Herb’s WWII Letters-Basic Training

INTRODUCTION

Below are transcripts of letters my dad, Herbert M. Miller, sent to his family back in Ohio during his basic training, before he arrived in Europe in 1944. The letters were found in my parents’ attic after their deaths. I transcribed the letters and put them in a series of about 30 blog posts here on Karen’s Chatt. On this page they are all combined as one document, in chronological order. 

My dad, Herbert M. Miller, was 18 years old in the spring of 1944 when he volunteered for the draft, a couple months before graduating from Willshire High School, Willshire, Ohio. He said he volunteered for the draft mainly because he wanted to go into the Army with his friend Donald Hoblet.

In May 1944 Herb spent 2 days at Fort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio, for his pre-induction physical. Herb arrived at the Reception Center at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, Indiana, on or about 29 June 1944, and left for basic training at Fort McClennan, Alabama, on 8 July 1944.

After his training as a replacement troop, he arrived in England just before Christmas 1944. He was assigned to Company L, 333^rd Regiment, 84^th Infantry Division, known as the Railsplitters. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium and in parts of Germany, France, and Luxembourg, and was also in Holland and England. The letters from his time of active duty during the war are on a separate page.

Most of my dad’s war letters were sent to his parents, Carl and Gertrude (Brewster) Miller, RR #1, Willshire, Ohio, unless otherwise noted.

Some of the other relatives mentioned in his letters: My dad’s siblings, Ruth, Em, Helen, Vernie, Kate, Kenny, and Ann Miller. Aunts and uncles Johnny and Clara (Miller) Reef, Howard and Caroline (Miller) Caffee, and Bob and Bernice (Brewster) Dudgeon. Red was Paul “Red” Linn, Herb’s sister Helen’s boyfriend at the time; they married after the war. His sister Em was married to Norval, aka Jack. Kenny Ellenberger was my dad’s first cousin, on his mother’s side. The minister back at Zion Lutheran, Chatt, was Rev. Wolber. My dad was dating Dorothy at that time. He did not meet my mother Florence until after the war.

PRE-INDUCTION PHYSICAL

A news clip from The Willshire Herald, Willshire, Ohio, 25 May 1944:

Mercer county young men called for their pre-induction physical examination include Herbert Melvin Miller, son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Miller, south of Willshire, who reported Monday at Fort Hayes, Columbus, O., for that purpose; Dale Caffee, son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Caffee, and Blaine High, son of Mrs. Hershel White, both of south of Willshire, who left Wednesday for their first appearance before the medical examiners. Homer Alan Koontz, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dale Koontz, of Rockford, and husband of the former Miss Martha Byer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L.O. Byer of near Willshire, is another Mercer countian called for pre-induction examination. 

 

FORT BENJAMIN HARRISON, INDIANAPOLIS

After spending 2 days at Fort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio, for his pre-induction physical in May 1944, Herb arrived at the Reception Center at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, Indiana, on or about 29 June 1944, where he was inducted into the Army. The first set of letters are from his time spent at Fort Benjamin Harrison. The first letter indicates that he was inducted with some other friends from the area.

Postmarked 30 June 1944, 9:00 a.m., Indianapolis, IN
[FREE written in place of a postage stamp]
Addressed to Mr. & Mrs. Carl Miller, RR #1, Willshire, Ohio
From: Pvt Herbert Miller 35845400
Company A, Reception Center
Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis 16, Indiana
Stationery letterhead: Company A, Reception Center
Fort Benjamin Harrison
Indianapolis, 16, Indiana

Dear Mom & all,
It is now 3 o’clock in the afternoon and we are off for awhile. We were held over at Greenville for 3 hours 48 minutes and hold over at Indianapolis for 15 minutes. We had another phys exam last night and today were sworn in and inducted today. We are waiting to get our uniforms. We will get 2 winter uniforms, 2 sun tan uniforms, 1 fatigue, 1 helmet, and 2 or 3 overseas hats. Tonight Betzel and me are going to a show. Do not write as we are only being held here while we are processing and will be sent somewhere else, so don’t write until I get situated at another camp. It may be anywhere from 10-20 days before we leave here. The eats are good and this is a swell [?] place. We got separated, Hoblet, Case, Brehm, Betzel, and me. Hoblet and Case and Brehm are together in Roster 1176, Betzel and me are in 1177. Each day there is a new group of recruits coming in and they keep saying to them “you’ll be sorry.” They just say it for fun. Roster 1176 has their uniforms already. Betzel is writing to his folks, too. We haven’t had any work to do yet.

Now about processing, it is something [?] so you can get acquainted with military terms and things. Must hurry. Our number was just read to get uniforms, so will close.
Love, Herb

Address:
Pvt. Herbert M. Miller
Company A Barracks 2, Reception Center
Ft. Benjamin Harrison
Indianapolis 16, Ind.

Betzel was probably his friend Fred Betzel, from Chatt. They attended church together:

***

Return address:
Herbert Miller 35845400
Company A, Barrack 2, Reception Center
Ft. Bnj. Harrison, Indianapolis, IN
4 July 1944

Dear Mom & all,
This is the fourth of July. I’m not on K.P. today or any detail today so I am staying in my bunk in case they call for me to “dive-bomb.” That means to walk around looking for cigarette butts and matches. You see we have a loud speaker system in every barrack and they call over it “all men not processing or on Detail work fall out between A-2 & A-3,” and that includes me if there is any odds or ends. This kind of work is trimming hedges, watering the grass with garden hose, or mowing the lawn. It doesn’t take over 2 hrs in the morning and about 2 in the afternoon and [?]. What are you all doing over the fourth of July?

Well they gave the call and it took 15 minutes as I was off for the rest of the morning.

Me and pvt[?] Knapke went to the recreation hall and listened to the music. He is from Minster, Ohio, and went the same day we did. The boy from Pittsburgh, Pa I was telling you about shipped out today.

I have some clothes to wash today. A towel, 2 sets of underwear, & handkerchiefs.

General Summerville [?] is coming out here at camp today so everything is being scrubbed and cleaned. We have plenty of ice cream, pop, candy, and [?] to eat. It cost quite a lot, but it is cheaper than back home. Now I don’t mean I’m running out of money because I‘v only spent a couple of $.

They brought a bunch of men in from camp Atterbury last night around 3 o’clock.

Well it is about time for chow. I wrote to Em & Norval this morning and also Johnnies. I’m not going to write very many letters until I get situated because the mail I would receive might get lost.

Got my pictures today from the photo shop so am sending them to you. You can send Ruth & Bob one if you wish. They aren’t very good.

Has it rained out there lately? How are the crops coming along? Johnnies wrote and said you got my tire for the Chevy. Was it a first grade tire? Have you had any trouble with the car?

Well must close or miss dinner.
Love, Herb

P.S. Don’t forget to check the water in the car.

***

Reception Center
Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis 16, Indiana
July 7, 1944

Dear Mom & all,
It is Friday morning here and not much to do if you know how to work it. I’ve had K.P for one night and two special details so far, the rest of the time I’ve been doing nothing to speak of.

Yesterday they shipped out around 800 men. They went on a troop transport. They don’t tell you until the morning when you leave and you don’t know where you are going until you arrive at the station. As I was saying this bunch that left. The train had a wreck around Chattanooga, Tennessee, close to the Kentucky border. Two cars or coaches were upset in the river and two coaches upset and caught fire. There about 20-30 Mercer Co. boys on it. We haven’t heard anymore about it except around 200 were injured and 7 or 8 killed. The ones from Mercer Co. that went that I know were Bob Andress, Floyd Brehm, Joe Solerno [?], Edson Smalley, and Luther Case. And some more I can’t think.

I got a letter from Johnnie & Clara [Reef; uncle & aunt] awhile back, a card from Howards. The only reason I’m not going to write to them now is because I might be shipped out anytime. Will write to Bernice and all of them when I get stationed.

Friday-G.I. Day- the day when you get on your hands and knees and scrub out the barracks floors and latrine.

I got Helen’s letter yesterday and am sure glad that she is getting along ok with my car. Gee wizz. A Grade 1 tire! How is the Gasoline holding up?

If I’m still here Saturday I’m eligible for a pass to town maybe a 12 hr, maybe a 24 hr.

I’m writing this from the Recreation Hall here from camp. It’s crowded with G.I.s. They have a G.I. band playing now.

Must close,
Love, Herb

P.S. You say Helen hasn’t heard from Red [future brother-in-law Paul Linn] yet. Sure hope none of the Mercer Co. boys were hurt.

***

The next letter was the last letter he sent from Fort Benjamin Harrison, written the day he shipped out to Fort McClellan, Alabama.

July 8, 1944

Dear Mom & all,
Just a line, can’t write very much. We are shipping out today. Floyd Brehm, Bob Andress, and some guys left day before yesterday. About all of the rest of the Mercer Co. guys ship out today except Hoblet.

It’s about 6:15 Sat. morning and we don’t know where we are going. I’ll write as soon as I get to the next camp.

Must close.
Love, Herb

The train wreck my dad referred to was one of the most deadly, if not the most deadly non-combat U.S. military accidents. The Louisville & Nashville passenger train was heading south, transporting 1,006 new recruits to their first Army unit assignment at Fort Benning, Georgia. The speeding train could not make a sharp curve over the deep Clearfork River gorge near the town of Jellico, in Campbell County, Tennessee, on the Kentucky-Tennessee line. The engine and several cars plunged down the 50+ foot gorge where 44 soldiers were killed and several hundred injured. At least one Mercer County native was onboard, Clarence L. Eckstein of Celina. He was not injured and went on to serve in Europe during WWII. More information about this disaster: WWII Troop Train Wreck of July 6, 1944.

***

FORT McCLENNAN, ALABAMA, BASIC TRAINING

Postmarked Fort McClellan, Ala
From Pvt. Herbert Miller
Co A-12^th Bn, 8^th Regt, I.R.T.C.
United States Army
11 July 1944

Dear Mom & All,
Well it is night again and will have time to write a letter or two. We don’t have so awful much time to spare. This camp is a very big camp and its trained infantry men are the second best in the United States. So will probably be trained good and the going tough.

Back at Indianapolis I was sworn in by a War Officer. They brought in some 18-20 Japanese (American born) to be trained. I talked to one for quite a while. He said he would fight the Germans but not the Japs. We also had a full blood German who was 39 years old, he came to the U.S.A. twenty years ago and boy he is a really nice guy. They drafted one guy from Indiana who was 45 years old and had nine children. They sent him a notice and he didn’t get it so they sent 6 M.P. after him and brought him there.

Here at this camp they have lots of prisoners of war (German). They don’t even guard them. In fact they are glad they are out of the war and don’t even try to escape.

Camp McClennan is built on about 15 or 20 hills and covers some 29,000 acres. So it is quite a large place. It is very old and we stay in little shacks which will hold about 6 men.

I’m not with Hoblet or any of those other guys, but there are a lot of guys from Celina who I know. Say would you send me my pope. It is either in the car or in the house. I would like to have it and I could use stationery. I imagine youins know I’m buying a $25 bond every month and $6.58 out for insurance. There will be a laundry fee. So quite a bit will come out of the check.

You say Norval bought the pigs? How were they, fat? Has Dale [Caffee] heard from the Army yet?

I imagine the wheat and oats are about all cut, shocked and thrashed and hay ready to cut again.

Do you know how far Ft. McClellan is from Willshire? Aprox 800 miles!

Can’t think of much more to write. Am fine, have gained about five lbs. but will that & some more worked off.

Will close for now & write later.
Love, Herbert  

***

Fort McClellan, AL
14 July 1944

Dear Mom & All,
Well today is Friday. They issued us rifles, bayonets and all other equipment. The rifle is a 30 cal. 9 shot automatic-gas operated or the M-1 (Winchester).

I haven’t heard from you yet here but mail call will be in about five minutes. We have mail call at 12:30 and at 5:30. Today they showed us around the camp. It is quite large. They have two amphitheaters, 4 theatres, and a lot of other things. We won’t start our training until Monday.

There hasn’t been much happening lately. In our hut there are two Kentuckians, two Ohioans, and two New Yorkers. I would like to get Don Hoblet’s and Fred Betzel’s address if you could get them.

In our training we have 14 weeks of Physical Training, called P.T., and marching and drilling. Then in the last three weeks we have maneuvers. That’s where we crawl under machine gun fire, mines, and explosives going off around us, and mortar and cannon fire ahead of us.

Just had chow. We had mashed potatoes, gravy, Southern cream chicken, lettuce salad, and pumpkin pie. Oh yes, 1 salt tablet to help stand the heat. But they didn’t have mail call. Me and my buddy has a way of getting out of extra work. We change from fatigues to sun tans right away before chow. They usually call out 15-50 men in fatigues for detail work or K.P. 

There is a guy in the hut across the street who has a guitar and boy he can really play and sing.

How are things coming along at home?

If I hadn’t been shipped from Ft. Harrison last Sat. & Sun. I would have come home. I had a 24 hr. pass and was going to surprise youins but they canceled all passes because of the train wreck and they had to send some men on Sunday to make up for them.

So will wait for my 15 day furlough at the end of my Basic. Well must close for now and will write late or soon I mean.

Love, Herb

***

My dad also wrote letters to his siblings. The following letter was written to his sister, Helen, who lived at home with their parents.

Fort McClellan
Sunday 17 July 1944

Dear Helen,
I went to church this morning and am sending the bulletin. I have the day off but I think I will go to a show this afternoon. Friday night I went to a stage show at the U.S.O. amphitheater. It was really good.

It seems like it is getting hotter every day. Yesterday it was 98 degrees in the Day Room and it has an electric fan, and about 105 outdoors. I keep taking salt tablets all the time.

Yesterday afternoon our Lieutenant took us swimming and was it ever nice.

The hut I stay in is built on a hill. Down one side of the hiss is the mess hall and down the other side is the latrine. There are about 43,000 acres around here that the government owns. Everywhere you look there are hills.

Oh yes, when we were swimming yesterday some WACS came to the pool but the corp. told them to come back in the eve, because we were all in G.I shorts (underwear) & I would get through swimming at 4:00.

Tomorrow the rest of the guys start training. I don’t because I noticed my name was on the bulletin board for K.P. Mon. & Tues. So will have two days training to make up. Lot of them had K.P. last week.

Last week we would go out on detail one day and get off the next. The PX’s don’t open up until about 4:30-9:00 so I slept then. It is pretty hot down here and ice cream tastes pretty good. So the guys in our hut usually buy a pint a night but that runs into money.

I’m not spending as much money here as I did at Indianapolis. Outside of buying the kids those things I haven’t spent over 75 cents, fifty of which went for stationery. Stationery is pretty expensive around here so you can send that what Em bought.

At Harrison we didn’t have hardly anything to do and I bought a few cakes [?].

Well am getting about to the end of the page so will close.
Love, Herb

***

My dad wrote on the back of the bulletin from the church service, in the area designated “Message—use this space. Write a letter home.”

16 July 1944

Dear Mom & All,
Well had or am having today off so went to church this morning. As you will notice on the front is the picture of the 8^th Regt Chapel. The I.R. T. C. means Infantry Replacement Training. I received your letters yesterday and it is about time for [?]

I got Vernie and Kenny a t-shirt apiece but forgot to get Ann anything yet. So will get Ann something tonight and mail them tomorrow evening.

We had a little practice with our rifles the other day (Saturday morning). One guy dropped his rifle. Now he has to carry the gun around and sleep with it for a week. Will close and write more on stationery.

Love, Herb

***

The next letter was written to his sister Catherine, aka Kate.

July 20, 1944

Dear Catherine & All,
It’s Thursday night, about 9:30 to be exact, and I am trying to write. I’ve been watching some of the guys trying to weave helmet netting. It is woven the same way that fish netting is woven. It looks as hard as the devil. I think I will weave mine on the wall of my barracks instead of a nail driven in the desk here. 

I feel like a pincushion tonight. It took us all morning to take shots. We had three shots, one for lock jaw, two for typhoid, a small pox vacc. & blood test and type. Three in one arm, one in the other, and one in the end of my finger.

Yesterday we went out on a hike. While we were coming back it started to rain so we stopped and put on our rain coats and kept on walking. Today we started to take exercises and it started to rain. It was about 5:00 so we went back to our barracks and had mail call then chow. Something must be wrong with the mail. I’ve only been getting one letter in the last five days. I haven’t even been hearing from Dorothy. There is a guy in our barracks who has received 24 letters in the last five days and his mail comes through like that all the time.

You say dad has been having trouble with his tires. Vernie said he blew out one on his car.

Is my calf growing very much? How are the grain crops turning out?

I received a box from youins and from Johnnies yesterday at the same time. Clara sent stationery, Bible with a steel plate, and some chewing gum. I am chewing some of the gum now. Thanks a lot for the box. It sure feels good to get boxes even if I don’t get very much mail.

The other day when we were out on the hike I heard a heck of a noise coming up the road aways. Looking up I saw a group of tanks coming about 35 miles an hour.

Well can’t think of much more to write. Tell Vernie, Kenny, and Ann not to get mad because I don’t write. Tell them the letter is for all of them. It is pretty hard to find much time but I’ll try to write them later.

Love, Herb

P.S. I receive that special delivery from Mr. Morrison but it won’t help any. I’ve about as much chance of getting in the radio outfit as the rest of them.  

***

Ft McClellan, AL
To Miss Helen Miller, RR#1, Willshire
10:30 Thurs. evening
23 Jul 1944

Dear Helen & all,
I don’t have very much time so will write Catherine, Helen, & all a letter together until I have time. I want to thank Helen for her $1 she gave me. I have it about half spent already. Got a hair cut tonight & cost $.55 so that isn’t so bad. Say that Celina Standard really gets read here. I read it first and then Robert Caywood, Snider and a couple of other guys. I’ve been saving them, they sure are good to read.

It will be a while until I get paid a month or two yet. Went through the obstacle course today. A couple of guys passed out from the heat. One person was going across a ditch on an outfit like a ladder over head and you just go by reaching for one rung then the next. What I was saying this person was sort of heavy and one of the rungs broke. He fell in the water and crawled to the shore, got on the ground and passed out.

I’ve found out there is only two times in the Army. Quick time and double time. Quick time is just ordinary marching and double time is twice as fast and w sure do a lot of double time. Boy those 17 weeks are really going fast. Only 15 more to go. I been in a little over a month and it don’t seem near that long.

We really get plenty of salt down here. Really need it because it sure is hot. I wrote Lisle Adams a letter the other day and got a card from him today.

Imagine the oats is about all thrashed by now. How is the corn coming along. You will have to excuse my writing. My left hand is pretty sore. Got a couple more shots.

Guess I’d better close for now. Have to be in bed before bed check.
Love, Herb

***

Dear Mom & All,
Well it’s Sunday eve again. I just had a telephone call from Dorothy. She said Jiggs & that girl from St. Marys are engaged. Received a box of cookies & card from Clara. I forgot about the ants up here and shoved the box underneath my bunk. The next time I went to the box it was full of ants. So me and the other three guys started to shake and blow the ants off. After we got the cookies free from ants we put them all in a box and suspended it down from the ceiling by a soaped string. We decided if that didn’t keep the ants away we would take four of our canteen cups, fill them with water and set one of the beds in the water by setting one leg in each. You see we had an extra bed. But they didn’t get in the box suspended from the ceiling.

Didn’t I tell youins that I might go to night school and college. Chances are that I won’t but I might.

Tomorrow we go on a seven mile hike with full field equipment. At the end of the cycle we will go on a 24 mile hike to a certain hill and camp out there for three weeks and have maneuvers. We also have to do 34 pushups in a certain length of time and do pretty good on the firing range.

Say, before I forget it you can send me about seven or eight clothes hangers. And I also could use two or three dollars in a couple weeks. We won’t be paid for a month or two and I might use them. I have been going to a few shows and eating quite a lot of ice cream. I’m not out of money but I imagine I could use some.

While I was at Ft. Ben. Harrison the day I shipped out I telephoned Dorothy that I couldn’t come home. If I would have stayed there a few days longer or wouldn’t have shipped out that day, I would have come home. I went in Fri. night and signed up for a 24 hr. pass and could [have] gotten it.

I finally got Vernie’s and Kenny’s shirt ready to mail. They cost 75 cents apiece and also got Ann a present. It is a miniature gun, the same kind they issued to us. I got Dorothy a scarf about 4 ft square of grey silk and yellow tassels around the outside. It also has Ft. McClellan, Alabama, U.S. Army on it.

We really had a good dinner today. Chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, chocolate milk, ice cream, cake, and potato salad.

You will have to excuse my spelling. I guess I can’t spell very good. Must close.
Love, Herb

***

Fort McClellan, Ala
Tues, 25 Jul 1944

Dear Mom & All,
Well it is Tuesday night and I have finally found time to write a few lines. I didn’t get to mail that box yet. The post offices are closed at night and we are busy in the daytime.

We went in the gas chambers today. Went in Chlorine and tear gas. We also had other gasses such as mustard and about five or six other kinds.

Some of the guys are playing the guitars and singing. They are really good at it. Some are from Ky, N.Y., Ohio, Ind, N.C., and all over. I send you a book showing what our training is like. How are the crops coming along? Is Vernie helping Johnnie any? Are they having any trouble with my car?

The weather down here is still pretty hot. It gets so cold at night that you have to cover up. But in the daytime it is awful hot.

Did dad give “Hanks” [?] a picture of me? I sent Ruth one, also Dort. and Em & Norval. It is pretty hard to write, there are so many things that we aren’t supposed to tell. We get all the new uncensored and different things.

They also are training for poison gas. They think they will start using it. All of the Infantry men wear gas masks now and have gas grenades on hand just in case.

I ought to write to Johnnies tonight but won’t have time. Will have to wait till tomorrow night. Well will have to close.
Love, Herbert

***

Fort McClellan, AL
30 July 1944

Dear Mom & All,
It is about 8:30 Sunday morning, ate chow about an hour ago. Church doesn’t start until 10:30 so will have time to write the letters. I am behind. I was going to write Bernice but can’t decide whether they are on the Geneva route or on the Berne route. Which one are they on? Yes, my mail is coming though now. Only I haven’t heard from Dorothy for about a week now. I’m not going to write until I hear from her.

I got a letter from Kenneth Ellenberger Saturday and have answered it this morning. Our chaplain is home on a furlough. So a minister from Anniston [?] is coming up today. I got the two dollars yesterday. Sure glad to get it. Thanks a lot. Was going to a show last night but there were a couple hundred soldiers waiting to get in so I went over to the Service Man’s Club and got me a great big cherry sundae and a hamburger and went back to the hut. Some of the guys went into Anniston last night on a pass. I could have had one but didn’t want any.

Yesterday a guy turned his ankle. The Sergeant told everybody to fall in at attention at the end of the class. This guy wouldn’t or couldn’t stand on his one leg. So him and the Sarge went round and round about it. Finally the Sergeant told the Captain he wouldn’t fool around with this guy any more and talking back was a court martial offense. And he said he wanted him court martialed. So they are going ?.

I’ve been getting a letter a day from youins now. I can hardly wait till I get that box of cookies.

We were out yesterday and were in one of the outdoor classrooms. We march to one of the classrooms and take off our equipment and stack arms in a neat order. Well we were up in the hill in class studying about the compass and it started to rain. After it rained while we ran down and took the rain coats out of our packs and put them on. Everything was covered with Alabama mud. Rifles, cartridges, belts, packs, and everything. So we had a nice job of cleaning up our equipment yesterday evening. The worst of it was we practiced throwing hand grenades after the rain and half of the fox holes were filled with mud. We had to lay in it and throw the grenades, kneel and stand. We were really muddy. 

There is one guy here from New York. His name is Goldman. He is about 40 years old and really a corker. He is always sleeping. One day he was sleeping in class so the Captain made him stand at attention. Pretty soon he was swaying back and forth asleep again. So the Captain had another guy stand behind him with a branch and keep him awake. Yesterday he went asleep while we were throwing grenades. The grenades are brought out in a two-wheeled cart and it was about 1 ½ miles out there. He had to push the cart of equipment, grenades and everything back to camp. He was mad when he came in for supper. The Captain sure gets a kick out of him so do the rest of the guys.

Can’t think of much more to write so will close.
Love, Herb

P.S. Sure glad to hear youins are finally getting some rain. I’ll bet the corn don’t look so good.

***

Ft. McClellan, AL
31 July 1944

Dear Mom & All,
Receive your letters every day now. All my mail is coming through now except a few letters from youins and I’m not getting any mail from Dorothy.

I received your box today. Things were smashed up awful bad they still taste good. I also received a dollar from Caroline today. I have around 4 dollars besides my 2 dollar bill that will last me quite a while. I also receive the Herald and Standard all the time now.

Say, could you have Helen get ahold of a couple of hymnals (church hymns) at Berne, get a couple alike of cheap ones. They don’t have to be expensive or fancy. Just so they have some popular church songs in them. The reason I wanted them, there are a couple of guitars who like to play church songs but don’t have the books. Sunday night some of the guys got together. We found a couple of songs in the back of the Prayer Book that Rev. Wolber gave me. They played and we all sang. We were singing down in the Day Room tonight here.

Thanks a lot for the money and box. Will have to close now. Go on guard duty tomorrow night and need the sleep.

Love, Herb

***

Fort McClellan, AL
4 Aug 1944

Dear Folks,
I’ve been pretty busy this week and haven’t written any letters yet and here it is Friday night and only twenty minutes to go till lights are out.

I threw some real hand grenades Wednesday. I was sort of worried about them at first but I guess they are safe if you duck. Tomorrow we get up at 4 o’clock to go out on a hill and dig fox holes. After we dig them we get down in them and a tank runs over the hole to see if it is dug deep enough.

About that Battle on the Island Saipan. Has Helen heard from Red? You don’t need to tell her this but for the first fifteen days there we averaged 600 men killed each day. The island is 75 sq miles. I know a quite a few more figures on the causalities of the island but I guess I’d better not tell them. With that island we can bomb and start on Japan, the Philippines, and help China.

Say if the war ends in Germany within a month you can expect me home on a furlough in five to seven weeks. You see I would only have or take 8 weeks of training then be sent to Germany as a guard.

I received the box of cookies and etc. They sure ware good. They were a little smashed thought. I haven’t had time to write Howards yet. They sent me a dollar. Johnnie and Clara also sent a dollar. Also received the money from youins OK and thanks a lot. Also received the clothes hangers. Am getting the Herald and Standard regular now. The pictures you sent are really good.

Guess I’d better close for now, will write more later.
Love, Herb

P.S. I’ve been hearing from Dorothy. The mail got laid aside. Did you read in the paper about Vincent Jolly?

***

Fort McClellan, AL
6 Aug 1944

Dear Mom & All,
It’s about 10:30 and am enjoying a nice quiet Sunday morning. As I said before we get Sundays off here. I haven’t gone to a show for a couple of months now. You don’t need to send any more money. I got enough to last for quite a while. I’m not going to spend any more than I have to. I don’t smoke very much now, only about three of four cigarettes a day and I smoke my pipe in the evenings. We have a lot of P.T. (physical training) and cigarettes make me short winded so I am smoking the pipe most of the time. It don’t affect me any. We will have an extra good dinner today—always do on Sundays. Lot of the guys went into town today. I don’t have any desire to. It takes money to get there and after I get there what would I do but spend some more. We have pretty nice classes here at camp. They guys usually play the guitar and sing. We have a radio and a pool table in the day-room. I’m going down to the Main Post Exchange and get me another overseas hat [?]. They have three or four theatres here at camp so if I decide to go to a show it only about ¾ of a mile to walk. That isn’t very far. We average about 10 miles a day now with full equipment.

Yesterday they put on a demonstration battle with tanks and everything except air planes and paratroopers. After that we dug fox holes and a tank went over us. It was raining pretty hard and when the tank went over the hole some of the dirt and stones came in on top of us. I was really covered with mud.

Next week we start out on dry firing and the next week we go on the firing range.

By the way we signed the pay roll last night so will get paid the last of the month.

It usually rains here every afternoon or evening. Sure wish it would rain back there like that. I imagine the corn and later crops need it.

I received a letter from Rev. Wolber yesterday. It was really a nice letter. He said Vernie did real good. He said Vernie was sort of bashful at first but after a while he got over it.

I didn’t go to church this morning, had to scrub up my mess equipment and my cartridge belt and pack. Didn’t get up until about 9:30. I’ve told you about Goldman (thy guy that likes to sleep) yesterday he got in his fox hole and it was cracked. When the tank went over his it caved in and they had to dig him out. We threw live hand grenades last week. Can’t think of much more to write so will close.

Love, Herb

***

Fort McClellan, AL
Aug 12, 1944

Dear Mom & All,
Have been receiving a letter every day from youins, but haven’t been able to write any letter since Monday night. We have been drilling every day and Wed, Thur, and Fri night we had night problems. Fri. (yesterday) we got off at 1:00 o’clock and fell out at 6:20. In that time we had to eat chow, get our mail, clean our rifles and bayonets, and fill our canteens with water. It took us 55 minutes to walk out to that hill which was 3¼ miles from our co. street.  I’m so sleepy tonight I can hardly hold my eyes open.

Received the hymnals yesterday and was sure glad to get them. We sang some of the songs tonight. Monday we go on the rifle range and are on it for the whole week. We get up at 4:30. Tomorrow we get up at 7:00 and take swimming lessons until 9:00 o’clock. When I come home on a furlough I want to wear the good conduct and the sharpshooters medal, so am going to try and earn them.

We got paid tonight. I got $21.58. Am going to put $25 In the bank here. I got or rather they took out a $25 bond and you will receive I real soon.   

So youins are going to build the new hen house pretty soon. Where will it be built?

I received a letter from Ruth and Bob and they said they were coming home. Sure would like to see them.

Guess I’d better close.
Love, Herb

P.S. I should write Johnnie’s tonight but I think I will go to bed and write tomorrow. Thanks a lot for the books.

***

Fort McClellan, AL
15 Aug 1944

Dear Mom & All,
Well I finally got around to writing a few letters. Have been kept pretty busy lately. We have been out on the firing range for practice for the last two days. Some of the guys didn’t hang on to their rifles and they flopped around everywhere. Some even got black eyes and bruised cheeks. The rifle I have is pretty old and doesn’t shoot so accurate.

You say Red [Paul Linn] is a scout. There are two different kinds of scouts: resonance scouts and platoon scouts. The first isn’t very dangerous but the platoon scouts are human targets. They go ahead of the platoon and draw the enemy fire so the rest of the rifleman can pick them off.

I don’t know many more figures about the battle on Saipan. Some of the Lieutenants do and they talk about it in class. What do you think of the second front in France?

I received the two hymnals some time ago and received the third and stationary yesterday and also a box of cookies and things from Em, Norval, and Norval’s folks. Thanks a lot for the things you sent. I am taking swimming lessons now and I will know how to swim before long.

Well I guess I’d better close for now. I’m still well and hope you all are the same.
Love, Herb

***

Fort McClellan, AL
19 Aug 1944

Dear Mom & All,
I finally found time to write a few lines. We finished the week on rifle range. I qualified for Marksman. One part we had nine shots to load or rather one shot to load, get into position shoot it, load an eight round clip and shoot off the eight rounds all in 51 seconds. I usually got done in forty. That is what they call rapid fire and the targets look something like this. My one set of shots were [see sketch] which gave me 37 out of a possible 45.

It takes 140 to qualify for Marksman, 165 for Sharpshooter, and 185 for Expert. I could have made Sharpshooter but my rifle wasn’t working right that day. We have been carrying a full field pack for quite awhile now. The pack weighs about 70 lbs. Once in a while we carry our gas masks, (abt. 6 lbs) and we carry our rifles all of the time. When we carry all three we have quite a load.

I received a letter from Ruth and she sent me $1. I was going to answer her letter but decided to wait until after she had been home. Wee it won’t be long until the new hen house will have a good start.

Well I guess I’d better sign off for now. Will write tomorrow.
Love, Herb

It appears Herb and some others thought that the war in Germany would be over fairly soon after the Americans entered the war on D-Day.

***

Fort McClellan, AL
20 Aug 1944

Dear Mom & All,
Just a few lines to let you know I’m OK. I have about 1/2 hr. before church to write this letter. I’ve found out not to plan anything in the Army. So I decided to write now, then I’m sure I have time.

I’m planning on going into town this afternoon and eve with some of the cadre men (non-commissioned officers) and they will get me out of any detail for today.

I received a letter from Bernice some time ago and finally answered today. This morning for chow we had cooked raisins, eggs, toast, and breakfast cereal. This noon is when we have the good meal. I slept until 8:00 o’clock this morning and I really slept good. Guess I’d better close. 

Love, Herb

***

Fort McClellan, AL
23 Aug 1944

Dear Mom & All,
I finally found time to write youins a few lines. I imagine Ruth and Bob are home now. I wanted to write to them but decided to wait until they went back, maybe by that time I will have more time to write.

We had a pretty easy day today. Two hrs. of swim, 1 hr. of rifle study, 1 hr. show on the bazooka, 1 hr. of military discipline, 1 hr. of P.T., and 2 hrs. of map reading. We really had a good meal tonight. They had one kind of salad I really liked. It was made out of grated cheese and pears.

I received a letter from Howards today.

I imagine youins got the foundation built for the hen house. I won’t even know the place when I come home. New well and new hen house.

Boy these Brooklyn guys are really jokers. They are always getting on detail for something or other and it really tickles me, especially Harry Goldman. He is about 35 yrs. old and doesn’t give a darn what does happen.

There were two guys who deserted the Army last Sunday night. Today I saw some of the guys carrying their equipment and clothes out. So I imagine they found them and are taking them to the stockade. They have a lot of American prisoners here at camp and also a lot of German prisoners. The American prisoners are A.W.O.L.s and deserters and get fed bread and water and are always under guard. The German prisoners get good meals and they don’t always have guards and have very little work.

A sergeant was telling us that they had a truck load of German prisoners out gathering up scrap paper from the cans [?]. They drove off and left one and he got madder than the devil because he had to walk instead of ride back to his barracks. German prisoners don’t cause very much trouble.

Paris fell the other day. The French underground went in and took over the city from the Germans. I imagine you hear more of the news than I do.

We have a new platoon sergeant who just came back from action on the Solomons and other islands. He really is a nice sergeant.

Guess I’d better close.
Love, Herbie  

***

Fort McClellan, AL
25 Aug 1944

Dear Mom & All,
Received your letter today and decided to answer it while I had & have a few minutes time. Tomorrow is Saturday and have K.P. tomorrow and table waiting Sunday. Table waiting isn’t very hard work, only a couple of hours. We had to scrub out our huts tonight. It took about half an hour. Today we practiced on antiaircraft targets and moving targets with the rifle, also the bazooka and the automatic rifle. The automatic rifle just squeeze the trigger and 20 shots go off just that quick. It weighs 20 lbs. and looks like a rifle. Before long will be shooting the machine guns and mortars. Only six more weeks of training and then will have bivouacs or maneuvers the rest of the seventeen weeks.

Say do you suppose you could get my little camera I sold to Murlin. Maybe Maggie would sell it back. If you can get it and it won’t cause too much bother I would like to have it. But I can’t get film here. Helen can see if she can get some first at Berne. It takes a different size than the box camera. If the film can’t be gotten you don’t need to bother with the camera.

By the sound of your letter they must really be putting the hen house up.

That was really too bad about Don Dellinger. I got a letter today from Lanora McClain/McClair [?] and she was telling me a little about it.

Yes I read Red’s letter in the Celina Standard. I don’t remember much about it, it was awhile back.

Guess I’d better close and get some sleep. Have to get up about 3:30 to report to the kitchen on time.
Love, Herbert

***

Fort McClellan, AL
27 Aug 1944

Dear Mom & All,
Well here is another letter. Have a little time today because it is Sunday. I am table waiter today. It isn’t hard and don’t take much time. Also will get all I want to eat.

Yesterday was on K.P. and in the afternoon went out on the range and shot the rifle grenade so I wouldn’t have to make the time up. Those rifle grenades kick like a mule.

Tomorrow we go on a fourteen mile hike and to top it all it will be hill most of the way. If it is up to Baines Gap it will be one of those forced marches.

You remember me telling you about those two guys Wagner and Moore who went over the Hill. Well they have them in the stockade now. It will really be tough on them. I washed out my clothes or fatigues today. There were a lot of guys down there and all the washers were taken. So I got a five gallon bucket that I found down in the shower room, filled it half full of soapy water and washed out my clothes by putting them in the bucket and kept stomping them with my foot. It worked pretty good and didn’t take near as long as scrubbing them out.

I think there was a guy who went over the hill last night. His wife was here all week and the sarge only let him out a couple nights. He was on K.P. today and he didn’t show up and nobody has seen him.

Well I guess I’d better close. Can’t think of any more to write. Am fine and hope you all are the same.

Love, Herbie

***

Fort McClellan, AL
To Miss Helen Miller
RR#1 Willshire, Ohio
30 Aug 1944

Dear Helen,
I received your letter today and sure was glad to hear from you. My pen just ran out of ink and had to fill it with a different color.

Well the end of this week will be the end of the seventh week. Only ten more wks to go. They are rushing us pretty fast. A lot of the things we are taking up now the rest of the co.s [companies] took up in their tenth week. Some of the guys think we will only have twelve weeks here and then take jungle training, either here in the U.S. or on an island like Hawaii. If we go to another place beside the U.S. [we] won’t get a furlough. But that’s only a latrine rumor and you can’t go on that. Tomorrow night we have a night problem and will be out most of the night, so I won’t get any letters written then.

I read in the Standard about “Red” and “Vincet.” It seems like most of the guys that were wounded or killed were hit by artillery or mortar shells. 

I sent home a Doughboy book [?] or rather we had to. We couldn’t send them to anyone except immediate members of the family.

I imagine the hen house is pretty will completed. I would have liked to go to the S.S. [Sunday School] Picnic. Guess I’d better close for now.
Love, Herb

***

Fort McClellan, AL
1 Sep 1944

Dear Mom & All,
I had another letter started tonight but the sergeant came in with this stationery so decided to write on this. What do you think of it?

Tonight was pay day. I received $24.75 this time. Those bonds are going to count up pretty fast. Just think I have about $11 in war bonds now.

The darndest thing happened today. You see tomorrow night we have a parade in front of three generals. It will last for one hour. Our equipment will be suntans, helmet liners, cartridge belts, and rifles. They all have to be in tip-top condition. Well out of the whole Battalion they picked forty men out of company A to be “Guards of Honor.” There are about two hundred men to a company and four companies to a Battalion. And I happen to be one of the forty men. We have been having rehearsals for the “Guard of Honor.”

The company has been restricted to the area for two weeks because of the condition of the huts. We cleaned them up good and the Major examined them and said they were in the best condition of the Regiment. So they raised the restriction and it will be possible to get a weekend pass.

They are really rushing us now. We fire the bazookas tomorrow. We have been dry firing the carbine and the automatic rifle. So will fire them on the range in the near future. Those carbines are the real guns. The barrel is only about sixteen inches long. The whole length is about twenty-six inches long. It weighs 5¼ lbs and holds a magazine of fifteen rounds. It is gas operated and will fire all fifteen shots as fast as you can pull the trigger. The automatic rifle weighs 22 lbs and fires twenty rounds by just pulling the trigger once.

You asked if I was hearing from Dorothy. Well I haven’t heard from her in the last week and a half. Don’t know what the trouble is. I stopped writing when I didn’t hear from her.

Guess I’d better close for now.
Love, Herb

P.S. Received the box today. Everything was in A-1 shape and really tastes good.

I found it very interesting to read that he was selected to be part of the Guard of Honor. He was a hard worker and I am sure he deserved it and was proud of it. It is also interesting to see how much he looked forward to receiving letters and boxes from home. Those letters from family and neighbors sure meant a lot to him.

***

Continuing with letters my dad wrote home during his basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama, during the summer of 1944. During that time he was in Company A, 12^th Battalion, 8^th Regiment. He mentions some of his siblings in the letters: Ruth, Em, Helen, Kenny, and Vernie. Helen was dating Paul “Red” Linn at the time and Red was serving in the Pacific during WWII. Helen and Red married after the war.

Fort McClellan, AL
5 Sep 1944

Dear Mom & All,
Received your box the other week also received your box today containing cigarettes, peanuts & etc. They really taste good.

About all we are doing now is physical training, firing on range and study of weapons. We fired the carbines Monday. They are a little rifle with a barrel 16 inches long and [weighs] 6 lbs. It fires 15 shots as fast as you can pull the trigger. It really is a nice weapon. I qualified for sharpshooter with it. We will be having night problems a lot from now on. We have a 6 hour night problem Friday night. The best part of it is we get Saturday morning off and in the afternoon have 2 hours swimming.

Has Dad gotten the hen house completed yet? I’m glad to hear my car is starting better. How are the tires holding up?

Well it looks like Germany will give up pretty soon. They will have to because we have been on German soil for quite a few days. When Germany gives up it won’t be over a couple of months to knock off Japan. You remember me telling about Moore going A.W.O.L. Well he came back the other day and before they could court martial him he took off.

Poor Pvt. Goldman. Tonight he was over to the P.X. and somebody put a lighted cigarette on his hat. About ½ of it burnt before he knew it and was he ever mad.

They are getting up a softball team to play the W.A.C.s Thursday night. I think I’ll play. There are a lot of W.A.C.s here. They work in the hospital and drive trucks etc. I went to a show Sunday night. Saw Red Skeleton in “Rainbow Island.” It was really good. I sat beside a sergeant who was in the Sicily and Tunisia Companies in Italy. They had news reel showing the battle in the streets of Paris. I never heard anybody cuss the Germans like he did. He was wounded seriously and was just recovered.

I guess I’d better close for now.
Love, Herb

***

My dad wrote the following letter to his church youth group back home at Zion Lutheran Church in Chattanooga, Ohio. But first he apparently sent the letter to his sister Helen so she could edit it before passing it on.

5 Sep 1944

Dear Youth Council,
It is Tuesday night and since we don’t have every night off I decided to write a few lines to let you all know how I am.

Helen has been sending me the Youth Council Paper. I enjoy reading it, especially the jokes. Say, who thinks them up anyway? I noticed most of the letters in there were from Navy and Marines and since they cannot get along without the Army I better write a few lines for the Army.

I have found out there is only two times in the Army, quick time and double time. Quick time is a rapid walk and double time is twice as fast. We do a lot of both. Likewise the Army has two favorite phrases, “Double time–march” and “break is over, back to work.” We always hate to hear the sergeants say those two. As you know the Alabama weather is very hot, which makes it very uncomfortable to double time or to do exercises.

I saw a show the other night. The title was “Rainbow Island.” It really is a good show. That makes the second show I have seen since I left the vicinity of Chattanooga.

Thursday night Co. A plays the W.A.C.s in a game of softball. It’s a good way to get acquainted. Right?

Guess I’d better close since the lights in the day room will go out in a half hour.

A Member
Herbert Miller

P.S. Helen don’t put this P.S. in the letter but would you correct this letter for mistakes?

***

Fort McClellan, AL
Sunday afternoon
10 Sep 1944

Dear Mom & All,
I just had chow. Had turkey, dressing, tomatoes, salad, carrots, and ice cream. I have to scrub up my mess gear and canteen cup pretty soon. We eat out in the field tomorrow.

We fired the automatic rifles. They told us to fire them one at a time. Well you squeeze the trigger and release it and quick about five shots go off. We will probably fire the machine gun and mortar next week.

Em wrote and said Vernie and Kenny were really good tomato pickers.

I got a pass for town but don’t think I will use it. I’m going into town some Saturday night and get a few things.

Do you remember the guy whose fox hole caved in when the tank ran over us? His name is Harry Goldman. He went out to the obstacle course and climbed up on the net and had someone take his picture. And that book I sent home, he goes around and had the guys sign their name and put sergeant, corporal, lieutenant, or captain in front of it. Somebody asked him why? He said he wanted to make an impression on his wife.

Guess I’d better close,
Love, Herbie

***

Fort McClellan, AL
12 Sep 1944

Dear Mom & All,
It’s Tuesday night and don’t have very much time to write tonight. So this letter will be rather short.

Last night my turn came up for detail and didn’t get it finished until 11:15.

Monday we went out and practiced on the different formations for combat patrols. We had eight different problems and we ate in the field. One problem was to knock out a machine gun nest, another to capture a village, another to find and kill snipers, etc. Today we had 2 hrs. of P.R. One hour we ran cross country. We had 4 periods of mortar, 1 period of bayonet practice and 1 period of trentation [?]. That is the discussion of the latest news. There are five armies in France. The Canadian 1^st Army, the English 2^nd, the American Third Armored Division, the American Seventh Army, and one other American Army. The English and Canadian are in the northern part of France and are fighting in the Netherlands. The one American army (I think the Third Armored Division) has penetrated five miles through the outer Siegfried Line, inside of Germany. The other two American Armies, one which landed in Southern France, will without a doubt connect with the Third and also the Italian Campaign. So you see there will be a line from the Atlantic Ocean at the Netherland border to the Mediterranean Sea. 

I imagine the corn is about all cut that is to be cut. Is the tomato season over with yet or is it just getting a good start?

Guess I’d better close,
Love, Herbie

***

Fort McClellan, AL
15 Sep 1944

Dear Mom & All,
Tonight is Thursday night and am about ready for bed. But decided to write you a letter first.

We fired the machine gun today. They are pretty nice to fire, except they jump around a little bit. Tomorrow we fire the automatic rifle at moving targets. Saturday we fire practice rounds in the mortar. We started out on log drill. Each log weighs about 500-1000 lbs. and there are 6 men to a log. We lift them, throw them, and lot of other different things.

Say, the next time you send a box would you slip in a dime’s worth of hard candy? I’m sort of hungry for it. I haven’t eaten any since I’ve been in the Army.

Can Helen get the film? I had my picture taken by one of the boys here. I stripped to the waist and put on my steel helmet and had my rifle and bayonet. I will send you some after I get them.

We ate out in the field every day this week except Tuesday and we go out again tomorrow. Today we had chicken, mashed potatoes, cold slaw, ice cream, iced tea, creamed carrots, and a piece of pie.

How do the kids like school? Vernie’s a freshman this year isn’t he? What subjects are they taking?

I imagine the tomato season is about over. I got a letter from Dale yesterday and he said they are turning out pretty good. I wanted to write him tonight but am getting so sleepy I think I will go to bed.
Love,
Herbie

This is the photo my dad mentioned in the above letter and now we know the story behind it.

***

Fort McClellan, AL
To Miss Helen Miller
RR#1, Willshire, Ohio
17 Sep 1944

Dear Helen,
I’m not going to write a very long letter. I don’t have much time. You asked what size of film the camera took. It is 127 or G-127. Either one.

We had bologna for supper and chocolate pudding. Today has been a hot day. It gets pretty chilly at night. Tomorrow we fall out with full field equipment. I don’t know what we do but it will be something. Yes, I would like to read the St. Paul’s League Paper, if you could get it. So Edna Clase and Dobby Gibbons are getting married. There are a lot of them getting married back home.

I’m going to read a comic book and go to bed. I want to get plenty of sleep tonight. Guess I’d better close. Will write soon.
Love,
Herb

Tell Helen this camera will be OK. I won’t have so awful much time to take pictures. We only have one more Sunday off before I come home. The rest of the time will be in Libman [?]

My dad enjoyed taking photos and developing them himself. He had a camera in Germany as well and took photos there during the war.

***

Fort McClellan, AL
16 Sep 1944

Dear Mom & All,
It’s Saturday night and not much doing here. I’ve been writing letters all evening. Wrote 11 so far besides a few odds and ends. So, I’m glad I learned how to sew buttons and to patch. I had to do both this evening and still have a little mending to do. I washed out my fatigues tonight. Now that makes me sound like a woman so I’m going to stop.

No, I didn’t get the grapes Ruth sent. We have been eating out in the field about every day this week.

Sure wish I had a camera down here. There are a lot of pictures I would like to take to show youins what the camp looks like.

Is Helen still hearing from Red? He ought to be getting a furlough pretty soon.

It looks like the war with Germany will end soon. But Japan will take awhile. I thought they would be starting on the Philippines pretty soon.

There is an Irishman here who has been in the U.S. only about 9 months. He really is a lot of fun. Last night he was giving the Prime Minister Chamberlain’s speech and it was really good.

Guess I’d better close. Can’t think of any more to say.
Love,
Herbie

***

Fort McClellan, AL
21 Sep 1944

Dear Mom & All,
It is Thursday morning and am waiting for the whistle to fall out. It was 2 o’clock before I got to bed last night. We had a night problem in the hills. I have put in about 40 hours already this week and here it is only Thursday morning. Most of the guys from other companies say this is our hardest week.

They have a new giz [?] system now, have so many points for certain things that are undone or done wrong. Such as dirty floor = 1 pt. etc. After a person has 6 pts. in one week he is restricted to the co. area or put on detail for three nights in a row. So far I have one point this week.

Will probably get K.P. tomorrow or Saturday. They are up to the Ms already.

Yesterday morning they picked out 30 men to demonstrate scouting and patrolling to the rest of the Co. and to the majors, colonels, and general. I was in it. Had to run the problem three times.

I didn’t get the grapes [?] Ruth [?] sent but your letter explained why I didn’t get them.

It sounded like the whistle, so I guess I’d better close for now.
Love,  
Herb

P.S. Tell the kids to study good in school.

***

Fort McClellan, AL
23 Sep 1944

Dear Mom & All,
It’s Saturday night and it is getting sort of late. Tomorrow we set up our stands. We have a box about four ft. square and 4 in. high to fill up with sand and put the stove in it.

Yes, I got your stationery. In fact I go two packages of it. I’m putting yours to a lot of bother [?], the candy, camera, and film. Tell Helen I will pay her for the film when I come home.

Monday and Tuesday I didn’t get any letters but Wednesday I got about 10-12.

K.P. and table waiting was really tough this last time. Sure glad it is over. Monday we fire the mortars and in two weeks we go out on maneuvers for a week and then next three days are back here. Then we take off again for another place for two weeks.

We were supposed to crawl under machine gun fire this week but we didn’t. This morning we had a two hr. show on “the Battle of Russia.” Last week we saw the show on “The Battle for Britain.”

Today we went through the obstacle course with light packs or combat packs and rifles. It is easy to go through.

I can’t think of much to write and am getting pretty sleepy.

Did Bud Oakley pass for the Army? I imagine Dale will be gone by the time you get this. It will really be hard on him with the ideas he has.

I sure would like to see K [?] Ross [?]. Hope Don H., Gene C. & my furloughs are the same time. I think Gene Case will get his before mine.

Guess I [will] close for now and write more tomorrow.
Love,  Herbie

***

Fort McClellan, AL
24 Sep 1944

Dear Mom & All,
It’s Sunday evening and it is getting sort of late. I thought I would drop you a few lines and send you my picture. This letter will be short.

We put up the stoves today. Had to fill a box full of sand and clay to set the stove in for protection of fire.

We had two good meals today. This evening I mopped the hut, cleaned the rifles, washed my fatigues, and decided to write a few letters. Time sure is going fast. Only 7 more weeks to go.

How are the crops coming along? How did the beans come out or aren’t they combined yet? Johnnies said a lot of the beans are ripe now.

Tell Helen not to worry about Red. I imagine he is planning to surprise her and his folks by coming home pretty soon.

Guess I’d better sign off.
Love,
Herbie

P.S. I just had to tear the letter open. I forgot to enclose the picture. Ha!

***

Fort McClellan, AL
27 Sep 1944

Dear Mom & All,
Here it is Wednesday evening again. Time surely is going fast. Those night problems we have make it go faster too. We had a 4 hr. one Monday night and got in at 12:30. Last night we had an 8 hr. one and got in at 5:20 this morning.

We had yesterday morning and this morning off so I’m getting plenty of rest. As for the eats, they are excellent.

I received the camera and box. Thanks a lot. I know I’m putting youins to a lot of bother. The reason I wanted the hard candy, I take about 6 or 7 pieces along and leave them melt in my mouth while we are marching to keep from getting thirsty. I took 4 pictures already. Some of my buddies, the other 4 will take with our O.D.s on. Did you receive that picture yet? It’s not very plain. My buddy took it.

Tell Helen this camera will be OK. I won’t have so awful much time to take pictures. We only have one more Sunday off before I come home. The rest of the time will be in Libman [?].

I’m getting pretty sleepy. Guess I’d better close.
Love,  
Herb

***

I remember that my dad always liked hard candy. He may have acquired a taste for it during his basic training. He also liked to take photos and he developed the pictures himself. Quite a few of his photos survived and I am thankful to have them. My dad did not mention anything about the new hen house on the Miller farm back in Mercer County, Ohio, in any of these letters. Perhaps it was completed by this time. Below is the only photo I could find of what I believe was the hen house that was built during the summer of 1944. I believe it was the long white building on the left side of the photo below. I am sure some of my relatives remember for sure. This photo would have been taken years later and it looks like my dad’s youngest sister Anna Lou, who looks like she is resting after a whole lot of snow shoveling.

***

Fort McClellan, AL
28 Sep 1944

Dear Mom & All,
It’s Thursday night and no night problems tonight. We fired the mortars today. They were sorta easy to fire.

Talking about sit-down strikes, read the clipping I enclosed about the G.P.W. on a sit-down strike. They really treat them nice around here. I don’t know very much news.

It really rained tonight, or this evening. I’m sure glad I’m not on a night problem. We have started to take up boxing and wrestling. Maybe I’ll be able to take care of myself when I get out of here.

Helen asked where I thought the 27^th Division is. I don’t know, but I’m almost positive they didn’t or aren’t in combat right now.

Pretty soon they will send American troops in China. There are some or a lot of American airfields there that the Japs are capturing. So before long they will send in foot troops—the infantry. I read in the (Ft. McClellan) Cycle where Ft. McClellan men would be the first ones in Tokyo [?].

Guess I’d better close.
Love,  
Herbie

*** 

Fort McClellan, AL
30 Sep 1944

Dear Mom & All,
I decided to write youins a letter so here goes.

It is Sunday morning and just got back from church. It is 10:05. I have my rifle to clean, cartridge belt & leggings to wash out by 11:30, so will have to hurry.

I have all those pictures taken but not developed yet. I’m going to take them in this afternoon. I will send you a set of them. I received a box of chocolate candy from Homer Carrs. It sure was good candy.

We leave for maneuvers the 13^th of October on Friday and come back to camp Nov. 4. Stay in camp for a week and then sometime the following week will be shipped out. I will get my furlough delay enroute. So that means I will bring my barracks bags and everything I’m going to take to the next camp home with me.

I heard Dale was at camp Atterbury.

What is the price of beans this year? I imagine the corn is pretty nubbing [?] since it was a dry year.

Guess I’d better close and clean my rifle.
Love,
Herb

P.S. I have enough stationery to last me till I get home.

***

Fort McClellan
1 Oct 1944

Dear Mom & All,
Today is a rest day so I’m lying around in the hut sleeping and writing letters. The reason we have this rest day is because we had a night problem that lasted until 9:30 this morning. I spent my first night in a fox hole. It was OK only there were a few snakes crawling around. I killed a rattler about 2 ½ feet long. Other than that I slept OK. I received a large box of cookies and candy from Clara. They sure were good.

We got paid this morning. My check was $23.75. It usually varies according to whether there are 30 or 31 days in the month.

Last night it was really chilly. Now it is so hot you can’t keep cool.

So Helen has her driver’s license now. I knew she would pass her test all right. Yes I know how nervous on gets in a time like that.

Is dad still working on the same shift like he did before? I imagine he gets tireder than ever on some of those shifts and with the work on the hen house.

I might get sent to a division and get additional training. They take all 18 year-olds for co. cadre here or send them to a division. The cycle ends on Nov. 11 and my birthday is the 29^th. I would have gone to the Army about 2 months sooner I would be sure of going to a division but since it is so close it is hard to tell. They may send me across right away.

Guess I’d better close for now.
Love,
Herbie

***

Fort McClellan, AL
8 Oct 1944

Dear Mom & All,
It’s Sunday evening and am about to go to bed. I have to clean my rifle, shave, and write another letter.

I’m sending you some pictures and also the negatives, so you can get some more prints if you want some. I don’t or won’t have any more chances to go to town.

Day after tomorrow we go out to maneuvers.

We are packing all of our stuff to leave.

We usually could get all the cigarettes we wanted. Now they will sell us only two packs.

Just two more days of scrubbing the huts in the morning, then we will be sleeping on the ground.

I went to church this morning, washed out my clothes, and then went to a show this afternoon. It was really a good show, “Marriage is a Private Affair.”

It is really chilly tonight. We should have built a fire in the stove. But we should have to walk quite a ways for coal and also quite a ways to empty the ashes. Then we would have to polish the stove. So I decided it would be too much bother.

Could you send another roll of film? Just one more is all I would like to have.

Guess I’d better close.
Love,
Herb

***

Fort McClellan, AL
12 Oct 1944

Dear Mom & All,
It’s almost dinner time. We arrived at our maneuver’s area OK. Just got the fox holes dug, tent erected and everything camouflaged. We will be here for 9 days. I don’t know where I’ll get to mail this but I figured I’d better write a few lines now and a few later to make a letter. Everything is done tactually—just like it is done in actual combat. I’m beginning to get hungry so will close for awhile and finish this letter late.

Here it is 1:00 and we still haven’t had chow. It ought to be anytime now. I’m going to write on the back of the sheets. You see we had to carry everything with us on the march—gas mask, field pack, rifle, steel helmet, mess gear, tent, blankets, extra fatigues, extra blanket, extra shoes, cigarettes, writing paper—everything that we need out here.

It wasn’t a very hard march out here, the way they talked it would be pretty tough. These nine days will go fast. The guy that is sleeping with me in the pup tent is Pvt. Merryman. Guess I’d better close.

Love,
Herb

***

Fort McClellan, AL
14 Oct 1944

Dear Mom & All,
It’s almost 5:00 and I started this letter yesterday evening but was called for chow. It is now Sun. morn. We are on the machine gun range, firing other machine guns. We have a night problem tonight and tomorrow night. I probably won’t have a chance to go to church until I get home on my furlough.

I have to bring all my equipment and stuff home with me.

I don’t know much news. So don’t imagine it will be a very long letter.

Where is Dale C. at? Johnnies said he mailed a letter in Texas and was still going west. I’ve written to Murlin a couple of times but never got any answer. Gene Case [?] is the only one I heard from.

I’m really sleepy today and have been getting a lot of sleep. I guess it’s because I’m used to taking it easy on Sunday afternoon.

One of the lieutenants said they would tell us in our 16^th week where our next camp would be

Here at the maneuvers at Choccolocco we use blanks in problems and live rounds on the range.

In Marsville we use all live ammunition, artillery shells, mortar shells, and land mines.

I imagine Dad’s car does sound different. He put quite a bit of money in it but it is worth it.

Where is Jr. Derrickson at now? I read in the paper where Roma Miller was wounded in action.

Does Helen know Robert Caywood from Celina? He is here and we are coming home together.

Guess I’d better close, am feeling fine and hope you are the same.

Love,
Herb

***

Fort McClellan, AL
20 Oct 1944

Dear Mom & All,
Here it is Friday night and I haven’t had time to write any letters for quite a while. Tomorrow we take off again for another maneuvers area. It will be a four night hike out there. Quite a ways isn’t it?

How is the farming coming along by now? I imagine all the corn is shucked.

So Kenny got his bicycle. I’ll bet he is really tickled.

I received a carton of cigarettes from Em and Jack today. Also film from Johnnies.

You know I’ve been so busy I didn’t get to the main PX or to town. In fact I couldn’t have got to town if I wanted to. The only time we are in the Co area is through the week and no passes through the week. I wanted to get grandma [?], and Johnnies and Dad something, especially for their birthdays and Mom’s on Nov. 3, so if it is OK I’ll buy it before I ship out and bring them home on my furlough.

I’m taking a sergeant’s place tonight for CQ—command of quarters. So have an easy job.

Guess I’d better close.
Love,
Herbie

***

Fort McClellan, AL
24 Oct 1944

Dear Mom & All,
Here it is Tuesday night and I finally found time to scribble a few lines. It’s been dark for quite a while. I made me a lamp out of a c-ration coffee can and leggin lace using rifle oil for fuel. It smokes quite a bit but that can be expected.

I received your box and also the letters. Say those cookies and home baked bread really taste good. We have been living on c-rations and hard-tack for quite a while on maneuvers.

You don’t need to send any more films. I have the one Johnnies sent and since I will be where I can take pictures for a week before my furlough I won’t need them. 17 more days to go yet. I’m pretty sure of where I’m going to be sent next, although they will tell us for sure next week. I think I will be sent down South again, only a little further west—Mississippi in a division. I won’t miss so very far. If I would be much older I would be sure of going across.

Well I’m glad to hear youins are having good weather there for harvesting the crops.

The maneuvers out here at Marsville are very interesting. Tomorrow we go through the German Village. We use a lot of live ammunition and there is a lot of chances to get hurt if the guys are careless. Most of the guys are very careful but there are a few “jerks” who always spoil a good game. So instead of getting shot in the “hind end”-back, we make them go in front or take their ammunition away from them.

You aught to see my bed here. I’m sleeping like a king. I’m still sleeping with Merryman and we gathered straw and grass and put it on the ground inside of our tent, till it was a foot thick. Then one blanket over that and a comfort. We have three blankets and another comfort to cover up with.

I was on guard duty Saturday night. It’s like Red said, there are a lot of things in the Army I’d rather do. Well our barracks bags hadn’t come out yet and all the clothes I had were what I brought in my pack and that was 1 blanket and 1 rain coat besides my tent. It happened that that was a very chilly night and I darn near froze. There were 6 men at the post where we were to stand guard and that post was in the center of a field—of all places for a guard post.

Well guess I’d better close for now. I hope I get some more time to write before I get back to camp.
Love,
Herbert

***

It would not be long until my dad would finish his basic training and he looked forward to going home on furlough. He thought he would be sent to another camp after that, possibly in Mississippi, but that was not to be. He mentioned the chilly nights in Alabama but he had no idea what would be in store for him in Europe in less than three months, seeing combat in the Ardennes and the Battle of the Bulge. It is probably just as well that he did not know. I am just glad that they trained him so well and that he had the wherewithal to survive the war.

Fort McClellan, AL
30 Sep 1944

Dear Mom & All,
I decided to write youins a letter so here goes.

I heard Dale was at camp Atterbury.

It is Sunday morning and just got back from church. It is 10:05. I have my rifle to clean, cartridge belt & leggings to wash out by 11:30, so will have to hurry.

I have all those pictures taken but not developed yet. I’m going to take them in this afternoon. I will send you a set of them. I received a box of chocolate candy from Homer Carrs. It sure was good candy.

We leave for maneuvers the 13^th of October on Friday and come back to camp Nov. 4. Stay in camp for a week and then sometime the following week will be shipped out. I will get my furlough delay enroute. So that means I will bring my barracks bags and everything I’m going to take to the next camp home with me.

What is the price of beans this year? I imagine the corn is pretty nubbinny since it was a dry year.

Guess I’d better close and clean my rifle.
Love,
Herb

P.S. I have enough stationery to last me till I get home.

***

Herb was nearly finished with his basic training and would come home on furlough soon. In these letters he mentions his brother Vernie, his uncle and aunt Bob and Bernice (Brewster) Dudgeon, and his cousin Murlin Miller.

Fort McClellan, AL
29 Oct 1944

Dear Mom,
It’s Sunday morning and all is going along pretty good. We pulled into this here area Thursday night and have had every day off since then but we have been having night problems every night. Last Thursday we ran the artillery problems. We fired a lot of tracers and a lot of artillery was flying around. As a result they started a forest fire. We started fighting the fire at 2:00 and it was 3:30 [?] when we got it under control. There were close to 1000 men fighting the fire. I would say there were about 20 acres of timber burnt and then there were a lot of fields which were covered with grass that was burnt.

Only about another two weeks before I’ll be home sometime in three weeks. I imagine Don Hoblet will be home about the same time. Since he is in I.R.T.C. at Texas and the training is practically the same.

Don’t send any more boxes or anything like that.

We don’t get any candy, [?], or cookies, cakes & pies out here and everything is done tactically. That is you don’t smoke after dark. No loud talking or singing and when you eat you have to stay five yards apart.

I don’t get much chance to write letters out here. So am going to write all I can this morning.

It sure will be good to get home again. It’s been almost 4 months since I have been in the Army. I haven’t heard from Dale or Murlin. I wrote to Murlin a couple of times but he never answers.

I hope you are all ok. Am feeling fine. Will close for now.
Love,
Herb

***

In the next letter my dad mentions Central Soya in Decatur, Indiana, where his father Carl worked. He also mentions the Luther League, the youth group at Zion Lutheran Church, Chatt, where the family attended church.

Fort McClellan, AL
1 Nov 1944

Dear Mom & All,
It’s Wednesday noon and we have today off as far as training is concerned. We had a night problem last night and have today off. We have been having inspections and everything else. I received your stationery today. Sure was glad to get it.

Well we have only two more weeks out here on maneuvers. I don’t know the time and date I’ll be home but it won’t be so very long.

The sun is shining pretty bright now but about 12:00 tonight it will be plenty chilly. Friday night we start the hike back to the Fort. It isn’t a very hard march, only 21 miles and 8 hours to make it in.

Last night in the night problems about half of the 4^th platoon played hooky. So today the 4^th Platoon isn’t enjoying the day off.

I’ll bet that was really a swell Halloween party the Luther League had. I sure would have liked to be there. I’ll bet Vernie looked comical in his outfit. That fire over at Decatur at the Central Soya Co. was really destructive. Dad wasn’t on that shift was he?

Guess I’d better close. Can’t think of anymore to write.
With Love,
Herbie

***

Fort McClellan, AL
5 Nov 1944

Dear Mom & All,
Today was Sunday. It is now about 8:00 in the evening. Only 6 more days to go till my training cycle ends. Tomorrow they are going to tell us where we are going next. This infantry training doesn’t necessarily mean I’m going to be an infantry man. I could get in heavy weapons or air corps or anything.

I imagine the crops are all in and it is getting pretty chilly out.

You asked about my birthday present. You don’t need to get me anything. If you really want to the cigarette lighter would really be swell.

I went down to the main PS but they didn’t have any pillow cases. I’m going into town some night this week and get them.

I received a letter from Bob & Bernice the other day but didn’t get it answered yet.

It’s a little chilly tonight so I built a fire in the stove. It is just as warm as toast in here now.

I made that 24 mile hike OK. It was pretty tiresome walking 8 hours straight.

Guess I’d better close. I’m feeling fine and hope you are the same.

With all my love,
Herbie

***

There is a big gap, 10 days, between that last letter and the next one I have, although he wrote home quite often. The next day he was to learn where he would be sent. It had to be big news that he was going overseas, into battle, and he surely wrote home about it. Or perhaps he was not allowed to write home with news like that. I don’t know how much they told him and how much he was allowed to tell. Perhaps he wrote letters during that time period, but they did not survive.

***

GRADUATION FROM BASIC TRAINING

Herb graduated from basic training on 11 November 1944 and saved the program from the ceremony:

Graduation Review, 11 November 1944
1745 hours, HQ-Field
12^th Training Battalion, IRTC (8^th Tgn Regt)
Fort McClellan, Alabama

Some names written on the program:

Honorary battalion officers:
Roy Specht, Co B
Louis M. Alterio, Co A
Francis E Carothers, Co B

Color Guard (all Co B):
Guy A. McWreath
Clayton Shuck
Godfrey T. Guerra
Henry A. Neidich

Co A leaders:
John F. Young
Barton C. Hurley
Walston J. Kelly
Dale D. Brigham
Steven Soltess
Clyde C. Martin
Max E. McNeece

Co B leaders:
Henry W. Mooseker
Stephen A. Herbolich
Charles E. Lenhart
Natel R. Fratini
Lawrence Blackmon
Elden A. Maryfield
Harry Susko

Co C leaders:
Fritz A. Anderson
Henry F. Connolly
Antone Desouza, Jr.
Charles E. Hutchinson
David M. Greene
Charles E. Shaffer
Philip J. Crowley

Co D leaders:
Francis J. Welsh
Cleat R. Nelms
Samuel F. Lupinacei
John A. McCracken
George M. Barrick, Jr.
John T. Heim
Jimmie H. Butler

Reviewing Group:
Lt. Colonel Vincent J. Seib
Major James L. McAuliffe
1^st Lt Thomas W. Tillery
1^st Lt Robert E. Linder

Award of Purple Heart Medal, S/Sgt Ralph W. Knowles, Co C.

On the back of the program:
A person message from your BN C.O.

“Congratulations to all of you upon the completion of your basic training! You have done an excellent job and now, as you bid farewell to Fort McClellan, I extend the best of luck to all of you.” Signed James L. McAuliffs, Major, Infantry, Commanding.

My dad wrote on the back: Graduated from ft. McClellan Basic Training, Pvt. Herbert Miller.

I do not know if this photo was taken about that time, but my dad’s friend Matt Trefun is also in this photo and they were in basic training and served in the war together.

 

***

HEADED HOME FOR FURLOUGH

Below is the last letter Herb sent home from Alabama:

Fort McClellan, AL
15 Nov 1944

Dear Mom & All,
It’s Wednesday night and everything is coming along ok. I have all my clothes packed. I couldn’t take everything with me so I had to send a box home. The only thing I’ll beat the box home—or should.

I ship out tomorrow morning sometime. So I ought to be home Friday evening sometime. But I don’t know the exact time I get there. There is a boy from Rockford whose folks are coming to Lima or wherever he is going. We go to Cincinnati first and from there will take the quickest or the first train north and he is going to call his folks from Cincinnati.

I bought both of my grandmothers a present. I wanted to get them something for Christmas and I saw something nice in Anniston.

It’s not much use for me to write a long letter because I’ll be home pretty shortly.

Love,
Herb

Be seeing youins soon.

The pillow my dad sent to his grandmother Christena (Rueck) Miller from Fort McClellan:

***

My dad headed home for his furlough on 16 November and thought he would be home by the following day. Depending on when he had to leave again he would was probably home on furlough for about 10 days, give or take. From the next letter we know he was in Fort George Mead, Maryland, by 1 December.

Photos of a couple other area soldiers, taken at Zion Chatt:

GETTING READY TO SHIP OUT TO EUROPE

Fort George Mead, MD
Return address, Co. A, 22^nd Battalion, 6^th, Regiment
1 Dec 1944

Dear Mom & All,
It is Friday evening about 5:10. We have retreat in about a half an hour. We didn’t have anything today except making up different kinds of ? rolls.

I sold that other cigarette lighter. They guys really like that kind of lighter.

It’s about 9:15 now. This evening right after chow I went over to the PX & bought me some Christmas cards and am mailing 15 out tomorrow. I have a lot more ready to send but guess I don’t want to fill up the mail room.

Tomorrow we test our gas masks in the gas chamber and we have from 1:00 Saturday morning until 5:30 Monday morning off.

I can’t think of much more to write so will close. Am feeling fine and hope youins are the same.

Love,
Herbie

***

The postmark is different on the next envelope:

Postmarked from U.S. Army Postal Service
To Mr. & Mrs. Carl Miller, RR#1, Willshire, Ohio
8 Dec 1944
From Pvt. Herbert Miller

His return address was different, too:
Pvt. Herbert Miller (35845400)
Co. G, 3^rd Platoon, APO 15665 c/o Postmaster
New York, NY

He was probably getting ready to ship out and go overseas. Someone, likely a family member, wrote on the envelope in pencil, Herbs paper in here. I wonder what paper that was? 

7 Dec 1944

Dear Mom & All,
Just a half an hour to go till chow. Sure am getting hungry. We eat breakfast at 6:00, dinner at 11:00 and chow at 4:00. They are giving out some passes tonight, but I don’t feel like going to town tonight. I’m in the mood to see a show again.

They really have a swell library here. After the show last night I went over and read awhile.

I thought I would see Slim Ault or Eugene Case but didn’t see them at Meade or in fact haven’t seen them since my furlough.

I think I’ll sign up for an allotment and send some of my money home each pay day.

I can’t think of any more to write so had better close.

Love,  
Herbie

***

My dad always loved to read.

I believe that the 7 December 1944 letter was the last letter my dad wrote home before sailing to England.

***

MISC. ITEMS

My dad mentioned his cousin Murlin Miller in one of his letters. Murlin served with the Marines during WWII and was career military after the war. My dad said that he had not received any letters from Murlin but Murlin did write some letters to the Carl Miller family.

One of Murlin’s letters:

Postmarked San Francisco, CA,
To Carl Miller, RR #1, Willshire, Ohio
PVC Murlin W. Miller
USS Gen S.D. Sturgis
Marine, Det., c/o  F.P.O. 
San Francisco, Calif.
27 Sep 1944

Hello Helen and all,
Since I have been writing today I just figured I would drop you another letter. We’re expecting to see some more adventures soon.

You know we had to get three new Marines. My job is passing 54 pound shells and I mean pass. We really practice till our arms break or we can zip them around. Well, we learn to zip the shells around “Ha.”

Right now I am guarding a prisoner in the brig and in meantime am writing letters. I will be here 24 hours without sleep.

My uniform looks a hundred times better. Tailored and with the red stripe now and battle ribbons make me look like a Marine. It has really helped me.

I’m straighter and I never shined shoes like I do now. My collars stiff and creases sharp enough to cut your finger. Belt and belt buckle shined so you can see you reflection in them. You know our captain wouldn’t leave us off the ship no other way. And we want off. “Ha”

Well it’s a swell life though and I hope Herb enjoys it as well. The beginning is always the toughest after that it slacks off. Well write and hope everyone is fine.

PVC Murlin W. Miller

***

My dad wrote about a point system, a gig system, in one of his letters:

Headquarters 12^th Training Battalion
Infantry Replacement Training Center, Fort McClellan, Alabama
“Six Point Hutment Gig System”

Effective immediately the “Six Point Gig” system will be used in area and hutment inspections. A total “Gig” of 6 points of more for any week will result in restriction to the company area for the week and, or that man may be given extra duty for three successive evenings at the discretion of the Company Commander. The following key and point values will be used in this plan.

a—Dirty floor: 1 pt/man in hut
b—Shoes dirty or disarranged: 1 pt
c—Shelves or ledges dirty or disorderly: 2 pts
d—Poor police outside hut: 1 pt/man in hut
e—Bed improperly made or arranged: 1 pt
f—Bed unmade: 2 pts
g—Trash cans not emptied: 1 pt/man
h—Windows dirty: 1 pt/man
i—Equipment disarranged: 2 pts
j—Clothing disarranged or unbuttoned: 2 pts
k—Rifle rack dirty: 1 pt/man
l—Rifle I unlocked rack: 6 pts
m—Lights or radio on: 1 pt/man
n—Beverage bottle in or around huts: 6 pts/man in hut
o—Mop or broom not hung properly: 1 pt/man in hut

###