As I read this letter and he wrote about eating sandwiches on the train that Grandma had packed it reminded me of my visits up to Denver to see the folks and the boxes and coolers I would bring home. We would have berries and jams and pickles all home made. I remember I think I was in high school before I realized that there was store bought jams and jellys. I was visiting someone and it sure did not taste the same. Our mom would make lots of pickles, zucinni and dill and sweet. Dad did the berries and we would bring some back that were frozen and thaw them out. Good memories, before memorial day.
So tomorrow morning Tim and I take the 154 panels with over 5,000 paper origami peace cranes on them to the veterans park to set up there with an ROTC instructor. It will be interesting. How do we turn the corner, turn off the war machine? Sometimes I think it will come slowly and people will hardly notice, just no one will work for war anymore.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
May 31, 1943
My present address
Gov’t Survey
Drain, Oregon
May 31, 1943
Dear family,
Well, here I am. The first night out in the wilderness on the surveying crew. They just started last Fri. and they left a place for me. I was glad to get it. The more I find out the better I like it.
We are located about 9 miles from Drain which is pretty good, close enough to get mail occasionally and to get back to Camp Elkton once in a while.
There are 3, 8 man crews that are out surveying now the other teams(?) are farther north away from Elkton than we are. I don’t know about the other crews’ foremen but the Gov’t man that we have is a peach so far. He is from the General Land Office and is an Engineer. His name is Gould.
We are allowed $1.35 per man per day for food. How does that sound. The boss likes good stuff he told the cook to bake pies and cakes and stuff so we are living high as rationing will let us.
We have 4 tents in the camp. The boss has one for his quarters and office and we have on to sleep in and one to keep our clothes in and loaf(?) and one to cook and eat in. They are 12’ X 14’ 4’ wall tents. We have some tin stove and they cook on one that has an oven attached.
They haven’t done anything except set up camp yet as it has been raining since Sat. night. Our camp is about 20 feet from the creek so when we want to brush our teeth or wash our feet we just run out the door. We drink out of it too.
Maybe you’d like to know about my getting in to camp. I got to Drain about 11:30 Sunday noon (?) and tried to hitch-hike to Elkton but it was raining and so I gave up. There were some high school boys hanging around the oil station admiring their cars and so I offered one of them a $1.00 to take me to Elkton and he took me up after considering his gas and time. So I got to camp in time to eat dinner. They don’t eat till 12:45. I doubt that they will count Sunday against me as furlough but I don’t know. The Asst. Director talked like they wouldn’t.
The Asst. Director went last Tuesday to start school for the China visit they are send(ing?) a few more I don’t know when he will go across.
Beside my ring I forgot my spectacle case and little pocket note book one of those that has refills, you know. You will probably find it in that little drawer of the dresser upstairs. The glass case I’d think is on the top of the refrigerator and the ring is hanging up on a nail by the water bucket. I’d kind of like to have the glass case out here so I wish send them back. We have such good rats that Mom doesn’t need to bother to send me any cookies. You will find a sugar stamp included. The cook back at camp said that they were doing both now and it seems that they get to keep our points while we are surveying so they will get along better with 24 extra man rations. So he got generous and gave me a stamp I hope you can use it.
I had plenty to eat on the train, had one sandwich left when I got here. Those cheese really filled me up. All I bought was 2 glasses of milk. 20¢. Not bad. I had some cookies left too.
I packed up my stuff this morning and stored most of it and got to camp here in time for dinner. This afternoon I went to Eugene to get my fingerprints taken. We are working directly for the federal Gov’t I guess.
Tell me, just how hard is it to read my writing? Had I better spruce up a bit?
Well I’m getting (I should say still) sleepy.
God has been very good to me.
Yours,
Bernard
Gov’t Survey
Drain, Oregon
May 31, 1943
Dear family,
Well, here I am. The first night out in the wilderness on the surveying crew. They just started last Fri. and they left a place for me. I was glad to get it. The more I find out the better I like it.
We are located about 9 miles from Drain which is pretty good, close enough to get mail occasionally and to get back to Camp Elkton once in a while.
There are 3, 8 man crews that are out surveying now the other teams(?) are farther north away from Elkton than we are. I don’t know about the other crews’ foremen but the Gov’t man that we have is a peach so far. He is from the General Land Office and is an Engineer. His name is Gould.
We are allowed $1.35 per man per day for food. How does that sound. The boss likes good stuff he told the cook to bake pies and cakes and stuff so we are living high as rationing will let us.
We have 4 tents in the camp. The boss has one for his quarters and office and we have on to sleep in and one to keep our clothes in and loaf(?) and one to cook and eat in. They are 12’ X 14’ 4’ wall tents. We have some tin stove and they cook on one that has an oven attached.
They haven’t done anything except set up camp yet as it has been raining since Sat. night. Our camp is about 20 feet from the creek so when we want to brush our teeth or wash our feet we just run out the door. We drink out of it too.
Maybe you’d like to know about my getting in to camp. I got to Drain about 11:30 Sunday noon (?) and tried to hitch-hike to Elkton but it was raining and so I gave up. There were some high school boys hanging around the oil station admiring their cars and so I offered one of them a $1.00 to take me to Elkton and he took me up after considering his gas and time. So I got to camp in time to eat dinner. They don’t eat till 12:45. I doubt that they will count Sunday against me as furlough but I don’t know. The Asst. Director talked like they wouldn’t.
The Asst. Director went last Tuesday to start school for the China visit they are send(ing?) a few more I don’t know when he will go across.
Beside my ring I forgot my spectacle case and little pocket note book one of those that has refills, you know. You will probably find it in that little drawer of the dresser upstairs. The glass case I’d think is on the top of the refrigerator and the ring is hanging up on a nail by the water bucket. I’d kind of like to have the glass case out here so I wish send them back. We have such good rats that Mom doesn’t need to bother to send me any cookies. You will find a sugar stamp included. The cook back at camp said that they were doing both now and it seems that they get to keep our points while we are surveying so they will get along better with 24 extra man rations. So he got generous and gave me a stamp I hope you can use it.
I had plenty to eat on the train, had one sandwich left when I got here. Those cheese really filled me up. All I bought was 2 glasses of milk. 20¢. Not bad. I had some cookies left too.
I packed up my stuff this morning and stored most of it and got to camp here in time for dinner. This afternoon I went to Eugene to get my fingerprints taken. We are working directly for the federal Gov’t I guess.
Tell me, just how hard is it to read my writing? Had I better spruce up a bit?
Well I’m getting (I should say still) sleepy.
God has been very good to me.
Yours,
Bernard
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Paton
Paton was the town that was near the farm in Iowa. As children for us it was the town where Grandma and Grandpa lived. As dad says in this card it was clean and small. I think there were a couple of churches. I remember our grandparents house there, not real big but it had a couple of rooms upstairs and a kitchen and a mudroom and a front porch and a livingroom with a piano where Grandma taught our cousins how to play. Grandma and Grandpa moved there when Charles got married and he started to run the farm. Grandpa still owned part of the farm and would go out there to help or to look around. My Aunt Betty said her 4 kids would just follow him around the farm as he looked in on everything.
I haven't been there in over 20 years so I'm sure the town and the farmlands look different now. When I read the Omnivores Dilemma I recognized the county he visited in Iowa as Jefferson County where the Aldrich farm was, it sure sounded different in his book.
I haven't been there in over 20 years so I'm sure the town and the farmlands look different now. When I read the Omnivores Dilemma I recognized the county he visited in Iowa as Jefferson County where the Aldrich farm was, it sure sounded different in his book.
May 29, 1943
Davis Jct.
10:15 A.M.
May 29
Dear folkses,
I missed that bus by 10 min. It left at 8:29 instead of 8:55 like the schedule said. I’d have made it otherwise.
I will leave here at 10:45 on a train that will arrive at Dunsmuir at 6:30 P.M. and leave Dunsmuir at 1:30 A. M. or something like that. Then I’ll get to Drain at 11:39 A.M. Sunday. Not so bad as going up to Eugene but it would have been nice if I could have gotten to camp before 6:30 then I would have saved a day. Oh well, there will be more days.
Davis is a nice little town some bigger than Paton. Clean and new looking. I’m glad I got to loaf here for a while.
Yours,
Bernard
10:15 A.M.
May 29
Dear folkses,
I missed that bus by 10 min. It left at 8:29 instead of 8:55 like the schedule said. I’d have made it otherwise.
I will leave here at 10:45 on a train that will arrive at Dunsmuir at 6:30 P.M. and leave Dunsmuir at 1:30 A. M. or something like that. Then I’ll get to Drain at 11:39 A.M. Sunday. Not so bad as going up to Eugene but it would have been nice if I could have gotten to camp before 6:30 then I would have saved a day. Oh well, there will be more days.
Davis is a nice little town some bigger than Paton. Clean and new looking. I’m glad I got to loaf here for a while.
Yours,
Bernard
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Listening to soldiers
I forgot that Dad didn't write home when he was home. this short postcard tells a lot. Listening to a soldier as he travels back to camp. I went off to Gallup, NM to a meeting of math instructors at two-year colleges. While there a group of motorcyclists on the "Run for the Wall" spent the night. It was cool to watch them as they left town in large groups, I thought that they had found a way to empower themselves. It occurred to me that we needed to empower the truths of the soldiers and not the myths of war.
May 26, 1943
About 10:30
May 26
West of Omaha
Dear Folks,
I guess I’ll dash you off a note to let you know I’m doing alright. I hope you can read it. We just went through a place named Schuyler. We are only 15 min. late. Not bad. We got into Omaha 15 min. late and left 30 min. late but have made up part of it.
I got in a very nice coach. Sat down by a soldier. Seems to be a nice guy. He is from Virginia and is going back to camp in Oakland Calif. His father had died and he had 10 days emergency furlough and some extension. Anyhow spent 10 days at home. He seems to like to talk so let him. He told me about their farming method and they are pretty backwoodsy and one-horsey. Even a one horse corn-planter.
I don’t know when you will get this. It will help to fill the gap till you get one from me after get in camp.
Well I’m getting sleepy.
Yours,
Bernard
May 26
West of Omaha
Dear Folks,
I guess I’ll dash you off a note to let you know I’m doing alright. I hope you can read it. We just went through a place named Schuyler. We are only 15 min. late. Not bad. We got into Omaha 15 min. late and left 30 min. late but have made up part of it.
I got in a very nice coach. Sat down by a soldier. Seems to be a nice guy. He is from Virginia and is going back to camp in Oakland Calif. His father had died and he had 10 days emergency furlough and some extension. Anyhow spent 10 days at home. He seems to like to talk so let him. He told me about their farming method and they are pretty backwoodsy and one-horsey. Even a one horse corn-planter.
I don’t know when you will get this. It will help to fill the gap till you get one from me after get in camp.
Well I’m getting sleepy.
Yours,
Bernard
Monday, May 17, 2010
Spring time, Travels, and oil spills
This begins a few days of Dad traveling back to Iowa. He leaves on a friday and gets there on a Monday. He manages to write a few postcards on the way. I am off later this week on a short trip to a math conference in Gallup, NM.
Meanwhile, the oil leak has been filling up the news and the Gulf of Mexico. Everyone is busy talking about sueing and money and not about preventing more harm or how it can be cleaned up. I keep thinking back to this world of the 1940S and all the trains and buses we had, so we didn't all need to have cars. How can we change our way of thinking and do more group think instead of individual think.
Meanwhile, the oil leak has been filling up the news and the Gulf of Mexico. Everyone is busy talking about sueing and money and not about preventing more harm or how it can be cleaned up. I keep thinking back to this world of the 1940S and all the trains and buses we had, so we didn't all need to have cars. How can we change our way of thinking and do more group think instead of individual think.
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