February 28, 1944

Shreveport, Louisiana

February 28, 1944

 Dear Mother, Dad, Kid,

              We moved our positions this morning before daylight. We have everything dug in and won’t have anything to do but operate the radios until we leave. We will probably be her until Tuesday night or something Wednesday. Boy Wednesday is one of those beloved days (payday) liked by all the men. I will have quite a bit coming in this month. We don’t have any use for the money out here. I haven’t been to town for three weeks yesterday – of course we have passed through lots of towns though. I have loaned out, to my buddies this month, $24. The dice games have been quite profitable out here in the field. One night when I was supposed to be walking guard, I won $13.25, a new deck of cards, a brand new pair of socks that was my size, and a five dollar bill in Mexican money. Boy I was hot. “Ho seven.” Ha.

            I got a letter from you and one from Rosalie yesterday, but none today. I have been getting quite a bit of mail since I have been out here though.

            Either one of the A.P.O numbers will reach me, but that 20A will get to me about a day sooner. Glad Mark’s ---- wasn’t serious.

            Say Dad, you’re putting in a pretty good days work - - eight hour shifts. What are you getting out of it? Not just accommodations is it? It would be just like you.

            I’ll bet you sure miss your milk since you have fried the cow up. I sure missed it when I first come into the army but soon got used to it.

            I waist a lot of envelopes but putting pvt. Instead of cpl. It is hard to get used to corporal after being a private so long. An officer will ask me something while I am busy with something else – addressing me as corporal, and I’ll forget and not pay any attention to him. We – us boys – all call one another by name regardless of rank.

            A Texas kid – a boy that I run around with – and I found ourselves a good creek about ¾ of a mile from here. We are going down and take a good bath and de-tick ourselves tomorrow. We have been getting bathes pretty often lately. The dammed ticks will get on you regardless of how you try to keep them off. This kid and I had a lot of fun throwing our bayonets at trees. We are getting pretty good too.

 Chow just blew – I gota go – but quick –

             Floyd will have a hell of a time getting used to the Navy. He will be a big laugh and I’ll bet he is always gripping about something.

            How did Ned ever get $700 out of that plug of his? He would have made good hog feed.

            They have those old time wood burning train engines out here that work around these saw mill. What have the damndest whistle that I ever heard in my life.

            I think I’ll quit writing to anyone except you, Rosalie, and Kenneth. I’m getting tired of writing letters. It seems like that is all I do. I don’t have time to write to anybody else besides you three anyway. Someday I have got to thank Aunt Isabell for that xmas present though.

            Now little Rosalie comes next. I can’t ever forget her.

Love to all,

Your son,
Max

P.S. – I don’t know how in the world you and Rosalie translate my writing.

P.P.S – We are about a mile from a small town, about the size of Thatcher called Hornsbeck.

February 26, 1944

Shreveport, Louisiana

Feb 26, 1944

Dear Mother and all,

            We moved again this morning. The move was about forty miles. I was just down the hill through the trees looking around. There is a small farm down there. Corn and a few garden things is all they raise. There is about four or five acres in this farm down here and it is scattered for a mile. Little patches here and there with a big log plank fence all around it.

            No I have other work around to do outside operating the radio. When we pull into new position, lock man has to dig his own fox hole. The hole is supposed to be just as long as you are and three feet deep. We can’t go any deeper or we’ll hit water. The water comes up in them as it is. I am with headquarters you know and pitch in and put up and take down our commanders tent (he is a captain) when we are in a rest period only. We all do work on our halftrack and little odds and ends but never fear me dear, none of us are over worked. No this maneuvers isn’t anything like actual fighting…this is more like a boy scout outing. This outfit mama, is more just for a guard a supply convoy or a battery of tanks from the air and ground forces too of course. This is just moving from one place to another and acting like we are guarding something and is fun. We have to dig in at each position except in the rest periods. We are still in one and will be until tomorrow I guess.

            I hope Mark and Bina’s baby gets all right. It is too bad that they have to leave it over there and hope Mark’s eye gets alright.

            There was more than likely a job open guarding Italian’s dad, but old Rudd probably didn’t like you too well and he wanted to give the job to one of his friends or son.

            It has turned hot here just like summer. Fruit trees are all blooming and trees are getting new leaves and (I miss Rosalie more every day) that goes with spring too you know. I haven’t heard from her in three days. Guess she is waiting to hear from me, but I try to write as often as I can. I usually write her as much or more than you.

            Dad, guess you had quite a job fixing up that field so you could plant a garden there and grubbing up all those trees. Mama, those were the best cookies. I just love them and it reminded me so much of you. The candy was swell too.

            No I wasn’t kidding when I said thanks for the Valentine cause I did get a nice one from them. Maybe I’ll see about sending you girls something this pay day if you’ll be good.

            How did the horse races turn out? Rosalie will tell me if her horse run. I’ll be sure to hear from her tomorrow. Ned’s horse got a square deal on that last race, Ned just can’t stand to get beat. He thinks that maybe Jim’s horse will get a bad start and he may beat him. It sure got old Will’s cause Kennedy’s horse beat Ned’s. He had teased Rosalie so about their horse being an old plug when she was down there.

            I sure hope you can get that brandlet fixed Dad. Try real hard to.

Love to all,

Your son,

Max

February 25, 1944

Shreveport, Louisiana

February 25, 1944

 

Dear Mother and all,

 

            I received those nice cookies and candy. The boys were crazy over them and sure thought they were good. Some of the boys are over listening to a good program on one of our radios and eating some of the cookies. All the guys that had bragged about their mother’s cooking have all took down their signs and you are the new queen Mama. Thanks lots. I didn’t expect to get any so soon I’ll bet you used up all your sugar making all that candy and cookies for me. You shouldn’t have made so many.

            The filed Post Exchange was just around and we all had cokes and stuff. I had gone to bed and wasn’t going to write until I went on the radio at twelve tonight. One of the boys just came and woke me up and said he wanted me to take over the radios now. I knew it wasn’t my turn, but I went over to the halftracks. I knew something was up. The boys had stole a whole gallon of apple sauce from the mess truck and wanted to eat it with my cookies. We had a hell of a party. Cokes, applesauce, and those good cookies, along with some good music over the radio.

            We took our clothes down to the big log – pond out in front of the big saw mill to wash them this afternoon. We sure had a time of it. We had a bucket to boil our clothes in then rinsed them good in the water. The log pond was about seven or eight feet deep. We all got in and went swimming. There was a bunch of Negro boys fishing there. We had quite a time of it. This is our last night of our rest period and they let up turn off our radios tonight, so guess we’ll get some sleep tonight.

            They say that the only thing that has two stripes is a corporal and a skunk – ha.

            Guess I’ll close and write to Rosalie. My flash light is nearly dead now. I am laying in my pup tent writing. One other boy is writing. He is from Illinois and another kid is playing a guitar. He’s from Texas. One kid here from North Dakota and one from Louisiana. Quite a combination.

            Thanks again for all the good things Mama.

Love to all,

Your son,

Max.

August 25, 1943

August 25, 1943

Camp Wallace, Texas

Dear Mother & all,

               I haven’t got my birth certificate yet. I wish it would hurry and get here so I could turn in my application. John J went to Clinton field and took his aircorp test. Don’t know whether he passed yet or not. Evan hasn’t taken his yet, but has already applied. I am doing 15 words in radio now and I have another test in the morning. If I can make 18 I’ll be satisfied. Carol, you do what I told you to do.

Love to all,
Your son

Max

July 6, 1943

This letter is written by Bob Morris to Max. The writing was incredibly difficult to read, but the first paragraph was the most legible and very sweet. This is one of my favorite letters.
-Kamarah
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Duncan, Arizona

July 6, 1943

Dear Max,

            Well here I come don’t guess you expected to hear from me and by hell you won’t much but don’t think anything of that for I miss you a hell of a lot but that’s not here nor there. You stay rite on their and buck and I know you will come out all rite. Don’t make any difference how hard things goes

(2^nd page missing, picks up on page 3)

All those other strays I told you was of sind. Lots that I was going to drive them up on the hills and shoot them though he hears so they couldn’t come hark so he must have told old Pink and I haven’t seen them anymore. Anyway I got rid of them say and saw. Bud Spidards amd Duncan you don’t now him he is a Morris from Brady he said “Lonnie was working over close to Silver City don’t guess he wants to come over far from that he might have to work a little. We are having a funeral here today Wade Harris passed away last Friday. Well I had a letter back with my insurance they sent me $228 dollars and some few since so I am sending you ten dollars of it you need more than me well I will close wishing you the best of luck from Dad.

Rosalie is doing fine I am sure of that I have saw her. Don’t write your mother about nt for she worries a lot anyway anything you need you don’t fail to let me know of well get it or break a pig trying. Well everything is staying a long fine here. Water a little scarce cotton can and everything look good I had to let the spotted cow go dry, she was too much for me. And yes by hell I did put a yake and that stray and haven’t had I since and ya ma.

(end of letter, very hard to understand, ends on page 6 but seems to have more that is missing)

Bob Morris

July 5, 1943

Duncan, Arizona

July 5, 1943

Dear Max how are you? Fine I hope. We are doing fine, we didn’t go anywhere the 4^th, but we had lots to eat. Wish you had of been here with us to help eat the ice cream and watermelon.

            I ate so much I got up with the stomachache this morning. We hoed the cotton Saturday and went to town and went to the show. Me and Roberta helps Daddy feed the hogs. Thanks for the candy. Well goodbye.

Lots of love,

Carol

June 1, 1943

Salt Lake City, Utah

June 1, 1943

Mr. Max Blazzard

Duncan, Arizona

 

Dear Max,

            I received your High School graduating announcement, and it made me feel very happy, and please except my most sincere congratulations.

            It hardly seems possible that you are now a handsome young man, through high school and ready for Military service for our Government. Only yesterday you were a small barefoot lad playing with Norman, out with your flippers.

            I wanted to attend your graduating exercises very bad, and had hopes of going to Duncan, for that very purpose, but was disappointed and could not make the trip.

            The war has almost doubled our work, we have long hours, and many extra details, Rail Road transportation is almost impossible, rubber and gasoline is out of the question.

            I am sending a letter I just received from Hazel, Norman’s Wife, also a snap shot or Norman and I that was taken in March of 42. Hazel thinks Norman has chance of coming back to the states as an instructor.

            When I see so many thousand young men in uniform, it makes me feel like a heal for not being in one myself, but the Government decided I was a bit too old, and the City Fathers refused to grant me a leave of absence.

            Please write me once in a while, and when you go into the Army, don’t forget my address, and remember Dad loves you, and has spent many lonesome years away from both you and Norman, please try to understand and try to like me just a little.

            I must come to a close, give my respects to your Mother and Mr. Morris. Please write.

Love from your father.

E.J. Blazzard

Introduction

One day 15 years ago I found a shoe box full of letters written by my Grandpa Max Blazzard (and some written to him) during his service in WWII. This blog is a home for those letters for his grandchildren and great grandchildren to enjoy.