Spitball Army

Advent, Day 4: Mild enough to leave the heat off, yet not warm enough for the AC. #24daysofadvent

Card is untitled on the front.

Printed on back of post card:

GC-4 THE BATTLESHIP FROM EL TOVAR

Walking along the Rim of the Canyon from El Tovar to Bright Angel Lodge you look down upon the Battleship, which seems so near one can scarcely realize its great size and distance unless you should by chance see a group of riders on the trail below.

Card is addressed to Miss Lydia Craft, Urbana, Ohio, R.D. #3.

Text of written message:

Stayed at Bright Angel Lodge Tues night – The canyon is beautiful. Anna & Clarence O.K.

Ethel

Publishing information:

Distributed by J.R. Willis, Box 6665, Albuquerque, N.M.  Genuine Curteich-Chicago “C.T. Art-Colortone” Post Card (Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.).

Advent, Day 3: Brown sugar in my coffee. #24daysofadvent

[A note written at the top of the letter by Harry reads:
Mary, I am sending this to you so you can see what it is like at home now. You can see by the.]

Dec. 13, 1944 Wenesday [sic]

My Dear Virgil

Well, I thought you would like to know how every body was getting along. Well to begin telling the snow is about two feet deep this morning and still snowing and blowing and drifting. The mail man can not get through at all. The super highway is closed. There is no school in almost all the counties. We heard over the radio last evening there is one open in Pittsburg. I think the announcer said The Doorman School was open. I had to shovel the path to the chicken houses but the snow fell so fast it filled up so that was to be swept or shoveled out. It was easiest to shovel you see. I make Pup stay in the house so his cold will get better. Well Flupisd got sported back to camp in Mississippi on Tuesday in all the storm but Sis and her Boy is still with See they could not go. James could not get his car out you see he was going to take her down to the train. James can’t go to work, there is too much snow ever where. The deer hunters are stalled. This is one time they had snow enough for hunting. Say you tell Mary to write often. It takes one letter so long to travel across the world. We can have one letter coming while the other is going over. She said you was not getting your mail. I can not understand it. I write two or three times a week so I know there is a few letters some place. We got two letters from Kenneth on Tuesday. One was wrote on October 27 the other Nov almost one month now. Well we heard the news from latest Uncle Sams Boys are going right in that island. The way Kenny tells about that place they have plenty mud and rain. He said he took a bath in the pouring rain the other day. Well this will be all for today. This is Wednesday eleven o’clock, so write very soon. Lots of love to both of you. May God bless and keep you always.

By now.
Pop and Mom

Merry Xmas
X X X X

Exhibit 8: Robert Palmer (via Pat Marren).

Advent, Day 2: A pocket-sized hardcover of the poems of William Blake, found on the used-book cart at the library for 25¢. #24daysofadvent

[V-mail addressed to Ralph N., Richmond, California.  Return addressed to E.R.G., C.M. 3/C, 55th Battalion, Company D, Platoon 4, c/o FPO San Francisco, California. Envelope postmarked 25 December 1944 at 9 p.m.]

Dec. 15, 1944.

Dear Ralph –

I have 2 V-mails of yours to answer, so here goes.  Don’t know how we got overlapping.  In answer to some of your questions, I’m afraid I won’t be of much help.  In the Merchant Marine your pay varies.  Increases by leaps and bounds the closer you get to the front.  Over here they make right around $300 a month.  A good deal if there ever was one.  I don’t know much about the A.T.S., guess it runs along the same lines.  No, I’ve never stopped at Tahiti, nor anywhere near there, so I have no idea what it’s like.  No doubt it’s a very nice place though.  We’re still here on the same spot and don’t seem to have definite intentions of leaving too soon.  I do sorta expect to see you in at least three months anyway.  Hope so at least!  It seems this darned war will last a couple more years so I really expect to be coming out this way again soon after we have our leave in the States.  Oh well, I’d like to see some more of this world as long as Uncle Sam pays for the tickets.  Providing of course, that it’s round trip!  Say “Hello!” to your mother and don’t celebrate too much over the holidays.

So long –
Bud.

Advent, Day 1: A bag of leftover Thanksgiving turkey gristle for the kitty. #24daysofadvent

Card is titled: “U.S. Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C.”

Text of written message:

Dear Mom, Paul & Julia

Received your letters I will answer them later. Worked today – in mail dept. Tryed to find Fredrick Phillips and think I have located him the first place I went to was his Headquarters which is about 2 miles away. Will try some other time maybe tonight. Sure is getting colded tonight maybe we will have your cold weather. Your right Paul sure glad I am not out at Fort Warren. Let me know what outfit Gene gets in.

Regards, CKarsen

The man who worries morning and night about the dandelions in the lawn will find great relief in loving the dandelions.

– LH Bailey (1910)