Boy it rained loud all night last night and so far is still raining. I thought my tent was going to blow away. I stayed in most of the day and took care of the salvage. Tonight I wrote a few letters and then went to bed.
Your Son, ‘Chick’
Rank, Division and some Famous People
Chick talks about his rank, the division and some famous people who he served with. Filmed 2007 at the studios of WILL, University of Illinois as part of the “WWII Central Illinois Stories” series
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March 23, 1943 – Tuesday
I wasn’t very busy this morning. I just straightened up a little and got a few things packed. We should leave any day now. We have 3 men and an officer leaving for Tunisia and Tripoli tomorrow morning. We are getting all of our trucks in so it won’t be long. I had to go over and get our packs tonight. Good old infantry packs. I ran the mile just before roll call and then wrote letters until bed time.
March 22, 1943 – Monday
Wellman, Oliver & Badali
I slept all morning, took a shower, ate dinner and then went on guard. I walked from 1 to 5. Ate supper then played the 2nd platoon a ball game. My arm was sore but we won 2 to 1 and they got 2 hits. I had 7 dollars on the ball game and the pretty lucky to win. In the evening Towslee, Dickle and I ate 4 eggs a piece. I then went to bed.
Letter to Isaac Kuhn – March 21, 1943
Hello Mr. Kuhn;
I want to tell you that I was quite surprised to hear from you the other day. I often think of 
you and the rest of the help back at the store. I always thought that you were too busy to take time out and write and in arresting letter as you did. I really appreciated it as most of the mail I get is all about the same thing. I love long letters, and though you talked mostly of business I enjoyed it very much. I had to laugh when you said that the parking lot was becoming empty. The people in the United States should live over here for a while and then they would realize what rationing was like and how glad they would be that they are living over there. It would make many of them stop and think. You see very few cars, but plenty of GI a trucks and tanks.
Many of us Fellows are going to lose our lives over here. Who knows maybe 
some of us boys that worked at Joseph Kuhn & Co. store, but we know as long as we can keep America free, from men like Hitler.
Africa is quite a nice country and some parts. The climate is just about like Southern California. The days are hot and the knights cold. We sleep in “pup” tents and most of us have sleeping bags. I am still in the supply a room and wipe my work fine. For enjoyment we get to go to town once a month and of an evening after the working day is over we play ball.
Now for some humor. One fellow over here dug himself a 3 foot fox hole to lay and during a bombing raid. One day when the air raid came he kept right on digging and by the time the air raid was over he was down 9 feet and had to be pulled out of the hole, ha, ha.
Goodbye Mr. Kuhn, say hello to the help for me. Tell “Spooks” Burke that I am still waiting for a letter from her. Thanks again for writing, and right again when you have time.
As Ever “Chick”
Editor Note: Issac Kuhn was the owner of Joseph Kuhn & Co. in Champaign, IL. It is presumed that this letter was given to Francis Bruns, Chick’s dad who was employed as a tailor at Kuhn’s.
Letter Home – March 21, 1943
Dear Mother and Dad:
Well, I guess I have been pitching too much lately. The other night it was a little cold and the muscle of my arm tightened up on me. So I have quit playing for a while and I have a kid here that can give good rubbed down, work on my arm. Say, you said in your last letter that you couldn’t send the paper to mean without a request from the commanding officer; well, the first Sargent told us that you don’t have to have it, and all we have to do is write to you and you take this letter to the newspaper office. He said if they didn’t want to do it, to refer them to the postal order #19687. And if that didn’t work to go to the post office. I am sure you can get it through though, and I would appreciate it very much. That way I can catch up on all the sports news from home.
Oh yes! One other thing. See if you can get a copy of the “Liberty” magazine dated March 6, 1943. Don’t send it to me but I want to keep it for a souvenir, as the officer that told the story was on the same ship I was, and he gave a good description of the battle. If you have to write to the liberty magazine company, try to get it.
I received your package today, with the tobacco, anchor chief, and watch. Thanks a million as they will come in very handy. Don’t forget to send me some pipe cleaners in an envelope. Send them airmail if you can and that way they won’t take so long to get here. You know as long as your letters are not photographed, you might just as well send them with a 3¢ stamp on them. Just as long as they are be mail letters, they come just as fast as airmail the mail. We always get V-Mail letters first.
We had a letter from one of our boys that was in the company and we thought he had drowned when his ship was torpedoed. But now we know that he is alive and is back in the states in the hospital with both of his legs broke. He is getting along fine and will be out of the hospital soon. I bet Ray an Jean had a swell time. It’s a shame I couldn’t be there.
I have been wondering if you have ever received my increase in my allotment yet. What all have you and dad been doing, ha. I sure got a kick out of your letter when you said that it had turned warm and dad was out sowing his grass seed. I can just see him doing that too.
Well, mom and dad, I had better bring this letter to a close as I have little left to say. Goodbye to you both an I will write again Wednesday. I’ll be thinking of you both.
Your Son Chick
March 21, 1943 – Sunday
I got up about 9 am this morning ate and then got ready to go to mass. We have to walk down the road about a mile or so. I went to communion today also. I wrote letters all afternoon and in the evening I pitched against the 3rd platoon. We won 6 to 2 so that evens it up a little. I am on guard tonight from 1 to 5 in the morning.
March 20, 1943 – Saturday
It was a dull day all day today and we had the afternoon off. I read papers all after noon and then had my arm rubbed down. I went to bed a 8 o’clock but read until about 11pm. We got a few new magazines in mail call.
March 19, 1943 – Friday
I had to make out my requisitions today so I was busy all morning. In the afternoon I wrote letters. In the evening we played the 3rd platoon and lost 8 to 2. For 4 innings they didn’t have a hit off of me and my arm was sore so I quit. That was the end, they took off. We played chess and then ate eggs.
Letter Home – March 18, 1943
Dear Mother & Dad;
Being as its hard to get V-mail here I will have to write this way. We had mail call yesterday and I hit the jackpot. I had letters from 11 different people. So now I’m the busy bee trying to answer all of my mail. We had a real ball game last night. Hq. Pl. Played the 2nd Pl. And I had $5.00 bet on the game. They had us plenty worried many times. In the last inning with us ahead 2 to 1, I had to fill the base with one out. The next man fouled out and the last man lined a ball to me for the last out. In although it was a good game. After the game I ran a mile and then did some exercises. We run a mile and every night, four of us. Well I had better quit for tonight. I will be loving and thinking of you both. Don’t worry about me. I had three V-Mail letters from you.
Your Son “Chick”
