Dear Ma, Pa, Barb, Ann & Ele Letter No. 146

Sept. 1/1944
Friday
#146

Dear Mom, Pa, Bob, Ann & Ele,

Hello everybody!  Here it is the end of another week and we are still at Camp Cooke.  We are having a party tonight, just company B which promises to be real good.  They are having t-bone steak & beer & ice cream as the specialty.  I don't think the beer & ice cream will mix well but who am I to squawk.
I went to the show Wed. night & saw a very good picture "Wing and a Prayer" with Don Ameche.  It was very thrilling and very worthwhile seeing.
The weather this week has been very changeable.  Some days hot, some days cold, some days misty.  Nothing like variety.
Thanks for starting the bank account for me.  Can you draw out on it ma?  I hope so for that's the way I want it in case you need any.  I'll enclose a $20 money order in this letter.
I took out a class E allotment which means that the government will $25 out of my month's pay & send it to you each month so that I won't have to send it to you.  Don't you think that's a good idea.  So now at the end of each month you'll get one $7.50 bond & a check for $25.  You can let me know when you get them so I know your getting them.  The first one you'll get will be Oct. 1 - or a little after.
I found out that the army has courses which anybody in the service can take by means of correspondence.  All you have to do is fill out an application and send $2 for the complete course.  So I filled one out & intend to take a correspondence course in structural design.  I'll let you know when I get it.  It will be a good review for me.  Don't you think so?
I got a letter from Frank & one from Joe.  They both don't say much but it was certainly good to hear from them.  I received your letter also telling me you got a letter from Joe so I don't have to tell you he's in Saipan.  Frank & Joe are pretty close now.  They're only about 200 miles apart.  
When you receive the compacts ma will you please send one to Anita with a little note wishing her a happy birthday as soon as you get it.  And send the other one to Helen at the end of the year.  Helen's birthday is the last day of the month.  If you send them to me I may not get them for a while if we move out before they get here.  O.K.  If you will do that it will save me a lot of trouble.  Anita's address is -- 
ANITA BECKER -- 1114 N. LAWRENCE ST. -- TACOMA (6) WASHINGTON
I don't need anything right now mom.  If I need anything after we move I will let you know.  O.D.  Thanks a lot.
I hope Bob & Ele have a nice time over Labor Day.  Let me know all about it.
My watch keeps perfect time.  I never have any trouble with it.  It seems like I'm the only one in the whole barracks that have the right time.  Everybody asks me what time it is.
I believe I did put on weight.  I weighed myself the other day and weighed 172 with my clothes on.  Pretty good huh!  I am in the best of health.
Boy the stamps certainly came in the nick of time.  I was just about to buy some as I had a little time but didn't have to as I got your letter.  You're right on the ball mom.  (Army slang, meaning "your tops)
I am glad Sgt. Myer is a prisoner of war because that means he's O.K.  I guess it did make everybody happy.
I couldn't finish the letter before because we had our little party (chow time) and it was really good.  The steak was pretty good.  We also had the beer, french fries, appetizer, pie & ice cream.  Boy am I full.
Well I'll close now the boys want me to go to the show so until my next letter I hope everybody is in the best of health.  Take good care of yourself now ma & give my love & best to Grandma.

Your Loving Soldier Boy

Tony

 

Dear Ma, Pa, Barb, Ann & Ele Letter No. 145

Aug. 27, 1944
Sunday
#145

Dear Ma, Pa, Barb, Ann & Ele,

It is Sunday afternoon and you'll be surprised to hear that the sun is out full blast and I am lying on my blanket on the sand between the two barracks with my shorts on getting a sun tan.  Some news huh!
I went to the show last night and saw a revival picture "The Desperadoes" in technicolor.  It was very exciting.  Did you see it?
I don't think I ever said anything about this camp having German prisoners of war.  Well yesterday I saw the stockade where they keep them.  (I had to report there for guard duty; I had to check the passes of the fellows going to town).  They certainly lead an easy life over here.  I think most of them are happy to be here & there are some who still think Germany will win the war despite of all our victories.  Very few of them can speak our language.
I am glad you liked the pictures and booklet & holy pictures.  Yes it is unforgetable.
You ask me how the beer tasted.  Well it wasn't bad but I'm not much of a beer drinker in the first place and in the second place it's G.I. beer (3.2%).  Beer back home is 8 or 9% I think.  But it's not bad.  
Boy I bet Bob is happy that one of them is coming home anyway.  I bet Henry has plenty of stories to tell.  I'm just curious who is going to spend the most time with him, Bobby or Mr. Massa?  I don't think Henry will like his fathers plans.  Do you?
So Ele is finished for a while.  I am proud of her and also that she did such a good job that he promised her a job upon returning.  That is something.
I'm getting hot in this sun.  I feel fine.  I hope you all are too.  Give my love & best wishes to Grandma.  Until my next letter I remain

Your Loving Soldier Boy

Tony

P.S.  I still haven't had a chance to get air mail stamps so this is another free one.

 
 

Dear Mom, Pa, Barb, Ann, Ele, Letter No. 4

Pvt. Anthony J. Curcio 1-21-43
4th Receiving Co. Barrack Z Letter No. 4
Camp Upton, NY

Dear Mom, Pa, Barb, Ann, Ele,

I am sorry the other letter was delayed but there was nothing I could do about it. We were inside the prison camp and there was no way of mailing it.
Boy K.P. for 16 hours. What a job. It was like hell working there. There was a buck private there who thought he was General. He thought he could give all the orders he wanted. But take my word for it he didn't have a brain in his head. If he did, he wouldn't have cursed at the fellows like he did. He would have treated them nice so that they wouldn't mind working. We had to wash big kettles & trays, scrub floors, etc. In the afternoon I [got] a little wise and got a soft job taking my time cutting celery & cleaning it. The dishes were washed in a sloppy way, no sterilizers, just hot water, soap & scrubbing brush. The food is O.K. but probably the only reason we like it is because the day is long and you get tired, so naturally anything you eat tastes good. Sometimes at night I can just picture moms food before me. Boy what a treat.
Boy you get a funny feeling working around those prisoners. I don't know what sort of a feeling it is, but I hope I don't see any more.
I hope anything I said didn't dis[gust] you all, because it [isn't] like this in a regular camp. You won't have to wait so long to eat & the food will be much better, & they don't waste [any] time.
Here everybody wastes time unless you get a special assignment. Wed. we got a detail to go to the rubbish dumps & report to a corporal. He told us to pick up papers for 5 minutes then come back to the fire & warm up. We got warmed up & then went back to the barracks. In the afternoon we just went there & sat around the fire. Pretty easy huh. Everybody here wants to get out & start to drill etc.
There was a shipment yesterday. Joe & Bill went out with that shipment. I really don't know when we'll be shipped. I hope you got my letter & wrote back in a hurry.
I dropped a card to Dot & Dave thanking her for the writing kit. Yesterday I got a letter from her. I didn't think she would write so I didn't think I would put it on the cardI sent her. So she wrote me & I got it without any trouble. Boy I hope I hear from you all quickly that's the main thing.
Ann I was issued a pair of gloves, but they are working gloves so that your gloves will come in very handy.
The things I will need when I get to my permanent camp will be shoe polishing kit, sewing kit, & some instructions how to wash my clothes. Joke.
How is Frank working out?
I hope Grandma feels better.
And I know you are OK ma, right? & everybody else. I wrote Grandma & Elfrida also. So until my next letter I hope you remain all OK & if I should be shipped I will do my best to drop you a line.

Your Loving Soldier Boy,
Tony