Episode 38: T.S. Slip

Donald congratulates Feloma on selling War Bonds, and sends her a gift for their anniversary.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:15

Hi, Carson. How are you doing today? I'm good.

SPEAKER_01 0:18

Good. I'm happy. Happy, happy, happy. Yes. I'm so glad. We found some gems for this episode.

SPEAKER_00 0:25

We did. And I also have yet another book recommendation.

SPEAKER_02 0:29

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 0:30

Because no, I'm kidding. Yeah, I know, right? Like World War II is now my special interest. Who would have thought? Anyway, um, the book, it kind of ties into what we were talking about last episode a little bit, not really, but kind of. Um, it's a book called Spitfires. Have you ever heard of it?

SPEAKER_01 0:49

You ask me, and I tell you no every single time.

SPEAKER_00 0:52

Okay. So Spitfires is a first of all, Spitfire is the name of a plane that was a British plane, a single person, single engine fighter. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:03

Um, but was that a type of plane or somebody specific plane? Okay. It was a type of plane.

SPEAKER_00 1:08

Okay. So Spitfires is about how the United States would not have women pilots in the air forces. So for any job. And so um the UK was so hard up for pilots that they were like, hey, since you can't fly for your country over there, why don't you fly for ours? Are you serious? I'm dead serious. So oh, this is my next book. I'm telling you, it's incredible. It's so incredible. So all of these women pilots, okay from the United States. From the United States.

SPEAKER_01 1:49

How dare the United States do this to women?

SPEAKER_00 1:53

It's an incredible story.

SPEAKER_01 1:55

And they flew for Britain in the war.

SPEAKER_00 1:58

So I know. So they go through like a screening portion, they go through training, they go to England, and they fly in what's called the ATA, which is the auxiliary transport aviation or something. So what they did was within England and the UK, they would ferry aircraft that needed to go.

SPEAKER_01 2:25

Oh, they needed to air places planes from it was over here and they needed it over there. Yes. And they would fly the planes. Yes. From point A to point B.

SPEAKER_00 2:33

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

And there were- I wanted them to be fighter pilots.

SPEAKER_00 2:37

I know you did.

SPEAKER_01 2:38

I know that's where I thought it was going.

SPEAKER_00 2:40

Well, you know, sm baby steps.

SPEAKER_01 2:42

You know, these men keep us women down. Yeah. And we have to make little baby steps before we can take giant leaps and go to the moon, right?

SPEAKER_00 2:51

Exactly right. Baby steps. But it was a very dangerous job. Yeah. Because you want I'm sure you're in the air. It's dangerous. Well, in England, it's still a war zone. Oh, yeah. So they are flying in in a combat zone, although they're not flying for combat. What I found in there was a couple of points that I found incredibly interesting. One was there were like five different classes of airplane. Okay. So think like a single engine up to a cargo, double engine, yeah, whatever. You know, um, and what they did was they learned how to fly one plane from each category, but there were multiple planes within each category. Okay. So sometimes they would get there and they had never even heard of the plane, and they just had to quickly read the manual and then fly it somewhere. And they did. That's a woman for you. She can do anything. It's so incredible.

SPEAKER_01 3:42

And then they're because we women, we're smart.

SPEAKER_00 3:44

Exactly. And then also directions. Yes. We will read the manual. Yes. And how they also parlaid their maybe not so great upbringing or circumstance in the US to then they can reinvent themselves in the UK. They can be whoever they say they are. So maybe you're from Podunk Nowhere, but now you're hanging out with socialites. And you know, well, you're fancy.

SPEAKER_01 4:13

You can fly an airplane.

SPEAKER_00 4:14

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 4:15

And really back in the 40s, like that's when I don't want to say that's when they really took on a new life.

SPEAKER_00 4:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:24

You know, there weren't a lot of female pilots. No, women were not considered to be able to be pilots. Right. I don't know who established that, but whatever.

SPEAKER_00 4:33

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 4:34

And now they can do this. Right. You know, that's why Amelie Earhart was flying around the world to prove what a woman can do in a plane. Right.

SPEAKER_00 4:42

Yeah. It was, it's of course that didn't end well. Well, but you know that didn't end well because men didn't answer her distress calls. Of course. Right. So I mean, anyway.

SPEAKER_01 4:54

Why am I gonna help a woman?

SPEAKER_00 4:55

Yeah, besides the point. But it's an excellent book. There are some hilarious moments. There's some amazing personal stories in there. I highly recommend it if you are interested at all. I'm gonna get that one. In Pilots, World War II, Women's History. It's amazing. It's a it's a very wonderful.

SPEAKER_01 5:15

I do, I do I like I've just heard stories and whatnot of women in aviation and what it took to get them in a plane. And that wasn't ever easy.

SPEAKER_00 5:25

Right. Um, as a small tidbit, there's a story where one of the women to help to help cover her like lessons to make money, she would do like um, she was part of like a flying circus. Okay. And one of her acts I'm in. That sounds fun. One of her acts was like a fall strip tease. And so she would like buzz the field, and every time she would throw a piece of clothing out. Oh my god. And then when she landed, she would get out fully dressed.

SPEAKER_01 5:58

Of course she would. She's not an idiot.

SPEAKER_00 6:01

That's hilarious. To like make money so that she could do stuff. So anyway, it's it's a great, it's a great book. I've had it's just amazing.

SPEAKER_01 6:09

So I hope her name was Flying Brazil.

SPEAKER_00 6:12

I don't know what it was, but I just named her. Yeah. Well, there you go. That's a great name. The book is called Fires. A great way to make money. Yeah. That's great. So all right, and that's all I have for you as an update now. Okay. Yeah. Do you have anything for me?

SPEAKER_01 6:29

I don't think so.

SPEAKER_00 6:30

Okay. I'm good. All right, then we can just get into it today. Okay. All right. Okay. So we are on his adventures. Yes, we're on letter 127. And this is March 7th, 1944. Okay. All right. My dear Philoma. My dear Philoma. I received your letter of March 3rd. The letter came to me direct this time. Yay. I'm certainly glad to get letters from you, and I'm also glad that you're getting my mail regular now. I believe we will both have better and more steady mail here. Good. Listen, kid, it's rumored we're supposed to take our cruise about the 15th of this month. And if I talk about going fishing down the river, you will know I'm out in the ocean. I love that it's fishing. I know. Because for two or three days straight, I'll talk about going fishing. Do you get it? That's if we're able to write while we're going on it. 15 days can take you a long way. And they're giving the boys all waterproof barracks bags and everything. Oh, I'm sorry. And everything, in fact, is waterproofed, even the gas masks. If I talk about trout fishing, everything will be all right because I'll probably want to write and ask you if they're catching any trout. But if I talk about it's fishing or trout fishing. Right. Okay. But if I talk about bass fishing, bass fishing down to the river, you'll know that I'm on the cruise. Okay. So get the difference? See, they had they had a little secret communication thing going on. Yes. I mean, and and he goes on. Get the difference? If it's trout, I'm still here. And if it's bass and down to the river, I'm gone. Like, yeah, she gets it. You've explained it. You've now mansplained it. Yes. And also she has the letter, so it's an open book test. Like she can refer back to it.

SPEAKER_01 8:28

Like maybe he said it for himself.

SPEAKER_00 8:32

Maybe. Maybe he's kind of getting it in his own mind. I like that he's like, well, I could talk about trout because I do want to talk about trout, but I mean tis the season. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 8:44

I love he's like, okay, let me tell you, trout is here, bass is away. Right. That's so funny. I'm glad were his letters being um censored?

SPEAKER_00 8:56

Yes. Not yet. So why? I listen, I don't know what was going through that man's head. He hasn't had good sleep in a while. Okay, that's true.

SPEAKER_01 9:05

But I mean, if they weren't being censored, you could just pretty much say it. Yeah. Because this would have been censored. I know.

SPEAKER_00 9:11

I don't know. Chop, chop, chop. Okay. I'm glad Teddy wrote and Stella got it. I can imagine she was happy. So Teddy was the one that was in the POW camp. Okay. So I don't know where he's at now. I don't know if he's still in there or what, but anyway, she heard from him. So that's it. Okay. So Tony finally left. Well, that's too bad for Sarah. This war is really starting to hurt the families.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

That would be terrible. Every time you get a letter from Philemon, you're finding out more people are gone from home.

SPEAKER_00 9:45

You will see it over, I believe, pretty soon because the people are starting to get tired of this. I'm glad you wear your ribbon of merit. I bet you're proud. You should be if you're not. Did you buy a bond yet? So he is talking about um a ribbon for selling war bonds. So the treasury gave out certain like medals and badges and ribbons to people who had good sales numbers. You better have the paper sent to me here. Have them change it to my new address, will you? I'll look for your name in the paper. I see the other bond saleswoman's name in there. So yours should be two. And I have a picture example of one of those badges here. This is a big one.

SPEAKER_01 10:32

Oh, that's what she would have gotten. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

And you can see, like, it's kind of like the scouts where you more the more you do, the more like.

SPEAKER_01 10:41

So they were assuming you would only get three awards, and then you would just continue to get a third award, third award, third award.

SPEAKER_00 10:47

I have no idea. I don't know what this badge is, but this is a Bond badge. I don't know why there's, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:53

So would she have just worn that like on her sweater or on her blazer? Okay.

SPEAKER_00 10:58

On her jacket. Okay. So you're soaking your feet to cut your corns. Sorry.

SPEAKER_01 11:07

Yeah. Do you think she said I'm soaking my corns while I'm writing you this letter? You know what? Probably. It's so I know. Just oh, by the way, hun, I'm sitting here at the table soaking my feet. Yeah. And she was still working at the shoe store, right? Oh yeah. Okay. So funny.

SPEAKER_00 11:25

Well, after this is over, I'm gonna have to do a lot of soaking, and some of it isn't gonna be my feet either. All right. That feel it feels like a threat. My feet are in pretty good shape at the present. I haven't had a blister since I've been here. I have a couple of toes that I'm getting double nails on. I believe I'll tell you. Okay. I believe I'll have some trouble getting them straightened up. So a double nail. Is this a trigger warning? There was somebody out there who was like, you gotta warn me when you're talking about toes.

SPEAKER_01 11:58

Feet stuff.

SPEAKER_00 11:58

Yeah. Not yes and no. It's not super gross um or like gory or anything. If you have enough trauma to a nail, it will sort of kind of sprout like a tiny nail on the edge. Oh, on the edge. Yeah, on the top and on the edge, on like the outer side. It's protecting itself. It is basically protecting itself. It can be genetic. Um, but it uh that's that's not it. That's it. See that little baby nail on the end?

SPEAKER_01 12:27

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:27

Yeah, so it's not so bad.

SPEAKER_01 12:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:29

Yeah. Yeah. So it's not so terrible, but it's annoying and it can be irritating. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:37

I mean, his feet have been through a lot. Yeah. They've walked like 800 miles.

SPEAKER_00 12:42

Mm-hmm. We have a new expression around here now. In fact, two of them. Here they are. Uh-oh. When the sergeant hollers, he usually says, Come on, fellas, take off like a big ass bird. Or he will. I know, I know.

SPEAKER_01 13:02

I don't even know what that means. But I feel like they gotta get a running sword and start flapping their wings. Take off like a big old bird. Is that what he's a big ass bird?

SPEAKER_00 13:12

Big ass bird. Yep. Okay. Or he will say, fellows, take a deep breath and blow it out your ass. Both are great, by the way. I know. I know. You know he loved it. Oh I love that. They're giving some of the fellows furloughs here at the present time. Some that come down with me have gone home on furlough already. That is the ones that didn't have any from the first of the year. I would have had to have mine the 10th of January. If I would have had it in December, I would have got another furlough because it was the year before. Oh he missed it by a month. I know. Oh I know that sucks. Mm-hmm. That's what you call a TS slip, which means tough shit. Well, I mean, yes. So I did look it up because you know sometimes he gets things wrong. And um, it says a TS slip in world in World War II slang was a mocking imaginary tough shit ticket issued to soldiers who complained unnecessarily about trivial issues. I get it.

SPEAKER_01 14:26

Yeah, I mean, it's sort of like um if you have a baby in one year, you get a tax refund. If you have a baby in anytime during the year or December 31st, you get a tax credit for the whole year. Okay. If you have a baby January 1st, it's not last year's baby. Right. It's this year's.

SPEAKER_00 14:46

Yes. It also, this was funny to me, it also is closely related to the phrase blow it out your barracks bag.

SPEAKER_01 14:53

Blow it out your barracks bag.

SPEAKER_00 14:54

Basically, like suck it up.

SPEAKER_01 14:55

Suck it up. Sorry, doll. TS. It was much nicer than they just instead of saying tough shit, they were like, TS. Yep, TS slip.

SPEAKER_00 15:08

I believe we're getting pretty close to combat though, which is called ATC or allergic to combat. Ha ha. Now he's half right. Okay, so I looked this one up. And ATC is actually for the Air Transport Command, which was um an airlift component during World War I or World War II, excuse me, that like moved troops and equipment around. So like logistics.

SPEAKER_02 15:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 15:36

But because that's what they did and they weren't like combat, they called them allergic to combat. ATC. Okay, so anyway, it must have just filtered down. Well, dear, I'm glad you're getting my mail and keep up your good work. I like to get your nice long letters. Well, take it easy. I remain as ever yours. Love and kisses, Donald. Oh.

SPEAKER_01 15:59

That was a good letter. There was some funny stuff in there. Take off like a big ass bird.

SPEAKER_00 16:06

Like a big ass bird. I love that. And I also like blow it out your barracks bag. It's funny.

SPEAKER_01 16:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:11

Like, okay.

SPEAKER_01 16:12

Take a deep breath and blow it out your ass, baby.

SPEAKER_00 16:18

That's funny. Obsessed. It's good.

SPEAKER_01 16:21

We like that, Sergeant.

SPEAKER_00 16:23

Yes. All right. March 9th, 1944. My dear Philoma. Well, kid, I finally arrived up at my company, and everything so far is not good. It never is when he lands. No. You know how it is when you're moving. There are about five fellows that was in my company at a dare are here in this company, but they're in different huts. I didn't write yesterday on account of packing and getting ready for the parade that we had today. I expect to get a malaria, typhoid, and tetanus shot in a day or so, and it's pretty definite we're going on a little cruise. I received your letter tonight that you wrote the 3rd of March stating that you received your field jackets and everything. I guess I wrote and told you about it before. I don't know if I'm going to like this or not yet. Boy, it's awful tough moving into a new outfit when you don't know anybody and everybody looks at you as if you were a convict or something. It's really hard right now. My morale has dropped completely. They took some pictures of the parade today, and if I can buy some, I will and send them home to you. Well, kid, I'm not exactly settled as yet, and I can hardly write in this hut. There are two sergeants in it with me. I would get a break like that as usual. Well, kid, take it easy, and I love and miss you as ever. Love and kisses Don. Poor Donald. I know. He's just scut it so hard. I know. Well, he doesn't like not having friends. Yes, but he will make some. You know how he is. Chatty Kathy. I'm just like Donald, I get it. So I'm not exactly sure. We looked it up, and there was a graduation on March March 10th at San Luis Obispo for the 81st Infantry. Now he's talking about he did it the 9th, you know, the the parade. I know. So I don't know if like there was a parade on the 9th and they did it the 10th.

SPEAKER_01 18:36

I do think he knows what he's talking about because he said it was going to be on a Thursday and we looked it up. That the 9th was a Thursday in 1944. So we do know that he did a certainly did a parade that day. I don't know if there were parades on both days, the the ninth and the tenth.

SPEAKER_00 18:57

Um the reason we're confused is because we found pictures on the 10th of people receiving like their certificates and stuff. From San Luis Obispo. From San Luis Obispo, the 81st division.

SPEAKER_01 19:09

So it's what he says he's doing. Right. But the date he gives is the 9th, the date of these pictures says it's the 10th. Yeah. Same year, one same.

SPEAKER_00 19:20

Same place, same division. So I don't know, but I do, I don't have pictures.

SPEAKER_01 19:25

And we're crazy enough we looked at all the soldiers up close to see if we could find Donald.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

We did. We really tried. We zoomed in. Um, I will post some of those pictures anyway, because it's the same time, place, and unit.

SPEAKER_01 19:38

It's the same thing that he did. We just don't know if he was in that that day or the day before.

SPEAKER_00 19:42

Yeah, I just don't have actual pictures sent from him. So anyway.

SPEAKER_01 19:46

Yeah, he can't take pictures of himself. They didn't have selfies then. No.

SPEAKER_00 19:53

Okay. Next letter, March 10th, 1944. My dear Philoma, well, another wicked day has passed, and I'm pretty well done. Another wicked day has passed. Wow, Donald. I received my pay last night, and I signed the payroll for this month tonight already. Well, kid, it's pretty definite that we're leaving for our cruise next Wednesday. I guess we're coming back though. I got a rubber suit issued to me today. I also received my three shots that I was expecting, and my arm is a little sore. That tetanus and typhoid makes your arm awful sore, I guess. We're getting shots for yellow fever and malaria too. Boy. I know. It's coming. It's coming. Also, typhoid does hurt. Tetanus hurts. Yeah, tetanus hurts. My god. I gotta go get mine. Oh yeah. Um, I don't know if you want to disclose semi-health information. Carson got like four vaccines at once this year because she's a trooper, two in each arm. I it it did hurt. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 21:05

Brave. Apparently, I was behind on some immunization. And I still have to get another one.

SPEAKER_00 21:12

I know.

SPEAKER_01 21:14

I do have to get my tat in a shot because you only have to get that every 10 years, but I am due. Ouch, girl. I know. I don't want to go get it. You have to. I you know, I'm always walking on rusty nails, so listen. The thing is, I don't care.

SPEAKER_00 21:30

It doesn't have to be a rusty nail. I'm gonna get it. I I say this with all the love. You're a bit clumsy. And if someone's gonna step or get scratched on something, it's gonna be you.

SPEAKER_01 21:41

A hundred percent. Yeah, I'm not a bit clumsy, I'm completely I'm like a giraffe. I'm a baby giraffe who can't walk, she's got all these long legs, and know what to do. You do have long legs. I do have long legs.

SPEAKER_00 21:53

I'm a tall girl. Boy, this is a tough outfit. They expect us fellows to know as much. Of fellows that have been in for two years. Boy, it's awful tough. I can't seem to get caught up. It's 11 now, and I should be in bed. He's tough on himself. He is. He is tough on himself.

SPEAKER_01 22:14

Well, he doesn't want to be the weak link, the weak doesn't link ever.

SPEAKER_00 22:17

You are absolutely right. He does not.

SPEAKER_01 22:20

He he does not want to be the one that doesn't get it done. So. And by the way, why would anybody still be there after two years?

SPEAKER_00 22:29

The the 81st moved around. Okay. Yeah. So they had.

SPEAKER_01 22:36

I mean, were they in the Pacific and then they came back? They could have been.

SPEAKER_00 22:40

Really? Yeah, they could have been. Because remember that one guy was from Guadalcanal and came back for training and stuff.

SPEAKER_02 22:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 22:48

But I know that the 81st moved all around the country for different training. They had like a crazy amount of training. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 22:56

Yeah. Well, look at me, not knowing something.

SPEAKER_00 22:59

Well, I mean, they were in like Tennessee, they were in New Mexico. They were all over the place. Oh, Lord. Okay. Tomorrow we're having a big inspection, and I guess they're kind of rough. So maybe I'll be on KP Sunday. I'm thinking okay, he says tomorrow.

SPEAKER_01 23:18

Oh, this is the 10th. Never mind.

SPEAKER_00 23:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:20

Because that's when all those pictures were taken. That's what I was thinking of.

SPEAKER_00 23:23

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:23

I was like, but I think in some of those pictures it was like an inspection.

SPEAKER_00 23:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:27

I don't.

SPEAKER_00 23:28

Maybe it took him two days. I don't know. Yeah. Okay. We really have a swell first sergeant here, though. In fact, he's the best I've seen yet since I've been in. Well, kid, I have a lot to say, but I just can't write. Maybe in a few days I'll be able to catch up. So, kid, if you don't hear from me for about 15 days, you will know what's up. Loving and missing you as always. Love and kisses, Don.

SPEAKER_01 23:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 23:57

Okay. So that was the 10th.

SPEAKER_01 23:59

That was a short letter, but he did sound busy. He sounded a little stressed out because he was busy. Like he's moving, things are changing, he's got to learn some stuff. And he's like, okay, I gotta write this letter. You know, I gotta learn it. You gotta get into the new groove. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I get it.

SPEAKER_00 24:16

But then this one is March 11th.

SPEAKER_01 24:19

He had a moment to write a letter. This is he was a dedicated writer, Katie.

SPEAKER_00 24:24

He was, and this is kind of a long one. Okay. March 11th, 1944. My dear Philoma, another day has passed and I received three letters from you that were dated the first, and the other two were dated the sixth. I imagine it will be four or five days that you won't receive any mail because I didn't have any envelopes. I mean He had all those stamps and no envelopes. Exactly. I mean airmail envelopes to write with. And tonight at mail call, I got three letters back I wrote to you in the last three days. So I know you won't get any mail now for about five days. So disgusting.

SPEAKER_01 25:06

What happened? Did he they were the they weren't airmail envelopes?

SPEAKER_00 25:11

I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_01 25:13

Oh. That's terrible.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

It is terrible. Listen, kid, don't send me any packages till I tell you to. In one of your letters, you wrote and told me that you sent a package. Well, I wish you didn't, because I really have no room for it at the present time. I believe on this cruise I won't be able to write to you, and we won't be able to receive any mail for those 15 days. So have patience and everything will be okay, I hope. This is only the beginning for them. Oh I know. I'm in the hut all alone tonight, and it's damn lonesome.

SPEAKER_01 25:51

Aww.

SPEAKER_00 25:52

I'll tell you, to be going through all this shit, and then when Saturday comes, I have nobody to talk to that I know. I don't think you can hardly realize what it is. It's almost like you went down to the cabin alone and stayed there. You don't hear a sound, and it's so dang still that you begin to hear things.

SPEAKER_01 26:11

That's so funny, Katie. I know. He's such a people person. He needs people.

SPEAKER_00 26:17

He is the he is an extrovert. He needs people. The thought of a quiet cabin after all that madness would be delicious to me. I get out of here.

SPEAKER_01 26:27

First of all, you know how he's like, I never have enough time. I never have enough time. Right. Dude, you have a whole cabin to yourself. Right. And when I say cabin, I mean austere tent. Right. Uh a nice hut. Yeah, it's a it's a fancy hut. Um, but it's like you have that. I would, I would like I'm an extrovert. I love people, need to be around people. But if I had a few moments of a of a room by myself to think I would just embrace that and be like, whoo, look at me in all my space. Yes, you know, yeah, like I'm fine. But this is a new experience for him because he's been surrounded by people for six or eight months now. He doesn't know how to be in one with his thoughts. He doesn't, he doesn't. He's got all his big feelings right now and he doesn't know what to do with them. Exactly. He can't play craps by himself, Katie.

SPEAKER_00 27:22

He cannot, no. I don't want you to come out now, dear. I really don't know what is gonna happen. You know, this camp is what's called a staging area just before you go to a POE. That's point of embarkation. Yeah. Yeah. So, kid, I wouldn't want you to come out with all the confusion that's going on here. It's even possible that we don't come back off this cruise that we're taking. I really don't know.

SPEAKER_01 27:50

That would be scary. You know, it's interesting because I wonder if she said in one of those letters that he just received from her, hey, do you think I can come to California? Right. You know, because I feel like that's what she said. I bet she's chomping at the bit. Yeah. Yeah, she's like, Oh, it's only 200 miles from Hollywood. I'm in. Yeah, I'll see you there. I'm going, I'm going to I'm going to almost Hollywood. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 28:15

Today I had to make a full field inspection three times. I had to mark my clothes all over again. And boy, what a job that is. It really drives you about nuts. Do you think he had to like lay out all his gear?

SPEAKER_01 28:30

And they had to like inspect it. Okay. That's a lot of work.

SPEAKER_00 28:35

Sometimes I don't see how I hold myself together. They even tell you when to eat and shit around here. I really believe prison would be better. I believe this with my heart and soul.

SPEAKER_01 28:51

Oh, woe is me. Oh my god. Prison's better than this life. No. There are people in prison. I'm here by myself. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 29:00

I've already done all this.

SPEAKER_01 29:03

Oh, Donald.

SPEAKER_00 29:04

So Tony Zangara landed up in the Great Lake boot camp in Illinois. So uh letter ago or a couple letters ago, he talked about so Tony left. That's Tony Zangara. They sent him a Christmas card. I was gonna say that sounds like the Christmas card people. I wonder how he's taking it. That's too bad about them fellas getting over in Italy. That's pretty tough to go over there, and I mean damn tough. You will see something take place down in the Pacific Islands, which it in the next two or three weeks. You just watch and see if I'm not right. They'll knock the shit out of those Japanese, and it's not gonna be far off either. So just watch the papers and see if I'm not right. After you're in the army a while, you can see things a lot different than when you're a civilian. So I don't think he's right. I'm like, what happened? Yeah, so I found two big battles in the Pacific, sort of in the time frame, but they're not close. Okay. Yeah, so the one actually started in February, so I don't think he's talking about that because we're in March. Although it did start at the very end of February. Okay. Um, and that's the Admiralty Islands campaign. Um, and that's where we took over those islands and the Japanese were occupying them, so we came in and kind of kicked them out of there. Um, but that was long and it took until May to fully like secure that. Wow. Okay. Mm-hmm. Um, and then in June there was the Battle of Saipan, which was very important, but it didn't happen until June. So the Japanese kind of filtered down, and Saipan is part of the island chain that like Guam is a part of. And Guam is at the is the most southern island. Um, and so they had come down and taken all those islands over. So we came in and got Saipan back, and then we filtered down and got Guam back.

SPEAKER_01 31:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 31:04

Yeah. Um, so anyway, those did happen and they were very important, but I I don't think they happen when he I don't know what he's talking about.

SPEAKER_01 31:15

Well, he thinks he has insider information.

SPEAKER_00 31:18

He he does. He's wrong.

SPEAKER_01 31:20

That's weird.

SPEAKER_00 31:21

Yeah, that's so weird. Yeah. Okay. Your letter that you wrote the 6th of March was a dandy. And a dandy. And a full five pages. Ooh. And boy, that's what I like because that's all I have to look forward to. The last four or five days, it's been up around 70 to 80 degrees. It's really warm now, and a lot of the fellas got real damn good sunburns. As I told you, someone stole my field jacket. Well, you know, I don't let them get away with that. I just took somebody else's. Donald. But it's a size 40. And I'll have to try to see if I can exchange it at the supply room. I don't know. This one is just magically too big. It just I don't know. I stretched it out. I don't know what to say. Oh, if they don't change it, I'll just use it. It only looks as though I have a shelter half on anyway.

SPEAKER_01 32:25

Too big or too small. Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 32:28

I haven't wrote to Barney as yet, and I'm awful glad that you write to his wife. Did you ever write to Heberling's wife? I wrote a letter to Heberling the other day, though. So you thought you were a big shot driving around in a Lincoln with a fur coat. Ha ha. Well, philosophical.

SPEAKER_01 32:47

What did we miss?

SPEAKER_00 32:48

I know. I don't know what the context of that is, but it's very exciting.

SPEAKER_01 32:52

Oh, Lincoln. Ooh. I don't know what a 1944 Lincoln would have looked like, but cool.

SPEAKER_00 32:58

I know. Good for her in a fur coat. With a fur coat. Yes. I'm obsessed. I'm sure it felt correct. I'm sure it looked correct, too. Very good, yes. I wonder who she was with. That's hilarious. I know. I'm sorry to hear that mom had to go up and have her legs fixed. Them varicose veins are nothing to fool with. So you correspond with Millie regular. And if so, how does she like it? I bet she doesn't. I don't know who Millie is. I have no idea. I must be somebody's wife. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:33

I was thinking I was thinking her her, you know, the way back when there was a picture of her with her three friends. Right. I was thinking one of the Margaret. Yes. Margaret and Tilly.

SPEAKER_00 33:43

And you got Millie. There you go.

SPEAKER_01 33:46

Yeah, I mean hey. Hey. I merged them. You merged them. It must be somebody's wife.

SPEAKER_00 33:50

Yes. I'm wondering if she got a job doing something with the war effort or something. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 33:56

I'm still like, I can't imagine writing a letter to a stranger's wife. Like, like I get that these are Donald's friends. And I don't know. It'd just be weird sending a a message to the air. To the ether. I know. And seeing what you would get back. I don't know. It's just weird to me.

SPEAKER_00 34:17

It is weird, but at the same time, I think it's nice to have that kind of camaraderie, like, hey.

SPEAKER_01 34:22

Girl, I know what you're going through.

SPEAKER_00 34:24

Yeah, they're we're in this together. They're in this together. How are you doing? How are you handling it? You know, I mean, I get it. Then he says, Herky is behaving himself okay. Oh, excuse me. And that's all. And then we move on. So she must have asked, like, is Herky behaving himself? She.

SPEAKER_01 34:44

She's she's she's a little forward. Oh well, she's a married woman. She knows what she wants. She does what she wants. I like that he just says it and like we're done.

SPEAKER_00 34:54

Yep. I wish you would send me one of Barney's wife's letters sometime. Just stick it in the envelope when you're writing to me. I would like to read it. This outfit has a lot of crackpots in it. There's about six or eight fellows who can't read or write. Wow. Mm-hmm. They're all good fellows, but the intelligence is not as high in this division as it was out of Adair. It's kind of tough in these huts. You don't have much room, for they're only about the size of our coal shanty. And you have to put your canteen by your bed if you want any water, because the water is about a city block from the hut. So it's dang tough drinking out of a canteen all the time. My barracks bags are about six inches over my head when I'm sleeping. You sort of have to sneak through your clothes when you get in bed so you won't knock them down. Yeah. Sounds tight. I was going to ask you this quite a while ago. I'd like to have your idea on how long you civilians think this war is going to last. Try to give me an idea. We really don't know what's going on every day, but once in a while we get a paper and then we can sort of figure it out ourselves. Just about what's going to happen in the next week or two, but I haven't heard a radio in months. I'm going to stick the letters that they gave back to me tonight in another envelope and send them to you. Because the envelope I know will give you a laugh. And I guess that's why they wouldn't send them. So he's talking about the letters that came back to him. Yeah. Yeah. Um, and I have these envelopes and they have like cartoons on them. Yes. What like what kind of envelope is it? They're regular envelopes, but they have like cartoons printed on them.

SPEAKER_01 36:52

Oh, that's funny.

SPEAKER_00 36:53

Yeah, I'll show them to you.

SPEAKER_01 36:55

That's funny.

SPEAKER_00 36:56

Yeah. You have the envelopes?

SPEAKER_01 36:57

Mm-hmm. Okay. Holy cow, Katie.

SPEAKER_00 37:02

They're very busy, and I'm wondering if that's why they got sent back. They're kind of hard to they are very hard to read. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:10

Oh, look at that green envelope. Look at that honey on the green envelope. I know. I'm sure Philemon wanted to get that. Yep. The bus, the PX. Hold on, hold on. Go to back to the red one. That's Donald on KP. Oh, yeah. He's watching all this, and it's Sunday. Yeah. He's watching all the dishes on a Sunday. So upset. So upset. See, I think that oh, that is Donald thinking about Philoma. She looks angry in that cartoon. The bullet whizzing by.

SPEAKER_00 37:43

Yeah. The first one, the blue one. Go back to the blue one. He has written, it says camp. He has written abyspo under it.

SPEAKER_01 37:52

Where? Oh my gosh. He did write underneath it. Yeah. Look at the C Jeep. I know. I'm hilarious.

SPEAKER_00 38:01

So you can see them. Oh my gosh. That is hilarious. Yeah, they are funny. But I do, I do think they were so busy that they were like, I don't know what to do with these. We're just gonna send them back.

SPEAKER_01 38:11

I mean, he did write. If you look, it says airmail. He wrote on there.

SPEAKER_00 38:16

He wrote air mail. That doesn't mean anything. He he took the stamp off. I'm sure he did.

SPEAKER_01 38:21

He look at it. There's no stamp on it.

SPEAKER_00 38:22

Oh yeah. He's like, oh no, I'm not wasting.

SPEAKER_01 38:24

And no, I can see him saying I'm not sure. The place it was. Yeah. I know. The stamp is missing on all of them. Is that Pennsylvania?

SPEAKER_00 38:33

Yeah, Penna is Pennsylvania. Of course it is. Why didn't I know that?

SPEAKER_01 38:39

That is hilarious. Those talk about of the time. Oh, I know. How interesting. See, kitty, you have all these artifacts. I know.

SPEAKER_00 38:50

There's so much to look at. I know. That's the thing. They are very busy.

SPEAKER_01 38:54

They are very busy. It's really worth. I know a lot of people don't have Instagram. It's worth get your friend with Instagram to send it to you. It's so funny.

SPEAKER_00 39:07

Those envelopes are crazy. Okay. I just came back from the post office and I couldn't get any airmail envelopes there. But they had these plain stamped envelopes, so I got some of them. Don't send me any envelopes though, because I imagine they'll get some in a few days. Well, kid, I believe this is about the longest letter I've ever wrote in my life. Here's hoping you enjoy it. I remain as ever yours, Love and Kisses, Don. That's it. Mm-hmm. Yeah, no, no PS. Okay. All right. The next letter is Sunday. There's no date, but the last letter was the 11th, and Sunday was the 12th. So I'm assuming it's the 12th. Okay. Okay. All right. My dear Philoma, well, another day has passed and I received two letters from you dated the 8th and 9th. So I'm getting the mail pretty regular now. I'm sorry that I wrote that letter to you about me not writing because your one letter that I received today was the answer to it. And by the writing, it looks as though you hurried up and didn't care that I wrote to you. And that's not good. So what do you say we bury the hatchet? I don't know. Oh my goodness. I don't know if she just wrote it very quickly and was like, Yes, everything's fine. Have a great day. Bye. You know, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 40:31

She probably did. She had a little spitfire in her. She did. For sure. For sure. She was like, okay, I'll make my point, sir.

SPEAKER_00 40:40

Exactly. You know what? She probably did. She said, okay. That's where you get it from. She said, Don't play with me.

SPEAKER_01 40:46

It comes, it comes to you, honestly, Katie. You're like, I'm not gonna play games.

SPEAKER_00 40:52

Don't play with me. Yeah. Don't play with me. No. Anyway, I sent you a little present last Friday for your and my anniversary, and I hope you like them. There isn't a heck of a lot that a fellow can buy around here, but the one I got to match your bracelet, so I hope it's the right color. I wish you let me know if it does or not. I wasn't going to write and tell you about it. I thought I would surprise you, but then I thought I had better let you know in case you didn't receive it. Hold on. He's like, let's bury the hatchet. And oh, by the way, I sent you a present. Exactly. No, seriously, 100%. He's like, I sent you something. I'm sorry. You forgive me now, please. Yes, I uh I bought you something. He's like, How about we bury the hatchet? Yeah, it matches your bracelet. He was also in the doghouse. I know. And and two, he got her two things.

SPEAKER_02 41:47

I love that.

SPEAKER_00 41:49

I had it insured anyway. I only hope it gets to you before this letter does. I've been washing clothes all day, and boy am I tired. Talk about dishpan hands. I got them.

SPEAKER_01 42:02

Oh, good thing we had that that carp the uh cartoon letter.

SPEAKER_00 42:07

Oh right, exactly. Listen, kid, I guess I told you about it before, but I won't be able to write on this trip, and we won't be able to receive any mail. I guess it's for our own safety. I guess I'll have to send my sweater home and my dark colored overseas cap. They won't let you wear them around here. Boy, I never saw such a strict camp. There are a lot of fellows from Pennsylvania here. Dang good fellows, too. Only the best. Only the best from Pennsylvania. How about that? You betcha. Sorry, the other 49 states. Right. I also received the paper and I didn't see your name in it for the bond merit pin.

SPEAKER_02 42:48

Mmm.

SPEAKER_00 42:49

Interesting. He's defending his woman. Mm-hmm. What took place between you and Dad? Did he give you hell or something? I hate to hear those things, but whenever something like that happens, I want to know about it. So from now on, when a commotion comes up, let me know. A commotion. Don't write and say something happened and not tell me about it. Do you hear? I'm gonna send you the insignia for our outfit. I got some tonight, and the other insignia is the fourth army insignia, the red one with the white clover leaf. Well, kid, it's about time to go to bed again. I'm all alone today, and that poem you sent me was a real morale builder. I love and miss you as ever, dear. Don't ever forget that. Loving and missing you as always, love and kisses, Don.

SPEAKER_01 43:44

Okay, first of all, I love that they were fighting over letters. Like, yeah, there was definitely some sort of squabble that happened during like a letter he sent, a letter she sent. There was some sort of misunderstanding. As to bury the hatchet, okay? Right. But then also in I don't know how many he got a couple letters from her. So one he needed to bury the hatchet, and the other was like, You're never gonna believe what happened around this house. There was such a commotion, like something went down at the house.

SPEAKER_00 44:17

Right. Between Philoma and John. His father. His dad, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:23

So I can't imagine. Oh, maybe it was her dad. I'm I was thinking it was her dad because there was a commotion at the I felt like it was at the house.

SPEAKER_00 44:34

Oh, maybe. I was thinking it was dead because dead, but I bet it was, you know what, I bet it was Michael. I bet it was Michael and Philoma fighting.

SPEAKER_01 44:43

I think something just who knows what it was. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 44:46

But I feel like the phone bill.

SPEAKER_01 44:48

That's what I said. I think it's the phone bill.

SPEAKER_00 44:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:51

So there was some sort of argument or commotion. Somebody things were heated. Somewhere there was heat with phaloma.

SPEAKER_00 44:59

That makes more sense, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:00

Okay. And then he's like, okay, and also I'm sending these patches. Right. Exactly. So there was kind of a lot to cover in that.

SPEAKER_00 45:08

I know. There was a lot to cover in that. I do have the fourth army instead of the city. Okay, let me see the patches. Yeah, here you go. You know the 81st one already, the wildcat one. This is the fourth army one.

SPEAKER_01 45:22

That's actually a cool patch. I know it's cool. So it's a red patch, diamond-shaped. Yeah, it would be oriented like a diamond. It's a square, but it'd be oriented like a diamond with a white clover. Four-leaf clover. Four-leaf clover, which I think is cool. That's a that's a cool patch. Yeah, lucky. I like it. I mean, yeah. I love it. That's a cool so would she have worn this on her? I don't know. I don't know because she was wearing a trailblazer.

SPEAKER_00 45:49

I know. I don't know what the rules were then. She was also, she puts all kinds of stuff on her jacket.

SPEAKER_01 45:55

Like there are no rules for philemma. That's right. She does what she wants. She's a strong, independent, confident woman. That's right. She can do what she wants. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:05

Thank you. That's a cool patch. I like it. And it's definitely been through it. I mean, it's filthy.

SPEAKER_01 46:12

It is filthy. But it's it's I don't know. It's just kind of cool.

SPEAKER_00 46:18

Yeah. Okay. I have one more letter for us today. It's very short. Okay. Okay. We went through a lot of letters. March 13th, 1944. My dear Philoma, well, another day has passed and still the same old stuff. He is just really like that's such the start to his letters these days. Mm-hmm. I received your wonderful service box tonight, and we certainly had a good feast. He said don't send packages. I know she did anyway. She doesn't care. Philoma does what she wants. That's right. I didn't receive any mail from you. I mean letters today. But I might get a letter. You get this lovely package from your wife. I didn't get any letters. I hope so anyway, because it will be the last mail call I have for 15 days. Oh, they're leaving. And I won't be able to write either. It's late already, and I'm on KP again tomorrow. Gosh dang it. And I have a lot of work and packing to do yet. He's really actually had a lot of KP duty.

SPEAKER_02 47:24

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 47:25

It seems as though I'll never get done with all the work I have to do. They issued us a couple a couple of prophylactics to put over our pocketbooks and one to put over matches. What do you think of that? Oh, that's funny. If my pocketbook isn't a sad-looking thing with that on. I know it's so funny, but like waterproofing, you know. Sorry. How big was the pocketbook? I think he just means a little wallet. Wallet?

SPEAKER_01 47:54

Yeah, I think he's talking about his wallet. I know, but still. I know. I mean, I've never actually tried to put well, why would you? I mean, look, it's it's impressive.

SPEAKER_00 48:05

I'm sorry, kid, that my letter has to be so short all the time, but gosh, I just can't get caught up. Maybe I'll be able to sneak away a little off KP and drop you a line. Well, kid, take it easy, and I'm still loving and missing you as always. Love and kisses, Don.

SPEAKER_01 48:23

Oh. Still loving and missing. Mm-hmm. I mean, that's so sweet. And that's where we'll end today. That was a short letter. We went through a lot of letters. Um, you know, I again he says he's not a writer. Well, he doesn't say it. He said it once in the beginning. Yeah. He hasn't said that in a long time, but he like just the condoms over the over the items for waterproofing. Like, he just is he's capturing these moments. I know. I also love that he's like tee. Can you imagine that? And I mean, I was like, where is he going with this information? I mean, it's kind of cute.

SPEAKER_00 49:04

It is cute, yeah. That was good. So that was good. Thank you again so much for listening. You can follow along on Donald's Journey at 500letters to Nana.com and at 500letters to Nana on Instagram. And we are signing off from Camp Lewis Obispo, California. And we are about 2,400 miles from Nana.

SPEAKER_01 49:30

I have a tiny piece of advice. Yeah. Take a deep breath and blow it out your ass.

SPEAKER_00 49:36

Take care. And with that, bye-bye. Bye.

SPEAKER_01 49:52

Five hundred letters to Nana. Woohoo!