Letters To Home - March 25, 1951

Fort Benning, Georgia
March 25, 1951

Another very hot day. Violets in the lawn, and bluebirds everywhere. The robins have apparently all gone back up north, I guess. Many mockingbirds, though. I sure do wish we had them in Pennsylvania.

Hear that the folks are getting a new 1952 Dodge. Guess the 1941 wore out.

Went to the main post Sunday to catch the Elliott Lawrence Band in concert. Terrific outfit, even though one of the tenor sax men appeared to be elsewhere. The band has really changed direction since 1948. I caught them at a dance in Cleveland then; the band was playing dance-type music, and actually got booed by the Cleveland dancers, who were apparently more used to Sammy Kaye. Now, the band has some fine swing arrangements, swings wonderfully well. The audience at the main post was a sell-out, and quite appreciative of the music.

I ran into two of the guys from home while at the concert. I didn't know that they were in Georgia, let alone in the army. One told me that Paul, who went to Dix with me, is headed for Korea. Understand that he is in a 4.2 heavy mortar outfit. Strange. That's a pretty heavy weapon. Paul was always sick in high school, supposed to have heart problems then. The 4.2 is not for a guy with health problems.

Slight change in the leave situation. Ten guys have to stay behind to pull guard duty and K. P., so Lon and I volunteered (one should not do that, I know), with the understanding that we would pull guard duty only, no K. P. duty. We'll do this until someone comes back from leave to relieve us. Guard duty will be: two hours on and four hours off for 24 hours, and then free of duty for 36 to 50 hours, depending. This way, I'll miss all the rush in getting out of camp, since the 12th Infantry, and the 42nd, and the 29th Artillery are all leaving on April 1, too. I have finally decided to use the train to get home, subject to change.