Leonard's Story: June 23, 1944

Note: VOCO means "Verbal Orders of Commanding Officer"

[June 23, 1944, page 1]

              UNITED STATES ARMY

              CAMP RITCHIE

              MARYLAND

                             23 June

Dear Arnold,

     I have just received a six

day leave. Eighteen hours after

finishing the course I was alerted.

I am due back the 29th. I

am trying to fly home, I have

a priority which will take me

through, however, it is raining

here and the weather has been

bad all week so I don't know

if I will be able to make it.

If not I'll come up to see you

sunday night. I don't know

how much time I'll have

when I get back from leave.

If I fly home, I'll try to

get a 24 hour VOCO sometime

[page 2]

soon after I return and go up and

see you some night. I'll say hello

to the folks love

                 Leonard

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Leonard's Story: May 29, 1944

[I don’t know why the letters skip a year from June 1943 to May 1944; I suppose they have been lost]

*****************************************************

Leonard's Story: June 20, 1943

[June 20, 1943, page 1]

(A A)

CAMP DAVIS

NORTH CAROLINA

                             June 20, 1943

Dear Arnold

     So you're in the army now!

Well it isn't too bad, although

I think it will take you about

four to six weeks to get use to

it. I imagine you will get a deal

similar to the one the UCLA

ER.C. boys got, thirteen weeks of

basic training and then O.C.S.

     Army life isn't too bad,

fairly good food, clothes, nothing

to worry about, $48.40 a month for

spending money (they deduct $150 for

lanudry), a bunch of fellows to

horse around with, and the work

isn't too hard. You do have to get

use to somebody thinking for you

and telling you what to do all

the time, lack of women and

homey things, tough sgts who have

only a mouth and no brains, and

                     -1-

[page 2]

lack of contact with the outside

world.

     Don't buck or try too hard, try

to do your bucking so that although

you don't work any longer or harsher

your stuff always looks just a

little bit better than average.

Watch yourself during obstacle

courses, calesthenics, and heavy

work that you don't injure or hurt

yourself, I've seen a lot of fellows

break an arm or leg or hurt themselves

lifting. The result is that you get

hospitalized and set back a couple

of months. However always do you

part and don't ask to be let out of

something or go on sick call unless

it is really necessary. If you are

asked to drill or take charge of

a group of men, do just that,

don't be superficious but do "sound

off" and don't let anybody get

                     -2-

[page 3]

away with anything.

     You'll meet all kinds of

fellows from the guy that can't

read or write and doesn't take a

bath but once a year to the

fellow that can speak several

languages and has only the best

tastes and manners, yet both

are just G. I., Joes. Well I've got

some personal stuff I have to

buck so I guess I'd better

close. The best advice I can think

of is what an old soldier gave to

me. "Keep your mouth shut and

you bowels open." and you'll do

O.K.

                  Your brother

                   Leonard

                     -3-

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Leonard's Story: April 26, 1943

[April 26, 1943, page 1]

                             4-26-43

                             Camp Davis

Dear Arnold

     I am in study hall thus the paper.

It is a black sin to write in class, in fact

two boys in their last week were kicked out

of school for egetting caught. Notice I say

getting caught - the the army you can't

do anything wrong unless you are caught.

But I feel fairly safe as this book

makes for good camouflage.

However it doesn't pay to pull any smart

guy moves because sooner or later they will

get you. But I am caught up with my

work so I will excuse myself tonight.

     This week has started off pretty

well, for the instructors seem to be

almost human, also we have study

hall from 6:15 to 7:15 instead of

7 to 9 P.M. - this gives us more time in

the evenings and we can even go to

a late show.

[page 2]

I've gotten so I don't give a damn

anymore - the place is run on a chicken

shit basis and if you get on the shit

list you your through. So far I've kept

off the "S" list and hope to keep

keeping off it. When I see some

of the guys that are getting through

as officers I see why we are having

so much trouble in the army.

     I'm getting used to  being kicked

around, and I find that if I take

it easy I get along much better. In

fact on the Saturday inspection

of last week I received a commendation

on my brass - since these are very rare

I felt pretty good about it. Well I

better close before I'm caught.

Write soon.

                             Love

                             Leonard

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Leonard's Story: April 7, 1943

[April 7, 1943, page 1]

(A.A.)

CAMP DAVIS

NORTH CAROLINA

                                             4-7-43

Dear Arnold,

     Thanks for your unusual and

interesting letter of the 29th. I

wish something unusual, exciting

and different would happen to

me.

     Well, I think I am beginning

to wear into the groove a little. Now

I just don't five a damn what happens.

I just play along - I don't even

bother about the date or how many

weeks left - I just go thru a

specified series of motions every day.

     However, I had to change my

schedule the other day - temporarily

I hope - It happened this way:

One by one the toilets went out

of order until only two were still in

working condition - naturally a

shit crisis developed - so I had

to changed my schedule. Otherwise

[page 2]

things are just about the same here

as ever. I could fill pages of beefing

such as shaving with cold water, the damn

furnace broke down, etc., But perhaps

I should write about something good -

- damned if I can think of anything

good at the moment - we measure from

the xy axis down here, consequently every-

thing is just a relative degree of badness

Example         |

                    __|__ good [arrow up] +   note: The equation of the curve

                        |   bad  [arrow down] -            of OCS does not extend

                        |                                              above the x axis

     Everybody here believes in the philosophy

of the dog (forgive me for my coarseness, but this is

the army). Philosophy of the dog: If you can't

eat it or fuck it, then piss on it.

     Well I am writing this in the

baggage room after 10:30 which is illegal,

and its almost 11:00 so I guess I'd

better get in bed before bed check.

                             Your brother

                             Leonard

P.S. If you were in the army you would

hike 100 miles where you could ride 16.

N.B. Flavell would enjoy the dog philosophy

as it is his type of humor - so tell him

for me.

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Leonard's Story: March 27 1943

[envelope]

AIRMAIL

                                   Arnold Nevis

                                   Calif. Inst. of Tech.

                                   Dabney House

                                   Pasadena, Calif.

[postmarked]

              CAMP DAVIS

              MAR 28

              1943

              N.C.

[March 27, 1943]

                                                  [something cut off at top]

                                                  271935EWT

                                                 [arrow ==>]  military 27 - 27th of month

                                                  1943 - 7:35 PM + EWT - zone

                                                  time

Dear Arnold,

How are you bud? What a life - we only

have to work seventeen hours a day for fifty dollars

a month and room and board. I have a cozy little

room that I share with twenty eight other guys.

I am on the second floor of a nice white two-roomed

bungalow - oh! pardon me we have a latrine and

trunk room - that makes four rooms for about sixty

men. We have eight wash basins, four showers,

five toilets and one wash tub. We can crowd

eight men in the showers, sixteen can shave at one

time and three can use the wash tub together, but

as yet we haven't figured out a way for more than five

men to sit on the five toilets at one time. The

room service is rather poor here, so we have to

do some of the work ourselves, - this afternoon,

which is marked free time on the schedule, we scrubbed

the barracks inside, and then we even scrubbed the

outsides - I'm not kidding. Tomorrow so we

were informed - we will scrub them again -

only this time we are to get them clean, immaculate,

spotless, super perfect.

(over)

[March 27, 1943, page 2]

The weather here at Camp Davis Country Club is

one of the outstanding attractions. The other day the

sun was shining, it was snowing, and it blowing

sand - in fact they claim that this is the only place

in the world - you can be up to your ass in mud and have

sand blowing in your face. We had nice weather last

week for our physical recreation - calisthenics - tumbling -

obstacle course - cross country hikes.

Well anyway I am learning or should I

say "broadening" my education - for one thing I found that

I can wear my leather slippers to reveille and never be

noticed (the’re quicker to put on than G.I. shoes) because

it is so dark here at 6:00 AM. Although I sometimes

have to struggle to get into formation in time - I

am always in plenty of time for mess. Also I

am learning the names and methods of shoe shining to

the utmost technical degree. Tell Flavell to write -

I will write him soon. My address:

Candidate L. J. Nevis,

AA school

30th Battery 1st Platoon

Camp Davis, N.C.    [<== arrow] 30th battery, 1st Platoon

                                                      Camp Davis, N.C.

out of ink

                              Love

                              Leonard

you may show

Flavell this letter

write soon

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Leonard's Story: June 14, 1944

[June 14, 1944]

          UNITED STATES ARMY

          CAMP RITCHIE

          MARYLAND

                             June 14, 1944

Dear Arnold,

     I am sorry I can't make

it this week end, I will still

be in this special class. I am

sorry I didn't write you yesterday

when I received you letter, but I

had a rough test this morning (3 hrs).

This is the toughest course I have ever or

ever want to take. We figured the other

that it is about equivalent to an 8 unit course

in three weeks (24 units at tech), the amount of

memory work is almost unbelievable. I finish

the 21st of May, six more days of this hell

in class and one day off to study. So

I hope we can get together soon after the

21st write and set the date.

                             Love

                             Leonard

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Arnold and Newlin: postscript 1986

Arnie and Newlin, 1952

Arnie and Newlin, circa 1980

There is no transition after death. Newlin and the family's lives changed dramatically after July 4, 1986. Newlin became a widow and went into mourning for a year or more, avoiding social functions for the most part. Her sister Eloise visited frequently during that year and made sure Newlin was never alone during holidays. Andrew and Eric lived at home and continued their studies, while Joel left Florida at the end of the summer for a conference in Europe and then lived in New York City for a year while looking for a job in Academia. Allan came to Florida for the funeral and returned to northern California to resume his life there. 

Newlin worked as an Alachua County school nurse several more years before retiring and working as a traveling nurse for the Florida State Children's Medical Services and she volunteered in Florida's Guardian ad Litem program.

In the early 1990s, Newlin had their son Eddie disinterred from Forest Lawn in Glendale and re-interred in the Tallahassee Memory Gardens in the family plots there. (This was done largely because Arnie's sister Laura had cancer so moving Eddie from Bill and Hazel's four plots in Glendale made room for Laura next to her sister and parents when she died in 1992. But it was also part of a long term plan for moving Eddie when Arnie and Newlin found a "final resting" place. Eddie's casket had been put in a vault so it could be disinterred more easily. Newlin was not able to be present for the reinterment so her sisters Eloise and Floreine had to do the grim job of verifying the body in the casket before it could be placed in the ground.) 

Of the four plots in Tallahassee with Arnie and Eddie flanking an empty one reserved for Newlin, the fourth was promised to Joel since as a gay man he had no prospects for marriage in 1986 and had no plans to have or adopt children, so he was expected to die alone.

next post  Newlin's Story:  1987

previous post  Arnold and Newlin:  Arnold and Newlin:  1986

first post in Flashbacks  How the Nevis family came to California

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943 

Arnold and Newlin: 1986

1986 concludes the story of Arnold and Newlin together.

Ashmore sisters Eloise and Newlin in Gainesville, 1986

Newlin after an exercise class at Gainesville High School, 1986

Joel was working in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan for a term and returned to Gainesville on July 2. Arnie died of a heart attack in the early hours of July 4. Newlin's sister Eloise happened to be visiting at the time and stayed on to help Newlin with the funeral arrangements and mourning. There was viewing for Arnie in Gainesville and then a second viewing in Tallahassee, where the funeral was subsequently held in a chapel of Culley and Sons Funeral Home. Arnie was buried in Tallahassee Memory Gardens on the edge of Tallahassee, close to Havana, Florida. Later their son Eddie was disinterred from Forest Lawn in Glendale and reinterred in Tallahassee. Newlin bought a fourth plot that was decades later transferred to Joel.

Arnie's obituary in the Gainesville Sun, July 1986

Rev. John Dickson from Westminster Presbyterian Church in Gainesville officiated at Arnie's funeral in Culley and Sons Funeral Home.

order of service for Arnold's funeral, July 8, 1986

order of service

Arnold's certificate of death from Alachua County Public Health, July 10, 1986

a certificate from President Reagan after Arnie died

Deed for four plots in Tallahassee Memory Gardens, July 11, 1987

Tallahassee Memory Gardens deed cover with stamp

March 29, 1988, letter from Abbey Memory Gardens to Newlin about the plots' deed

Arnie died at age 64, just one month shy of his 65th birthday, so he did not make it to his retirement. Because he was still an employee at the University of Florida, he left a larger insurance payout to Newlin than he would have with retirement. And since they had just bought a new car, Newlin make the one car payment and then the car insurance paid the rest of the car, so in a sense he left Newlin a brand new Honda almost for free. She had that car another two decades before passing it on to her grandchildren, who had it another decade. 

Arnie died prematurely; the family would have gladly gone without the "free car" and the insurance payout to hang onto him longer in life. His older brother Leonard, a smoker and a drinker, outlived him by more than twenty years (passing away in 2006). Newlin lived another thirty years as a widow, dying in 2016 at age 90.

next post  Arnold and Newlin:  postscript 1986

previous post  Arnold and Newlin:  Arnold and Newlin:  1985

first post in Flashbacks  How the Nevis family came to California

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Arnold and Newlin: 1985

Arnold was quite ill by 1985 with a heart condition and difficulties after a series of strokes. He took up hydroponic gardening and grew lots of tomatoes.

Arnie's hydroponic tomatoes

Arnie was recognized by the U.S. Army for his regular Army service 1942–1944 and Army Air Force 1944–1946

back side of the Army recognition

Joel finished his PhD at the Ohio State University Department of Linguistics with a dissertation Finnish Particle Clitics and General Clitic Theory, that was the first in the Garland series Outstanding Dissertations in Linguistics. Arnie and Newlin fly up for his graduation in snowy December.

Joel in Columbus, 1985

next post  Arnold and Newlin:  1986

previous post  Arnold and Newlin:  Arnold and Newlin:  1984

first post in Flashbacks  How the Nevis family came to California

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Arnold and Newlin: 1984

Eric was in the University of Florida Marching Band playing tuba:

"Tuba Artists Extraordinnaire" with Bret, "Woody" (Eric), and Mike

Arnie's safe driver's license renewal, 1984

Newlin's safe driver's license renewal, 1984

next post  Arnold and Newlin:  1985

previous post  Arnold and Newlin:  Joel in Finland 1983–1984

first post in Flashbacks  How the Nevis family came to California

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Arnold and Newlin: 1980

Here is the house at 3448 NW 11th Avenue in 1980. It has the original paint scheme of 1960: pink, turquoise, and brown cedar. The carport has not been closed in, despite a plan to do it from the early 1970s. The bricks in the planter in the first photo came from an old mechanic's garage in downtown Gainesville. When they tore down that garage, Joel and Allan assume they were going to toss the bricks so they started loading the trunk of the car with bricks until a police officer came by and told them the bricks were to be recycled into the new plaza. But the officer said he would look the other way as Allan and Joel left with what they had already collected. 

The camellia by the front door always bloomed in December in time for Christmas. Neighbors would stop by to request a few blossoms for their Christmas decor, and Newlin never hesitated to say yes. A second camellia balanced the living room window by the carport; it bloomed a few months later at the end of winter. In the planter around the tree she grew several colors of amaryllis. 

Arnie bought a number of narrow, woven wool ties in Sweden (mostly in Lapland) in 1970, and preferred that style to the wide ties popular in the 1970s and 1980s.

Arnie and Newlin with an acquaintance at an event

Allan, Ava, Arnie, Newlin, Eric, and Andrew on the "porch"

Arnie on Father's Day

Doug Weldon was Eric's close friend from Westwood Middle School:

Doug Weldon with Eric and Andrew

Eric in his parents' bedroom (painting of Eddie)

Eric, Arnie and Andrew

Newlin in an RV

Newlin in her kitchen; those years had tangerine paint

Newlin, Arnie, and Jeannie Uhrig

We usually stayed at the Wakulla Spring Hotel when the Ashmore family reunion was held there. Most of the Ashmore siblings and their families were within driving distance of Wakulla Springs.

Eric, Arnie and Andrew at the Wakulla Springs Hotel

Eric, Allan, Arnie, Andrew, and Joel at the Wakulla Springs Hotel

Newlin's business card as a school nurse

In 1980 we still had the orange vinyl fold-out couch in the family room. Eric is on a tubular "bean bag" that Joel and Newlin made in the mid 1970s. It, too, was vinyl, and some thirteen feet long and maybe twenty inches in diameters. Filled with shredded foam rubbed, it could be arranged in a number of ways for watching television and was popular with the boys and their friends for slouching on.

Eric relaxing in the family room

next post  Arnold and Newlin:  Joel 1980

previous post  Arnold and Newlin:  1979

first post in Flashbacks  How the Nevis family came to California

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943