April, 1944: V-mail and Boulder Dam

4-4-44

Dear Ma

I guess I ought to write you a letter so as you will know the army hasn't killed me as yet.

It is still tough going but maybe I'll live. I got into a nice argument with a S/Sgt this after noon and he tried to tell me my views of life were wrong. I told him I still didn't like the army wished to Hell I could have stayed a civy. I also told him I thought I was doing more in civiling life than I am in the army. He seemed to disagree with me but I told him I still had my opin  All in all he didn't like one word of what I said but the army. He ask me how long I had been in so I told him I was happy to say I was still a civy up to 4 months ago that burnt him. Oh well I still don't like it. 

You ask if getting into trouble with the sargs was the reason I was always on KP. The fact stands no, as yet I haven't really been in any trouble in the army but if I don't learn to keep my big mouth shut I'll end up in the guard house. 

They have been running us wild the last day or 2. We even have a class tonight around 7:30 I guess. We have so much time to our selfs we do a little sleeping once in a while. We got to sleep around 930 or 10 & then we don't have to get up till 430. They wonder why we go to sleep in classes & etc. 

Oh yes I made a 94 in a test on the machine gun & I field striped it in 1 1/2 minutes.

Well I have quite a bit to do so will close

Jack

Now we have our first V-mail. V-mail was a more efficient means of transporting letters from the front. The military provided a sheet of paper, then after censoring the letter they took a picture of it and shipped the rolls of film back to the States, where the letters were printed and mailed on their way. They measure about 4x6. Read more about V-Mail here. 

This letter was written by Jack's friend Carol Goodwin (remember Grandma Goodwin from earlier letters?) from Concordia, Kansas. 

On the top of letter are printed instructions: print the complete address in plain black letters in the panel below and your return address in the space provided. Use typewriter, dark ink or pencil. Write plainly. Very small writing is not suitable.

Below that, the censor's seal and signature, the addressee, Jack, at Buckley Field, and to the right the sender's address and the date:

#17166576

Cpl. Carol G. Goodwin

33rd Armed Regt. Base

A.P.O. 253 90 Postmaster

New York, N.Y.

April 5, 1944

The censor's date is 7 APR 1944

Dear Bill, 

Well, how's the old veteran coming along by this time? If you didn't know, I'm stationed "somewhere in England" and wish I were someplace else. We really can't kick too much, though. We have [censored] even though they're not so hot. I'm playing bull fiddle in a dance band now and I like it O.K. even though it does make us on duty 11 or 12 hours a day, since we play on an average of 10 or more dances in two weeks. It's pretty tough going. If we get a night off a week we're lucky.

Well, Bill, I sure hope we can get together again after this darn thing is over. Show those goldbricks back there how to shoot. Write again soon and maybe we can get into the habit again. Lots of luck. Yours, Carol

I hadn't heard the slang term goldbrick. According to Dictionary.com it means: "a person, especially a soldier, who shirks responsibility or performs duties without proper effort or care."

Carol G. Goodwin died in 2000 in Kansas. I couldn't find an obituary of either him or his wife Marjorie. It looks like they didn't have children. But, because we are an interconnected world, I give you the obituary of Carol's brother-in-law, Don (Carol's wife's brother). 

April 7, 1944

Dear Ma

I'll try to scribble a few words down to let you know I am ok.

You can write my dear uncle Wayne & tell him I detailed stripped a 50 cal. mach gun in 10 1/2 minutes. It's a pretty fast time infact I sort of busted up my hands working so fast. 

We went out & shot the 12 gauge shot gun today & had a lot of fun. We were out there 4 hours & shot about 50 times. I didn't do so good but hope I can do better next time.

We got payed last night so am very happy now. I only had a few pennys in my pocket so now I can use it. 

Don't bank too much on this but I heard we get our delays enroute. Thats a rumor but we like to belive those things & hope they come true. I'll really belive it when we get them but just hope until then.

School is still rough but maybe I'll get through OK but I am going to have to hussle to get it. The air craft rec. is really rough I guess I'll have to go night school a few night but I guess I'll live. 

I got a letter from Bo & she was happy about me getting a delay enroute so I guess she won't fell so good about me not getting it. I hope we do. 

Well I guess I'll close now

Jack

April 9 1944

Dear Ma

We we went to Bolder dam, & it's quite a place. It's more or less out in the desert or in the hills & is rather big. It did disappoint me though I thought It would be bigger. We did have it over the civys we got to stop & look & it, also walk over it. The civys only get to drive over it in a convoy. We stoped at Bolder City but it's not much, just a small quiet town. All together different from Vegas. The town is a government reservation so there's no gambling drinking or anything else for that matter. We walked through the town 3 times in 15 minutes & still wondered where the town was. Its smaller than Vegas (there) in fact they don't have much of a town just a very few stores.

We rode over in a G.I. truck, some of the fellows rode over in buses but I got a truck. It wasn't bad though. We had a sprinkle yesterday so there wasn't any dust blowing. We didn't have retreate [?] parade yesterday because of the wind & the dust & a hour later it calmed down & was a nice day.

April 10

I guess I ought to finish this & get it mailed I got a letter from Wayne today also a card from Bo & a letter from you.

We went out & fired the shot guns again today but I didn't do too good. I don't know what is wrong but I just ain't on the ball

The weather was fair today but still warm. 

Well I guess I'll close

Jack. 

Note: Boulder Dam was renamed Hoover Dam in 1947. The bill to build it was passed in 1928, and the construction project employed thousands of workers through the Depression. I'm surprised that Jack was disappointed in its size. It's an impressive dam! It's really an incredible feat of engineering, and if you ever visit Las Vegas, make sure to take the trip out there to see it! There's a tour and a gift shop, and civys can now walk over it!

Next: Finishing up at LVAAF

Closing out March, 1944: Working Hard

 

March 28 1944

Dear Ma

Ill write you a letter to try to clear up a few things about your letters. I think I have all the letters you have written me. The last one I got was a air mail it was mailed about a week a go so you see it doesn't pay to write air mail. Also I told you to jump nene about the address business well I guess I'll jump you now. You had the address on my letter letter wrong so I guess I'll have to tell you to be more careful.

We started to school yesterday & it sure is rough. They go over things so fast & you have to get them or else. We had the 50 cal machine gun and plane reconition. We had a bout 6 hours on the Mach. Gun & then had a test if we don't pass the test we have to go 2 hours a night for 3 night. It is really rough. We get up at 4:45 & get off at 6:00 PM & then have to go eat so we have plenty of time to our selfs. We have a little more than a hour at noon, and most of that is taken up by standing in line for chow & the remaining time is bunk fatigue.. by the time we have mail call & eat at night it is 7pm. Then a guy should review what hes been given out in class.

We are having a General come here for an inspection tomorrow so every one will be on edge & we will probable catch hell for everything we do. Oh well I am getting use to it so it won't make me any difference. It seems like I can't get use to this army life: I always am broadcasting when I should be turning in, it don't pay to try to tell a sgt. whats the right or easiest way to do something.

Bo ask me to have my picture taken so I'll explain it to you be for you do the same. They don't have any place to do such here on the post to you will have to stand fast until I get home.

Well I have to hit the sack so will close

Jack. 

March 29 '44

Dear Ma

I ain't feeling so good so this will probable be short & sweet.

I would like you to write Bo, Margaret, & Wayne & tell them that my getting a delay enroute would be very unlikely. In fact we were told this after noon that we wouldn't get them so I guess that's the way it stands. We also had a hard day today & then we got told off just a few minutes about the barracks being dirty & etc. All I call we ain't feeling so good tonight. We had quite a lot to do & then we had a nice hard hour of K.P. not K.P. but P.T. so my bottom sure is draging. 

I saw my old friend Clp [?] Johnson the fellow I told you about Xmass. He was shipped in here today. He was shipped out befor I left Buckley & went to Salt Lake. I sure was surprised to see him

Well it's rather late so I'll have to close

Jack

31 March '44

Dear Ma

Since I have been getting quite a few letters from you Ill write you one in return. 

I got a letter from Marg today – she didn't write much except about the baby so I don't quite get the score, but don't tell Nene. 

You say you don't understand why it is so warm here & so cold there. Well for one thing we are only 1,800 feet here & most of it around us is desert. We do have mountains but nothing on them. It gets cold here at night as there but it's hot as the devil during the day.

We took another test in Machine Guns today but I don't know how I did. I'll find out tomorrow & hope to gosh I didn't flunk it. We also had a test on sights too, I did it all right though – I made a 100. We have a test in it tomorrow too & hope I do as well but probable won't.

I got the candy tonight & thanks a lot. I do't know who made it but it sure is good. I couldn't quite figure out what it was – so small & heavy but I soon found out. 

We had it a little bit easier today but am still tired to night but can still move. We have quite a time but live, how I don't know know. Yesterday I swore I couldn't move another step & went out went through calcucentic & then run 3/4 of a mile but was next to dead when I got back. I went to bed at 8: o clock.

Well I will close now & get ready to to go to bed. We have a big day a head of us tomorrow which is Sat. 

Jack.

P.S. Take a look at the map a gain & check the distance from Denver there & here to there. 

Notes:

"Marg" and "Margaret" in these instances refer to his sister Margaret (Tuck). 

According to Google maps, the distance from Denver, Colorado to Las Vegas, New Mexico is 328 miles, and from Las Vegas, Nevada to Las Vegas, New Mexico, it's close to 700 miles if they drove Route 66.

It's the first time he used the military style of date format (date-month-year). Military jargon is starting to slip in, such as "stand fast," which he used in telling his mother he couldn't get his picture taken. 

And speaking of military: I haven't described much about what was going on in the war while Jack was preparing to fight. 

Just the week before these letters, Allied POWs took part in "The Great Escape." Seventy-six men crawled through a tunnel to escape the Stalag Luft III camp. All but three were re-captured, and many of those were shot. 

Another significant event that came as Jack was writing this last letter: the Royal Air Force was suffering huge losses when they conducted an air raid over Nuremberg. 795 bombers were dispatched; only 689 retuned. The British lost 545 men that night, while not causing much damage to their targets. They badly needed Jack and his comrades to get over there and help out.

Next: V-mail and Boulder Dam