by the time you get this letter you should have your kitchen fixed up.  But it really looks nice.  It was good to hear Don made Cpl.  Seems to have taken him a long time to make Cpl. But that the way it goes sometimes.  His regt is still up north and I think Jane’s brother is still up there too.  His address was APO 24 and that s the 24 Div.  You said something about him going to OCS.  If he did he should have come out a 2^nd LT if he finished .  If he didn’t finish he was lucky to ever make cpl.  He might ha gone to Leadership.  I don’t think Ft Leonard Wood has an OCS.  That bird you have sure must be wild.  They are usually tame and quiet.  Tell Sam Coomer hello for me.  I thought he was made a foreman but from what you said about him being a set up man he must not be.  Well not much new toad so I will close.  Sure be glad to see you all.  It wont be long.  We start another month now.  Hope it goes just a the other months have.

Lots of Love, Ted

Sunday Oct 3, 1954

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

Another quite Sunday.  Didn’t do much of anything today.  Went to the show this afternoon and say “Return From the Sea.”  Wasn’t much of a picture.  First one I had been to since I saw “From Here to Eternity” again. 

 

I got a letter from you today.  Sept 25.  You still hadn’t received the letter about being transferred to the 19^th Regt yet and you hadn’t received the thinks I sent yet.  I sent something the last of August and you should be getting it.  I hope you like it.  I don know whether you will like it or not.  I had to order  it from a picture and didn’t see the real thing.  Let me know. 

I don’t think I remember Luellen  that you wrote about seeing.  I remember Sara Jan only my name.  don’t remember much what she looks like or anything about her.  Funny how you forget thins like that.  I try to remember people who lived on the street but can’t think of only a few people and sometimes I can’t think of their names also the bunch at work.  Probably when I see them I will remember them and their names.  I always had a bad memory for names anyway.  I bet the guys I ran around with have probably changed and got married or moved away.. Guess I have been gone from home longer than I realize.  Sometimes it seems like a long time and then again it doesn’t.  Any way its been almost 2 years and that a long time anyway you look at it.  Sure don’t seem right that I will be 26 in 3  more days.  Seems lie 2 years have gone for nothing being away form home and all.  2 years that I could have been doling some good and getting ahead on a civilian job.  I don’t feel like I lost a 100% though because I like the army and like to soldier.  But don’t think what I h I think what I have learned in the army will do me much good when I get out.  To bad I had to get in an infantry outfit even thought I like t.  I don’t think I like things as well though as when Cpt Book was the company commander.  I don’t remover whether I told you are not but he went home with 5 RCT as a casual, not exactly with the 5 RCT.  He is going to Virginia Military Institute and have an executive type job.  He likes that.  Probably make major before long.  He has just about been Capt long enough to make it and has the highest efficiency rating of any officer in the 5 RCT including the Col.  You don’t see many like him in the army or eve in civilian life.  He will probably be a General some day.  He is the type of man Generals are. I think I would have made SFC if he was still here.  I don’t much look for it now though. (note: a couple of years before Dad died he looked up Book.  He had retired as a Col was living in Texas and remembered Dad well.)

We got a nigger 1^st Sgt and I got one in my section that lazy and don’t do nothing and he tells the 1^st Sgt that I pick on him and I am prejudice against colored.  Even if I am not when they say that it don’t look good.  They sure have a lot of them now and none of them are any good.  They try to take over if you get to many.  We got a 1^st Sgt, 2 platoon leaders and a platoon Sgt and they are colored and the other Sgts are mostly from the south and they don’t seem to click.  Sure get bad.  The 32 QM NCO club is off limits to the 19^th Regt because of the niggers.  Booth their and ours.  They have had a lot of race fight over there.  (note: in all previous letters Dad had very little to say about Black.  It had not been very long that the army had been integrated and I guess a lot of the problems were growing pains.  I don’t know why Dad has all of a sudden started talking about Blacks in a negative and bigoted way.)

Well can’t think of much more to write about for now so I will close.  I’ll wrie again later.

Lots of Love, Ted