Trip back to camp -- Georgia

Trip back to camp -- Georgia

310.7.1-4.2016

United States--Armed Forces--Military Life

Wilsey, David B., MD

The Wilsey Collection

The Holocaust Center for Humanity

310.7.1-4.2016 Transcription

Sat nite 23 Sept 44

Dearest,

Aside from saying I Love you,

I Love you, I Love you! — I may

be able to write sumthin’ else, even

though I’d like to keep on “saying”

or S-A-Y-I-N-G this.

Maybe I’d better go chronologically

or I’ll miss more than I miss anyway.

Re: Atlanta: — I got my first

good meal in me (since the Carlton)

at the Melba Cafeteria, I got a purrie [sic]

pleasure out of trying “your” black-eyed-

peas. (Ho! ho!). yup, those peas only cost 5¢

for a great big serving – yyup, 5 CENTS!

I also ate that Georgia chicken which

you only ate 2 (or was it 3) times while

down here?? (!!!!) I also observed those

lovable fruit-tree-named-streets of

yours. It seems Peachtree Street has

only 16 subdivisional possibilities [limited

only by the points of a compass — eg. NW, SW, NE,

SE, NNE, NWW, SSE, etc, etc adinfinit-16][1].

[2]

I tried hard to attend a symphony, play,

or concert but was told none were on,

& that the “Army-population-type” has

practically run ‘em out of town by

patronizing the gayer(?) /cheaper

entertainment.

Maybe I shouldn’t write this

paragraph but if I [can][2] express what I

feel it will be alright —

Atlanta (& being in it) made me very

uneasy — the feeling/sensation

is very hard to describe but U-N-E-A-S-Y

is weakly the closest word. Why? —

because to be there [maybe even in the

same hotel room you had once been in][3] made

G me so God-awfully remember that

you had once sublimatively [sic] used

Atlanta, hotel room drinking, etc as

a sublimation/outlet for a broken

heart — and then after I had

the feeling of U-N-E-A-S-Y I had the

feeling of white hot anger — anger

because that “all-of-Atlanta;” etc would

never have occurred if I had not

[3]

been a Chivalrous horse’s ass in

October 1939 as the doubly infuriating

result of a lie-trick by a red head.

Sooo, dear, I really felt very sorry

in Atlanta — sorry, uneasy, &

apologetic to you. It seems odd

(in 1944) to say I am sorry for “your-

Atlanta” (of 1940-41), but that is at least

one way of expressing myself.

—//—

Anyhooo, after arising at 5:30 AM

the plane flew us via a one stop at

Augusta to Columbia in 1hr & 36

minutes. That 235 mile flight PROVED

to me that the previous days malaise

from Chicago to Indianapolis was not

“air-sissyness” but just a too

hammered-at physiology. The Adjutant

of the 116^th advised me to sign in at

10:00AM today the 23^rd as then I would

be only considered as 11 days leave.

Someday, upon mustering out pay from

the Army, I can collect that 12^th days

pay (remember how Ray Parrott discussed how one can

pile up to 90 days of un-taken leave as payable time).

[4]

Back here at F[or]t J[ac]ks[o]n proper, the

first thing I did was scoot after my

air-matress (way down to a warehouse)

but it hadn’t come I yet, even tho

a long distance phone call to Danville,

Ohio on Monday by the Special Sales Clerk

had promised the matresses to be here

by Saturday. Anyhooo, the main

point is that the matress had not

been sold-out-from-under-me while

I was on leave (which I feared might happen).

After lunch I scooted down

town for your Anniversary present but

no-sale. However after 3 hours I

gave up & went to shopping for

myself. I finally [thank Heaven’s][4] got my

hand art. I got all the dope on

Alec Templeton’s concert this coming

Wed. night, &darned near bought a

ticket, but they promised me a seat

of some kind if I could get down 1 hr

before concert time — guess I didn’t

tell you how this coming week looks

awfully busy & it would be just like

the C.O. to hold an Officers Call right

[5]

when Alec is playing a one night

concert. Lastly (down town) I ran all

around re-buying double socket c̅[5]

plug-iners (must have left my previous

Columbia purchase in your suit case).

Then after supper I learned I must hold

sick call beginning Monday till the end

of the month about 3 miles down the

camp road at the 190^th Quartermaster

Batallion’s dispensary — why they

picked me I don’t know. The only

nuisance is that I must wait for

their (190^th QM[6]) jeep to pick me up every

morning around 7 A.M. & drive me

6 miles round trip. Here’s hoping this

“deal” ends c̅ the last day of the

month. (Sick call should only last 1-2 hours).

The last thing I did in a bizness

way should please you, dear. I

know how you dislike, as much as

I do, for me to wreck my trench coat

overseas just because financial squeeze

play might now makes it unwise for

me to buy a field coat like many of the

others have done. Well, at the PX[7] they

[6]

have one of those rare PX-bargain

deals of 700 trench coats thrown

on the tables at less than cost so that

they will not get “caught” c̅ them.

The coats are of a water repellant

type & a sturdy combat color (not as

delicate as my $75 coat). The coats originally

sold for $12.50 so you can see they are

really more a flimsy type of coat BUT

by placing that coat over my good,

warm, expensive coat FOR $5 ONLY

I have now a coat that is even a

bit better than the regular field coat

AND have a real protection for my

“delicate” trench coat. I’m awfully

pleased as now I have not only

warmth-plus but also protection

for the coat that I thought was going

to be unprotected & thus wrecked.

This evening I have washed

hair; read unopened letters; newly

arrived Wisconsin Alumni [will send all

under separate cover][8]; & now I can

dream of you, dearest, after this

nice “talk” c̅ you.

All my love,

Dave

 

 

 

[1] Bracketed text is part of original.

[2] Bracketed text inserted into original with a caret.

[3] Bracketed text is part of original.

[4] Bracketed text is part of original.

[5] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”

[6] Quartermaster Army Corps.

[7] Post Exchange for shopping.

[8] Bracketed text is part of original.