Hassan Tower
As usual I went to 9:30am mass this morning. They built a boxing ring right in front of our altar so we had to move the altar. I played horse shoes all morning and in the afternoon we played the 17th engineers a ball game. We won 5 to 4. I was the first man up and I got a triple much to my surprise. I took a shower and being as I didn’t feel well and I went to bed and read a little.
Well I didn’t get my teeth fixed today. The dentist had some emergency cases so I will have to wait. We received some salvage, so I spent all day looking up the fellows it belongs to and tying it in bundles. We played volley ball in a tournament and got beat. We then played the officers a ball game and won for a change. Last night we played cribbage and I won $1.55.
During an interview, Chick discusses what every day life was like in North Africa.
This audio is from an interview conducted by Uni High students Natalie Dullerud, Claire Dickerson, Michael Anukwu and Joaquin Malik, as part of the Uni Class of 2016’s oral history project on the experiences of people associated with the U.S. military from World War II to the present. It was recorded in January 2012, in Urbana, Illinois, through a partnership between University Laboratory High School and Illinois Public Media, both on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign.
Schlad, Chick & Knight
I was to get my teeth fixed today but the dentist had to go to Rabat so now I will have to go tomorrow. Today is salvage day so all I had to do was just take a can of the salvage. We played a little cribbage and then went to bed. We are to have a volley ball game with HQ tomorrow.
On January 21, 1943, the 3rd Division was present at the making of world history. On this day President Franklin D. Roosevelt reviewed troops of the 3rd Infantry and 2nd Armored Divisions on the main highway leading north from Sale. He was accompanied by many dignitaries. General Clark and General Anderson were in the rear of the jeep during it’s progress past the 3rd Infantry Division Troops.
The President, wearing a gray business suit and gray felt hat, with a black band around his left arm, in mourning for his mother, rode in the front seat of an army jeep down the long line of troops, which extended about one mile along the tree-lined highway. Soldiers were in full field uniform with bayonets fixed, and heavy weapons and some organic transportation from each unit was lined up behind the troops east of the highway.
SOURCE: History of the Third Infantry Divison in WWII
Dear Mother and Dad;
Well here goes another letter tonight, but I don’t have much to say. We had a band concert the other day, and it was really swell to hear good music for a change. It was put on by the — CENSORED — field artillery, and they played many popular pieces. The weather here has changed a little lately and the sun is shining a little more. I’ll be glad when it shines most of the time. We have been playing volleyball of the evening. Headquarters platoon has 18 but were not very good. We are all too small for the other teams and we get less practice.
I went over to the dentist the other day as I have had 82 is bothering me. When I was having the dentist fix it, he found a another one that he thought was causing the trouble. You remember the one with a big crown? Will the crown came out so now I have to have it pulled. He said he could fix it, but it would keep on giving me trouble. He has been fixing my teeth ever since I have been in the army and he is just about the best dentist I have never been to.
What all have you and dad been doing? You said that you haven’t ever heard from Rita. Well I haven’t either so you have nothing on me. I suppose she has done the wrong, ha, ha. I don’t care as I can always find someone else when I get back home. I bet Margaret flesh dinner will feel pretty badly about it but she can get over it. There is just a chance that her letters have went astray or that mine have but I doubt it. I will let you know definite one of these days. Dilfer get to tell Margie Behrens to write to me and send me her address. Goodbye to you both and I’ll be loving and thinking of you both all of the time. Keep praying for me and I’ll be home one of these days.
YOUR SON “CHICK”
We were up at 4:00am this morning as we had to go on a parade. It will probably be just some general, so I don’t’ think much of it. Wow! It turned out to be President Roosevelt and General Marshal. Boy were we ever surprised. He rode in a jeep and was not more than 3 feet from us. the day started out nice but ended up in a cold drizzle rain. It is raining out now so I guess I’ll go to bed. We moved the supply tent for rather we have two tents now so I sleep in one and Wellman & Badali sleep in the other.
Chow Time
We worked like a son of a gun today and it was sure fine. We then went out to play volleyball and for a change we played pretty good. I am going to write a few letters tonight and then to bed.
I was told to go over to Head Quarters today and do something in the Battalion Supply. I could have went over there and made a T rating but I was happy here in “A” Co so I’m going to stay here even though I have to remain a PFC We took some tetanus shots today so I guess we are getting ready to go some place. I went to have my teeth fixed today and as he was poking around one of my fillings a big hunk fell out. So now I’m going to have it pulled Friday or Saturday. We had some excitement tonight one of the fellows got drunk and fired a few shots in camp. Wow! You should have seen us hit the floor. You can sure tell were not gang plank soldiers. Good night.
Not much happened today as there is little to write about. We had the 39th F.A. Band put on a concert for us tonight. Boy it was sure good. It brought back a lot of memories. We played a little pinochle and then went to bed.
