Dear Ma, Pa, Barb, Ann, Ele, Letter No. 26

Pvt. Anthony J. Curcio
U.S. Army
23 TNG. GRD.
SQD. "A"
Jefferson Barracks, MO.

Date 3-5-43
Letter No. 26
Rec'd 34 & 35

Dear Ma, Pa, Barb, Ann, Ele,

Well today we had some snow again. It was pretty cold, but we had colder days than this already & it wasn't so bad.
Today was our 25th day of drill (our last) and tomorrow we are supposed to march before the colonel. If we pass we will get 24 hrs. guard duty, 2 hours on & 4 hrs. off. They used to give a long pass but now they have a new system. Ain't that nice of them. If we don't pass we will get our drill days extended to 36 days. But we seem pretty good, unless some guys aren't on the beam. (I can see now where Henry Massy get's that expression "on the beam." Everything here is "get on the beam.") Although tomorrow we may not go before the colonel because of the snow. Or maybe there will be too many & we will have to wait our turn.
Yesterday we went to rifle range. It was very interesting but very noisy. We got 30 shots with the machine gun & 25 shots with the rifle. Believe it or not I got a couple of bulls eyes with the rifle. They have instructors there to tell you what's what. They say that in the Air Corps you may never have to use any piece of armaments but they give it to you just in case you do have to protect yourself. I think this is the safest branch of the service because the Air Corps is so important that they have the best equipment. The only ones that really see battle are the airplane crew. If I get a drafting job maybe I'll never see battle but I sure would like to get my piece of this war like all the rest of the fellows. But we shall soon see & there is nothing to worry about now or then. Right?
Last night I took a shower. We also had personal inspection last night & I had to get another hair cut. If you really want to laugh, I was out of that chair in about 3 minutes. But just the same it cost 35 cents.
They say your supposed to get a hair cut every 2 weeks & shave every day. But I usually shave every 2 or 3 days & get a hair cut when they tell me. Some joke huh. But really I like it with my hair short & it really is neat & keeps clean. Maybe I'll always keep it like this, who knows.
Last night when I was in the latrine I found a beautiful ring from the University of Notre Dame. So this morning I turned it in to Sqd. headquarters. Later on in the morning before we went out to drill the fellow who owned it came in and thanked me & gave me a dollar. I didn't want to take it & walked quite a ways down the road trying to make him take it back but I couldn't give it to him, so I have a greenback which I can use. I have two dollars now which will last me until I get paid, I hope. Little things that turn up now & then add up. Like that hair cut & 25 cents to put a band (orange & blue) on my flight cap. But once things start to roll the money will flow in the opposite direction.
Joe Cohn is in the same basic training as I am & will be sent to school the same as I am.
Boy Ma I'm positive you are feeling O.K. now, for the simple reason that you are starting to clean & wash again. But don't do it all Ma. Take it easy & let the girls do their own clothes. One thing I found out being here & that is you can find plenty of time if you want to, regardless of what you have to do. With a little pressure, one can do anything. Right Ma. Give me an answer on that.
Good for Eleanor on the swimming problem, but she can learn to swim no matter what conditions are. Now I want to hear in a couple more weeks that she can swim. Now Ele get out there and learn I know you can do it.
Well we are on field ration now. But there is still plenty to eat. The only thing is we don't get so much ice cream & pie etc. But you can always go for double if you like. I've enclosed a clipping from a St. Louis paper about it.
Well the W.A.A.C.s have landed. 62 of them came into our camp yesterday. They will take over jobs in the offices. I didn't see any yet I guess there in a different part of camp.
That was my mistake about your misunderstanding. It was a mistake in writing. The word letter was supposed to be paper, after all I wanted to see when the paper was postmarked. I am sorry I made that mistake. I'll try to be more careful. If anything comes up again don't hesitate to ask me like you did this time.
Boy it must have been thrilling to see Frank in those pictures. Boy I bet you got a thrill right down your spine. Right?
My feet are holding out O.K. and I think I march pretty good now. (I hope) Joke.
Well I think that's all for now hoping you are all O.K. & in the best of health. Let me know how you are & how your conditions are changing. Have you done to the doctor yet? & Please let me know from time to time how Grandma is. Nobody tells me. (You know what I mean). Only you can tell me Ma. Then I will know Grandma is O.K. Has Grandma had anymore trouble with the house?
So until I write again, I remain,

Your Loving Soldier Boy,
Tony

Dear Helen

Wed. 3-3-43

Dear Helen,

Before I start my long, long letter I must ask you how you felt Monday morning, besides being a little tired. I was just praying that you were O.K.
Going home, after I left you, was a pretty good trip for part of the way. I just got up to the trolley station & a trolley came. I was at Broadway waiting for a trolley at 1:30. In 2 minutes the other trolley came along & I was waiting for a bus to take me into camp at 2 o'clock. There & then my luck stopped. The north gate bus didn't run at that time, only west gate buses. Little did I know. I waited until 2:30 before I found out. So I finally took a west gate bus & walked across the camp. I got in at 3 o'clock. Not bad time. I could have been sleeping by 2:30 if I only know about the bus schedule. But what's the difference. Now I know.
Well I had to get up at 5 o'clock as usual. As I told you, when I have only a couple of hours sleep I usually feel very good. Well since I'm in the army you never saw such a move on me. I got up as bright as ever. I helped clean the hut with more vigor that I ever exerted. After drill, I ran the obstacle course faster than I ever did. You may think I'm fibbing, but it's the honest truth, so help me God. Even in the night I wasn't tired. I wrote a 3 hr. letter to my mother. I told her what a swell time I had & that I felt so at home when I was at your house. I also asked her to send me the maps & pictures etc.
I'll admit I felt a bit tired on Tuesday.
Boy when I said goodnight to you I felt a bit, shall I say, awkward. It may seem funny to you or it may not. It may seem strange to you or it may not. But traveling from one part of the country to another, customs may change a bit, or maybe not. I don't know. It may seem a bit silly to say this but I like to be as frank as I can without feeling out of place. I think that's the best way to get along.
I guess it's proper to say goodnight holding hands. It may also be proper to say goodnight by a light kiss on the cheek. But I always say to myself, if you don't know, play safe.
Truthfully, tell me whether it's silly to say something like that to a girl. Sometimes I really can't judge what's proper. I guess it's a fact that if you write a passage of that style to 10 girls, everyone would get a different version of it. Isn't that right? So I always hesitate in writing & try to justify every statement. I also try to make it simple & clear.
Take for instance the letter I wrote to my mother. She wrote back and said that she felt sad because I didn't save the letters she wrote me. Yet I am saving the letters & don't recall writing anything that would give her the impression that I don't save her letters. But I did say something & she misunderstood it. I guess that's about a good of an example as any I could give.
If you don't quite understand it, don't worry about it. It was just an impulse I guess.
To go on with the letter, yesterday we had instructions on the rifle. How to take it apart etc. It was quite interesting. Today we had toe sub machine gun. And tomorrow we will go on the range & have some fun.
Boy it's cold out here. And with the snow it makes it doubly worse on these old hills at J.B.
When the D.I. says halt, half of the platoon's feel slips from under them & the other half slide a ways down the road (slightly exaggerated).
I got another box of those cookies from my sister. Boy they're delicious. It may be kind of selfish of me, but I only pass the box around once & eat the rest myself. They can have anything else, but then it comes to those crunchy, luscious cookies, it's a different story.
I hope this letter is long enough. Is it? It better be. But I'm only kidding. If you want a longer letter next time I'll write you a longer letter. O.K.?
I'll certainly be at the dance Sat. night, providing they call it in our flight. You know this is a large place. It's the same place isn't it? I'll say a prayer they call it again in our flight.
I guess I will have to be frank with you once more. I certainly would like to come & see you soon if I don't see you Sat. night. If it's O.K. with you I'll be more than willing. Maybe we can go some place in town if you desire.
I'll be waiting impatiently for a reply. I hope it's as soon as the other one came.

Sincerely
As ever,
Tony

P.S. Note the new address