Fall of '41 at Camp Shelby

On September 23, 1941, Mike writes a rather upbeat letter to Andy and Esther.  He thanks them very much for the great box he has just received from them.  The cigarettes, he says, are great too.

Mike also thanks them for the letter that he received from them just the other day describing the great harvest of fruits and vegetables and canning going on at the farm.  He said Rosie said it was a great year for peaches.

Mike speculates that David must be big now, and asks if David is talking or walking yet.  He tells them that Mary says that Jerome is really growing up, and then innocently adds, "You guys ought to have a competition to see who can raise the best kids."

Mary and Mickey might have taken some pictures of David because Mike says he wishes they would hurry up and send them.

Mike received the birth certificate OK, but will wait until after maneuvers to act on getting into The AirCorps.  He says that there is too much "red tape" in the whole process, so he will wait for awhile.

"Things do look dark, don't they?".

Mike is glad to hear that the farm is doing OK, and wants to know if Andy has the wheat planted yet?  He says he sort of felt homesick when he heard that poor ole pop planted the line all by himself.

Mike just can't wait until he sees and drives Pop's new '41 Plymouth.  What a surprise that was, and he can just see Pop swelled with pride.  If they have a good picture of Pop with the Plymouth, Mike asks them to please send it to him. 

[Editor's note:   Shown below is a picture of Pop's new '41 Plymouth with Mike's sister, Betty, on the left, Mike's Mother, Elizabeth (nee Havrillova in Slovak or Havrilla in English) in the middle, and Mike's Sister-in-Law Esther (nee Kline) on the right.  The barn, garage, and part of the corn crib can be seen in the background (the east).  It must be afternoon because of the way the shadows fall.  Notice also the cupolas on the barn and one of father's (Mike's dad, John's) fruit trees in front of the  garage.

John drove this vehicle and several before it to his work at The Firestone Steel Products Rim Plant some 15 mile distant from July, 1927 until he retired at age 65 on January 25, 1947.  This is not quite the picture of Pop with the new Plymouth that Mike requested but a great second.]

Mike wants to know how Mom's spirits are and if she is doing OK.

He had not received the box from Mary yet.  Mike goes on to tell them that Mary is not sore at them.  Mary would just like them to visit more.  "Mary is your sister."  he adds, "And you should try to make her happy."

Mike goes on to talk a little about his new realization of how hard women work now that he has to do his own laundry.

The guard duty he is on is not hard.  There are about 200 guys in the guard company.  The sleeping pattern is rough.  You are on 12 hours, and then off 12 hours.

Mike also derides The Casual Company that has a whole lot of guys that get to rest if they have been hurt on maneuvers.

He tells Andy to watch himself at those Burlesque Shows especially the ones with Roostian [Would that be Rootstown?] Babes in them.

Then Mike tells this joke:

"Did you hear the one about the girl who went on a date, and when she came home late she told her mother, 'Mom, I ain't a virgin any more.'.  Her mother replied, 'Why daughter, I'm surprised at you, after four years of college, you are still saying, ain't!'."

Then Mike quickly adds, "OK, it was crummy.  So, the heck with ya.  Don't laugh."

Mike concludes by thanking them again for their thoughtfulness, and telling them he will be seeing them at Christmastime perhaps.

Then in a PS, He says that they must be nuts.  After checking his address book, "Where in the hell is Zena, Ohio?"  He'd like to write Harley, and he wants to know if he still lives in Kent.  Finally, "Oh, Nuts!  Shut up!".

On Mike's 22nd Birthday, September 26, 1941, he writes Andy and Esther and thanks them for their birthday greetings.  There must have been a humorous one about bulls.  He also states that he received birthday greetings from Rosie, Mary, Mickey, and Jerome.

Mike then mentions that he wrote Ray Darrah from the Kent Draft Board and he received a positive response from him.  Mike includes the letter (see above), and asks Andy to show it to Father.

He then derides them again for not going to The Kent Red Cross.  Mike tells them that farm laborers are needed up north, and guys are getting discharged a lot at Camp Shelby now.

If they go to The Red Cross, The Red Cross will write his Company Commander, and there is a good possibility he can get discharged based on need at home.

Mike apologizes for being a pest on this, but says if he doesn't try this, he may always be looking back wishing he had.  He isn't getting his hopes up too much, but it is worth a try.  "Boy!" he says, "Do I wish I were home working on the farm."  He continues that he wouldn't try to get out if he wasn't going to have to stay longer than a year.  Mike says he will not be able to apply for discharge until after maneuvers.

He concludes with, "Well, so-long folks.  Your brother, Pvt. Mike"  And "PS If I find that I can't get out, it is the air corps for me."

Mike writes Mary and Mickey, after he gets back from maneuvers in Louisiana, on October 4, 1941.

He thanks them for sending their box.  He tells them it arrived all well and good, but a little delayed as it went clear to Louisiana and back before he got it. 

This letter is printed and not written in long hand.

Mike thanks them very much for their box and good wishes.

Mike further tells them that the troops are returning today which means that he will no longer be on guard duty.   He asks then that in future correspondences they leave off the "Guard detail" on his address.

Mike thanks Mary for sending the nice religious medal.

He says he received quite a few birthday cards and tells them that the weather is still quite hot in Mississippi.  Mike speculates that it is nice and cool now up in Ohio.

Mike says the time is really flying fast now, and  that he hopes to be home soon.  

Mike concludes with, "Well so-long now.  I'll write again later. Your Brother Mike.  PS Tell Jerome, 'Hello', and 'Thanks' for the cookies and candy."

The next time Mike writes to Andy and Esther it is not until October 18, 1941.  It is a totally printed note and there is a frustrated tone to it.

"You guys got everything all wrong.  I received Esther's Letter yesterday."  He apologizes that he hadn't written sooner, and tells them everything is OK, and that he just must have let everything slide.

He is going to get a furlough as soon as he can, but it probably won't match up with either Thanksgiving or Christmas as only a certain per centage of men may leave the base at any one time, and the older men get first choice of when they want to leave.

He believes he will be seeing them soon and apologizes for worrying them.

Mike concludes with, "So-long Pvt. Mike".

Mike must have received his second furlough in about 11 months at Camp Shelby some time in late October or early November as the next letter written is a month later on November 18, 1941 to Mary and Mickey.

Mike tells them that he arrived safely after a 26 hour trip.  He thanks Mary for the food, says it was very good, and that it did not last long.

When Mike arrived back at Camp, things were in an uproar.  Word was that they may be shipping out, on a 24 hour notice, to cover coal strikes.

Thanksgiving is a day or so away, and Mike hears that they will be having Turkey.

He tells Mary that he is still in The Intelligence School, and not long ago he fired a machine gun for the first time.

He asks that they tell Jerome "Hello" and to please write to him.  Mike hopes to see them all again soon.  He asks that they please write soon.

And then on November 20 1941,  Mike writes Andy and Esther and tells them that he received their letter on this day the first he had received in the week he had been back (so he must have returned from his second furlough about 11/13/41).  Mike says he has sent them a letter and a card since he returned from furlough and wants to know if they received them.

Rosie must have written that she got a permanent at a reduced price because he states that he was glad to hear that, and then adds, "Very sharp!".

Mike says that they had their big dinner in camp today.  The turkey was tender, and with the meal they got cigarettes and cigars.

He asks if the Red Cross had been out yet, and that he had put in his application for release the previous Friday.  Mike had received nice cards from Mary and Mickey and Jerome.

Mike enjoyed seeing the movie, "Nothing But The Truth" recently.  He told them that they are prepared to pull out at a moments's notice, and the strike situation was the cause of it.  His unit may see action yet.

Mike concludes by saying, "Well, so-long Folks!  Take it  easy.  Hold the Fort. Maybe I will be seeing you soon.  Yours Trooly. Pvt Mihall".

On December 3, 1941, Mike wrote to Mary and Mickey to thank them for their Thanksgiving Greetings, and to send home the same wishes.  He said that they had a swell Thanksgiving Dinner there, but not as good as mother's cooking.

Mike announced that he was promoted to Corporal on December 2nd.

Mike asks about Jerome, and had they been out to the farm lately.  Mike doesn't believe that he will be home for Christmas but maybe New Year's Day.  Hopes to get to see all of them in a few months.

He tells them about the new churches that have been built in each regiment that hold about 400 people.  Mike had gone to Confession and Communion the previous Sunday.

He asks that they tell Jerome that he said, "Hello", and then tells them "So-Long, Your Brother, Corp. Mike"