Uncle Warren's Hitch In The US Army
Letters Home
The following letter arrived in Montgomery County, Il on April 1, 1953. The stamp cost 6 cents and has an airplane on it. The letter was written by Warren Clayton, while he was stationed in the US Army. This letter was found in the old upstairs bedroom, of the old farm house, once owned by Charles Henry Clayton, the grandfather of Warren Clayton. Warren Clayton is the great Uncle of Andrew and Belinda Clayton. The letter is addressed in the upper right hand corner with the following address: 8022d AU, APO 37 Camp Wood 30 March 1953. Dear Mom, Dad, Carl, Good evening to you all! Tis me trying to drop you all a few lines again. Guess it is about time since I haven't written to you lately. The letter of the 9th March was the last letter that I received from Mary and the letter of the 11th was the last one I received from you. No more letters from anyone. Where is the mail? Has someone broken an arm? Maybe so. I might have too but I didn't. I did receive the Free Press today. Good thing the newspaper is coming anyway or I wouldn't get any mail at all. I'm not angry at anyone, only lonesome and in the blues is all. Homesick for home and I can't hear from home. Mary doesn't write and nobody writes to me. I can truthfully say that Mary hears from me almost every day now but I sure don't hear from her. I haven't written to you lately so I'm sorry if I'm a little late with this letter and I'll try to finish it tonight sos I can get it in the mail tomorrow. I've been writing to Mary almost every day now. Hope it will bring her back to me one of these days. I love her so very much. She is my wife and I'm proud of her. Maybe if you'd write to her mother, maybe she'd write to me again. She's all right Mom, only lonesome and in the blues too. The last letter that I received from her, she said that she never heard from you. Maybe a letter to her would do a world of good. Hope so anyway. Will you write a nice letter to her Mom? Please? I'd like to hear from you too, Mom. O.K.? I'm on Staff Duty NCO tonight here in the Headquarters Building of Camp Wood. The Duty Officer is out right now sos I'm here by myself. Sure nice to sit back and write letters to home by the use of a typewriter and no one around talking and making a lot of noise. One thing bad about this duty, I don't get to hit the hay before one or one thirty in the morning and I have to get up at 6 or six thirty. No good, for rest or sleep. Say Mother, I was wondering, why don't Carl try to go to OCS? If he gets drafted into the Army, tell him his best bet is to get a Commission in the Army. Become an officer. I'm sorry now that I never went to Officer's Candidate School when I was given the chance. He might as well go all the way as long as Uncle Sam is footing the bill. Carl has a head on his shoulders and knows how to use it. Become an officer in the Food Service Branch of the Army and then sit back and take it easy. This is one of the best jobs in the Army. I know that Carl can do it. How about it Carl? Would you like to become an officer? It might not appeal to you now but think it over. You'd have it made in the Army as an officer in the Food Inspection Business. Really wood. I'd be proud to have a brother that was an officer. You've got nothing to lose by this and a great deal to gain. Lots of schooling that you'd never get otherwise unless you paid for it. How does it all sound to you. Uncle Sam would send you to school and you'd really gain by it. Just a suggestion is all. If it doesn't appeal to you Carl, forget it. Look how long I've been in the Service an only a Sgt. No good I'll say. I could have been an officer one day and turned it down. I'm sorry now. I had the chance in 1948 and agin in 1949 and turned them down. Don't worry, I'm kicking myself for it now. Enough for that. I wish you luck in the future in the Army Carl. I know Mom that you hate to see him go into the service, but if Uncle Sam says so, we are not to question. As for me, I'm quiting the Army upon finishing the hitch I'm on now. That's final. I might like to try another hitch in the Navy, but no more Army for me. I've sure been busy here lately. I've been conducting inspections of the property records of different units here on the Post and writing out reports on them. Also the dentist has been working me over, too. I've had several teeth filled and one pulled out lately. I had the one that had the gold crown over it, pulled out Friday. It had an abcess on it. Sure gave me a lot of trouble, too. I had to take three shots of penicillin for the darn thing. In the seeter, too. Boy, was I ever sore. My seeter was sore, my gums were sore, and I was sore. Angry, that is. So--. The dentist is going to put a bridge in the place where the tooth was pulled out as soon as my gum is healed up real good. Right now I look like Grandpa with the tooth pulled out. Won't be long now before I have my teeth in good shape again. I'm glad of that, too. They sure can give me a lot of trouble if they aren't taken good care of. I need to write to Dale, but I guess I won't get it done tonight. I'm too tired to do much of anything, except keep awake until I finish this duty sos I can hit the hay. Hope this letter finds you all O.K. and well. I am well and fine only tired is all. This letter isn't too long, but I'll write to you again soon. I'm going to stop for now. I'll write some more in the next couple of days. Hope I hear from you soon. Write when you can. Pray for me for I need your prayers. I put in for Mary and Glen to come over here to be with me. Hope they come. I need them over here with me. Happy Birthday Carl. You too Dad. I'm trying to find some Birthday Cards for you two, but no luck so far. It's like trying to find a needle in the haystack. Well,"Goodnight" for now and "Pleasant Dreams" to you all. Your Son and Brother Love and Kisses
Another Letter To Home
Camp Kaiser, Korea 18 March 1964
Dear Mom & Dad,
Yes, it's me again. I knew I owed you a letter so I'd best get it written. I've been quite busy over here, working day and night, including Saturdays and Sundays. Once in awhile I can get a break. I just finished writing to Mary, so now a few lines to you both.
Hope this letter finds you both o.k. and in good health. I'm well and feel fine. Mary's letter I received from her tonight, said she had a cold.
The weather here is quite cold yet. We had a snow storm over the weekend and really made things slick and bad. Now it's melting again. Lots of mud again. There's still some snow, too. It stays pretty cold here at night and during the day warms up fairly well. Guess it should be getting better around there now. I see where Illinois has had floods again.
Guess by now you have the poles in for the electricity & the wiring in too. Hope you do anyway. Sure will be convenient for both of you now. Glad to hear you're going to have a gas furnace, too. Now the house will stay warmer. By golly, when I come home on leave next February, I won't freeze in the house. I'm glad for the both of you. You and Dad sure deserve the best. I'm proud of you both. Guess the puppies are growing. What is Dad going to do with them this time? Bet they're cute. Dad is right. Get rid of the stoves and get electric or gas for the kitchen. I guess you already have an electric one though for the kitchen. Getting rid of the stoves will give you more room too!
Not too much news around here. Dad should have known that puncturing a hole in a shaving can will sure cause a mess. I did the same thing once and had it all over the bathroom and me, too. The pressure inside the can does the spraying. Guess you got it off the ceiling by now. Dad, how did it feel? Hope Dad is doing okay in his Rawleigh products. It's about time for the mail to be picked up so I'd better go and mail this. It's only 11:00 p.m.. I quit work tonight at 9:30 p.m.. They pick up the mail around 2400 (midnight). Tell all I said "Hello" and I'll write again soon. Glad you like the picture Mom & Dad. I'll stop for now.
Lots of Love and Kisses
Your son
Warren
P.S. It's hard to write when all I do is eat, work & sleep. Plenty of work, too!
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