Letter #16
Nov. 19, 1944
Dear Mother,
I have received the hangers and the tennis shoes.1 Such conveniences as hangers and drawers now mean a lot to me, since anything that is not hung up must be kept in the barracks bag.
Our barracks hold approximately 350 young men, some ASTRP, but some ASTP premeds. The building is new, built as a library, but not yet used as one. The basement is filled almost completely with the latrine. My room is on the second floor, and that is where we have two ping-pong tables, a billiard table, a pool table, and a nice radio which tunes in on four stations. There are phone booths on the first floor, so the only thing that would be inconvenient about it would be the possible delay. I have no trouble getting to sleep on account of any noise caused by anyone in the barracks; in fact, someone woke me up once and told me to stop snoring.
The B-60 curriculum is a basic engineering course accelerated slightly, with no review as in the N-30, which does not include Chemistry. One or two times each day we have a study period, and from 1900 to 2100 we are required to study on all nights except Saturday, so therefore I cannot attend the evening program at the church, unless I want to go after 9, since activities continue at the church until 10:30.
I listened to election returns too, but I was so tired that night that I didn't care to stay awake any longer. By the way, I don't think that I should call at Thanksgiving, since I would have less chance of getting my call through in any reasonable length of time then.
Notes:
1 Evidently, Stewart had been in touch with mother, probably by phone, and asked for some things to be sent to him.
-2-
We are awakened at 6:00a.m. by the lights being turned on. They are
fluorescent lamps, and invariably they wake me up. Chow is ready from 6:30 to
7:30. At 6:15 we fall out in front of the building for reveille which is reporting of
absences. Class formation is at 7:45, and then the different sections march off to class. Noon chow is from 11:30 to 12:30, and supper is from 5:20 to 6:20p.m. On
Sunday, breakfast is from 8 to 9, and dinner is from 12:30 t0 13:30.
I could use my bathrobe and also a couple of our ping-pong paddles and a ball, since the playing equipment is not furnished. I was "broke" for some time until yesterday when I finally got my travel check. It came to $26.15, so I am well-fixed for anything but a very drastic emergency. Right away I bought a pair of slippers built like this: , a money belt, an engineer's metal insignia to go on my left lapel (since I am not in the Air Corps Reserve) and then I went to a show, In the Meantime, Darling, with Jeanne Crain of Home In Indiana.2 Also I took several pieces of clothing to the USO to have AST insignia sewed on.
The third floor is composed mainly of large halls with tables and chairs for studying, and different teachers are present to help. At one time, about a year ago, there were 2700 students in the AST here, but now there are only about 350. We are fairly centrally located on the campus, so we do not have far to go from class to class. Our physical training takes place inside the stadium, under the stadium seats, and in the Coliseum, which is like the Minnesota Fieldhouse. There is a swimming pool in the basement, and handball courts.
Notes:
2 This film is available on YouTube and I watched it in its entirety. Directed by Otto Preminger, it was released in 1944 and is very typical of WW 2 films - it is almost a propaganda film in its depiction of the military life. But it also has some interesting features. Jeanne Crain plays a war bride (Maggie) , and the film opens with her arrival at the train station near the post where her husband-to-be (Danny), a lieutenant in the army, is stationed. They go immediately to a Justice of the Peace and are married in a very rushed ceremony because it is late and the Justice wants to go to bed. She is from a prominent Philadelphia family and has a very hard time adjusting to living conditions at the post and in relating to her fellow military wives. In many ways, the film is about her "growing up" and coming to accept her situation. The men in the film are almost ciphers - sort of stock characters - but a couple of women are more sensitively drawn: one, the owner of the hotel where the newlyweds have a room, is a war widow, and she plays an important role in "educating" the new bride. The other woman (Shirley), is the wife of Danny's best friend, "Red," (played by Stanley Prager* - see below). Shirley is more "working class"and down-to-earth, and gives Maggie a different perspective. The hotel porter, Henry (played by African-American actor Clarence Muse) is also a "wise elder" who helps Maggie "grow up." The film ends when all the men are suddenly shipped overseas and Maggie and Shirley decide to go to work in a defense plant (Maggie could have gone back to live with her parents - but this is the more independent, "mature" option). Jeanne Crain and Frank Latimore (who plays Danny) were only 19 years old when this film was made. Home in Indiana (a horse film released earlier in 1944) was Jeanne Crain's first film and had brought her fame.
*An anecdote is widely circulated about Otto Preminger and Stanley Prager. During the filming of In the Meantime, Darling, Preminger is said to have put his face in Prager's face and scream, "RELAX, RELAX, RELAX!" - evidently Prager was just the first of many to get this treatment from Preminger.
-3-
I could use my bathrobe and also a couple of our ping-pong paddles and a ball, since the playing equipment is not furnished. I was "broke" for some time until yesterday when I finally got my travel check. It came to $26.15, so I am well-fixed for anything but a very drastic emergency. Right away I bought a pair of slippers built like this: , a money belt, an engineer's metal insignia to go on my left lapel (since I am not in the Air Corps Reserve) and then I went to a show, In the Meantime, Darling, with Jeanne Crain of Home In Indiana.2 Also I took several pieces of clothing to the USO to have AST insignia sewed on.
The third floor is composed mainly of large halls with tables and chairs for studying, and different teachers are present to help. At one time, about a year ago, there were 2700 students in the AST here, but now there are only about 350. We are fairly centrally located on the campus, so we do not have far to go from class to class. Our physical training takes place inside the stadium, under the stadium seats, and in the Coliseum, which is like the Minnesota Fieldhouse. There is a swimming pool in the basement, and handball courts.
Notes:
2 This film is available on YouTube and I watched it in its entirety. Directed by Otto Preminger, it was released in 1944 and is very typical of WW 2 films - it is almost a propaganda film in its depiction of the military life. But it also has some interesting features. Jeanne Crain plays a war bride (Maggie) , and the film opens with her arrival at the train station near the post where her husband-to-be (Danny), a lieutenant in the army, is stationed. They go immediately to a Justice of the Peace and are married in a very rushed ceremony because it is late and the Justice wants to go to bed. She is from a prominent Philadelphia family and has a very hard time adjusting to living conditions at the post and in relating to her fellow military wives. In many ways, the film is about her "growing up" and coming to accept her situation. The men in the film are almost ciphers - sort of stock characters - but a couple of women are more sensitively drawn: one, the owner of the hotel where the newlyweds have a room, is a war widow, and she plays an important role in "educating" the new bride. The other woman (Shirley), is the wife of Danny's best friend, "Red," (played by Stanley Prager* - see below). Shirley is more "working class"and down-to-earth, and gives Maggie a different perspective. The hotel porter, Henry (played by African-American actor Clarence Muse) is also a "wise elder" who helps Maggie "grow up." The film ends when all the men are suddenly shipped overseas and Maggie and Shirley decide to go to work in a defense plant (Maggie could have gone back to live with her parents - but this is the more independent, "mature" option). Jeanne Crain and Frank Latimore (who plays Danny) were only 19 years old when this film was made. Home in Indiana (a horse film released earlier in 1944) was Jeanne Crain's first film and had brought her fame.
*An anecdote is widely circulated about Otto Preminger and Stanley Prager. During the filming of In the Meantime, Darling, Preminger is said to have put his face in Prager's face and scream, "RELAX, RELAX, RELAX!" - evidently Prager was just the first of many to get this treatment from Preminger.
-3-
I went on sick call on Tuesday because my throat was sore. On Tuesday
and three consecutive days, my throat was swabbed, and on the last two, my
tonsils were sprayed also. With some sulfadiazine tablets to help, I'm all right
now.
On Nov. 11th, Armistice Day, the seven platoons of Love Library went to the Nebraska-Iowa State game for free. Our platoon, the seventh and new one, did not have to march during the half, but the taller part acted as MP's at the gates leading to the track to prevent people from coming down on to the field. The Minnesota-Iowa U. game was watched with interest also, since most of those that are in the seventh platoon come from Iowa.
Dec. 25th might be a holiday for us, and in that case, if I could make good connections, I could be home for twenty-four hours; but then I could come home for seven days a month later, and I don't know whether or not you think that it would be worth paying for two round-trips in that short a time.
I will write as often as possible, but I do not have much time for my own affairs except on Saturday and Sunday.
Your loving son,
Stewart3
On Nov. 11th, Armistice Day, the seven platoons of Love Library went to the Nebraska-Iowa State game for free. Our platoon, the seventh and new one, did not have to march during the half, but the taller part acted as MP's at the gates leading to the track to prevent people from coming down on to the field. The Minnesota-Iowa U. game was watched with interest also, since most of those that are in the seventh platoon come from Iowa.
Dec. 25th might be a holiday for us, and in that case, if I could make good connections, I could be home for twenty-four hours; but then I could come home for seven days a month later, and I don't know whether or not you think that it would be worth paying for two round-trips in that short a time.
I will write as often as possible, but I do not have much time for my own affairs except on Saturday and Sunday.
Your loving son,
Stewart3
Notes:
3 It's interesting that this letter to mother is much chattier about daily life, dress, etc.., than the one to dad, which is a bit more formal, has more detail about Stewart's course work and doesn't mention things like the movie.
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| Poster for the film, In the Meantime, Darling |
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