November 21, 1943

Sunday, November 21, 1943

Dear Mother:-

Here it is Sunday morning and nothing to do so I'll start writting a few letters. Sunday is about the only time we get to do much letter writting. I got Mamie's letter a few days ago and yesterday I got one from Henry with some money he sent. I was glad to hear from both of them. I also got a post card from Harry Kuehner I believe it was Friday morning telling me that Bill got the job as fireman. How does he like it? I guess a lot of people at home will be talking because there are two out of one family holding city jobs.

We were kept real busy all this last week as we had classes several nights. It is getting to be more interesting every day. We are learning all about telephones and switchboards. We must be able to know all the parts and what they are called and be able to trace the circuits. That's not all either but we must be able to draw it showing all the circuits. It's not so hard if you just study it out. The charts they have to show has all the different circuits in different colors such as the primary is in red; secondary in blue and so on. I never did ever learn the morse code and we haven't had any of that for several days now. We have to learn all of our equiptment by letters and numbers as one type telephone we use is EE-8-A. They don't say bring up up a telephone but they call it EE-8-A and you are to know what it is. Every thing we have in our wire work is done that way.

We were all issued our field rations this week. We got 3 small cans which has coffee; biscuits and sugar all in one can. In the other 3 cans we got one has is meat and vegetable stew; the other is meat and beans and the other one is meat and vegetable hash. I don't know when we will use them. I guess some time we will go in the woods and camp for several days or at least that is what everyone says. We are to do a lot of that the last 2 weeks we are here. Time sure does fly. I sure don't seem like I've been here 8 weeks and that is just about half of my basic training.

I moved into a different hut last Thursday and I guess in a week or so we will move to another one as they started moving more huts into our area yesterday. They have negroes with tractors and trailers hauling them from one area to another. I don't know what the idea is but I guess to give some one a little work.

I went to the main P.X. (post exchange) last Wednesday and had my picture taken. I went yesterday after noon to see the proofs. I don't think it looked so good but I hope the pictures are better. I only had 3 of them made. They are the 3x5 size and I'll get the 3 for $2.25. I'll send them to Dora when I get them which will be next Saturday and she can give you one of them.

Henry said that Uncle Henry was going to come down and pay you all a visit. He better hurry up or he will get snow bound. Maybe he wants to get to a warmer place as I bet his house is plenty cold.

Well I think I told you all I know so I'll close and I will write you more later. Hope to hear from you all soon again.

Gus


Dad commented in this letter about his brother Bill getting the paid fireman's job that Dad had referred in some of his earlier letters. He also refers to the gossip that will probably occur "because there are two out of one family holding city jobs." I believe he is referring to his brother Fred who was an alderman when he was called to be drafted. While he was alderman he recommended his brother Henry for the superintendent of the water company, a job he held until he retired over twenty years later.

"Uncle Henry," who was going to come down and visit Dad's parents, was Henry Brackhane, the younger brother of Mary Haferkamp, Dad's mother. He lived in Athens, Illinois, near the state capital of Springfield.