Читать книгу Home Front to Battlefront - Frank Lavin - Страница 17

Carl was out of the infantry and assigned to the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) at Queens College in New York City. America was at war and Carl was going back to school.

The ASTP came about because of politics. A majority of undergraduate students had been males, so the colleges were depleted when they were called into the army. The colleges brought political pressure to bear to use the colleges in training, and as a result the army started the ASTP.

Anyone with more than a 115 IQ could get in. There was no military training, just academic work. It was taking basic college classes extra fast. And it was generally believed that if you got into the ASTP you were assured of becoming an officer.

The program was a blessing for Carl. He no longer was in the infantry. He was in an academic setting in New York City, an exciting, expensive city that Carl could occasionally explore. An Emerald City.

It was wartime, but sometimes you wouldn’t know it from Carl’s letters. Carl was horseback riding, ringing in the New Year at Times Square, dancing at the Stage Door Canteen, hopping on the Staten Island Ferry, and even taking in Broadway. And he wasn’t doing it alone.

Carl was falling in love, with a girl and a city. And he was on the verge of becoming an officer. It was almost as if Carl had won the lottery.

Almost.

. . .

Queens College opened in 1937, though many of the Spanish tile–roofed stucco buildings had been built in the 1900s and 1920s. Its position on a hill provided a clear view of the Manhattan skyline from the far-end of the campus.¹

The first ASTP unit came to the Queens College campus in the summer of 1943, and the appearance of all 345 ASTP men there was a welcome sight for the 1,625 civilian students.²

The ASTP students were still in the army, meaning they wore uniforms to class, received their same service pay and had to follow all army rules and regulations. Basically, ASTPers had “approximately 59 hours of supervised activity a week.”³ Though it could differ, it typically meant that from Monday to Friday ASTPers around the country arose to Reveille at 6:30 a.m. and ended their day on campus with Taps at 10:30 p.m. On the weekend they were required to wake at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday as well as attend classes from 1:20 to 3:20 p.m. After that, the students’ schedule freed up until 6:30 p.m. the next day, Sunday.⁴

. . .

Carl joined the program as a replacement. He would move into the recreation building, with army bunks taking over the gym floor. With him were several hundred enlisted men from across the United States.⁵

A student by the name of Anna Lee Kram captured the campus scene with her poem “Forward, Cupid—Hut!”:

They came in August,

A.S.T.P.

Marching and drilling,

(Gosh, it was thrilling!)

Olive, drab, spilling

From out building C.

Girls went wacky

Over khaki

Preened and primped,

Homework skimped

Soldiers to vamp us

On the campus.

Classes cut.

Forward, hut!

Alas! The Dean’s Office says

“—Eyes on your books.

Be efficient and curt,

Don’t talk, smile, or flirt;

The war effort’s hurt

By a coed’s coy looks.”

AFTERTHOUGHT

But never mind the ruling,

girls,

Lay aside your fears.

Just leave the maneuvers to

the F.A.L.

And the plans to the engineers.⁶

. . .

Nov 19 1943

Thursday

Dear Mother,

Yes, the work is pretty hard here. I’m taking 27 hours (average in a college is about 17) and taking 18 weeks work in each subject in 12 weeks. Only free time is one hour each evening and 24 hours each weekend. Besides we still have a lot of military stuff and gym. They’re trying to make this a second West Point. 30% flunked out last period.

But the work is very interesting, and the time goes rapidly because you’re always busy.

Yes, I could use some money. We weren’t paid this month yet and the cost of living is damn high in N.Y.

Went to the Stage Door Canteen two nights.⁷ Place is just like the movie but smaller and more crowded. They have a lot of talent, but I didn’t see any famous names. Have 20 mins. of dancing and 10 mins. of some kind of entertainment. Very good. About all the hostesses are your girls that belong to the actors union but not too bright lights. They are really something to talk to, and good dancers. So there you have the Stage Door Canteen. Anything else you want to know about N.Y.?

Saw Radio City, Empire State Bldg. at night, Arsenic and Old Lace, Times Square, and lots of people.⁸

This letter probably has a slightly scribbled effect to it because I’m writing while running between two classes at opp. ends of the campus.

Where’s my watch?! Did you get the socks yet? Send my gym shoes also, please, if you can find them.

Love Carl

. . .

During Carl’s stay in New York City, the city and its famous lights would show the strains of war. To protect the city from the threat of enemy raids, the neon signs of Broadway disappeared, top floors of skyscrapers went dark, cab headlights were covered, even the glow from the New York Times’s news ticker faded away.⁹

Downtown in Manhattan, the United States Courthouse had its “gold-leafed roof” painted black.¹⁰

And in the harbor, the Statue of Liberty saw her lamp go from the gleam of “13,000-watt lamps” to the dim of two “200-watt bulbs.”¹¹

But even with less light, and the fear and the sacrifices that come with an international war, New York City life and culture carried on.

An illustrated “Camel” man blew smoke rings out of an elongated Times Square billboard. Oklahoma! began delighting crowds at the St. James Theater in March 1943. A variety of sports were still played inside the older incarnation of Madison Garden. And day baseball continued at the Polo Grounds, Ebbets Field, and Yankee Stadium.¹²

With limited free time, Carl and his fellow ASTPers still were able to enjoy New York City and all the activities it had to offer.

Affordable entertainment was never lacking in Gotham, but it didn’t hurt to be in uniform. Some events were free to servicemen—and many were under a single dollar.¹³

. . .

November 22

Monday

Dear Mother,

First of all, you’d better be expecting very few letters from me from now on, because that’s what you’ll be getting. I just don’t have the time. I’ll try to write at least one a week, but I may not be able to. But don’t let that stop you, please; I still have time to read them. Try to send them longer between ends and shorter between times, willya?

Thanks for the fifteen. It’ll come in pretty handy. The cost of living in a big town and all that, you know. I hope to God that by this time you’ve sent my gym shoes. Have you? By the way, see if you can find some of my leather gloves around there will you? Dress [dress gloves]. Tell me if you can’t and I’ll buy some here.

I called Helen [Helen Kaven Stein, the daughter of Leo Lavin’s elder sister Elizabeth Kaven, making Helen Carl’s cousin, living in New York] a few days ago, but won’t be able to see her til she gets back. You worry too much, woman.

You were right about Arsenic and Old Lace not being a particularly good play—but it wasn’t a particularly bad one either. As you said, you have to get tickets to the good plays about a month in advance and the only time I’ll be able to see them will be Saturday night, because most of them don’t have Sunday matinees. We saw Artists and Models yesterday afternoon, which is really good.¹⁴ It’s a yearly review musical, like the follies and I was surprised to see that it was as good as it was. Ethel Merman was there watching it, too. I passed her in the aisle and she seemed happy, so if she likes it why shouldn’t I?

We ate in Jack Dempsey’s which was noticeable for the number of times Jack Dempsey’s name appears in print around the place and the excellence of the food.¹⁵ It costs no more than the places in Canton and you get better food. Amazing.

Saturday night four of us Jewish guys went to a sort of meeting and party combined. The head of the Jamaica Jewish Center wants to open it as a U.S.O. for the Queens College soldiers and we are to help him out in what the boys want.

So I had a busy week-end. What about broadcasts? The socks are perfect. Thanks again.

Much Love –Carl

. . .

Rationing and sacrificing were also part of the New York landscape.¹⁶ Citizens throughout the nation were asked to reduce the use of certain household staples and consumables, or live without them altogether. The war effort and the stability of the American economy would “require the abandonment not only of luxuries but of many other creature comforts,” said President Roosevelt.¹⁷

Items that Americans couldn’t buy included new cars, tires, and typewriters. Men had to do without trouser cuffs on new pants. New bicycles were out of the question. Appliances, jewelry, silks, toys, nylon, phonograph records, and metals would be more difficult to come by. Noted the Office for Emergency Management: “Enough steel goes into a washing machine to make six 3-inch shells for a 75-mm. field howitzer.” Also becoming scarcer were razors, leather goods, Vitamin A preparations, woolens, sporting goods, and coffee. Sugar, gasoline, and electrical power would all eventually have to be shared or rationed.¹⁸ The shortages went from the material to the personal noted Queens College student Kathie McDermott in October 1943:

1940–no running board.

1941–no gears.

1942–no car.

1943–no driver.¹⁹

. . .

Nov 26 1943

Thursday

Dear Mother,

I’ve been leading a pretty busy life lately so haven’t had time to write. This is Thanksgiving but we had a full schedule of classes today anyways. We’re supposed to have a big turkey dinner tonight though. By the way, how was the family Thanksgiving? Tell me all about it.

Did I tell you I received all the stuff you sent me? The socks are really swell; they’re just what I needed. The watch, however, wasn’t repaired. In fact it was in worse condition than when I left it at home. I wore it for two hours and the minute hand fell off. I found out it hadn’t been put on correctly, got it fixed, wore it two hours more, and it stopped completely and firmly refused to cooperate further. So now it’s back getting repaired again. But the fudge was damn good so I’ll excuse you.

And, oh yes—the $20. That came in quite handy also. It lasted me one weekend. I spent $10 for a pair of pants and $6 for tickets to see Ziegfeld Follies²⁰ last Saturday night and Something for the Boys in two weeks.²¹

Two weeks ago three other Jewish guys and I were invited to what we thought was a party but turned out to be a committee meeting. We are now half of a committee that’s supposed to be running a sort of canteen Sunday afternoons at the Jamaica Jewish Center for the Queens College A.S.T.s. Last Sunday it was singularly unsuccessful, with 50 girls and 12 boys. But we’re putting on a renewed campaign for this Sunday. You should see the Jamaica center. All new in what I guess is a Cretian style of architecture. It has rich furnishings, a swimming pool, bowling alley, beautiful main hall, and is about as big as the Masonic Lodge in Canton, but much nicer. If you want more members for the Canton Center I can tell you how to get them. Just build a place like this one here.

I read about the Massillon game in Sunday’s Cleveland Plain Dealer which I got down-town. Tough. It seemed to be a pretty good game, though. I’ve been getting pretty much practice in football myself. We have six hours of physical a week and I’ve been spending them playing football, not tackle. Swell weather for it.²²

You said you saw Angel Street²³ in Cleveland. How was it? Is it worth my seeing? It’s been running here for about two years. The only time I can see any plays is Saturday night because most of them don’t have Sunday matinees. We get off from 330 Saturday to 730 Sunday evening.

I got a short letter from Fred before he went to Chicago. Said he would write a longer one. Chicago is supposed to be the best town in the country for service men, so he should be pretty happy.

I don’t think I’ll be able to get home for Xmas. It comes on a Saturday and all we get off is from Friday night at 5:30 to Sunday night at 7:30. By train I could get home at 8:30 A.M. Saturday and have to leave at about 5:00 A.M. Sunday. By plane I could get home at 9 P.M. Fri. and would leave at 3:30 P.M. Sunday. I put my name in for a plane reservation but they’re all filled up and no one will be likely to cancel their reservations. And by train it is hardly worth it. So it looks like I’ll be spending Xmas in New York.

My grades are O.K. so far. Don’t worry. I’m well above the average. Most of the guys have had just about the same amount of schooling that I have.

Bye now and write soon. Love –Carl

. . .

ASTP academic standards were demanding. Courses were condensed and packed with information. It turned out that Carl’s mathematics professor had given the same course every year for thirty years and now had to give it in half the time—which he did by talking twice as fast. What the professor was used to giving in four hours, now he gave in two. Perhaps the double-pace of the Lehman High math teacher was good preparation.

. . .

To Mrs. William Lavin

December 2, 1943

Dear Aunt Ceal (or isn’t that the way you spell it?) [Celia was the wife of Leo’s younger brother William],

Hi. You must have been partly psychic when you started to knit that sweater. Anyways, you sent it at a most apropos time—the coming of winter and my coming to Queen’s College. The students here seem to be quite proud of the fact that it is “the coldest spot in New York.” It’s located right on top of a hill and there’s always a stiff wind blowing.

It’s a very beautiful sweater, and I still don’t see how you did it or found the time to do it, but unfortunately it’s so cold that I have to cover it up with about all the other clothes I wear and so the world at large has no chance for appreciation.

But really, I do appreciate it and I think it was swell of you to do that for me.

With Love –Carl

. . .

Dec. 6, 1943

Dear Mom,

I’ve been pretty busy—Which brings up the sordid subject of lucre, or money as it is often called. Last weekend cost me about $15.00 (Bought myself gloves, pigskin, and a pair of shoes, which probably aren’t too good for seven bucks but have held together so far, and went horseback riding.) I think it would be a very good idea if you’d send me about $20 each month. Better send it by money order since it’s almost impossible to cash checks here and we’re never off during bank hours, and you also better send it around the middle of the month since we get paid the first. O.K.? I knew you’d agree.

How was the Cleveland Orchestra? I’m afraid my intellectual entertainments have been sadly neglected since coming to N.Y. We only have time for a little, and the animal in me is always satisfied before the mental. However, surprisingly enough, all the musicals seem to have at least one ballet number in them so it’s not too bad.

Last weekend I went to two dances, one party, and had a date horse-back riding as I said before. I am meeting quite a few nice girls, and all wealthy which may interest the old man.

Lots of Love –Carl

. . .

According to an ASTP historian:

ASTP enrollment peaked in mid-December at just over 140,000 men. By that time many college administrators, having damned the Army for six months for every problem imaginable, were finally saying the program was actually going pretty well. They especially liked the young ASTP scholars themselves, One called them “alert, bright, capable, attentive”; another praised them as among “the most earnest groups of young men it has ever been my pleasure to be associated with”; yet another added that they “work much harder than our civilian students and like it.”²⁴

. . .

Dec. 13, 1943

Hi, Folks,

I suppose you want to hear a report on Helen and Jim [Stein, cousins]—so here it is—they’ve got a very nice home and a very nice car. Betsy is a beautiful baby, too. So, they should be happy. Jim was in bed with the grippe for three days but got out Sunday and seems to be O.K. Helen looks pretty thin, but I guess she always has. We had lamb, which was pretty good. I’m going back for dinner in two weeks again, when Aunt Betty [Elizabeth Kaven, Helen’s mother] will be there.²⁵

That was a very pleasant surprise, having you call. I still don’t think that was three minutes, though. Is Fred coming home for Xmas? And do you know yet when you’ll be coming up here? I believe I’ll be coming home for a week around the 30th of January. Already I’m half way through one term and it seems that I just got here.

How is the financial situation coming? Unfortunately, my liquid assessments at this period are at the ebb tide stage. I hope you didn’t take my request for pecuniary assistance too lightly. As a matter of fact, I have a date this coming Saturday, which has a high priority. Saw Ethel Merman in Something for the Boys Sat. Pretty good but I was so sleepy as a result of giving my blood to the Red Cross that I heard more of it than I saw. After that night I didn’t feel any different, thought. It was rather interesting and I got a good meal of sandwiches out of it.

We’ve been having a little bit of excitement around here lately. The civilian coordinator of A.S.T.P. at Queens had become very unpopular with the boys, as a result of a few minor incidents, and one day about a week ago he was found hung in effigy with a knife in his back (the dummy’s back—not his). It was in most of the N.Y. papers and we were restricted for a month for showing “lack of discipline,” but the major later relented and we weren’t restricted at all—only scared. We promised to be good boys. And then we also had a small flu epidemic here, but it’s all over now and I’m left unfazed.²⁶

I received the fudge in good condition and taste. Thank you very much. You still make the best fudge I’ve ever eaten, mother.

Do me a favor, willya? Get me a subscription to the Sunday Rep. And this time please get a subscription. Don’t send it yourself. I’d really like to have it and it’d only take about a day to get here.

All for now—by with Love –Carl

. . .

December 16, 1943

Dear Mom,

First of all, here’s your answers.

(1) Yes, the army gave me an overcoat seven months ago which weighs about eight pounds and should protect from anything from a king-sized hurricane to absolute zero. (2) The shirt situation is very well taken care of. I can wear either wool or cotton and have two of each. (3) Since I can’t find any answer to the question of who washes my socks, I decided to let you worry about it. Did you get them yet? (4) I haven’t the slightest intention of catching cold. We had trouble with flu around here, but it has gone away (5) There’s absolutely nothing I can think of that I need, except money. Oh, yes—you might send me a bag the size of a bag wrapped around 50 pounds of sugar that I can use for laundry. Just a small one, anyhow.

Howz the weather at home now? Do you know, it hasn’t snowed here once yet. But this school is located right on top of a hill and is supposed to be the coldest spot in Queens, which isn’t much of a distinction one way or another. Don’t we get a hell of a wind here. In fact, after standing here for fifty years all the buildings have developed a 20% list to leeward.

And on that note of whimsy we close this day’s report on Queens College.

With Love –Carl.

. . .

Jan 4, 1944

Tuesday

Dear Mom,

Am now at the local hamburg stand at 10:30 and bed check is at 11:00 so this will be a short letter, of necessity.

I’m still taking Edith out—the girl I told you about. We ate downtown in a Chinese restaurant, spent a couple hours looking through Greenwich Village, took a ferryboat ride to Staten Island and back, spent 12:00 in Times Square (crowded) and called it an evening.

Took her out Sat. and Sun. too and I’ll probably continue to do so for a long time. May be falling in love with her—can’t tell yet. (something for you to worry about)

‘Night and Love Carl

. . .

Jan 6, 1944

Thursday

Dear Mother,

I don’t know how I’ll be able to see Fred if the only time he gets off is on weekends. If I went directly from here to Chicago I wouldn’t get there til Sunday night—and if I came directly back to N.Y. at the end of the furlough, from Chicago I’d have to leave Saturday evening. Does he have Sat. afternoon off too? I’ll write him and we’ll see what the score is.

The $10 you sent me was a very sweet gesture—but hardly anything more. I finally broke down and bought myself a hat and a scarf which came to a total of $9.50. I’m going to have to buy a train ticket which will cost $15.00. It costs me from 75 cents to a dollar a day to keep living. The evening meal here is like your ten dollars—only a gesture—and laundry and dry-cleaning run me at least $1.50 a week, which means $25 a month if I did nothing at all on the weekends. So if you send me the $25 a month I asked for, that means I can spend about $5.00 a week-end. Because of the hat and the ticket and the rest of this month’s $25, I think it’d be an awfully good idea if you’d send me 35 or 40 bucks in a big hurry.

The reason I haven’t been writing so much lately is that for the past two weeks I’ve been doing what I should do before what I want to do and after I do what I should do (my lessons) there isn’t enough time to do what I want to do (write letters). For a while there I was doing what I wanted to do first, and that’s when you were getting a lot of letters. But for some strange reason I became conscientious again—not so many letters.

By the way, did you ever get my subscription to the Sunday Repository? I don’t think so—I’ve never received it. ‘Smatter?

Well, in spite of all your faults, I still love you. Keep your chin up. Love –Carl

P.S. I still need $40.00!

. . .

Figure 3-1. Queens College letterhead and envelope, Flushing, New York, January 6, 1944. Author collection.

Jan 28, 1944

Thursday

Dear Mother,

I’m going to leave here Sunday morning at 8:00—decided it is the best time. However, the train doesn’t go to Canton, only Alliance. So I’ll get in Alliance at 7:03 Sunday nite! I’ll take a bus to Canton from there, don’t bother to drive all the way over to get me. If you did you’d probably end up having a three hour wait or something.

We finished all our finals Monday, but still haven’t found out about them. We won’t know our grades for a month or so yet. I did find out about three, though—Math, English, and Geography. In Math I got about the fourth highest grade in our class and I’ll get an A in the course. In the English test I got the highest grade in the whole unit, but I’ll probably get a B in the course because I didn’t do too well in Speech. In Geography I got one of the highest grades in class, but don’t know what I’ll get—probably miss an A though.

I think I did pretty well on the other tests, too. Happy?

Be seeing you soon, with Love Carl

. . .

Feb 11, 1944

Thursday

Dear Mother,

We’ll be taking those aptitude tests for medical school I was telling you about, in a few days now. I’ll tell you more as soon as I learn. We still haven’t received last semester’s grades yet, by the way.

The Astor Hotel is on Broadway between 44th and 45th St, not 41st. That was definitely established by me when I stood across the street from it and read the street signs. So that would be the best location for you in N.Y. You might tell Sam N. that, but maybe you’d better not if he’s getting those tickets. How are they coming along, anyhow?

Happy Valentine’s Day! [drawing of heart] (It’s this Monday.)

I took my watch into a jewelers here, and he fixed it in 15 minutes and wouldn’t even let me pay for it. Works swell, too. Maybe you’d better send your repairing to me to be done after this.

Did you ever find that paper for those extra ration points I brought home?²⁷

Keep the home fires burning.

Love, Carl

. . .

16 February 1944

Dear Mom,

I received your little valentine and got a laugh out of it. Very cute. Where did you get the idea?

We took those medical aptitude tests yesterday. I believe I did pretty well in it, but that doesn’t mean much since they only take about 5 or 10%. If I passed it I’ll go before a board in about a month for an interview, but I won’t find out their decision until the end of this term, so I’ve got a wait of about 10 weeks before I can find out whether the army wants to make me a doctor or not.

How is your back? Have you decided yet what you’re going to do about it? Did you go try those treatments yet?

They still haven’t told us our 1st term grades, by the way.

How are your plans for coming to N.Y. developing? Any notable changes, additions, or subtractions? Did Fred find out yet whether he gets that furlough or not? He’s owed me a letter now for quite some time. Bawl him out for me, willya?

Well that’s about all from here except that I’m still going with Edith and I still like her more each time I see her.

Write. With love Carl

. . .

ASTP was supposed to last a regular school year, but it would last only five months for Carl. By that time the army was in Africa fighting Rommel, and quite a few Americans were in combat. Adding to this manpower shortage, a large-scale invasion was in the works.²⁸

The hue and cry went up: Why are some of our guys getting killed in the deserts of Africa while others are going to college?²⁹

First came the rumors.³⁰ Then came the news: the army was drastically cutting the program nationwide, recalling all men not in the advanced courses. About 8 out of every 10 men, or approximately 120,000 soldiers total, were returning to active duty.³¹

Included was one Carl Lavin.

. . .

Queens College

Feb 28, 1944

Friday nite

Dear Mom,

I was impressed by the beauty of your logic in giving the reason why you sent ten instead of twenty. However, I didn’t need the other ten since I still haven’t bought that shirt yet. But I will buy it.

I was also impressed by the volume of good advice you two have been piling on me. I realize what you say is true and I have not stopped studying. If my telling you so does not convince you, perhaps this will: after considering all the rumors and reports, and knowing how the army works, I think I can say that we probably will remain here until the end of the term, or at least until we can get a term’s credit. The chances are that we’ll be here until the middle of April, at least. Therefore I haven’t stopped studying. Also—therefore, I think you’d better keep your plans of coming up here as you were, or as they were rather.

I’ve been living from day to day just waiting for the food you said you were sending—but no package. What happened?

I received the tickets for Othello.³² Thanks, and thank W for me, willya? Did he, by any chance, get any of the other ones I wanted? Did he get any more tickets for you?

Have you had those pictures taken yet that you said you were going to? If not, why don’t you? Take some snapshots of yourselves if nothing else. I’d like to have some decent pictures; the ones I have aren’t very good.

‘Bye—lots of Love –Carl

. . .

March 6, 1944

Dear Mother,

Your ten arrived in good condition but the box is still wandering around somewhere between us. It probably came over the weekend and I’ll get it today. Thanks.

You still haven’t said anything about coming to N.Y. How do your plans stand? And how about that date for Fred. By the way, I haven’t heard from Fred in a month now. Tell him to write me. Are you going up to see him get his commission [as Ensign]? It sounds rather silly, and I know it’s a long way to go, but it would make him happy if you were there.

Well, write and tell me what’s going on, willya? As far as I’m concerned, the situation is exactly what it was a week ago, nobody knows nothin’. Yesterday I had a talk with Capt. H for about an hour and a half. Seems to be a pretty nice guy, but he can’t help me at all. He has the job of getting aviation cadets and, since I can’t get into that, he can’t help me any. The representative for Canton district of his firm was here also. I forget his name but you know who I mean. He says he’s the one responsible for my lifting around those 100 lb. cases of M.F.B. back in the shipping room. But I got a free meal out of his expense account.

I didn’t sleep over at Edith’s yesterday. We had our yearly physical exam Sunday and had to get up at 5:15 in the morning for reveille. By the way, I am deeply in love with Edith—thot you’d like to know. Bye—write—with Love –Carl.

. . .

On March 15, the entire unit at Queens College was “inactivated.” A farewell dinner was held March 20.³³

Carl, with new orders, left New York a few days later. All that remained of ASTP unit 3222 at Queens College were memories and the group’s mascot, a cat named Queenie.³⁴

. . .

A letter from Carl’s girlfriend, Edith:

Jamaica, NY

March 18, 1944

Dear Mrs. Lavin,

I’m sorry that the “fortunes of war” are such that we won’t have the opportunity of meeting.

Carl had spoken so fondly of his family so often that I was really looking forward to seeing you all. Well, some other time perhaps. My thanks to you anyway for your thoughtful invitation.

It was fun having Carl here, Mrs. Lavin, and if he enjoyed being here as much as we enjoyed having him—no other thanks are necessary.

Carl tells me that you and Mr. Lavin are celebrating an anniversary. My sincere hope that it will be a happy one and that your next anniversary will be even happier for having both your sons with you.

Sincerely, Edith

. . .

Mar 23, 1944

Wednesday

Dear Mom,

We move out this evening, but no one knows where or when. The best rumors center around Louisiana—but. Anyways, I’ll let you know when I get there. It’ll probably be at least three days. That’s about all I can tell you about what’s going to happen to me. I’ve never been so much in the dark in the army before. All we can do is wait and see.

I’m certainly going to hate to leave this place. Even discounting Edith I’ve still had a better time here than any like period in my life. I’ve never felt before that I was actually learning something, but I felt that here. I’ve never known a group of guys that I enjoyed being part of as much as these, and in fact everyone feels that way. We had a farewell banquet Monday night, and you never saw such an exhibition of picture taking, autograph trading, and fare-thee-well trading.

All I hope is that we all get somewhere together. By the way, should I send Edith’s parents something to thank them? If so, what?

What do you think of this picture of her? I took it; she’s better looking than this. Did you and dad get your pictures taken yet? I wish you would, really.

By the time you answer this I suppose you will have heard from Fred what’s going to happen to him?

Well, keep looking out the window. Maybe I’ll pass through Canton again.

With love Carl

P.S.—I’m sending some stuff home in packages. Keep it, mom. Carl

. . .

When the army ended the lion’s share of the ASTP program, all of the affected men were assigned to the infantry. For Carl, it was the 69th Division, based in southern Mississippi.³⁵

For a New York minute, Carl had a girl, a great education, a path to officership, and all the Big Apple trimmings. But that was not to be Carl’s future. His fate was bullets over Broadway.