Spitball Army

Card is titled: “H-3060 The Petrified Forest, Arizona (After Painting By Thomas Moran).”

Printed on back of post card:

In the famous Petrified Forests near Adamana, Arizona, thousands of acres are covered with the agatized fossil remains of gigantic prehistoric trees.

Card is addressed to Mr. & Mrs. L. Ekelman, 1916 Broadview Ct., Cleveland, 9, Ohio. Postmarked in Winslow, Ariz. on Mar 27, 1949, at 3:30 PM.

Text of written message:

3-26-49

Hi Folks:

We are having a wonderful trip. We saw these forests today

Margie Vondrasek

Publishing information:

Copyright by Fred Harvey / Fred Harvey: Hotels – Shops – Restaurants / 7A-H626

While the baseball-playing Cards are on my mind, I thought it’d be an appropriate time to dedicate a playlist to cards, those gaming instruments that don’t involve mitts or cleats or umpires.

Approximate playing time: 73 minutes.

1. Radiohead  “House of Cards” (2007)
2. O.V. Wright  “Ace of Spades”  (1970)
3. Eddie Vinson  “Old Maid Boogie”  (1947)
4. Chris Isaak  “Two Hearts”  (1993)
5. Michelle Shocked  “Blackjack Heart”  (2005)
6. Phil Harris  “The Darktown Poker Club”  (1946)
7. The Daily Flash  “Jack of Diamonds”  (1966)
8. Steve Miller  “The Joker”  (1973)
9. Tommy Edwards  “It’s All in the Game”  (1958)
10. Patsy Cline  “Turn the Cards Slowly”  (1955)
11. Mark Olson & Gary Louris  “Bicycle”  (2009)
12. Ryan Adams  “She Wants to Play Hearts”  (2002)
13. Bob Dylan  “Rambling, Gambling Willie”  (1962)
14. Anita O’Day  “Ace in the Hole”  (1942)
15. Shirley Bassey  “Diamonds Are Forever”  (1971)
16. Carpenters  “Solitaire”  (1975)
17. Judy Collins  “The Dealer (Down and Losin’)”  (1973)
18. Charles Brown  “Love Is a Gamble”  (1951)
19. The Rolling Stones  “Casino Boogie”  (1972)
20. Mofro  “War”  (2007)
21. Electric Light Orchestra  “Poker”  (1975)

Here’s a timely parting tune, because of “cards for sorrow, cards for pain,” and because it’s nearly Halloween.  “I’m Going Home” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975):

[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 4 May 1944 at 11 p.m.]

April 27 – 44
Australia

Dear Ralph –

Got your last letter a day after I wrote you so will answer this one, probably the last one I’ll write from this location.  Hope so anyway.  Been [CENSORED] loading up [CENSORED].  Not getting near enough sleep either.  Gosh you guys make them too big.  You don’t realize until you start filling one up.  Seems like there’s no end to it.  No Ralph, we very seldom get to visit down in the engine room with any of the crew members.  We are known to be quite a thieving lot so naturally the deck house is more or less out of bounds to us.  You can well imagine the situation if we were given a free rein.  All the food and liquor supplies would no doubt vanish overnight.  Nice fellows we are huh?  Well Ralph, write whenever you can.  “Hello” to your mother.

So long till later.
Bud.

Exhibit 1: The Monkees (minus Mike Nesmith).

The yellow neon Dollar Tree sign glows at night above plate glass revealing newly bare white walls: warning or sign of fellowship?

[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 1 May 1944 at 10:30 p.m.]

April 24 – 44

Dear Ralph –

Here I am, down here in good old Australia yet but I can say that it won’t be long now.  We are putting on the final touches now before shoving off.  Although we’d like to be heading for home, I’m afraid we’ll just have to wait till later in the year.  So you’re on the last of the old mud scows and will soon start on Victories, huh?  Well I guess you’ve got your belly full of working on the others.  It seems that you see one everywhere you look (that is, on the water anyhow).  Over here, one that broke in half is being used as a machine shop, the forward half.  Wouldn’t Henry J. like to see that?  Hope you don’t wear out all your 10% longies, I might want to mooch a pair up there in the cold & fog.  For the next few months, I won’t be needing very many clothes.

So long for now –
Bud.

Ah, Saraghina dances the rumba!! Watch for the kid ecstatically slapping himself in the face (at about 1:55). From Federico Fellini’s 8½.

Card is titled: “Vue du Chateau Frontenac de la Basse-ville / Chateau Frontenac Hotel as seen from Lower town, Quebec, Canada.”

Printed on back of post card:

Sur le rocher du Vieux Quebec sur le site de l’ancien chateau Haldimand, est un des plus agreables Hotels du Continent Americain.

On the cliffs of old Quebec, on the site of the old Chateau Haldimand, is one of the most charming Hotels on the American Continent.

Publishing information:

Pub. by Librairie Garneau, Ltee – Quebec, Canada.

Question: What do you call a gathering of ghosts?

Answer: [see above]

Approximate playing time: 58 minutes.

1. Explosions in the Sky  “Welcome, Ghosts”  (2006)
2. Drive-By Truckers  “A Ghost to Most”  (2008)
3. Howie Day  “Ghost”  (2000)
4. Erlend Oye  “Ghost Trains”  (2003)
5. The Specials  “Ghost Town”  (1981)
6. Neutral Milk Hotel  “Ghost”  (1998)
7. Patti Smith  “Ghost Dance”  (1978)
8. Marty Willson-Piper  “Luscious Ghost”  (1992)
9. Ian & Sylvia  “The Ghost Lover”  (1964)
10. Dave Brubeck  “I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You”  (2007)
11. Maria Muldaur  “The Ghost of the St. Louis Blues”  (2009)
12. Ron Sexsmith  “Ghost of a Chance”  (2008)
13. Ed Harcourt  “The Ghosts Parade”  (2005)

[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 14 April 1944 at 6 p.m.]

April 9 – 44.

Dear Ralph –

It’s Easter Sunday over here already but back there you guys are so far behind the times that it’s still Saturday afternoon.  I had planned on going out this week-end to try to take a few more pictures but the weather don’t look too good so I may stay in all day.  I guess I could stand it because lately I haven’t been getting too much sleep and rest.  Plenty of time for sleep though when we get on our way again.  Can’t really say the same about getting much rest if we go out on another job.  Who knows, we may even head for the good old Golden Gate before this year is over.  As long as I’m in this neck of the woods though I’d like to see some entirely new country.  May never have the chance again once it’s all over.  Well Ralph, take things easy, hope this finds you both well.

Write again
Bud.