Friday

Stationery available at Alexandria AFF in 1944

Dear Sis,

Hi, gal, how’s everything going. Have you managed to find a place and get your moving done as yet? Dad said he might have to quit his job to go home & help, but I haven’t heard what he decided. Let me know any developments you can please.

We were supposed to go on a 1,000 mile cross country flight tonight but the panel lights went haywire so at 10 pm they finally cancelled our flight.

Have you succeeded in listening in on any of the conversations between the ships & field down here. Whenever our pilot calls barnical control¹ he uses our crew No. 7678 so if you hear that you will know it was us.

By the way I’m once again a corporal.² Twenty bucks more a month will come in darn handy.

Let me know your new address as soon as you possibly can.

Our graduation date has been postponed until 10-27-44. Only five days extra but every little bit helps.³

The heat has been terrific but promises to let up soon we hope.

Well, Sis, Aileen is waiting up for me so I’d better get to town. Tell everyone hello for me & ask them to write soon. Tell Granny hello & give her my love.

All my love
Shorty

Notes & Commentary

¹ From the context, “Barnacle Control” is most likely the station designation or call sign for the Alexandria Army Air Field radio station. He had given her the station’s frequency in early September.

² Verne enlisted in the Colorado National Guard after graduation from high school in 1939. His enlistment term was two years. In September 1940 under the provisions of Public Resolution No. 96, 76th Congress, approved August 27, 1940, National Defense Act, as amended, and Army Regulations No. 130-10, the personnel of the 157th Infantry Regiment (45th Division) Colorado National Guard was inducted into the Army of the United States for a period of twelve consecutive months, unless sooner relieved. The Regiment was inducted into active Federal service on September 16, 1940 and moved to Fort Sill, Oklahoma where it arrived on September 26. The following year, on February 28, 1941, the Regiment was transferred to Camp Barkeley, Texas.

Steven E. Clay. US Army order of battle, 1919-1941. Fort Leavenworth, KS : Combat Studies Institute Press, 2010. digital image. (http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015087426683;view=1up;seq=462 : accessed 05 October 2014) p 434.

Verne received an Honorable Discharge on July 11, 1941 at the expiration of his term of service. At the time of his discharge, he was stationed at Camp Barkeley, Texas with Company H of the 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division. His rank was Corporal.

Camp Barkely was located in Taylor County, Texas about 11 miles southwest of Abilene. Construction of Camp Barkeley began in December 1940. When fully operational over 50, 000 soldiers occupied the 70, 229 acres on which the camp was located. It was closed in September 1945.

“Camp Barkeley”. Wikipedia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Barkeley : accessed 26 September 2014).

³ Only five days extra but every little bit helps: Five extra days with his wife and son before being shipped overseas.