Arnold and Newlin: Leningrad 1973

From Norway, Arnie and Newlin drive to Uppsala to visit friends and colleagues from their year leaving there in 1969–1970. From Sweden they fly to Helsinki, where they have several hours to rent a car and nearly miss their flight to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) when Arnie confused 13:00 for 3:00pm. They were delayed passing through border control because several guards were extremely interested in perusing their copy of Time magazine.

They felt comfortable enough to take the Leningrad metro because Arnold could read the Russian alphabet and knew a few phrases in Russian.

At their hotel, they befriended two young German guys who were touring the Soviet Union and encountering a lot of resentment from the animosities of World War II. The guys did not have meal tickets for the hotel restaurant and were not allowed to pay cash, but Arnie and Newlin had a surplus somehow, and gladly ordered a feast for the German kids.

The Winter Palace, Leningrad

St. George's Hall in the Winter Palace

The Winter Palace on the Neva River

Arnie standing by a wrought iron fence of the Winter Palace

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

next post  Arnold and Newlin:  West and East Berlin 1973

previous post  Arnold and Newlin: Norway 1973

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's Story: December 5, 1949

Dolly is back in the hospital in Santa Barbara for a health checkup. 

next post December 7, 1949

previous post  November 27, 1949

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

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

Arnold's Story: September 26, 1944 MHN

I find it interesting that the family does not appear to be particularly concerned for Leonard's life in active combat in the Pacific Theater. I can only attribute that to Hazel's supreme confidence in God's plan and the power of prayer. Or, since Leonard wrote more explicitly to his brother about his front-line experiences, he kept the realities of any danger to his life from the rest of the family.

next post  1944 poem

previous post  September 18, 1944 Mason

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

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

Leonard's Story: April 26, 1945

The Times Pony edition was printed for members of the U.S. Armed Forces overseas beginning at the end of 1942. Div CP would mean Division Command Post.

______________________________________________________________

                                                                                               Philippines

                                                                                               26th April

Dear Arnold,

     Received your V-mail of 6th April.  After what campaign?  We were

going to get a rest, but the situation changed  and here  we are kicking

the Japs around with everything or anything.  They are about as hard to exterminate

[ARROW] as cockroaches in a good old Calif home.  I am going up to work with the

Guerrillas, as an intelligence officer.  It should prove interesting.

[from ARROW above in margin]

but we are just the guys who can and are liquidating them

     Although the rest did'nt pan out we did get ten days of perishable

rations, and have had fresh meat and eggs for breakfast practically every day

day now for the last seven days.  However, it will soon be back to bully

beef and spam again.

     At present we ar set up in a coconut grove, near an ex-town ( completely

destroyed by the Japs).  The weather is hot and muggy, but it is better this

way than if it was raining all the time.  I sure hope we finish this deal

up before the rainy season starts.  I don't want to have to go through another

nightmare like we had on Leyte.  Of course we would be there during the

typhoon season, and I have never been wet so much for so long in my life.

We use to have to stand in ankle deep mud even in the chow line, and keeping

dry feet was just impossible, in fact keeping dry was impossible.

     We have had a little rain here, and I can see that this place will be a

regular mud hole too, when the rains come.  It rained just as much or more

on Bougainville, but the ground quickly absorbed the water.  Also it would

usually rain about the same time every day for a week or so, and then change

the schedule.  In Leyte is just rained all the time every day.

     Say I want to thank you again for the pen and pencil set, it is now one

of my prized possessions.  I don't know how I got along without it before.

Also thanks for the Air mail edition of TIMES Pony, that is something that

is hard to find around here, and they are always read to death.

     I have lost a lot of weight, and you probably would'nt recognize me now.

Things have been rough, and I am glad that you won't have to got through any-

thing like this.  It is no fun, believe me.

     A while back when we were at a certain extown, we had a bit of excitement

right in the center of the Div CP.  It so happened that I was duty officer

this particular morning, when I heard the guards open fire.  Now this in its

self is not uncommon, in fact I was cussing tthem out, because the bullets

were wanging around, and the only things they seem to hit are horses or dogs,

or just the ozone.  Suddenly a man came running up and said that they wanted

me to go over and search a Jap that they had killed only about a hundred yards

down the road from the G-2 office.  Now the interesting thing is that this Jap

was armed with a US .30 caliber carbine, and upon checking the number it was

discovered that it belonged to one of our men, and had been stolen from the side

of his sack while he was asleep earlier in the morning.  In the dim pre-dawn

light this Jap was thought to be a guerrilla, and was finally killed walking

down one of the main roads only about 100 yds from the center of town.

     Well I'd better close now, write soon.

                                                            love

                                                  [signed] Leonard

GO TO NEXT LETTER

Leonard's Story: March 24, 1945

OB would be "Order of Battle". Not sure if CBI is "China-Burma-India" theater.  SWPA is South West Pacific Area. Look alike their cousin Edwin died and Len is concerned about Edwin's mother Laura.

___________________________________________________________

                                                                                   Philippines

                                                                                   March 24

Dear Arnold,

     I am sorry I have'nt written you for such a long time, mainly

due to plenty of work.  In addition to being Order of Battle Officer,

my main job, I now go out about every/other day on G-2 liaison work.

This means every night that I come in I have to check over OB stuff,

and by the time I am through I am too tired to write anything else.

I guess you have been reading alot about this unit in the papers

upon occasion, its a damn good outfit, and probably the toughest

fighting unit down here, bar none, including the Rangers.  However

a personal situation has arisen between myself and the G-2, and I

think it best that I try to transfer, as I have the feeling that

a knife is constantly ticking me right between the shoulder blades,

and at the first chance it will slip in.  So far I have'nt offered

him that chance.  If I stay here I will probably get a section 8,

as I am fast becoming a nervous wreck.

     The other day I received the wings you sent me, and today I

received the pen and pencil set (the thing I needed most, as I had

lost mine) and the pajamas and slippers, which will also come in

very handy.  Thanks very much, things like that just can't be had

out here.

     We are still at it, with no breaks.  Its a tough life, especially

for the kids in the Infantry Companies.  I have'nt had any close

calls lately, in fact I am starting to become a little less anxious

about rushing right up and looking at things, too many people are

collecting insurance on deals like that.  Its too bad about Edwin,

he was the type that would get right up there and really mix it up.

I hope Aunt Laura won't take it too hard.

     I guess you will be fixing up to come overhere soon now.  If

you are ask to accept another job in the states, take it.  I guarantee

you won't be crazy about being in CBI or SWPA.  Frankly I am ready

to come home now, who isn't, but that is'nt the way it works. I

guess the best way to figure is this; If you go home now the job

won't be really done, so its best to stay out here until it is

done correctly, even if it takes two more years. [ARROW] The only thing     (What

I am worried about is after we do a good job out here of knocking                 am I

off the Japs to the proper proportion and into the proper attutde,                   saying!)

will the boys in the marble buildings at home do a good job on

the peace?

     I am tired tonight, and I think I will go to bed.  I will try

to finish this tomorrow.

[handwritten]

     Well Bud I am going to wind this

up and get it off you you  Inclosed

you will find a description of our landing

Notice it was written 5th Feb I came

across it straightning up my files, and

found that I never had a chance to mail it.

The censoring was done by me, although

actually what I cut out has been

said in the papers (and more too). Write

soon.

                           love

                              Leonard

P.S. Thanks for the card(s)

     Thanks for the TIME SUBSCRIPTION

GO TO NEXT LETTER