27February 28, 1951Korea
Dear
Folks,
Made up my mind I would write last night but was too tired
so I am trying to write early this morning. My fingers are cold and can hardly run this pen.
The weather here all this week has been cloudy and chilly. One night last week it didn’t
freeze. A long as it doesn’t rain we don’t mind it so bad. I hear “Old Mac” has a surprise
for the 24th about the middle of this month. Probably let us make a new beached somewhere. The marines are rotating
their men back to the states. Sure wish we could get in on something like that but you know how the infantry operates.
We just sit and slog it out until it is all over. Sure would like to make it home for a couple of weeks of spring fishing.
A couple days ago some joker tangled his helicopter in some highline wires right over the Han
River. The thing came down with a splash. Didn’t hurt anybody, bud somebody climbed out, shook hands with General
Meyer and died of a heart attack. I was sitting on the bank watching when it happened. Twenty minutes later, a
boatload of GI’s tipped over and bout eight or nine drowned. I was standing on the shore and wouldn’t do
a thing. Was going to take pictures. Was going to take some pictures but I didn’t want nothing to remind
me of it. It is a lot worse than seeing a guy get killed out right in combat. I sure hope this thing comes to
a halt pretty soon.
Inserted Notes for verification
of paragraph above:
Maj. Gen. Bryant E. Moore: Gen. Moore served as commander of IX Corps in Korea. He was killed in Korea
in February 1951 as a result of a helicopter crash.
I
sure would like to see some of those pictures. If you send me a few at a time in your letters, I can write on the back
what they are and where I took them. A lot of the boys want some of them too. A couple officers said they would give
me $30 for a set of twenty pictures. I have four more rolls taken I have to send off. If I can find something
to wrap them in. By the way, you can forget the cheese. Drop a comb in the next letter you write. Wish you
could send a bottle of Parker ink. I am using something made out of pills in it now and it gets kind of democratic at
times.
The front has sure been noisy the last few days. We
got our makeshift tent pitched out in full view of the Chinks. They are looking right down our necks. We watch the artillery
and planes blast them all day long. They are on the big mountain a couple miles up. There are tanks firing on
it now. It looks to me like nothing could ever live through what they have thrown at that hill but they keep coming.
The place will start smelling if it gets warm.
Well, it is time to go to work.
We have rebuilt a jeep engine and have got it all in. The Ford timing gear didn’t fit the Willy’s so we
have sent a man out to ordinance for it. Hope the thing runs. I set the valves at .014. I sure hope hey
don’t get burned out.
Bruce
28
March 10, 1951
Sat
6:30PM
Dear Folks,
Got
a letter from Doc yesterday saying you are having a little warm weather. We are way up here by a mountain a mile high,
the highest in South Korea. Today was the first time I seen the top. It was cloudy here all day but the ceiling
raised high enough to see the top. Tonight it is clear and just getting chilly. Walked in my shirtsleeves all
afternoon. Took a shower last night and this evening. The unit was at service battery yesterday and while I was
back I took a shower. It moved up here today.
The war is still going on.
The last couple days there has been so much artillery going off we have to keep one man buys keeping the candles lit. Every
time one of these 155 goes off, it shakes the whole darn area. We are in a valley and the shells seem to rattle as they
cross the hollow. The little old muddy winding road up here is something to talk about. We tipped over our 2 ½
the other night and I got shaked up a little. Threw me in the creek and got all wet. We caved off a bank and rolled
over so fast we didn’t have a chance to jump. It threw me clear and I landed in the creek. Kugler was driving
and got pinned in the cab. I had to rip the top off to get him out. We usually have a big load of gas but we had
just got it unloaded and was on the way to pull some one else out of the ditch but never got there.
It rains a lot over there with all the snow I think Amos should get a set of oars. Boy,
will that town ever get a dowsing. By the time you get this letter the spring birds will be there. I hope you
have a better summer than you had last year. I sure hope I culd get out this place for awhile. Would like to be
home this summer for a little fishing but it looks like the officers are the only ones who will get to go home. They
always get the best end of the deal. If they pass that $50 combat pay as of June, I will have about $500 coming by next
month.
Well, there is no news over here. The old man said
I could make sergeant if I was working in the theater now. Can’t make any ratings unless you are working in your
military specification. I guess there are no 35mm theaters around here so I may as well forget the sergeant deal.
They want me in the Personnel Sect but those chair jockeys act like a bunch of stuck up Plutocrats. Well, my feet are
starting to get cold so I will quit.
Bruce
March
17, 1951 Postmarked envelope
30
March
21, 1951
Pursuit of Chinks in Korea
(1 of 3)
Dear Bob,
The financial deal for the pictures
is off for the present. However you can send a few pictures of Kannon to his folks. No charge. I am using
his camera at the present.
Well, we are back in the middle of things again. The
Chinks are just over the hill. We are set up in a nice place but there were some ripe Gooks that smelled up the place
until we got some of the honey bucket toters to cover them up. The artillery is making a lot of noise tonight and there
has been a heck of a fire fight over the hill about 800 yards. Some guy with a 50 cal has been really slinging lead
for the last hour. We can see tracers flying all over the place. There is the usual smell of hot battle in the
air tonight. The smell of gunpowder, burned buildings, dead, and burning hillsides all mixed into one that only a battleground
can have. We are moving along now at a fair clip. Passed through the ruins of several villages yesterday and this
place is really a wreck. There is very few buildings left and what are left are in pretty poor shape. I was up
front and took a couple shots today, one of a building burning. There was a lot of ammo inside and just as I got up
close, wham, all hell broke loose. Shrapnel was flying all over the place. I was too. I bugged out. I am
now sitting on a 10 gal can of king of alcohol back to the stove. Hope it don’t get a crazy notion to blow.
That would really do a nice job. The stove is real hot.
There
was VSO show around here somewhere today but never had time to go. Most of the infantry boys came walking past here
looking for it. From what I hear it is supposed to be very pretty good. I had two brake jobs yesterday. Walker
done three brake jobs and Kugler put a transmission in a jeep. Swabby fixed his brakes today at least he worked on them.
He is always tinkering up something that never works. Well shuteye time.
Sianata
Bruce
(start spell check here)
31
March 22, 1951
Somewhere close to
38 degrees in Korea
Handwritten date on envelope March 23, 1951
Dear Folks,
Wrote last night but no harm in
writing again tonight. That search light outfit moved up passed us today so I suppose we will have light tonight.
I guess they are out gunning for old “bed check Charlie” and his Maytag Messerschmitt. He came over again
last night and missed as usual. I guess the poor guy needs glasses.
I
worked all day today on a measly jeep. Pulled all the wheels, packed he bearings, put on some new brake shoes and adjusted
them. I have one wheel left. These jeeps with front wheel drive are a pain in the neck. These junk wrecks sure
are a lot of work. They have been run all over the Pacific and now we have them to contend with. I sure wish we
could get some new ones. The 24th is low man on the priority totem pole over here. I guess the Cov must be getting all
the good equipment. There are old Mac’s pride and joy so of course they the cream of the crop.
There is nothing here new. The front was quiet all day. Occasionally a 105 would
let go. No incoming “mail “ rounds. I think I hear old bed check now. I will just get to bed
and all hell will break loose. Happens every night. The stove is smoking again wind changed. We have a stove pipe
hole in both ends and keep switching the stove from one end to the other but in vain. The elements are too much to contend
with so we just stay satisfied with the smoke now. The radio is on Duffy’s Tavern, some polka is blaring out.
Swabby’s static box don’t work to hot. Pop calls it his groan box.
Send
his folks those pictures of him to his folds.
Mr. & Mrs. William Edenbach
19
Kendall St
Lawrence, Mass.
I have a good bed. Sleep on
a stretcher just like a cot. Well end of paper.
Bruce
32
(Not sure where this goes ) Just a note 5th of _____
No News
The Colonial here says we won’t rotate until the new men are fully broken into combat.
That can be anywhere from two days to two years. It is raining here today and because of the way the 24th rotating,
everyone here is “madder’n a wet hen”. I am going to write a letter to Cedric Adams, and by the way,
get me Senator McAurthy’s home address over here as soon as possible. We are all going to write our congressmen
and senators and let them why some of they guys that have been here six months are going home long before the men who have
ten months over here. Everyone is so hopped up about it they would shoot the colonial if they had the chance.
Was swimming in the Han again yesterday, was a little chilly but good after we were in awhile.
It was nice and clear but today the river is up. The navy bombed the floodgates on the dam so the river is up.
The stove is smoking so I can hardly see Kugler just built a fire and the radio has some long haired music blaring so I an
hardly concentrate. They gave me a new jeep but I didn’t want it, my old one is in better shape. I have
it all fixed up with two shocks on every wheel plus special springs I built myself. The engine uses oil but it sure
has the pep and the power.
As long as there is nothing to write I will close for now.
Hope the Mississippi don’t flood you out.
Bruce
The Air Corps is out in the rain.
33
March 23, 1951
Korea
(3
of 3 letters)
Dear
Folks,
Wrote last night but the envelope got a little wrecked so
I will put this in.
Had to on patrol last night didn’t see a thing as usual.
The searchlights had the whole area lit up. Got another jeep out here this morning. The thing sure is a wreck.
I have a time trying to keep up with some of the people.
This war is strictly for officers.
They sit at tables in heated tents and enjoy a nice meal while we sit in the snow and mud. The snow is all gone now
but we have mud yet. The roads are dusty now so we will be eating dust for the next six months. I sure hope we
evacuate this place in a hurry like. The more I see of it the more I dislike the place. We are out of the rough
mountains but some are just as high. This place is all hills, most are uphill. The INF boys sure have a rough
time of it carrying mortars and machine guns up the hills. We of course shoot over them but it is kind of hard
to throw hand grenades over some of these bumps. At the present we are firing about the distance from Grove to Rolling
Ground, the distance of about 9 miles so we will be moving today we are about out of range and it is time to go to work.
Bruce
34
March 28, 1951
Central Sec Korea
(1
of 2 letters)
Dear Folks,
Got
your letter last night saying the pictures were not back from LaCrosse so you couldn’t send them but I got the pictures
three or four days ago. You people are working from the wrong end of the week.
It
has rained here for the last few days. Made things kind of muddy. Lot of trucks and trailers in the ditch.
Things were nice and quiet until last night. We moved and came into position, set up the tent and went to bed.
Then all hell broke loose. Machine guns, rifles, mortars, and hand grenades. What a racket. Had to turn the radio
full blast to hear Bob Hope. We laughed at Charlie McCarthy theater night until my side ached. Sure was glad to
get the pictures. The radio on the tractor must be quite the thing. Some one is liable to latch onto that if you
leave it downtown.
The boys are having a bull session in here and I am having
hard time writing. The boys are telling how last winter they went and got some Sockipom and old woman then procured some eggs,
went in a church, broke up the seats for a fire and fried the eggs. Skidmore says we are wrecking his life. Went
out on a duck patrol but didn’t get any ducks. I guess we will have to stick to pheasant hunting. Well,
it is chow time and we are having steak. Had steak yesterday. Got a letter from Betty last night with pictures
of her and Barb Lobby from Westfield Wisc. I have seen her somewhere before. Swabby is back with his chow so I
have to take off.
35
Fri
– 13th (something)
Postmarked March 28 with other letter
(2nd
letter)
Doc, (Dad's younger brother)
Got your political letter an hour ago and have a little time
before I go on guard. Have the 9 – 1200 shift tonight. We have to be on the ball here all the time now.
The 24th and 25th divisions have 26 Chink divisions on front with us. You talk about racket when all this artillery
lets go those Chinks must really have good earplugs. E can hardly stand the racket here but just think of the noise
in the impact area. Those 155 the projectile is all there is to shove in the gun. You throw a bog of powder in
behind it and the primer goes in the breechblock. There are several types of shells and fuses. The V.T. fuse has a small
radio scanner in it and goes off about 20ft in the air. That way the shrapnel goes right down their foxholes.
These fuses fit all projectiles. We use a lot of white prosperous up at night. Burns hell of out those Chinks
and is demoralizing to anything with sight or hearing.
We had a hailstorm here and did
it ever hail. It rained snow and hailed all at once. I got all wet and cold caught one hell of a cold and spent the
day today in the sack. Had a temp this morning of 102 but feel good now. Had a couple of penicillin shots and
a hand full of aspirin and a hot drink of grapefruit juice and hit the sack so I guess I am pretty well boiled out.
The river here is up again. Their rivers go up and down by the hour. Sure hope it goes down soon.
You say sis has a stripe to catch up to me. I beg your pardon, she has two. A Sgt
in the air force is the same a Cpl in the ground forces. We have recruit, Private, PFC and Cpl. They have Pvt, Fpc,
Cpl, Sgt so you see there is a big difference. I can make staff Sgt here if I take a transfer to I corps but to leave
all your buddies and go to that rear echelon outfit I can’t see it. The want me to go back to the air section
but will be left off rotation. I would go to RTC if I knew it would get me out of this hellhole. The big guns
are just now letting go with everything but the kitchen sink.
Can’t
figure out why the infrared never came out. I think they used the wrong developer on it cause I used my slide rule and
figured almost every shot. I have a photographic slide rule. I had a lot of the dead Chinks on it. I figured
they should come out good. The LaCrosse outfit I think goofed up. When I have the time to take a picture they
always come out. I take pictures anywhere and everywhere so I can’t see why that infra red never came out.
All the pictures you send me get there in good shape. Send them more often. Well I guess I will end this for tonight.
Can’t see in here anyway.
Bruce
36
April 4, 1951
38th
Parallel
Korea
(1 of 2 letters)
Dear
Folks,
Moved this morning, got up 3:30AM and am sure tired tonight.
Was nice and warm all day. Hot in ways that is. There are more shells going over than you can shake a stick at. The
155 are about 2km back are firing right now over us. Our 3 batteries have been shooting up a storm ever since we got
here. The rounds are landing within sight. The 21st kicked off today but don’t think they will get to far.
Knocked down our tenet, put it up, wrestled gas drums all day, chased a rooster pheasant over
a mountain, washed up, changed a 2 ½ tire and I am all fagged out. The radio is going full blast and the stove
is smoking up a storm as usual. We have a big shell hole right in front of our tent. Every time an incoming round
comes in we all hit the hole. I hear they spotted the gun that is sailing them in and have an air strike on the way.
They will napalm it so we will see it from here if we get out and look. When we moved up here today they had an air
strike right over the hill about 600 yards out. They were corsairs and were they ever loaded. These napalm sure
burns things up. Went over this afternoon to see what they had done. Sure killed a mess of Chinks off and
burned up all their supplies. Coming back Swabby and I ran into a rooster. Pheasants tried to run him down.
Didn’t want to do any shooting because of our position. Well we didn’t get him. We are in a nice place
right here beside a creek. The Chinks had some camels here about 20 yards down the creek. One was wandering around
the area this afternoon while I was gone so I was told. They leave an odd looking track. Well am going to hit
the sack. Got to clean my carbine. Used in yesterday.
Bruce
37
April
8, 1951
Handwritten note on envelope: 38th parallel
(2 of 2 letters)
Dear Folks.
No good news, hope to be home by
the 4th of July. Am sending $120 and it will be enough with what I sent home last to buy an ironer. I had better see
one too.
There is a battery of 1553 right in back of us and every
time one goes off it shakes the place down. They will blow out a candle a mile away. No sleep tonight! Guard from 1:00
to 3:30 tonight. Will hit the sack around 8:30. I like that shift. You are rested up pretty good when it rolls
around and you get a couple hours sleep afterwards. They have giggles here in the tent tonight. We sure have a good time over
here. The sec do any..hl (gun went off) anything. When anyone comes monkeying around here we don’t holler halt
but once and then prepare for action cause we don’t shoot we use hand grenades. So far one North Korean, one Chink,
two dogs, and one cow to our credit. The North Korean and Chink sure got a surprise. They never knew what happened.
Today was Sunday and we took it easy. Took a bath in the creek today. Pretty cold
but felt good. We have Bob Hope on the squawk box. Have a hard time concentrating on writing. The boys run a barbershop
here today. They sure butchered up some Korean kids hair. Soup bowl specials. What hair cuts. Took
some pictures. Can’t think so will hit the sack.
Bruce
(Cartoon drawing on bottom of letter)
38
March 28, 1951 Handwritten on envelope
(Address
on envelope does not look like dad’s writing) Envelope & letter are tattered
Bob, (Dad's older brother)
Wow
is this place hopping today. The poop on rotation has came down. One of our sec leaves tomorrow morning.
I am No. 50. That’s a nice round number to have. I will probably spend the rest of my tour of duty in Japan.
Hope not but it looks rather probable. The guy that leaves from here don’t want to go Z.I. (?) If I could
get home this summer, I would find a good job in some camp close and try to get stationed there. Probably Camp McCoy.
Had guard duty last night and wrote a hurried note home. I was all hopped up; we had a
little excitement yesterday. While I was walking guard, the Chinks bombed the hell out of things. They always
pound hell out of some deserted valley and root up a lot of trees and never hit a thing. We caught a mess of them last
night sneaking around trying to evacuate some of their dead and wounded. We shelled them out. Caught around five
or six hundred the other night in a hollow, what a mess. We are having a lot of casualties here from mines. Couple guys
and six officers killed here today. Our mine detectors don’t pick them up. They area made out of wood.
I sent $120 home yesterday and I want to see an ironer in the house when I get home. Have
to go on patrol now.
Bruce
39
April 22, 1951
North Korea
Chopwod Secor
(1 of 2 letters)
Dear
Folks,
Owe you a letter so will try to get one off in the dark.
The last two days I’ve spend back at service Btry. Picked up two new jeeps from ordnance, packed all bearings,
greased them and checked them all over before issuing out. Had to drive one night after ammo 75 miles to Vijonbu.
I hate to drive the big trucks they seem so awkward.
Spring is here, birds and all. Today
was hot but the nights are cold and frosty. The mosquitoes, flies, fleas, ticks, and snakes are all here. The
stocks are sure getting thinned out. The Chinks and N.K.s eat them. I even found a crude made tray made out of
wood for catching sparrows to eat. I sure wish I could have sent it home. It had a root made into a spring and
by looking at it you would never thought it would work.
The 21st got relieved today, but
we ever get relieved. The 5th went on line and the 555 Field is supposed to support them but of course this colonial
of ours is glory happy so we stay on line. It is going to rain. In fact it is drizzling now so I suppose we will
move tomorrow. We always got march order (cs m.o) when it rains. I have 4 hours guard tonight too so I will be
good and wet by morning. By the way that 555 F.A. Bn is known to us as the fifteen cent outfit, they it the triple nickel.
Our guns just now opened up like all hell broke loose. We are right in front of some 155’s
and they darn near knock the tent down every time they fire. The shells clear our heads about 15 feet. I sure
hope they don’t have any premature bursts or it is good-bye us.
We
just were listening to the radio and I heard the first troops leaving for the States from Saselo Japan. The last guy
to get on the boat was Wilson from here. He was a cook and nutty as a fruitcake. Hope I can get out of here, getting
hot again and I don’t man the weather. By the way, had a birthday yesterday, the 4th one I’ve spent overseas.
They say here I will be home by the 4th of July. If I am, maybe I could send Bob a couple hundred and he could pick
me up in Seattle. We could stop at Yellowstone for a couple of days. I suppose you will be too busy haying or
something and couldn’t make it though.
Well, I will close this now as I
have written three tonight
Bruce M France
Got a letter from Betty. What
a racket she has got. That is what they are there for though I guess. Have been studying the new cars; have switched
to either Chevy or Pontiac.
40
April
29, 1950 So Korea
(Note wrong year on letter. It is the same lined paper
stock as letter dated April 22, 1951. Folds fit together also)
(Also
note So Korea & letter dated April 22nd, 1951 indicates N Korea)
Dear
Folks.
Haven’t written lately because we have been too busy.
As you probably know the Chinks mean businesses and they sure keep on coming. We are now sitting on the Han River, just
above the place where the two run together. I can almost spit in the both of them from where I sit.
The going has been rough the last week or so, no sleep or chow and the last few days it has rained
but cleared off this morning around 10:00 and I was wet fro two days. All is well now we have a fourth of the Chinks
killed that started the main drive but I suppose they will have reinforcements by tonight. I was up and watched them
strafe and bomb them and they die laughing. They walk right through the artillery and think nothing of it even if only
one gets through alive. The boys up here say they are doped as we have found opium on several.
The rotation has stopped and hoped to be home around the 4th of July but it looks like we may
have to win this thing first. I suppose we will have to whip China first. Sure am counting on the civil war, which
they say is about to start over there that will help us a lot plus the famine they are now having. If all hell would
break loose in China, old Stalin would have heart failure. If he would kick off we would declare a holiday and celebrate
then we would probably be sent home on rotation. This rotation plan was nothing but a temporary moral builder anyway.
We had 13 leave from here but I doubt if any more will leave until these Chinks have stopped this push.
Well, spring is here. Some of the grass is a good foot tall now. And I have been eating
onion for two weeks. At some real hot ones the other day and found out later it was garlic. I see some swallows
here this morning so I guess the weather will be on the hot side for a while. Wednesday I was swimming for the first
time this year. Was in the creek before but just washed up a mite. I have to go find out about guard now. Will
write more when I come back. Over….
Well, I have the 10-12 shift tonight
only two hours for a change. We got in some more replacements tonight so I wont’ have such along swing on guard
every night. I haven’t had guard for several night now cause I have been working almost every night. Helped
the engineers put up a pontoon bridge last night. I kept the generator and spotlights up. They have carbon arc lights
and I had done a lot of that so they put me on it. I was kept busy changing carbons. That generator runs 4-2 million
candlepower lights. They show up for 40 miles.
Well I have to go for some water
and wash up. I am filthy as the roads are dusty already. They were muddy this morning.
Bruce
Jets are bombing and strafing here
now but very little artillery.
41
May 3, 1950 (Note incorrect year again)
W-Central Front
Dear Folks,
Got three letters last night from Bob, Mom and Lawrence R. The mail hasn’t been very
regular lately but I got the pictures O.K.
Well, the Colonial in charge of
Div Artillery received a drop of 140 men but will not send none of us home. He says it will jeopardize his command.
The whole division received of drop of 800 and all the rest of the outfits are sending men but us that wound be about 10 men
from HQ ___ and I would be number 30 on the list. I am 40 now. If the colonial ever gets up where we are we will shoot
him so full of holes he will never have to be buried. The boys here are sure hopped up about it. It seems to me
that all the rest of the outfits would be endangering themselves but they are still sending men out. Some have only
been here 6 or 7 months but yet they are going home. I sure wish that joker would come up here so we could see him.
He would look pretty good over a set of rifle sites. Maybe I could make it home for Christmas.
I am sure glad to hear Doc has a job. He sure needed one and that kind of work is easy
if he could only get a steady job with them he would have a good deal. Maybe after the creek goes down there will be a lot
of work for them down around Lynxville. We hear all about the floods here on our radio. The Stars and Stripes
had some pictures of Prairie and downtown all under water. Maybe Doc can buy a couple buckets down to Gambles store
and make a lot bailing out cellars. I sure hope it doesn’t do too much damage.
The
Air Corps is having a field day over the hill here. They have spotted about 10,000 Chinks massing in front of us and
they are bombing, strafing, and rocketing them. Other than that everything is quiet. I hope the weather stays
clear so they can keep it up. The last few days have been hot so we all go swimming. The Han is as clear as a
crystal but a little chilly yet but that don’t stop us. I am going down for a swim in a couple hours if the situation
permits.
I sure wish you had weather there like we have here.
I seen some potatoes up the other day and we have been eating fresh ones for some time now. The flies are getting bad
but so far the mosquitoes have left us alone but they are pretty thick. Have to close this - noon chow, got paid this
morning. You had better have an ironer when get home.
Bruce
42May 21, 1951W-Central
SectorKorea(No envelope)
Dear
Folks,
Haven’t written for over two weeks cause I have been
so busy. The call me AC here now. I keep the lights going. I keep the generators going all night and I have
to up 3 or 4 times a night so I don’t get much sleep. In the daytime I run movies. I have a nice new RCA-400
16mm and it sure runs smooth. I am the only FCC licensed projectionist in the whole battalion and when I leave, the
52 loses its projector. The keep me hopping all the time.
It
is raining here tonight and has been raining off and on for three or four days. Last week it was so hot we could hardly
stand it. The engineers were going to blow up a Chink ammo dump on one of those days it was hot but didn’t have
to. She went off all by herself. Two Koreans got killed; the GI’s had gone for some caps to set it off when it
went. We were all ducking shrapnel all afternoon. The next day some guy came in from somewhere with a leg busted and
sticking out at a 90 degree angle form where it should. Then the next day another one came the same way.
We moved up yesterday and are still on the Pahon River. WE are moving again tomorrow morning
so they say. I sue hope the rain has stopped cause I have been wet for two days. I don’t feel like writing
so I am going to quit.
Bruce
Got a letter
from Barbara Chitwood yesterday and Lola Ewers the day before – get letters from them right along, got one from Lawrence
too and he seems to be having a hard time. KP and guard.
P.S. The river is up
43
December 17, 1951
Dear Betty, (My soon to be mother)
Well,
to begin with, I had a little tough luck today. Fell of an icy roof and broke about half my ribs again. Was trying
to put a high-tension line into a theater as the insulation was pretty much shot on the old one.
You ask in your letter what I do here. I have a desk with four phones that rattle continuously.
I put in theaters and make major repairs. I have five field men who are supposed to do the work but I go out on the
job to get out of the office. I also teach classes in this outfit. They found out I am a science instructor I
have a class now and then. Oh, forgot to tell you I have a secretary as of yesterday. Can she ever take dictation
fast, big words and all. She has an electric typewriter and can she ever make it hum. The only thing she
lacks is your looks and personality. What a prune face she is. She can sure yakty yak. I have the type of works
where concentration is a very vital factor and with the continuous racket she manages, the “top” is going to blow
one of these days. I would much rather do the work myself than put up with what she dishes. She is to darn efficient
as some things. One thing she can’t do is figure, not even 1/1. This morning I hadn’t unlocked the
filing cabinets, so in the process of tying to open one, she pulled it over. How stupid can one person get? Oh
well, will have to grin and bear it.
By the way, don’t be too positive
you are going to get a letter from me everyday as like the other day. I was in a position where I couldn’t so
I am sorry of the let down I had to give you.
I gather by your letter you are
very lonesome. Well, so am I. Was daydreaming about you when I fell off the roof today. Most of the time
I’m too occupied to get lonesome but I think of you a thousand times a day. Sue hope I can make that Sun night
date we have. If I don’t make it, it is because of bad roads. It rained here all day and froze so you know
the road conditions. Nothing is running here, not even the mail trucks so you may get this late. Hope not.
The piano here has been going continuous since I got here. The boys are sure good tht are
playing tonight.
The things you girls don’t talk about. Well,
it is a good thing I know the company you keep, as by the company I can almost hear the conversation. Here it is, almost
2100 and I haven’t ate supper yet. Guess I will have you cook me up a batch of cinnamon rolls, as I sure love
them. You told me you could make them. Don’t burn them though. I am still wondering about those slip
straps. Guess you will have to use some of your dad’s suspenders if they don’t hold. They have a girls
counter here in the PX but can’t stand the elbows so have never got to see what’s behind it. Sure hear a
lot of giggling though. Can’t see nothing funny!
Well
dearie, I guess I will say goodnight, God Bless you, Love and Kisses,
Bruce
M France
Post Script
Sure
hope you can decipher this. Please excuse the misspelled words. If you see any, let me know, as I will undoubtedly
make the same error again. Miss you more and more.
Tell Doc I can make it home and
that I got the check if you see him and say hello to Mr Doll and Ronnie when you are in the PO. I have wrote home once
I think since I have been here so I will let you be my source of information.
More
Love,
Bruce
44
December 1951
Ft Leonard Wood
Dear Brown Eyes, (My soon to be mother)
Well, you are giving me the Old
Mr stuff again. I don’t know how informal you want me but believe me I can really get informal. What do
you want me to call you? You name it and you’ll get it. Well, I am getting two letters a day now but all
written different days. I think they get a little behind in St Louis. I hope you are probably ahead of me by now
but I have a rough time getting these written. You know you are the best money saver I ever had. I spend every
night writing; don’t even take in any shows. That is, unless, something goes wrong with the projector. Sat morning
I leave for Chicago with six men for that Camp Ripley job. I am supposed to come back here but I don’t think I
will. I usually do as I please, as the army does not know enough about my job to say anything. They want to get
me in this 398th as an instructor but I will hardly think they will. All I do here is to get my mail and eat chow.
I sure had to laugh at your refusal on the strapless swimsuit. I don’t see how you
would ever loose one. Thousands of other girls do and don’t know why you should you. If you wear jeans I
will throw you in shoes and all. You said you were laughing and couldn’t stop right after sentence “I’d
loose it.” I think I know why. Now you can laugh a little more. Now I am laughing. What a picture
that would make. You with just your head out of water and a swimming suit out floating on the pond.
Say, If you quite in May, where will you work? Don’t leave the country too far or
I will have to move in with you when I come to call as I don’t want to have to just get there, kiss you good night and
leave. Sure wish I could get in McCoy and I would get you as a secretary. What a days work you and I would get
done. You could do all the typing I have in 20 minutes. My secretary takes off an hour for coffee in the morning
and afternoon. (I’m still laughing at that strapless deal.)
You tell that teacher Green Bay
is too far for me to drive every night. You probably can’t read this at all as I have my finger taped up.
Hit it with the hammer pounding the lock off the rifle racks. I have a pistol to carry. Don’t know how they
ever got me to hammering on the lock. They lost the keys.
You
know I do feel sorry for you having to put up with that office all day and then that cracker box room of yours. No wonder
you like to get home for he weekend. I like it out to your place. Seems so much like a home should be. You know
if I had a home like yours I don’t think I would ever get more than one hours drive from it. By the way, you never toke
me what you got the boys for Christmas. I suppose Wayne wants a rifle or something that costs about $50.00. You
know I would like a discharge for Christmas. Then we cold both find a good job. All the time I am writing this,
I am looking at your picture. Still laughing at that strapless deal. I am wondering what the pin is you have on
your collar. You are leaning up against a ford the same color as mine I think (not sure). Looks to me like
it was taken in Boscobel. Well dearie, it is getting bedtime. Do not answer this letter, as I will probably be
in transit until I get home and won’t get to answer. Sure can’t wait to get home. Until then, with
oceans of love and I remain yours truly,
Bruce
By the way, I like the Mr. Can’t wait till people start calling me that again. I
will be a civilian then again.
More love,
Bruce
See you at home I hope
