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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