Last Camp


Pfc. Roy N. Van Arsdall

Co. B, 3 Bn., 2 Reg.

Percy Jones Convalescent Hospital

Ft. Custer, Mich.


September - October 1945



September 4, 1945


Dear Mother:

    I’m in the USO at the Station in Detroit. Get around, don’t I? Had to wait 4 hours in Cleveland and 5 hours here. Takes nearly half my travel time waiting, but it’s the only way.

    The folks are just like they always were. They seemed about as glad to see me as Margie was. She loves her ring. (She’d better like it.)

    Hope you got my fishing stuff off OK. They’d just been the night before, and with all his talk Mr. T. got me in the mood. He hasn’t much that’s any good. Said we could borrow some for me, but I’d rather use my own.

    Nothing new, no furlough till reassignment, will let you know all.


Love, Roy



Tracks made State-side


September 4, 1945


Dear Mother:

    I am now settled in a company. Seems like Thayer didn’t know what they were talking about because there are no furloughs if you have already had one. So……………I don’t get one. Passes are very lenient, tho, so I’ll get to see Margie.

    This is just another part of Ft. Custer. Just about as hot as it was in Nashville. No work to amount to anything. All I can do is sit and wait. I know practically nothing about what is going to happen. But the rest of my cases have gotten duty in about one month. So……………..


Love,

Roy




September 7, 1945


Dear Mother:

    Just had this card so I’ll write on it. Hotter here than in Tennessee. Don’t think I can even get a pass till my records catch up. All my cases are going to duty. Hope they recompute points to include September 2. Then can stay in states. Saw guy from my company today. First one I’ve seen. Hit right after I left.


Love,

Roy




September 21, 1945


Dear Mother:

    No excuses, just didn’t write. I got a 5 day pass and went to Pa. Left Friday afternoon and came back Thursday morn. So I haven’t been around too much.

    Everyone there is still OK and we’re getting married soon after I get out. Jim is getting out soon, too. Tom will get a CDD when he is able to leave the hospital.

    We picked out a silver pattern. Its “English something”. I forgot just what. You can ask her if she doesn’t tell you.

    The fishing tackle got there OK. We went Monday aft, but didn’t catch anything. They use bait big as what we catch. Go to the creek with worms and catch 10” and 11” suckers for bait. They all call them “Lunges” They also have salmon and trout and pike. They say in Nov. when the frost has come good that its best then.

    It rained all afternoon. Mr. T & Joe (another guy) fished right through it. I’d like to go in Nov and catch a “Lunge”. You know they raised the overseas furlough to 45 days. That comes when I go back to duty. I really don’t think I’ll ever do much more. I guess you’ve read the change in the discharge system. I’ll never get out on points, but as soon as that 2 years comes into effect I’ll be OK. They count my enlistment date. I’ll have three years Dec. 7. A while longer here and then duty with 45 days (I hope). Be Christmas before I do much.

    Had a 3 day pass week before last, then a 5 day and 2 day this week. Can’t even use that. If I’d gotten to Indiana I could be home half the time, but…………………..

    Got the pictures OK. Don’t sorry. Nothing hard here. Kellogg even takes a few to Gull Lake for a week at a time.


Love,

Roy




September 25, 1945


Dear Mother:

    I’ll say again I’m sorry about not writing. There’s no excuse because all in the world I have is time. We do practically nothing when it’s pretty and when it rains we really do nothing.

    This week end there were only three of us left in the whole barracks. And one was a colored fellow. Every one else lives either in Michigan or upper Ohio. I had a pass from Friday nite till Monday morn. That’s the shortest and we get at least that every week. But……………….

    I know about how things look there in the fall. The fall of 42 was the last time I was there, wasn’t it. I’d like to gather walnuts and look through the fields for the biggest pumpkins. And make my dear uncles mad. We used to be after something every afternoon, didn’t we. Well, it will all come again. I’ll get a kick out of it, maybe not as big, but maybe I’ll have a kid or two that will like to go to grand maw’s and do things like that. Maybe I’ll have a hard time keeping him (or her) at home, huh?

    You see, Mother, I love Margie, I know for sure I do now. Maybe Edythe is being pushed. I don’t know, but I hope not. But no one is shoving us at all. No body at all. We did it all ourselves and we know what we want. Each other………period.

    She’s got the best family in the world and I know she loves me. That’s about all that counts to make us happy. What ever else we get, we’ll get it together. If its only a nickel, we got it ourselves, its ours, and we’ll be proud of it together. See?

    We’re not going to get married before I get out unless the army dreams up something drastic. I should be out before next summer, I’m hoping sooner. If things go right I’ll be in school next fall, and Margie will be with me. She’ll probably work because she wants to. And we’ll get by fine. Where as I don’t think I’d go to school if I couldn’t have her there. In the summer we’ll get hold of something somewhere. That’s what we want and I mean every word most sincerely.


Love,

Roy




October 4, 1945


Dear Mother:

    Been nothing much to write about, so just haven’t. They haven’t done anything or told me anything yet. Friday I saw the Dr. and he said a little longer till I gained some weight and strength so I’d be better able to handle myself. So I’ll just have to wait.

    A Louie from AGR at UK is teaching at the Ag school here.

    Margie’s brother got home on a discharge last Friday. I met him. He is a tall blond headed guy and is pretty good looking. Looks younger than he is, too. Full of meanness as he can be.

    Marge is working right on with Bell. She’s bought several things for the kitchen. Ordered the kitchen dishes. I think she likes MamMaw’s handkerchief. She’s going to carry it when she gets married. Her silver pattern (we picked together) is English Shell. I’ll get the letters etc that you wanted back sent soon.


Love, 

Roy




October 8, 1945


Dear Mother:

    I stayed in this week and probably will next. Pretty dull. There’s never more than 10 guys left in the company. Most of them live somewhere near.

    It’s raining still and we just mope around. Nothing doing at all. I still haven’t heard from the Dr. again. The loosing of the 2 year vets in winter should let me go before too many months. Hope they get their peace tangles straightened out. Seems they’ve always got to quarrel about something.

    Suppose Marge sent you the clipping about the engagement announcement party they had. Your flowers were there when I got there last week end.

    Well, as things happen I’ll let you know, but I’m not expecting anything exciting to happen.


Love,

Roy




October 17, 1945


Dear Mother:

    Back from Marge’s again. When I get out of the army there’s gonna be a wedding before many moons pass. Neither of us would be happy or do a darn thing without the other now, so that’s just the way its got to be. We’ll make it OK and we wouldn’t be happy otherwise.

    Still messing around here. Sometimes feel OK and others not so good. Still light as a feather.

    You’ll not lose a son, Mother, you’ll gain a daughter and I hope you’ll love her because I do and she’s really a wonderful and good person. There’s things she’ll have to learn, but every body has to learn and she will try, I know.

    Her folks couldn’t be better to me. No one but a real mother would be like Mrs. T. You’ll love her, too. Its been a second home to me. But I’m not in the least forgetting my home, so don’t you worry.

    Sent “you all” to Marge. She’ll return it. Don’t know about that silver. Just English Shell. Prime the relations on household goods, sheets, etc. Ouch!!!


Love,

Roy




October 22, 1945


Dear Mother:

    No, not in Detroit tonite. I’m back in the barracks. Not but about five of us here tonite. Got tired of playing pool.

    Think our car would make it to Pa if we didn’t have another by then? She has dishes and stuff that she’s afraid to ship. If you brought the car we could bring back a lot of her stuff. She and I wouldn’t be coming. We’re going to stay about three days in NYC. Two things she wants to see is the Stork Club (no cover charge in the aft.) and a fight in the Garden. It wont cost too much and it will make her happy so that’s what I want to do.

    You’ve never been anywhere to amount to anything, either. You never had a honeymoon and its high time you had a while off. Maybe you and I could take the car and leave a week or so early and then Dad and Roger could come a bit later. We’ll see.


Love,

Roy


P.S. - I don’t know when all this is going to happen yet, but I’m sure I wont see 22 in the army.




October 22, 1945


Dear Mother:

    Just about the end of another week end. Only there will be very few here tomorrow. Most are gone on three day passes like I usually have. Its the dullest place in the world on week ends. No one is here and not much to do. We play pool in the day room and we play that till we can’t see a ball. And the show, too. But its still awfully quiet around.

    May have told you before that Jimmy Strauss, 1st Lt, is head of the Ag dept here. He was president of the Block and Bridle Club and worked in Dr. Price’s office with me.

    I may be moved in the next week or so, so don’t send anything but letters that wouldn’t hurt if they’re lost. I know mail lies about quite a time after some of the guys are transferred.


Love,

Roy




October 26, 1945

Wednesday Nite


Dear Mother:

    Not much doing and not much to say. School is from 8-11 in the morn. Afternoons play ball or go to theater for show. Nothing else.

    I got a good crack on the jaw this afternoon playing football. A cig liter in a guys pocket. Just a bit sore and some skin is gone is all, tho.

    Don’t you work too hard this year. No sense in it. Still have Georgia about? Marge and I will probably take you up on using that room. Course I’ll use it some myself yet.

    When is Dad going away to work? Did he land a better job than before?

    Never did get that other battle star so I’ve got a big 49 points. But it wont be too long, I guess. Not doing anything anyhow.


Love,

Roy




October 27, 1945

Thursday Nite


Dear Mother:

    Didn’t have an envelope the other day so will just send them together.

    Raining up here now and probably winter will come before long. They’ve given us combat boots, overshoes, combat jackets, rain and overcoats. Course we’ve been in OD’s for some time.

    Is Jack out of the navy or is he just taking some of his work there at Louisville? I’d like to see him. Guess he hasn’t changed much. Me, losing my hair by hand fulls, tho.

    You say you listen to those trains wishing I were on one. Well, in the not too distant future I’ll be on one to come in for a bit. Get hunting season, maybe. Have Mo save some 20’s and 12’s both if he has any. I don’t like that old 16.

    Marge is going to write you a long letter explaining our plans. We’re going to get married one of these days.


Love,

Roy



Last Free Postage!


October 29, 1945

Sunday Nite


Dear Mother:

    Maybe I’ve been pretty much of a heel for not telling you before, but I should get there before the letter. This is just so you’d know in case I didn’t arrive on schedule.

    I sign my discharge at 8:00 in the morning and start for home Tuesday afternoon, a free man. That should get me in sometime Wednesday afternoon. It’s a CDD (disability). We’ll discuss it all when I’m home. I knew for three weeks that I was getting it, but I never build hopes. They always fall, I’ve found.

    This is the last letter you’ll ever get from me as a soldier. There’ll never be another serial no. or rank attached. I’ll be a civilian in less than 12 hours.


Love, 

‘Mister’ Roy




Recollections……


    The doctor scanned my records and said he could get me out of the army on a disability discharge. No way! I felt fine and I was not going home with a disability label hung around my neck. The good doctor then made me a most happy disabled veteran by telling me that through the regular system I would be getting out in a couple of months. With a disability discharge I’d be gone in two or three days. Any stigma that might have been attached to a disability discharge vanished in a flash.

    Are you sure that’s what you want to do? That was the question my Dad posed when I told him I was going to get married soon after getting out of the service. I had seen everything, done everything, and I was twenty-one. Of course I was sure! Thus began my real education in life.

    The postman brought a small package to our ‘rabbit hutch’ residence in the vet village at the University of Kentucky. Inside was my old Sears hunting knife that had made the rounds with me in Europe. My squad leader, Bill Angsten, had salvaged it from the meager belongings I’d left behind when I unknowingly left the lines for good in early February 1945. He carried it for the remainder of the war, brought it back to the states, then sent it to me with an apology for having lost the scabbard. Unbelievable!

    Did all of this really happen? Or did I just read it in a book somewhere? Perhaps in a movie? Sometimes it’s real to me; sometimes it isn’t. Regardless, I’ve drawn the words together. Others will have to make of them what they will.


-o0o-