ca. 1942
1943
This letter is from Edsel's more or less carefree days as a fire lookout on a remote mountaintop north of Gold Beach. Supplies had to be brought in by pack horse every couple weeks.Rocky Peak Lookout
7/31/41
2:55 p.m.
Dear Dad,I just got through eating so I’m in a pretty good mood now. A good time to write.
I made some more biscuits today and they were a lot better than the other ones. I cleaned out the stove and now the oven gets a lot hotter, so I don’t have to bake them but about ten minutes.
I don’t think I’ll ever get hitched ‘cause it’s too much fun cooking things. Ha! Ha! I really do like to make things, though.
I went down the hill and got another cut out of that tree and started another one but had to come back and call in. It makes a lot better wood than limbs. Lasts a lot longer and makes a hotter fire.
I’ve sure been having a lot of fun today monkeying around with the short-wave radio. I fixed a longer aerial and made a rig they call a reflector antenna. It is a piece of wire 14’10" long and you put it 7’3’ back of your aerial, hanging vertically. It gives a lot more distance to the set. I was talking to Keith Miller out on Pyramid. He didn’t come in very well, though. I think it’s because Signal Butte is in the way. I’m going to fix a different arrangement after awhile and try to get him again. I also could hear Ira Miller on Mt. Emily. He came in real good.
It sure has been swell here today. A little wind blowing, but not too much. It’s starting to blow a little harder now. It sure blew a hurricane here last nite. Nearly ripped one of the shutters off. That’s another thing I’ve got to fix.
That’s all for now, folks. I’m going to fix that shutter and work on the radio some more.
Love,
Edsel
Written from the hospital at Camp Roberts, CA shortly after his arrival, this letter gives an overview of what boot camp was like for an infantryman.Camp Roberts, Calif.
March 11, 1943
Dear Dad,
Arrived here Monday nite [March 8]. They wouldn’t let me write because I haven’t had a permanent address. But since I’m going to a permanent address here for at least a week I’m going to write and take a chance on this reaching you. I’ll even put a stamp on the envelope to try to make it more positive it will reach you.
We didn’t have any drill Tuesday, but they made us do some exercising for an hour or so. I already had a cold & the darn thing got all the worse after that exercising in the rain. Wednesday I went to see the doctor to get some cough medicine & he sent me to the hospital. I was in all day yesterday & thought I’d get to leave today when I broke out with the measles. They are just the three-day measles, but even at that I’ve got to stay in here for a week. It sure gripes me. I’ll be a week behind the bunch I came with now. I’m not lonesome in the measles ward though. There are about 30 of us in here, but even at that I don’t like the idea of staying here.
This seems like a pretty nice camp–at least so far it does anyway. The surrounding country reminds me a lot of home. The hills around here look like those at the Wedderburn Ranch & there is a river close by about the same size as the Rogue. From what I’ve heard it gets awfully hot here though. Our lieutenant said it got over 130 degrees in the summer. That’s one thing I won’t like.
At the present I’m stationed in the infantry, but I’ve got hopes of getting out of that soon. You see, everyone has to go through at least 13 weeks of basic training and it just so happened I got assigned to this unit. Sonny Boyd is here at this camp too, but in a different Company than I am. After our 13 weeks are up we have a chance to get in some other branch. Sometimes they even assign you to the Signal Corps, Medical Corps, Mechanics, or something like that after you’ve been here for a few days & then you take your marching, rifle drill, etc. for 13 weeks with that company. After that you go into training for radio, repair work, line work, medicine or whatever company you happen to be in. I can’t see where it makes any difference as you have to take that 13 weeks of drilling anyway you look at it.
Don’t answer this letter Dad (or Nete or Marge) because we were given orders not to have anyone write to us until we are assigned to a company permanently. By the time I get out of this hospital I should be assigned & then you can write & by gosh you better!! But for the time being don’t write.
I’d appreciate it a lot Dad if you’d give this letter to Nete and then send it on to Marge. It’s not that I’m too lazy to write to them or not that I don’t have time ‘cause–sure have plenty of that in here, but I’m not even sure they will send this one letter out. I’m hoping they will though so you will all know where I am, etc.
Don’t worry about my measles because I really feel fine & I have good-looking nurses to take care of me. The food is good, too.
I’ll write again soon if I can.
Love,
Edsel