Camp McCoy in the Words of My Uncle: 2020-11-29

Saturday, December 5, 2020

POST SIXTY-SIX (COUNT DOWN TO CAMP SHANKS) 1 September 1943

This count down is the days before

arriving at Camp Shanks on Dec. 2nd

to prepare for embarkation to Northern Ireland.

Sept. 1, 1943

Dear Folks and Brother,

Here I am after completing a 15 miler late this afternoon. Before going to bed I'll write a few lines.

Monday we went to Camp Williams for that air demonstration. It was o.k. as far as learning how to recognize different planes but gee, was it hot. We sat in the open on the ground with the sun boiling down on us. Some of the planes came over our heads just a few feet up going over 500 miles an hour. You'd look at them coming then they'd be gone.

You know, Mom, I think Camp Williams and Camp Douglas are the same place except that Camp Williams is the airfield part of the two. I noticed a sign near the station as we came out of camp that read Camp Douglas.(It has had a variety of names over the years.) Isn't that where Jack Fuller is? Is his wife still with him?

I am going to send some things home that are only in the way. Think I'll send my bed roll Saturday. It will come Express at South Windham that will make it easy to get. When it comes, unroll it, air it out good, put it away. Maybe in my closet. I don't know. Do whatever you think best.

Well, Mom, not very long to-night but I'm o.k. Please don't worry. I'll write again soon. Don't worry about me and women. I don't care to get burnt that way.

I'm going to write to Grammy and send her a couple of snapshots of me.

I've got to shave before going to bed so guess I'll be saying good night to all. Love to Mother, Dad and Brother.

Charles

^^Sep 1 Chiang Kai-shek again becomes Chairman of the Nationalist Government of China

Chiang Kai-shek

Armistice with Italy; September 3, 1943

Military armistice signed at Fairfield Camp, Cassibile, Sicily, September 3, 1943. Went into force September 3, 1943, made public Sept. 8th. It was supplemented by a memorandum on September 23, 1943, as amended, and by instrument of surrender of September 29, 1943, as amended. Terminated September 15, 1947, upon entry into force of treaty of peace of February 10, 1947.

FAIRFIELD CAMP, SICILY. September 3, 1943. The following conditions of an Armistice are presented by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces, acting by authority of the Governments of the United States and Great Britain and in the interest of the United Nations, and are accepted by Marshal Pietro Badoglio, Head of the Italian Government. Those in the signing were the US Brigadier General Kenneth Strong, the Italian General Giuseppe Castellano, the US General Walter Bedell Smith (future director of CIA) and the Italian officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Franco Montanari, interpreter for Castellano.

US Brigadier General Kenneth Strong, the Italian General Giuseppe Castellano, the US General Walter Bedell Smith (future CIA director) and the Italian officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Franco Montanari, interpreter for Castellano.

The Conditions

1. Immediate cessation of all hostile activity by the Italian armed forces.

2. Italy will use its best endeavors to deny, to the Germans, facilities that might be used against the United Nations.

3. All prisoners or internees of the United Nations to be immediately turned over to the Allied Commander in Chief, and none of these may now or at any time be evacuated to Germany.

4. Immediate transfer of the Italian Fleet and Italian aircraft to such points as may be designated by the Allied Commander in Chief, with details of disarmament to be prescribed by him.

5. Italian merchant shipping may be requisitioned by the Allied Commander in Chief to meet the needs of his military-naval program.

6. Immediate surrender of Corsica and of all Italian territory, both islands and mainland, to the Allies, for such use as operational bases and other purposes as the Allies may see fit.

7. Immediate guarantee of the free use by the Allies of all airfields and naval ports in Italian territory, regardless of the rate of evacuation of the Italian territory by the German forces. These ports and fields to be protected by Italian armed forces until this function is taken over by the Allies.

8. Immediate withdrawal to Italy of Italian armed forces from all participation in the current war from whatever areas in which they may be now engaged.

9. Guarantee by the Italian Government that if necessary it will employ all its available armed forces to insure prompt and exact compliance with all the provisions of this armistice.

10. The Commander in Chief of the Allied Forces reserves to himself the right to take any measure which in his opinion may be necessary for the protection of the interests of the Allied Forces for the prosecution of the war, and the Italian Government binds itself to take such administrative or other action as the Commander in Chief may require, and in particular the Commander in Chief will establish Allied Military Government over such parts of Italian territory as he may deem necessary in the military interests of the Allied Nations.

11. The Commander in Chief of the Allied Forces will have a full right to impose measures of disarmament, demobilization, and demilitarization.

12. Other conditions of a political, economic and financial nature with which Italy will be bound to comply will be transmitted at a later date.

THE THREE AXIS LEADERS

*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

Monday, November 30, 2020

POST SIXTY-FIVE (Identifying Our Planes) 29 AUGUST 1943

August 29, 1943

Sunday Morning

Dear Mother,

Hope you don't think I have forgotten you for not writing. I have not been working hard this week but the other day I ate some Army Beans and gee, did they give me heart burn, sour stomach or something. I had to get up in the night and go over to the first aid room. The doctor wasn't there but I told the fellow in charge to mix me up something, which he did. In a short time it helped a lot, but I felt upset for a couple days. I guess the beans had too much grease in them. I've caught up on a lot of sleep so feel pretty good to-day.

I'm on orderly duty (security duty) to-day. I got up early this morning and had a lot of my work done before the rest were up. It's about 10 o'clock now. Have a couple of hours before dinner so will write a few letters.

About 20 thousand boys leave here early to-morrow morning for Camp Williams for an air demonstration. It is to help us to recognize our own planes. I think it will be good. We come back late to-morrow night. Boy, that will be some line of trucks.

I got your air mail letter o.k. It came Friday morning and they called me right over to sign for it.

How did Cappie look and just what does he do? Hope he hikes a little. Cap was a fellow that liked to stay around home so maybe he doesn't care about it.

You said Eugene had just come in with some ice-cream. I know you couldn't send me the ice-cream, but you could have let me have buts on the other, Ha, Ha. (Just a minute we are going to have an early mail call -- Ha Ha I got a letter from you so you'll have to wait until I read it.) (time out) - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - -

Thanks for the letter and you didn't do too bad with ink. Gee, the pictures were swell. Hmm, you know why the one of the house was so --- I took the picture Ha Ha. How's that for giving myself a pat on the back? I don't get too many pictures of Dad either.

Hey, brother, how about that letter? Mother said you were writing to me. She said you had a boat. Gee, boy oh boy, if it's any good hang on to it. I'm coming back some day and we'll find time to go fishing. As for the girls, Eugene, you once liked Daisy Donavan, remember? Take her and we'd have a tent.

How about showing Cora that war news. If she doesn't get the drift, I'll tell her someday.

Oh yes, Mom, I have some starch an old lady at the P.X. brought in from town to me. All I wanted was to know how to make flour starch the right way. (How do you make starch with flour? In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of cold water and 1 tablespoon of flour.

Bring 1/2 cup of water to a boil in a small pot. Continue boiling and stirring the mixture until it thickens slightly. Strain the cooled flour water into a spray bottle and use it as laundry starch. Now we all know.)

I have Argo starch. I guess that is good. I'm going to see what I can do with a suit of khakis. I'll give some to the fellow with the iron for the use of it. We get along good together. He's a Yankee from Chicago.

I see you drew a picture of a flower at the top of one letter. Guess you were thinking I've seen you do that many times before. Name that annual you drew and I'll send you some food for it, if it's possible to get any.

Gee, Mom, I'm all out of the other paper so will finish on this. (Each had a different Camp McCoy letterhead.) You'd whether have me write on different kind of paper than cut it short I know. Well, I've written kind of small so guess this is quite a long letter after all. Some of the boys' mothers don't write very much but please write when you can. (As I have read war books, it is often mentioned how many soldiers looked forward to mail from home. It helped their morale many times.) Of course, the boys I guess don't write either so if you don't write I don't see how they can expect mail. I write you all I can. (My brother was in the Navy on a ship during the Viet Nam War. He has shared how men who had wives or girlfriends and the guys looked forward to their mail. Sadly, he saw some sailors jump overboard if they received a Dear John letter. Some were fighting, trying to keep alive just to get home to their girl.) Gee, Mother, I sure think of you a lot. Yes, I also think of Dad, just what he is doing, how brother is getting along and if he's keeping his chin up.

Did you really hear that Helen (His old girlfriend that he never got over.) said that her ring didn't mean a thing to her? After thinking it over that Sunday night, I had a feeling that might be so. I think Helen liked me more than anyone knew. I know she thought a lot of you, Mom. Well, Mom, you'll back me up in one thing. I played the game square with her, didn't I? Some day she'll tell me. I've written that before. Poor kid I think she would like to come up and see you but we don't know what she feels inside.

Ma, you should hear the people out here kick about only 3 gallons of gas. What would they do if they were out East?

Did Dad notice the writing on the barn. Ha Ha you might know C.D.K. had been around. (Uncle Charlie's initials.)

I suppose Helen (sister) is an old married woman now. Hope they will always be happy. I did try to write them a nice letter. Just a big brother.

Well, Mother, guess I'll sign off. Will write to you about my time to-morrow when I get back. Gee, it's a great day here. I'd like to go for a walk but can't. Maybe to-night after duty. Wish you were here to go walking with me. Give my love to Dad and brother. Love to those three little piggies.

Charles

^^Aug 25 German occupiers impose 72-hour work week.

^^Aug 25 Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten appointed Supreme Allied Commander in South East Asia.

Lord Mountbatten Supreme Allied Commander and Last Viceroy of India

^^Aug 25 United States forces overrun New Georgia on Solomon Islands.

Landing on Solomon Islands ~ warfarehistorynetwork.com

^^Aug 28 Denmark declares a universal strike against Nazi occupiers.

^^Aug 28 Benito Mussolini arrested on July 25^th is transferred from La Maddalena Sardinia to Gran Sasso. The Germans will help him to escape but finally Mussolini and his mistress will be executed by a firing squad on April 28, 1945, in Giulino, Azzano, Italy, by Italian partisans who had captured the couple as they attempted to flee to Switzerland.