Tuesday

Another of those days in which nothing seems to happen.

Hauling detail this morning. Packed up a load of lumber, including a couple of boards with which to make myself a table. Would have it finished by now but haven’t been able to find the outfits one and only saw. Anticipate a rough time of it. Fresh cut balsa from old trees is tough as the devil!

Vienna sausage for dinner again today. Tomorrow we’ll certainly have Spam again, those two staples being just about a steady diet out here.¹ Oh Well! The war will end some day and I can cram myself with T-bone steaks, fried chicken with chicken noodles and dumplings. My mouth is watering for those dishes but anything home cooked will do. And how!

Tokyo Rose last night was wondering who were extinguishing certain fires back home in the absence of the fighting men over here.² Also told about the soldier’s sweethearts who wanted a new dress very badly and found a man who’d buy it for her. As an aftermath, now she has it on. He comes home then she doesn’t.

Insidious little sad sack is Tokyo Rose and quite ignorant too. It’s awfully nice of her to keep us on our toes and to play so much American music of recent years. We really like our memories, you see. Because they took place in a country where people are free and have therefore an appreciation of a delightful past, minus oppression and etc.!

Fifty A-20’s went over in a single echelon this a.m. Very beautiful sight. Will be tickled to death when there are 500 going out on a mission at one time.

Well it’s 2:30 time to shave and shower and read the Bible which I’ve neglected for a week. Very much ashamed of that fact! Will have to do better in the future and will!

Congress is taking up demobilization plans.

Notes & Commentary

¹ Vienna sausage is a canned meat product that is still produced, notably by Armour (http://www.armour-star.com/prod_vienna.asp) and Libby’s (http://www.conagrafoods.com/our-food/brands/libbys-canned-meats)

Spam was introduced by Hormel Foods Corporation of Austin, Minnesota in 1937. Despite being often derided in the mainland United States, Spam is widely consumed around the world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_(food).

The British had their Bully Beef, i.e., corned beef (http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-bully-beef.htm) and Australians their tinned mutton.

By the end of World War II, soldiers of all nations, Allied and Axis, had become tired of canned meat products.

² Tokyo Rose’s radio program was but one psychological warfare effort on the part of the Japanese during World War II. War is not only combat. It is also a fight for the “hearts and minds.” The only way you can understand that struggle is through the enemy’s propaganda. Japanese Psyop During WWII. (http://www.psywarrior.com/JapanPSYOPWW2.html : accessed 11 August 2014).

An important source on psychological warfare is Paul Linebarger’s classic book, Psychological Warfare, which was reprinted by Coachwhip Publications of Landisville, Pennsylvania in 2010. It is available through Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Psychological-Warfare-WWII-Era-Reprint/dp/1616460555/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407791896&sr=1-1&keywords=linebarger : accessed 11 August 2014).