WWII Diary of Chick Bruns – 70 Years Ago

Dear Mother & Dad;

Well here it is Wednesday in time for another letter home. Not much is happening here, but I will write a little. The weather has been swell here the last few days, and I don’t think it will change any more now. We we can’t get female anymore over here so I guess I will have to send the other Type.

We had a good ball game tonight and our company won 6 to 5. Thanks to Joe Pynz who knocked a long hit with a man on 2nd. I didn’t know what was wrong with me tonight. I just couldn’t get my pitching for nothing. It’s a good thing we hadn’t some good hitters on our team or we would have been Beat.

I received a bunch of birthday cards yesterday so thank all of the people from me that sent them. I just won’t be able to write & thank them. Goodbye an I will be thinking and loving you both from the bottom of my heart.

Your Son “Chick”

Dear Mother & Dad;

Here it is Sunday night and I had better get you out a letter. Not much has been happening around here to write about but I will have to say something to take up the space. What all has been happening around home? I bet they are sure taking them fast in the draft now. I’m sure glad I went in the army when I did, then to be going in now. You seem to get a little training and then bang go over you go. Has “Snook” left the states yet. I had a letter from and the other day and he said that little hairy had been in a fight and came out with a black eye. Ha, ha, I can just see him now. I also had a letter from billy and just as soon as I get time I’m going to answer it, but in the meantime tell him hello for me and that he has a letter on the way. Pay day should be coming up one of these days for us. We only get paid once every two months now. Have you ever received my $10.00 increase in my allotment yet? This numbering the letters is getting me down, I keep forgetting what number I put on the last one, but I write you, or should I say I try to write you on Wednesdays and Sundays. So far I haven’t failed yet. I think I told you I had a letter from Mr. Kuhn good night? He didn’t have much to say, he was mostly from a business angle. It was something new though and I enjoyed it very much. Boy has the weather ever been bad around here lately. Wow! It has been raining and blowing every day for the last week and a half. Sometimes I think my tent is going to rip right down the middle. You should have seen the laundry I did today. I just threw it in a bucket of water, gave it a few plunges with my plunger (the plunger is tin can on the end of a stick) and then hung up. I think the it looks just as bad as before I put it in. Have you and dad been to any shows lately? I went to one this afternoon. I had already seen it go about four years ago. The name of it was bob hope in ” thanks for the memories”. Goodbye mother and dad and I will be thinking and loving you both from the bottom of my heart.

YOUR SON “CHICK”

Dear Mother & Dad;

Well here it is Wednesday an I had better tried to get a letter to you. I received two letters from you yesterday and one to day. This month I have received all of your letters to day. I have received about four from “Gee” in the last two days. Maybe Harold C. is just out on manure someplace. They go out on maneuvers over here just like back in the states. That’s probably the reason why his folks haven’t heard from him. What do you think. I went out last Monday and pitched another ball game, sore arm in all. We won 2 to 1, and I only allowed two hits. My arm was so sore after the game I could hardly lifted so I am going two swear off of ball playing till my arm gets better. I won $7.00 on the game though. Did you go to see the newspaper office yet? Did we ever have a night of it last night. Wow! It rained and blowed all night long. I was looking for my tent to blow away any minute. I have sure been lucky on mail call. I have received about 20 letters in the last two days. I’m glad every one write to me, but very few of them tell me how the basketball scores are going that’s one reason why I want the newspaper, then I can catch up on all the sport news. One fellow here at camp got a record from his girl at home and we played it on our recording set. It all came out very plain and we got a great kick out of it. “Gee” said in her letter that you were going to give ray and jean my picture. That will be swell and then I can get them something nice as soon as I get home. Allison you two don’t think this war is going to be over with in a hurry. That is what Uncle Sam tries to do, figure out how many men he can save even though the war does take longer. I think it should be over by this winter though. When things happened there going to happen all at once and that will put a stop to all of this wars. I had a lot I wanted to tell you when I started this letter but when I sat down two write it I can’t think of a thing to say. You and dad take good care of yourself and don’t worry about me. I will be loving you both.

YOUR SON “CHICK”