Tag: Chuck Cassidy

1944 April 28 Getting spoiled

4/28/44 Italy

Hi Honey:

I am getting spoiled to the point where I shall be completely useless for any further tactical work.  I have had ice-cream for lunch every day since I got here, and cream puffs or some other delicacy for dessert for the evening meal.  Last night I saw a show which, although corny, was amusing.  It was, I think, Broadway Melody [sic “Broadway Rhythm”], starring Chas. Winniger, Ginny Simms, and a bunch of other people.  There was no plot, but there were a few good vaudeville acts in the damn thing.

Every day since I arrived I have run into someone whom I have known before or who knows everyone I know.  Yesterday afternoon I met a Lt. Lucky, who lived right across the street from me when I lived on Montclair Avenue.  He is 20 and a B-17 driver.  This morning we had a visiting fireman from Washington whom I met while on maneuvers in La.  He remembered me for some unknown reason.  Then I had a captain come in who came to me in S’vah as a brand new shavetail along with Casey and that bunch.

Bob Paul’s bunch is pretty well cleaned out now.  Chocolate is home, Ed is doing a little walking these days instead of flying, Jack Stern, Barret, and some other people have been kicked out cold, as has Chuck.  I don’t know what is in the breeze, but it looks like dirty work at the cross-roads.  I am most fortunate in having seen the hand-writing on the wall and left of my own free will when I did.  It may not mean a thing in the things which the army thinks of, but it is giving me a swell chance to learn a lot of things I’ve forgotten about the little ol’ electron.  There is a vacancy, etc., but I have found that working with the right people makes promotion etc.  relatively un-important.

That’s the news-cast for today.  I’ll try to use the mill when I write.  Take care of you for me.  How about making that pic I asked for a full portrait size (8×10) for my desk?

Love Cy

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1944 May 2 Longing for combat again

5/2/44 Italy  V-Mail

Hi Marfy:

It is a tough war.  I don’t know how long I am going to be able to stand not being in combat.  I shall try not to tempt fate by asking for more of same, but I may not be able to refrain. (Chuck* says “Hello”)

I saw a good show a couple of days back.  It was “It Happened Tomorrow”.  You should see it if you get a chance, for it is good.

Last year they used to send us pictures that not even a two year old child would like, but in recent months they have been much better.  It may be that I am closer to HQ, whereas a year ago I was out in the woods.  It is hard to believe now, but for two months after I brought the Group over, I couldn’t find what HQ to report to.  The ground echelon had the same trouble, and finally just appropriated a field, stole some rails from the local inoperative RR, and dragged out a runway for us.  When I tried to get them into combat, I was told that they had plenty of airplanes at the front.  I later found that there were 6 operational bombers at that time and there I sat with 50 of them ready to go!  Thank God I shall never have to go though with that again.  It is much better organized now.

Chuck Cassidy is about to move in with the Colonel and I.  He will be here until they find a job for him, and God knows when that will be.

Honey, I am going to send some dough home today.  Take $100 of it and buy us some crystal for our table.  I wish I could be there to properly celebrate our anniversary and help pick out your present, but I can’t.  You pick it out for your present, and my present will be looking at you over it when I get home.  In case you haven’t guessed it in these four years, I love you.  Cy.

*Chuck Cassidy

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1944 May 5 Went to the “ack ack” club last night

5/5/44 Italy V-Mail

HI MARFY:

HABIT IS A PECULIAR THING.  ALL THE TIME I AM TYPING I CAPITALIZE THE FIRST LETTER OF EACH SENTENCE, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW DAMN WELL THAT IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE.  IT IS HARDER TO NOT DO THAT IT IS TO DO IT.

MAJ SMITH OF ACK ACK TOOK ME TO THE ACK ACK CLUB LAST NIGHT AND I MET SOME RATHER INTERESTING SECTIONS OF THE OLD ARMY.  IT WAS NICE TO FIND A COL WHO HAD BEEN SHAVING FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS.  ALSO HAD A LONG TALK WITH THE PSYCHOLOGIST OF THE A.F. ON SOME OF MY THEORIES OF COMBAT FATIGUE.  HE SEEMED INTERESTED, THEREFORE I THINK HE IS WONDERFUL.  HE REMEMBERED THE MEN I HAD SENT TO HIM AND REMARKED THAT MY ENDORSEMENT CONTAINED MORE DOPE THAN THE SQ SURGEONS LETTER!  AFTER I LEFT THERE, I WENT HOME AND FOUND CHUCK AND PERRY ENGROSSED IN THE BOTTLE OF COGNAC WHICH I PICKED UP ON A FLIGHT YESTERDAY.  WHEN THE COL WENT TO BED, CHUCK CAME AND UNLOADED.  HE RAN INTO THE SAME SITUATION IN THE PAST YEAR THAT I RAN INTO WITH VAN.  HE IS VERY BLUE, HAVING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, HAD A HELL OF A SCRAP WITH JOHN BEFORE HE LEFT.  THEY WERE BOTH AT FAULT, JOHN BEING TIRED, AND CHUCK HAVING MORE RESPONSIBILITY THAN HIS EXPERIENCE JUSTIFIED.  I THINK HE FELT BETTER FOR HAVING UNLOADED TO UNCLE CY, ALTHOUGH I SURE WAS TIRED WHEN I GOT UP AFTER ONLY 4 HOURS SLEEP.  I THINK THE KID HAS JUST ABOUT “HAD IT” AS FAR AS FUTURE MILITARY LIFE IS CONCERNED.

IT IS A LITTLE REVOLTING AT TIMES TO HEAR THE PEOPLE BACK HERE GRIPE ABOUT THE UNIFORMS THE KIDS DOING THE FIGHTING WEAR WHEN THEY COME TO TOWN.  IN THIS PLACE, THAT IS THE ONLY WORRY.  I SAY LET THEM WEAR RED PANTS IF IT MAKES THEM FIGHT ANY BETTER.  SPEAKING OF SAME, HOW ARE THE MALTESE PAJAMAS?

All my love, Your own Cy.

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1944 May 10 “THE HARD-WORKING LADS GET THE SHAFT”

5/10/44 ITALY

MARFY:

I RAN ACROSS THE ENCLOSED FLOWER IN MY NOTEBOOK YESTERDAY, AND REMEMBERED TAT I PICKED IT FOR YOU SOME TIME AGO AND FORGOT TO SEND IT.  IT WAS PICKED ON TOP OF A MOUNTAIN ONE DAY WHILE I WAS WATCHING SOME ARTILLERY FIRE A NUMBER OF MONTHS AGO.

WHILE I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL, I REMARKED TO THE DOC THAT THIS TOWN OVER HERE, AS THAT WAS WHERE MY COT WAS AT THE TIME, WAS “HOME.”  IT SEEMS FUNNY THAT I SHOULD BE TRANSFERRED BACK TO THE SAME TOWN AFTER ALL THESE MONTHS. WHEN I FIRST SAW THE PLACE, THERE WAS SEWAGE 10 INCHES DEEP IN ALL STREETS.  NOW, THE ENGINEERS, SUPPLEMENTED BY ITALIAN LABOR, HAVE CLEANED THE PLACE UP AND IT LOOKS QUITE PRESENTABLE.  IT IS YET DUSTY.

I HAVE GONE OUT TO THE HOSPITAL EVERY EVENING TO SEE ONE OF MY MEN, LT. KARL KRAUSE WHO JUST HAD AN APPENTECTOMY.  I HOPE YOU GET TO MEET HIM SOME DAY AS HE IS RATHER A NICE LAD.  HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROMOTED YEARS AGO BUT LIKE MANY OF THE BETTER PEOPLE IN HQ, WAS OVERLOOKED.  THE TREND SEEMS TO BE FOR THE NOISY BTO’S TO GET THE GRAVY WHILE THE HARD-WORKING LADS GET THE SHAFT.  IT IS MOST PRONOUNCED.  ACTUALLY, I HAVE FOUND SUCH A SWELL BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT THE OTHER STUFF DOESN’T MATTER MUCH.

CHUCK CASSIDY IS YET WITH US.  HONEY, HE IS A GOOD KID, BUT NO COLONEL.  HE DOESN’T WEAR IT HALF AS WELL AS JOHN DOES, AND IS ON THE EDGE OF BEING A PROMOTER OF SORTS.  THAT IS NOT GOOD, BUT I AM THROUGH RAISING OTHER PEOPLE’S KIDS.

THAT’S ABOUT IT.  BE GOOD.  I LOVE YOU DEARLY.   CY

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1944 May 13 Running into more old acquaintances

5/13/44 Italy V-Mail

Hi Toots:

This is quite a business.  I use a different typewriter every day.  This one has a cartridge which sticks out about the length of a short axe-handle.

Keeping up my record of meeting old acquaintances, I ran into two today.  Herb Phillips showed up in the mess hall.  He is finally in combat and seems a little bit more of a man now.  That will do it to a youngster.  Hare France-ass is still in Africa keeping out of combat, as is Biv.

The other one is Gus Clough.  He was one of the more popular kids who was washed out in primary in Chi.  He walked into the office today, and is a Major and a communications officer.  I’ll be damned if I can figure out how all the people who can’t do the job suddenly show up getting along famously.  He is the same old Gus, and a damn good egg.

Cassidy has fallen into a swell job, but doesn’t seem to like it.  I believe it will involve some more combat, and the om and I figure Chuck is not particularly anxious to get into that side of the show.  Maybe we’re wrong, but so what.

The ball game last night was interesting.  We were getting hell kicked out of us at the fifth inning, but a rally tied up the score and we finally beat them in the 10th inning.  I did a better job of playing than I used to do when I was a kid.  I seem to take my time, and the result is a much more accurate job of fielding.  That (baseball) will probably be my one accomplishment for the year.

Well, Honey, no more mail today.  Write as much as you can.  It does help. Frankly, there’s little or nothing for me to say.

All my love, Cy.

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