Along with this letter of Dec 11th 1942, Dad included a copy of the Congressional Record with Congress woman Jeannette Rankin's speach on Dec. 8th 1942. She spoke on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor and as a congress person who voted against US entry into WWII. Her remarks are very interesting and ask questions about wether the US and Britain worked to provoke the Japanese into attacking the US, so that the US population would accept the idea of declaring war and help the British Empire out in the pacific. It is interesting that part of her argument is the use of 'economic sanctions' as a prelude to war with a nation. She quotes one source as saying " Japan has no choice but to go to war or to submit to economic slavery for the rest of her existence." She also includes a quote of Congressman Sumners of Texas on April 4, 1942 "We have been a very foolish people, which has made it possible for ___ politicians to get away with murder. This blaming the Peal Harbor tragedy on the Japs is like the fellow who had been tickling the hind leg of a mule trying to explain his bunged-up condition by blaming the mule for having violated his confidence." It reminds me of the phrase "Chickens coming home to roost" after the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, used by a professor at the University of Colorado, who was highly criticized for his statements. We seem to be less open to critics of our foreign policy than we were in 1942.
Congresswoman Rankins speech is 3 pages and rather interesting to read.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
December 11, 1942
C. P. S. #23
Coshocton, Ohio
Dec. 11, 1942
Dear Folkes,
I don’t have time to write much, but I’ll make it good. Things have really been happening around here. The camp is to be cut down to 35 men very soon, there is to be a bunch of 39 men to leave here the last of next week for a camp in Oregon. They hope to get enough volentiers, but most of us are pretty happy here. We knew that this was coming sometime but hoped that some of our men in Washington could avoid it. The reason seems to be professional jealiousy and a polititions promise to have us moved out of here before election. He didn’t get in done that soon but we have been getting better work done here than was done when it was run by Gov’t men and CCC boys. Nobody knows the exact reason but that is the most popular guess.
I’m going to be one of the 35 if possible. If I have to go west I hope to get in a camp quite similar to this one at San Deimis Calif. I don’t want to go to Oregon very bad, however if it cam to drawing names out of a hat I would go if I was drawn.
If I have to go west this winter would you like to have me take my furlough before I go or wait till next spring? I think I would be about twice as far from home as I am now either place in the west. Maybe I could help with the corn if you don’t have it done by now. I have about 8 days now and next spring I will have about 20. If I come now I will have to get back here before Christmas as all of the Christmas furloughs are taken. Personaly I’d just as soon wait till spring then I’d have more time to be home and wouldn’t waste as much traveling. I think I’ll know pretty well whether I’m staying here or not by the first of next week I’ll write a card if anything of importance happens. Paul Furness is coming Mon. and he should know how things stand. Some think that they will move this camp completely but we don’t know.
I’m rather sorry to hear that Harry is quitting school. What I wonder is if he is going to be a CO? If he is I would think he might have time enough to get another semester while they fool around making him appeal. He needn’t worry about getting a V*E. There are some pretty wild guys here that got by, of course they didn’t have our board. Harry has a lot more reason to be in a CO camp than 75% of the fellows here. There is one guy that got out of the navy a couple years ago and another that was working in a defense plant when he was classified.
Well keep your chins up and write me a few cards if you can’t get time for a letter. I’d like to know how the corn situation is as soon as possible.
The cookies sure taste good and I am to thank you for all the guys in the dorm. There are about 5 or 6 of us that get cookies and stuff about the same amount too so we have plenty to eat at our bedtime snack parties. That chocolate sure is welcome it will last for a long time, what did Dad do buy out some store’s supply? The thing I’m afraid of is that our little bunch will be broken up. There are nice people every where.
Yours,
Bernard
P. S. I’m still surveying, it is sort of cold sometimes and we don’t get out much.
Attached: Congressinal Record, Proceedings and Debate of the 77th Congress, Second Session and “Strange Things Happen” a Christian flyer)
Coshocton, Ohio
Dec. 11, 1942
Dear Folkes,
I don’t have time to write much, but I’ll make it good. Things have really been happening around here. The camp is to be cut down to 35 men very soon, there is to be a bunch of 39 men to leave here the last of next week for a camp in Oregon. They hope to get enough volentiers, but most of us are pretty happy here. We knew that this was coming sometime but hoped that some of our men in Washington could avoid it. The reason seems to be professional jealiousy and a polititions promise to have us moved out of here before election. He didn’t get in done that soon but we have been getting better work done here than was done when it was run by Gov’t men and CCC boys. Nobody knows the exact reason but that is the most popular guess.
I’m going to be one of the 35 if possible. If I have to go west I hope to get in a camp quite similar to this one at San Deimis Calif. I don’t want to go to Oregon very bad, however if it cam to drawing names out of a hat I would go if I was drawn.
If I have to go west this winter would you like to have me take my furlough before I go or wait till next spring? I think I would be about twice as far from home as I am now either place in the west. Maybe I could help with the corn if you don’t have it done by now. I have about 8 days now and next spring I will have about 20. If I come now I will have to get back here before Christmas as all of the Christmas furloughs are taken. Personaly I’d just as soon wait till spring then I’d have more time to be home and wouldn’t waste as much traveling. I think I’ll know pretty well whether I’m staying here or not by the first of next week I’ll write a card if anything of importance happens. Paul Furness is coming Mon. and he should know how things stand. Some think that they will move this camp completely but we don’t know.
I’m rather sorry to hear that Harry is quitting school. What I wonder is if he is going to be a CO? If he is I would think he might have time enough to get another semester while they fool around making him appeal. He needn’t worry about getting a V*E. There are some pretty wild guys here that got by, of course they didn’t have our board. Harry has a lot more reason to be in a CO camp than 75% of the fellows here. There is one guy that got out of the navy a couple years ago and another that was working in a defense plant when he was classified.
Well keep your chins up and write me a few cards if you can’t get time for a letter. I’d like to know how the corn situation is as soon as possible.
The cookies sure taste good and I am to thank you for all the guys in the dorm. There are about 5 or 6 of us that get cookies and stuff about the same amount too so we have plenty to eat at our bedtime snack parties. That chocolate sure is welcome it will last for a long time, what did Dad do buy out some store’s supply? The thing I’m afraid of is that our little bunch will be broken up. There are nice people every where.
Yours,
Bernard
P. S. I’m still surveying, it is sort of cold sometimes and we don’t get out much.
Attached: Congressinal Record, Proceedings and Debate of the 77th Congress, Second Session and “Strange Things Happen” a Christian flyer)
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Grandma's Cookies
Reading this postcard of Dad's about the cookies and planing a trip up to Colorado reminds me of Grandma Aldrich's cookies. When we were children our Aldrich Grandparents would come out from Iowa twice a year usually in June and November. They would drive from Iowa and bring cookies and eggs, a whole crate of eggs and between Aunt Eileens family and ours we would eat them up. I now use the egg crate to hold magazines and some of the hoard of catalogs we get. But I was thinking about cookies. Grandma made wonderful cookies and I think I liked them better than anyone else. My favorite were the banana chocolate chip ones she would bring from Iowa. She often put them in a bag and they would be a bit crumbly and mushed together after the two day trip. I was so happy once I got the recipe and made them myself but they didn't taste quite right to me so I put them in the cookie jar. A couple days later when they had stuck together and crumpled a bit they were just right.
Dec 7 1942
Mon. Morn.
I got the package Sat. afternoon. Everything in pretty good condition. We just had some very cold weather last week but it has warmed up since I got the blankets. The cookies as far as I can tell are in extra good shape. Boy was I glad to see the Cocoa! The other guys were too. Our supply was getting low. There were a couple of boxes of Cocoa leaking a little, the top of one box had cut the next one, lost about a spoonful, it was on the blankets. I hardly expected so much Cocoa it is so hard to get around here. No matter about the rags, we could use some & I thot they might help in packing. Say! You’ve spent a lot on postage for me. Thanks a lot for everything.
Yours
Bernard
I got the package Sat. afternoon. Everything in pretty good condition. We just had some very cold weather last week but it has warmed up since I got the blankets. The cookies as far as I can tell are in extra good shape. Boy was I glad to see the Cocoa! The other guys were too. Our supply was getting low. There were a couple of boxes of Cocoa leaking a little, the top of one box had cut the next one, lost about a spoonful, it was on the blankets. I hardly expected so much Cocoa it is so hard to get around here. No matter about the rags, we could use some & I thot they might help in packing. Say! You’ve spent a lot on postage for me. Thanks a lot for everything.
Yours
Bernard
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Eileen
Eileen is Dad's youngest sister and was 14 years younger than him so she was around 9 or 10 when theses letters began. He sometimes calls her toots in the letters also. This was one of the few letters we have written directly to one of his brothers or sisters, I assume that all of those ended up in their possession.
I failed twice at trying to get a table into the blog. Not sure what happened but maybe you can figure out the game he is talking about even though the columns went back under each other.
I failed twice at trying to get a table into the blog. Not sure what happened but maybe you can figure out the game he is talking about even though the columns went back under each other.
C. P. S. #23
Coshocton, Ohio
Nov. 29 1942
Dear Eileen,
How’s my baby sister? I’ll bet you don’t like to be called the baby of the family, do you.
You and Charles sure having a tough time. I sure am sorry for you, being sick isn’t so bad fro a few days but it gets ole.
I’m going to tell how to play a crazy game that we play here once in a while. It is a word guessing game and it sure is a lot of fun and a suppose it is good for one too.
You take half a page of paper and mark it off in something like squares like this only biger.
Birds Animals Countries Names of people Names of cars
W Wren Water bufflo
1
4 0 William
2 0
O Oreol
3 Otter
5 0 Opal
5 Oveiland(?)
3
R Red bird
5 Rat
1 Russia
4 Roy
4 Rolls Royce
5
K Kite
4 0 0 Katherine
2 0
S Swallow
5 Skunk
1 Sweden
5 Sam
3 0
18 11 9 16 8 62
Then you put the names of groups of thing at the top like I have here. Then down the side you put any five letter word. The idea is to put in the squares any thing that begins with the letter on the lefthand side and comes under the head of that column. I’ll fill out some of them to give you an idea. Now the numbers you see are the way you figure the score. Supposing there were five or more playing, it can be played just as well with tow or three tho. If two people get the same thing in a square they both get a score of 4, if three, they get 3, if four they get 2, if five they get 1, if more than five they get 1 you can’t get less than 1. If no one else gets the same thing in a certain square they all get 5. You see, where I have swallow written there weren’t any other swallows so I got 5, while where I had William there were three others besides me which made four so I got a score of 2. Then you add them all up and the highest score wins. We usually set a time limit on the game, 5 or 6 minuits. You might like it longer. When you start a new game you can change the top heading or the five letter word or both. Some headings are easier for some people than others so we usually let each one playing think up a heading that they like. The name of the game is “Googenhime”. I hope you and Charles are feeling better, maybe you can have some fun playing this silly game. You’d laugh to see us guys playing that game. One time there were guys playing that used to be a lawyer, a teacher, and artist, a law student, and me.
We have some snow here now. It was snowing this morning when we woke up and then it changed to rain and now it has stopped.
Your brother,
Bernard
Coshocton, Ohio
Nov. 29 1942
Dear Eileen,
How’s my baby sister? I’ll bet you don’t like to be called the baby of the family, do you.
You and Charles sure having a tough time. I sure am sorry for you, being sick isn’t so bad fro a few days but it gets ole.
I’m going to tell how to play a crazy game that we play here once in a while. It is a word guessing game and it sure is a lot of fun and a suppose it is good for one too.
You take half a page of paper and mark it off in something like squares like this only biger.
Birds Animals Countries Names of people Names of cars
W Wren Water bufflo
1
4 0 William
2 0
O Oreol
3 Otter
5 0 Opal
5 Oveiland(?)
3
R Red bird
5 Rat
1 Russia
4 Roy
4 Rolls Royce
5
K Kite
4 0 0 Katherine
2 0
S Swallow
5 Skunk
1 Sweden
5 Sam
3 0
18 11 9 16 8 62
Then you put the names of groups of thing at the top like I have here. Then down the side you put any five letter word. The idea is to put in the squares any thing that begins with the letter on the lefthand side and comes under the head of that column. I’ll fill out some of them to give you an idea. Now the numbers you see are the way you figure the score. Supposing there were five or more playing, it can be played just as well with tow or three tho. If two people get the same thing in a square they both get a score of 4, if three, they get 3, if four they get 2, if five they get 1, if more than five they get 1 you can’t get less than 1. If no one else gets the same thing in a certain square they all get 5. You see, where I have swallow written there weren’t any other swallows so I got 5, while where I had William there were three others besides me which made four so I got a score of 2. Then you add them all up and the highest score wins. We usually set a time limit on the game, 5 or 6 minuits. You might like it longer. When you start a new game you can change the top heading or the five letter word or both. Some headings are easier for some people than others so we usually let each one playing think up a heading that they like. The name of the game is “Googenhime”. I hope you and Charles are feeling better, maybe you can have some fun playing this silly game. You’d laugh to see us guys playing that game. One time there were guys playing that used to be a lawyer, a teacher, and artist, a law student, and me.
We have some snow here now. It was snowing this morning when we woke up and then it changed to rain and now it has stopped.
Your brother,
Bernard
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Peace work and Prizes
This week Dad talks about detached service, which CO's started doing in WWII and what all CO's did during the vietnam war. Detached service meant that you were not supervised in a camp but worked in a hospital or a mental hospital. CO's were credited with improvements in some mental hospitals during the war.
This week I listened to and watched the video of President Obama's Nobel peace lecture it can be found at the nobelprize site below. I recommend that people listen to the entire speech or read it completely. There is a lot more there than 2 - minutes of pro-war sound bites that the media has put out. The complete lecture is 36 minutes long and worth listening to.
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/obama-lecture.html
This week I listened to and watched the video of President Obama's Nobel peace lecture it can be found at the nobelprize site below. I recommend that people listen to the entire speech or read it completely. There is a lot more there than 2 - minutes of pro-war sound bites that the media has put out. The complete lecture is 36 minutes long and worth listening to.
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/obama-lecture.html
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