POST FORTY-SEVEN (4:30 AM 9 MILE WALK) 23 Jun 1943

June 23, 1943

Dear Mom,

     Just a note as I have to take a shower and powder my feet - (not my nose). You see we get up at 4:30 to-morrow and take a 9 mile hike before breakfast in less than 2 hours. Some fun, what do you say?

     I have been driving a 2 1/2 ton G.M.C. truck to-day, also took a written test. A little more driving along a few more tests than if I pass I'll have an army driving card. 

     A woman (Mae Loring) wrote me a long letter about Margaret by request of the folks in Margaret's home. I tried to send her a nice answer telling her how sad at heart I was over the lost of such a true friend. Also sent a card in memory. (Remember Margaret worked at the paper mill where Uncle Charlie worked before entering the army. She had sent the weekly Sunday paper and was the leader for care packages from the mill to soldiers that had worked in the mill.)

     It has been hot here again to-day. Summer is sure here. Hope it rains a little to-night so it will be cool in the morning.

     Will write later. Ask Dad if he'd like to take a little walk with me in the morning. You know just to get up an appetite before breakfast. Ha. Ha. 

                             Good Night Mom,

                               Love Charles

**June 22 – The U.S. Army 45th Infantry Division lands in North Africa, prior to training at Arzew, French Algeria.

^^Jun 22 617 Squadron (Dambusters) attends investiture at Buckingham Palace, Commanding Officer RAF pilot Guy Gibson awarded the Victoria Cross 

COMMANDING OFFICER GUY GIBSON

VICTORIA CROSS

^^Jun 23 RAF discovers Wernher von Braun's V1/V2-base in Peenemunde (video below)

German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun

The V-2 Rocket could travel 50 miles into the air with a trajectory of 120 miles and a 

distance of 200 miles. The V-2 was the world's first long-range guided ballistic missile. 

Attacks from V-2s resulted in the deaths of an estimated 9,000 civilians and military 

personnel, and a further 12,000 forced laborers and concentration camp prisoners 

died by forced participation in the production of the weapon.

Peenemunde V2 Test Base then and now

*Source 1 https://www.thoughtco.com/world-war-ii-battles-2361453

*Source 2 https://americasbesthistory.com/timeline2ndworldwar1943.html for major battles

**Source 3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1943_in_the_United_States

^^Source 4 https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1943

##Source 5 https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/us-home-front-during-world-war-ii

copyright of letters and any original material Peter Lagasse