During the night we moved out in to the bay. At 10:30 we set sail for where I don’t know. There are only 15 ships in the convoy but will soon be getting larger. By 2:30pm we had picked up 8 more ships, bringing the total up to 23 ships. Just before dark, there were 32 ships in the convoy. We didn’t do a thing but lay around. Oh yes! We had the job of handing out the life belts.
The 3rd Division was part of a convoy of over 100 ships, 35,000 troops that were transported directly from the U.S. in the first of a new series of UG convoys. These east-bound trans-Atlantic convoys from the United States to Gibraltar carrying food, ammunition, and military hardware to North Africa and southern Europe throughout World War II. Mostly assembled in Hampton Roads near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay These convoys terminated in various North African locations.
For more detailed information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UG_convoys
4:30am We wandered all over the ship trying to find a place to sleep. Everything was full so we just plopped down on deck. Swanson and I went to get 11 boxes of candy for the fellows. That was my last time to touch shore for how long I don’t know. At 7:00pm we were moved into the officers lounge and were given cots to sleep on. It was crowded but was heaven compared to what the others had to contend with. About 11:30pm Lt. Griffith came in and told us to go out and load our TNT and Bangalore torpedoes. The colored stevedores would not handle it. Finally we got to bed.
Camp Pickett, Virginia
It is now 3:00pm and we are suppose to leave the camp at 3:20pm. It is now 4:30pm and we are aboard the train heading for Norfolk, VA. At 10:00pm we arrived at the Embarkation port. At 11:30pm we went into the warehouse to wait our turn to go aboard ship. Finally at 4:30am we got aboard. The name of the ship is Tasker H. Bliss.
Thursday
Dear Mother & dad,
Well I went to see Harry yesterday. He was out on the range firing so I had to walk out there to him. He was just so glad to see me as I was to see him. Dog gone when I left he had to kiss me good by, the big lug! He sure one swell fella. Id be home to see you both one of these days and please try not to worry about me. I have got out of scuffs before and Ill get out of this one. Good by and I love you both from the bottom of my heart.
Your son Charles
PS. Keep your chin up & write
Friday
Dear Mother & Dad:
Well Mom & dad I am pretty busy right now but I am taking a five and have this typewriter right here in front of me so I thought I had better write you a few lines. Boy tell Janie I know I owe her a letter I think but I just haven’t time to write any one. They say we will be at sea for 45 days so I cant say where we will go. It will probably be only half of that but you never can tell. So if you dont here from me dont worry. I will write you the first change I get.
Call up Miss Fitzgerald or little Mary Murphy and tell her I received her letter and medal, and I am wearing her medal, but I just don’t have time to write to her. Tell her I think its very nice and even though I don’t write to her I am thinking of the all. Thank Gee for my Christmas present. I think we will be leaving about next Monday or Tuesday. I sent all of my thing home C.O.D. Today so put all of them away. If I have Sunday off I am going to try and get down and see Harry. I guess you had better let dad wear my watch unless I tell you to send it to me. Now listen you two dont go worrying about me I am tickled to death that we are going so you should be too. Tell little Billy I liked his letter fine and I’ll have a lot of stories to tell him when I get home, and when I say I’m coming home I mean I am coming home so you don’t have to worry a bit. I havent the slightest idea where they are sending me.
Oh yes call Harry Combes and tell him I am going and for him and Becky t write me a letter I will get it some day. I am at a lost for words right now so I guess I had better close for now. I will write you the next free time I get. Boy I’l be so glad when I get on that ship I won’t know what to do. Just think a whole month and all I will do is just lay around and sleep. Good night, that is good night for me its about 10:30 PM now and I dont know how much longer we will have to work. Good by and I will be thinking and loving you both.
Just me, your son “Chick”
During an interview, Chick discusses his final training in the United States before he headed for 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.
And so it begins.
Charles F. Bruns
lived in the East Central Illinois town of Champaign. A local athlete, ‘Chick’ joined the Army in 1941. In October of 1942 he was sent to the European Theater. During his tour he was able to keep is daily thoughts in a journal that is presented here. Additionally, photos, letters written to home, news paper articles, and historic references will be shared.