Camp McCoy in the Words of My Uncle: 2020-08-23

July 5, 1943

Monday afternoon

Dear Mother,
We are having a heavy shower so bad we came in, that is some of us that were working on the guns cleaning them. This is a good time to write you a letter.

Marian took the Greyhound bus from La Crosse Saturday about 5:15 and went to her home in Tomah. She sent me a letter telling me to be sure to come up as she would be home until Monday night. I brought back her traveling bag to come home with.

Gee, I had a hard week working K. P. I didn't write for a couple of days as one morning I got up at 3:15 and finished at 8:45 in the evening. Another morning at 4 o'clock, done about 8. I should have worked Sunday but paid a fellow that wasn't doing anything to take my place.

We are firing a problem Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, then I think I can come home, about the 10th or 11th. I'll let you know.

Did you notice the picture of the Mississippi River high water? It sure is high. Many fields, parks along the river, wood land along the river bank are under water. Thanks for the shaving cream you sent in the paper.

I knew you'd be happy to hear I was coming home. Now, Mom, what do you mean about the lawn not being mowed? Didn't we keep it cut good last summer? Remember how many evenings I stayed home? I didn't go over to Pauline's only a couple of times a week. As for my pants and the ironing board I sure would like to see those days again. I bet if I was home I would have to press my pants. Say sister wouldn't you press them just one Saturday afternoon for me? I'll let you press my army pants when I come home. Mom, you should have told them I was an old maid, they don't take women in the army. (Maybe I could have made the WACs.) Ha! Ha! Tell Uncle David and Aunt Annie I send them my best wishes and will be glad when the day comes I can take a trip up to pay them a visit.

Now that I have the suitcase I'll start to get my things ready to leave for home. Marian said she wished she was going with me.

Will say so long for to-night. It makes it hard for you to write so much as I know you don't fancy writing letters, but I sure enjoy the mail from home. I have tried to send more mail lately. You don't know when to expect a letter now. I know you watch the mailbox every day. Wish I could send more things home, but you can't get them. I may be able to pick up a little of something before I leave camp.

Good bye folks,

Love from your Son in Wisconsin,

Charles

P.S. See you soon, Dad.

WELCOME HOME SON

1 **July 5-6 – WWII: Americans and Japanese fight the Battle of Kula Gulf off Kolombangara. As a result of the U.S. landing on New Georgia on June 30, 1943, the Japanese, led by Rear Admiral Teruo Akivama, made an attempt to land reinforcements with ten destroyers, resulting in the Battle of Kula Gulf, July 5-6, 1943. Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth, USN, led Task Group 36.1. In the battle, USS Helena (CL-50) was hit by three torpedoes. Broken into three parts, she sank, resulting in the loss of nearly 170 crewmen. The Japanese lost destroyer Nizuki and destroyer Nagatsuki ran around at Kolombangara. USS Radford (DD-446) and USS Nicholas (DD-449) helped to rescue the light cruiser's survivors. Video in the video section below.

2 ^^Jul 5 Liberator bombers sink U-535 in Gulf of Biskaye

U534 ONE OF THE FEW LEFT IDENTICAL TO THE U535 THAT WAS SUNK

3 ^^Jul 5 US invasion fleet (96 ships) sails to Sicily

4 ^^Jul 6 2nd day of battle at Kursk: 25,000 Germans killed. The Battle of Kursk was a Second World War engagement between German and Soviet forces on the Eastern Front near Kursk in the Soviet Union, during July and August 1943. The Soviet Union will win. It is estimated that there were as many as 6,000 tanks, 4,000 aircraft and 2 million men involved in the battle, though numbers vary.