Episode 37: Lemonade out of K-Rations

Donald finally hears from Feloma at his new camp, and relays a close call he had during training.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:19

That was our second take. Sorry, guys.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Yes. How are you, Carson? I am doing well.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

How are you?

SPEAKER_00 0:25

Good. I'm doing well. It's been a while since we've recorded together. We've been very busy. It's been a long time since we recorded. Yes. We have been doing a lot of traveling. We are finally to a point now where the recording and when the episode drops is going to be closer together. So it'll be more updated and have more current stuff going on. So that will be good. I'm excited for that. Yes, me too.

SPEAKER_01 0:50

It's been it's really been a couple months since we've recorded. So I I had to jump back into Donald's brain here.

SPEAKER_00 0:57

I know. I'm excited to not be living out of a suitcase in a few weeks. Same. Yeah, I'm I'm almost finished with my traveling. Um, so that'll be good.

SPEAKER_01 1:08

Anything you want to talk about since we've well, I have to say there have been some really nice reviews. Yes. We have some kind, kind listeners. We do. Thank you all so much. I mean, you guys, your your positive words of affirmation are lovely. They are and I also think we've we've worked out our technical issues. We're really trying.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

We've our technical support is has has stepped up their game. We we hear you, we know. Um, we had to batch record quite a bit, so we couldn't like fix something. Like we're we are working on it. We hear you, we agree. Oddly enough, I'm usually the loudest person in the room. Yes. I I have made jokes before that I'm gonna get Carson a Britney mic so she can't escape it. Um, because she's very animated and she tends to move away from it. So no, I'm sorry. No, it's okay, it's okay. No, I love it. That's you know So we know that we know that we hear you, and we hope we have fixed everything. Yes. We are friends first, so we're like laughing and moving around as we're trying to record. So, but but we understand and thank you very much for the feedback. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 2:14

Um but you guys have said some really nice things, and we appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 2:18

No, we love it. We appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 2:19

We've instructive criticism. Sharing Donald and Philoma's story. I mean, I I'm not sharing anything because it's not my story, it's not my family, but I love that I get to be part of this journey. Yeah, well, it's great. It's it was dragging everybody along.

SPEAKER_00 2:33

It's so fun. We are. Um, yes. Before we get started, I have I actually have two book recommendations today. Um, I have been listening to a lot of books in my travels and whatnot. So the first is called Prisoners of Geography. It's by Tim Marshall. Have you ever heard of it? No. Okay, so there is a newer version that came out a year or two ago. It is excellent. And the book is about how geography has shaped global politics. Oh, a hundred percent. Oh, it's so interesting. And after you hear it, it makes so much sense. Um, and it really kind of helps sort of tie politics together with like the reasons why countries have done certain things. So that was super interesting, highly recommend. The other one I recommend is called How to Hide an Empire. It's by Daniel Emmerwar, I think I'm saying that right. Um, and that is about how the US has had territories, you know, they're not colonies, but we've had territories kind of all over in our history, and how that has kind of shaped those areas and us, and there's so many examples, um, especially around World War II, because the Philippines we kind of had control of, and then Japan occupied, and then we took it back over and it became a territory, like the Philippines was our territory for a little bit, and I did not know that.

SPEAKER_01 4:16

Okay, so on that note, yeah, I've listened to another podcast. Tell me. Okay, it's called Against the Odds. I've told you about it before, but one of their more recent seasons that they dropped was about a group of nurses that were um employed by the Navy. They were Navy nurses working in the Philippines during World War II. Okay. A few weeks after Pearl House Pearl Horror occurred, um, they were put on alert that the Japanese were coming to the Philippines. And very long story short, these nurses became prisoners of war. Okay. Now they weren't the only ones. There were thousands of prisoners of war being held in encampments on the Philippines. Oh so this that that particular podcast is against the odds, and it's their most recent season. Oh my gosh, I'm absolutely listening. And there were five episodes of it, okay, about their story. It like it kind of tells like what their life was before, during, and what they went through.

SPEAKER_00 5:35

Interesting.

SPEAKER_01 5:36

So, and I uh like you, I didn't realize that America was entrenched in the Philippines. Yes, okay. I feel so stupid. MacArthur went there and basically said, we don't have enough manpower to cover this island. Right. Or not this island, but this chain of islands. Right. And sorry, bye. Right. Okay. Insane. So they were left to their own devices and they be they became prisoners of war. Wow. I mean civilians, military. It was like a it was a whole thing. It was wild. It's wild, yeah. So um so I kind of understand what you're talking about. Like that that is a really good podcast that really goes along with this. And they were, gosh, they were prisoners of war for like three years. Oh my god. Really long time. That's so scary. A really long time.

SPEAKER_00 6:33

So I think I think that's great because it's more like a like personal individual stories. This book is very much a broad overview. It's not well.

SPEAKER_01 6:43

The other thing that's pretty interesting is that yes, there are obviously there are men that were in these prisoner of war camps too, but it really focuses on these 12 women. Right. So cool. It was that was a great story. Amazing. I'm gonna listen to it.

SPEAKER_00 6:58

It's really good. Really good on my list now. All right. So, anything else? You want to tell them what we did yesterday? Oh, we had fun. Uh yeah, Carson taught me how to make jam yesterday, which is something I've always wanted to do. Um we were elbow deep in strawberry jam. We were we my my kitchen was a sugary red mess. Yeah, we did start a small fire. Um, and it was amazing. It was so much fun. It smelled so good. And now I have a bunch of little jam jars. I'm so excited. We were jamming. We were we be jamming. So um so that was fun. Yeah. So if you are related to me, expect a jar of jam. Because we have plenty. We have plenty. But that was so fun. Yeah, thank you for teaching me. I've always wanted to do that. Yeah, yeah. Now you can confidently move forward in the world jamming. Yeah, in in my canning adventures. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 7:54

Where are we at? So So the last thing I remember, it was leapier, 1944. It was, yeah, February 29th. And um, I think in the last episode, Donald had a swell demonstration. Right. Right? Yes, which is amazing. So I don't know if it was really a million dollars that they spent because that seems extravagant, but they did spend a lot of money on that demonstration.

SPEAKER_00 8:17

I mean, they do be spending money on the military. So if there's one thing America's gonna do, it's spend money on the military. So facts. All right, so we are on letter number 122. Wow. I know. And this is March 2nd, 1944. Okay. All right, are you ready? I am. Oh, we're in Camp San Luis Obispo. Yes, we're in California California. Okay, my dear Philoma, well, it's the same old story. No letters yet.

SPEAKER_01 8:50

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 8:51

I only hope that I get one tomorrow.

SPEAKER_01 8:54

Pause for a second. I do you want to guess how many letters he's gonna get from Philoma when he finally gets all these letters? Ooh.

SPEAKER_00 9:03

I don't because I know. Oh you can guess you can guess, and I just won't tell you if you're right. Okay. Okay. Do you know?

SPEAKER_01 9:12

I mean, like Oh, I don't Don't tell me. I'm not going to. But I think there might be like 15 or 20 letters. Okay, he's been gone for a few weeks, I think. Okay. By the time all these letters catch up with him. Okay, my real number, my guess is gonna be 18. Okay, 18. 18. Put it down.

SPEAKER_00 9:30

Uh it's down. Well, kid, I traveled a long way since I wrote to you last. We started out yesterday morning at 4 a.m. and we walked till 9 a.m. At this point, we ate breakfast and then we walked till 12 30 p.m. and ate dinner. He's got his walking shoes on again. Mm-hmm. Where we had quite a long break till 3 o'clock PM and then we started again till 6 p.m. We ate supper then, and at 8 30 p.m. we started again. We got in camp at 10 minutes to four this morning, with about 38 miles to our credit, which is a long ways when you walk every bit of it over the country we went through. So I think last episode he was talking about going on the 24 hour walk. But he got fed. He was concerned that he wasn't gonna get fed. Yes, that's true. And only a canteen of water. And also, my grandparents, for whatever reason, called what was it? Dinner was lunch, and supper was dinner. So he says I ate dinner at 12 30. Okay, that means I was like, why did you have two dinners? Okay. No, no, he means lunch. He always called, they always called lunch dinner and they never have dinner supper. Yeah, I don't understand. Don't ask me. Okay. Okay, so anyway. I'm glad you got I got I'm glad you got raised correctly. Right. Like lunch exists. Yes. It's just one mountain after another, and I never seen such mountains. There were hardly any trees on them at all, and they were from 1,500 to 4,600 feet high. And I mean they were straight up. These hills are about a 45 degree angle, and a tank can't even go up them. I could see the ocean about all the time we were up there. I really would have liked to had a camera with me. Oh yeah. They were some really nice views.

SPEAKER_01 11:27

I mean, I would say if he's going to the Pacific and he's gonna be on these islands, I would imagine that they're hilly. Mm-hmm. Oh yeah. So I mean they're they're islands in the Pacific, so I feel like they would be hilly.

SPEAKER_00 11:41

Yeah. But also think about like you're from the middle of nowhere woods in Appalachia where the mountains are more rounded. Yeah. They're older, they're trees, and now all of a sudden they have rolling hills. Yeah, and then all of a sudden you're on a mountaintop staring at the ocean. Yeah. Like that is that's incredible.

SPEAKER_01 11:58

Yeah. That's quite a view.

SPEAKER_00 12:01

You've seen pictures in the shows of some canyons and all big stones. Well, it's the same thing here. This is part of ranger and commando training. We are really getting every kind of training here. Oh go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 12:16

No, I was gonna say, I think that that's it sounds like he enjoyed it. Oh yeah. Because I think he was thinking that, oh gosh, I've done all this training, I don't have to do it. But now he's getting something new. Right. He needs to I think he's enjoying that part of it.

SPEAKER_00 12:30

Yeah. The last week back we were taking marine training when we were landing and climbing nets. All of our instructors were Marines from Guadalcanal, and the captain of the Marines told us some real interesting stories of the fighting and living on the canal. He has been in three major battles and he's back as an instructor now. Wow. I know. That's cool.

SPEAKER_01 12:56

I mean, I did listen to Guadalcanal during my travels. Yes. And it is that's I I have a very clear picture of that. Mm-hmm. Of what he may have gone through. Mm-hmm. It's interesting.

SPEAKER_00 13:10

I had one of my sick headaches on the hike, and I had the chills too for a while. I didn't think I was going to make it, but toward the evening I started to feel a little better, and I knew I had to walk in because they couldn't get a truck or anything up there to bring you back. But the most surprising thing was that I didn't get one blister and my feet feel swell. In fact, they feel as good as they ever did. I can't understand it.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

It's that good salt water he was been dipping them in.

SPEAKER_00 13:40

I guess, I guess. But he's talking about a migraine when he says his seat. Yeah, no, I knew that. I get that.

SPEAKER_01 13:46

That would be tough. Awful. I mean, I can't function when I get a headache.

SPEAKER_00 13:50

And also, if I don't walk down, they're not gonna be able to come get me. I'm sorry. Carson dies on a mountaintop. Yeah, bye. So it's interesting. Um, we found out that at the time the US Army Rangers wasn't uh a specific fully unit unit yet. Um so it's interesting to hear him say ranger and commando training. I guess there was some of that training going on at San Luis Obispo during this time. And we found somebody who actually got um a certificate of completing um ranger training at San Luis Obispo in March of 1944. So that's really interesting because in my mind they're a separate unit. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:44

That's it's the going back to the way Donald writes. Yes. He just throws like these little tiny nuggets of information. Oh, right. We plug them into the Google machine and we're like, oh my god, he's right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

I mean, not like we're surprised that he's right because but sometimes he's wrong. But yeah, like this is it's interesting because it gives more context. Because in my mind, rangers are a specific thing, and they weren't at the time.

SPEAKER_01 15:12

Well, we're thinking of the modern ranger versus the the 1944 ranger that didn't that wasn't in a unit.

SPEAKER_00 15:20

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 15:20

It was training. Yes. It was like a little specialty training.

SPEAKER_00 15:24

Yes. And we also looked up um dinner and supper, and it turns out in rural regions in like the century previous, they called lunch supper because it was actually nope, they called lunch dinner because it was the main meal of the day.

SPEAKER_01 15:42

It fueled the activity on the farm.

SPEAKER_00 15:45

Yes. And then dinner was called supper because it was a lighter meal at the end of the day. Yes. Um, but like in cities and stuff, that was beginning to change, and they were calling the last meal of the day dinner because that ended up becoming the main meal.

SPEAKER_01 16:01

Donald and Donald was a farmer, too.

SPEAKER_00 16:02

So he was kind of like agricultural people called lunch supper or dinner. I'm I don't know. Called lunch dinner. Yeah. So dinner was supper. Because he always called it, he never called it lunch. That is very funny.

SPEAKER_01 16:20

I mean, he's he's made mention of them eating at noon in previous letters, and he never called it lunch.

SPEAKER_00 16:26

No, no, no, no. Interesting. Okay. Okay. Back to it.

unknown 16:32

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 16:33

As I'm writing, I thought of a pretty good example of these hills. You know, Bulls Hill out back of the house. Well, they're steeper than that. You just climb up one and down the other side and start right up another one. I never seen such mountains. Okay. Trigger warning. This isn't terrible, but just in case. Does somebody get hurt? It's just gross. It's just more like, is it toes? No, but just, you know, trigger warning for grossness. There are wood ticks here. Oh. One of the fellows that sleeps in the hut with me got one in his leg, and he thought he was getting a boil till he looked, and all he could see was its rear end. And he put a match on its rear and it burnt it and it backed out away. He pulled it out, but its head broke off in his leg. So we had to go to the dispensary and have it cut out. Oh. I'm sorry. They would cut that out. I guess. Okay. Must have been a big tick. Gross. I know. I was okay until it came apart. I know, I'm sorry. I was up to my company tonight to sign the payroll, and I saw the captain, lieutenant, and the first sergeant, and they're all about the size of Dink. So I think I'm gonna like it pretty well. I don't know who Dink is. I'm assuming he's small.

unknown 17:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 17:59

I feel like we've heard of Dink, but I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 18:01

I know, and I'm wondering, like, you mean, do you call him Dink because Dinky? Like, I don't I don't know. Sure. We're gonna take some liberties. I just made some lemonade out of my K rations, and I ate a pint of ice cream, and I'm awful tired. All that sugar.

SPEAKER_01 18:17

I'm just exhausted. I made lemonade, I had ice cream, and I'm sleepy. It's called a diabetic coma, Donald.

SPEAKER_00 18:26

I know, I know. Yeah, exactly. And really, I shouldn't have wrote, but I have to tell my troubles to somebody that will listen to me. She's a good listener, Donald. She's a good listener. She doesn't have a choice. She is an attentive audience. She is. We got in at four this morning and we ate breakfast and we were supposed to be off, but they came around and woke us up at 10 a.m. and we had to walk eight more miles out to the firing range to fire the carbine, and we didn't get in till six tonight. So you can see I've had one busy day. So really, he did walk for about twenty-four hours. He walked for about twenty-four hours, came in at four, slept for a few hours, they woke him up at ten and made him walk again to go to the firing range. Poor Donald.

SPEAKER_01 19:16

But his feet are in good shape, so there's a lot to be said for that.

SPEAKER_00 19:20

Yeah. In fact, I believe the busiest day of my life. Donald, you have forgotten all about Camp Deer. I know. I love you very much, dear, and I miss you as ever. Love and kisses, Don. And that's it. Oh, darn it.

SPEAKER_01 19:37

We have not had a PS in a minute. No. Can we make up one?

unknown 19:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 19:42

Sure, go ahead. You can fill in the PSs.

SPEAKER_00 19:45

Oh. They would be funny. Next letter, March 3rd, 1944. My dear Philoma, well another day has passed and I still haven't received any letters.

SPEAKER_01 19:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 19:59

I had a long, rough day today, and I'm pretty well played out. We were up at five again this morning and we run through the close combat course and the Japanese and the jungle course. Then we walked back into camp for dinner and then we walked out and practiced gun positions till supper. After supper, we went out to the infiltration course and went through that in the dark, and they fired tracer bullets over our heads to show us how close the bullets were coming over our heads. And in the dark, crawling through barbed wire and dynamite charges. The bullets look as though they're coming within six inches of your head. It certainly makes you hug the dirt. That's fair. Well, I mean good training. I know, I know, I know. It's 10 30 now, and we have to get up at five again in the morning. I'm really dead tired, and my back feels like breaking right across my kidneys. How's the weather at home? Winter should be about over, or isn't it? Boy, how I wish I was back home. All a fellow can do here is two things, and they are to dream of the future and think of the past, and it really makes you think. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 21:19

That's a profound statement, Donald. I know. Dream of the future and think of the past. Mm-hmm. I know.

SPEAKER_00 21:29

Donald. I know. The poet. He's he really didn't understand how good of a writer he is. I mean, really. Well, kid, I haven't much to say because I'm even too tired to think and write. I only hope I get some time off so I can write some letters to different people. I haven't wrote to anyone except you since I've come back, besides the one letter I wrote home to mom. And I really want to write a letter to Chip. Chip. Well, kid, take good care of yourself and I love and Miss you as ever. Love and kisses, Don. That's a short one.

SPEAKER_01 22:04

That was a short one, but man, dream of the future and think of the past. I'm stuck on that line. That was a good one. Mm-hmm. Really. I mean, that's that really does kind of put it into perspective of what I I mean, really what you're thinking of. Right. Like you're thinking of what what could come and what's been. Yeah. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 22:26

Yeah. You know? Because the immediate isn't great. I know. Yeah. Like, ooh. Okay. This is another short one. This one actually has no date. I'm assuming it's the fourth because the last letter is the third and the next one is the fifth. So I'm assuming it's the fourth, but I don't know. Okay. Okay. My dear Philoma, well, I finally received six letters from you. Oh, I was way wrong. Well, yeah. We'll see. Well, I finally received six letters from you, and it was really good to hear from you once again. Only it's kind of hard after you read them because you have to wait another day for some more. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 23:05

Poor Donald. He got six letters and it's not enough. He has to wait for more.

SPEAKER_00 23:10

I know. And this next part I don't understand, and I don't understand what his like context is. He says only oh, he says, what do you mean there was something else behind those papers? I want to know and damn quick. In fact, as soon as this as soon as you get this letter, I want an answer. Don't try to keep anything away from me. Keep on the up and up. I don't keep anything away from you, and I want you to do the same.

SPEAKER_01 23:37

I wonder if she got some letters in the mail that were like maybe I don't know, maybe from the army or Yeah, I I don't know. Maybe something about pay. I don't know. I don't know. Or gossip. Paper? I mean, like, do you I mean I was gonna say maybe it's newspapers, but I don't think that's right. I have no idea. I feel like she got some important papers in the mail. Yeah. And she's like, but I'm not gonna bother you with those. Oh like you know, like I let's just pretend it's tax information. I bet you're right. I bet it's more like this and this. You don't need to worry about hey, you don't need to worry about me coming from Donald. And Philoma says, Hey, you don't need to worry about me. Right. She she threw just enough information in it to get him spun up. Right. She I don't think she did it on purpose, but she was like, You don't worry about it. I'm gonna handle this here.

SPEAKER_00 24:32

You know what? I bet you're right. I 100% bet you're right. I think that that makes sense contextually, yes. I I think you're right. She was probably like, you don't need to worry yourself with this. And he's like, woman, like, I'll take care of these issues.

SPEAKER_01 24:46

Don't you just you do your training, I'll do this. Like, she's keeping him abreast of information, but she doesn't want him to be concerned or bothered by it. Right. Because he needs to keep his head in his game. Right. I think I'm gonna take care of this back here. It's just some paperwork.

SPEAKER_00 25:03

Don't trouble yourself. Yeah, you know, like I'm a capable woman. I'm a strong, independent woman. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 25:09

I could put up my own fires.

SPEAKER_00 25:14

Oh that was a little jam joke. Anyway. Moving on. I'm glad that you received the money, okay? I only hope it will play the I only hope it will pay the phone bill. If it doesn't, I want to know. And the truth too. I wrote five letters these last three hours to Londie, Heberling, Barney, Chip, and Mac. Okay. It's kind of late, so I'm going to write a short letter because it's ten o'clock, and even tomorrow, being Sunday, we have to go out and run the German Village course over again, and I have to get up at 5 a.m. I'll write a long letter tomorrow to make up for it though. I don't want you to think that I'm neglecting you because you always come first in my book even before me. I'm glad that you stated you're having nice weather and that you're going to church regular. I say a prayer every night for you, my dear, ever since a few weeks before I left Adair. Well, kid, you have to excuse me tonight, but I'll make it up to you. Loving and missing you as ever, love and kisses Don. Hey, what if she got the phone bills?

SPEAKER_01 26:26

I bet that's it. And she's like, Whew, you know, like, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:32

Maybe the bills came. Maybe the bills came and she was like, Yeah, don't worry about it. And he's like, I'm just gonna send money.

SPEAKER_01 26:40

You know what I mean? Like it something like that, because they did have a couple of long phone calls and those bills were coming, and maybe she was like, Oh, they've count, they've they've arrived, I need to pay this. I can't pay it all now, so I'm gonna pay it in installments or something. I don't know. Yeah, I don't know how a phone bill worked with three generations in one house. Who pays right who pays the bill? Right. Who knows? But I mean, he does sound busy.

SPEAKER_00 27:10

Oh yeah. They're they're keeping them busy, which they should be. Okay, next letter, and this is a a good a normal length one. Okay, okay. March 5th, 1944. My dear Philoma, I was very surprised and also glad because I received a letter that you wrote the 29th and sent to this camp. I received it okay, and also the two cards that you sent the 15th of February, which came down from Camp Adair.

SPEAKER_01 27:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 27:40

So some mail she is now sending directly to him, and some is still circulating back from Adair. Okay. As yet, I didn't hear if you received the field jackets or not. I'm sort of worried that maybe they got lost or something.

SPEAKER_01 27:56

Oh, I kind of love that because we know I know. We know that they got there safely. Right. She is, I think she's just not impressed by the field jacket.

SPEAKER_00 28:04

Well, she may not have she was under fur. Yeah. She's like, what is this? Why do I want this manly coat? Right. Well, she I mean, she is an outdoors woman. And she wore fur coats. Yes, she's multifaceted. Okay. We contain multitudes. I imagine it was pretty sad all right when Gordon Tubok left. Gosh, I don't know what the hell is the matter with the government drafting fellows like him. They can't make a soldier out of him. So I don't know. Listen, I don't know what the deal was with Gordon Tubok. Um, Donald obviously doesn't Donald's like, they took him.

SPEAKER_01 28:44

Maybe he thinks like what if the government is desperate if they took him.

SPEAKER_00 28:49

Right. That's what it sounded like. And so here's the thing. I looked him up because I was I look everybody up that gets mentioned, and I found him. Did you really? I did. What's really funny is he ended up becoming the mayor of Dochore for like a while. And so I wonder if he was just a nerd. And Pop was like, that guy's not gonna do anything. He's a nerd. That guy's a pencil pusher. Yeah. He won't be able to walk. He's an indoor cat. He doesn't need to be out here doing it.

SPEAKER_01 29:17

Oh, I understand him.

SPEAKER_00 29:18

Yeah, I get that.

SPEAKER_01 29:19

I myself am an indoor dog.

SPEAKER_00 29:21

Yes, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 29:22

I understand.

SPEAKER_00 29:22

Yeah, so anyway.

SPEAKER_01 29:23

I'm not gonna survive in the wilds.

SPEAKER_00 29:24

I thought that was funny. I was like, well, what's wrong with this guy? And I was like, oh, he just seems like Yeah. Anyway. That's funny. Anyway, I had a close shave today. In fact, the powder burnt my clothes a little right over my left shoulder. You see, we were running the Nazi village course, and everybody was running in the building and shooting at the targets that came up by surprise out of the windows, attics, and doorways. Well, anyway, I stopped and stooped down to throw a grenade in one of the windows, and a fellow right behind me pulled up his rifle to shoot at a target that just popped up. Well, just as he shot, I raised up and the muzzle of the rifle was only about an inch away from the top of my shoulder, and the powder burnt my clothes. It was so close. Well, you should have seen the captain give him an ass chewing. He was white as a ghost. He took the rifle off the kid and told him he was going to give him detail every night till twelve for pulling a stunt like that, and he also said the Japanese will kill enough of us without our own soldiers killing one another. So after all, I feel pretty lucky.

SPEAKER_01 30:40

So I just need to make sure I understand what what happened here. So as Donald was standing up, a gun was kind of like by his cheek and shoulder. And the guy shot.

SPEAKER_00 30:52

Yes, so what happened is the muzzle flash? He bent down quickly to chuck a grenade, and the guy behind him didn't give him, I guess, enough space or with or weight enough. And so he went to fire as Pop was standing up and almost shot him in the shoulder. Okay. Yeah. And he got he did he get like his face and I guess just his shirt got looked kind of singed.

SPEAKER_01 31:15

From the from the flash coming out.

SPEAKER_00 31:18

The muzzle flash. I know. And you know what I think about is like I doubt they had ear pro. Oh. That would have sent me to the moon. Anyway. I mean, you don't know what you don't know. Yeah. Yeah. So I talked to my husband about this, and he said that nowadays when people do close quarter clearing and things like that in buildings, um, number one, you're not supposed to bend down. So yeah, kind of a uh mixture of errors here. But if you do, if you have to, if you fall, if something happens, you are supposed to stay down until either it's clear or somebody grabs you and pulls you up. Oh. So that things like this don't happen. Because things like this obviously happened. Because obviously they had some issues. Yes. So I think that's really interesting.

SPEAKER_01 32:09

Well, I mean, I don't think Donald's lucky to be alive, but I'm glad he wasn't injured.

SPEAKER_00 32:13

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 32:14

I mean, that's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 32:15

Yeah. Training accidents. I know. Today I also received your 15 stamps. Thanks a lot for them. As you said, Paul Rush said I could get in the air cadets. Well, that is so, but you can't get transferred out of this outfit into it. McConnell, Caladron, and Bradley went down, passed their test and everything, and they were told they could go. And when the time came, they transferred them to the 91st, and that's all infantry. And boy, they're mad. You just can't get out of here. So he's talking about the air cadets was a specific thing that they created in 1941. They needed pilots so badly that they started allowing enlisted people to try out for it. There were certain qualifications you had to have. So there's no way that Pop could have gone into the Air Cadets because he doesn't hit any of the qualifications. Um, you had to be 18 to 22. Okay. And he's 24. And you had to have a high school diploma.

SPEAKER_01 33:24

Which he didn't have to do.

SPEAKER_00 33:25

Which he didn't have. And you had to graduate in the top.

SPEAKER_01 33:27

He had his middle school diploma.

SPEAKER_00 33:29

He had his middle school diploma. And you had to graduate in the top half of your class. So ouch. No, no, and no. But anyway, um, it was an interesting program because then it allist it allowed enlisted people to become pilots. And then they were able to do like ferrying airplanes and do like not combat missions, cargo but support. Well, later on, they did end up doing combat. At first they didn't, but then they did. Okay. Um, and also later on the need was still so great that they relaxed some of the things as well. So you could be at you had to be at least 18 years old, but you still had to have a high school diploma.

SPEAKER_01 34:12

Okay. Um well they needed to know that they had the aptitude to be a pilot. Yes. I'm sure there's a lot of math involved.

SPEAKER_00 34:19

It exactly. Exactly. In fact, the early qualification was they had to have so many math classes that they passed. Yeah. So this I have a little blurb here, and it says enlisted pilots were called flying sergeants. Graduating enlisted pilots were graded as flight staff sergeants, um, and they were assigned to flying transport and liaison aircraft. Their pilot status was only indicated by their pilots' wings, often leading to enlisted aviators being mistaken for air crew or harassed for impersonating a pilot. So it caused some tension between like the officer pilots and the enlisted pilots. Well, I mean, if you're a pilot, you're a pilot. I would agree with that. I would agree with that. You're both flying airplanes.

SPEAKER_01 35:06

If you're fly like I get you could be a combat pilot or support pilot, but you're still flying a plane.

SPEAKER_00 35:13

Exactly. I can't do that. Exactly. Um, it goes on to say the program created about 2,500 enlisted pilots. Wow. From 1941 to 1942. Um, and they also did this by enlisting like 60 civilian flight schools to help out with the training. Okay. At home, which I think is cool. And then 330 of them uh served overseas and 200 of them flew combat missions. Okay. And they destroyed about 250 enemy aircraft and 18 of them became aces, meaning that they destroyed at least five enemy planes.

SPEAKER_01 35:54

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 35:55

Yeah. So I mean, good on them.

SPEAKER_01 35:58

I love that uh they maybe Philomo's thinking this was a safer job. Right? I'm not sure that being in an airplane would have been safe. Right. Okay, that's very scary.

SPEAKER_00 36:08

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I After listening to Guadalcanal, yeah, no, all the airfights. My gosh, the airfights. I that sounds like the most terrifying thing. Something about the airfights and something about submarines really creeps me out. I can't. I mean Yeah, if you go down, you go down. Yeah. Yeah, it's scary. So I just wanted to mention that. I thought that was really interesting. I had no idea there were air cadets. Mm-hmm. My feet are in fairly good shape now. I haven't got a blister since I've been here as yet, and that gives me a lot more relief. I don't worry so much when I'm walking now. I'll try to get something for our anniversary, but I don't know if I can or not. And if you want to get an Easter outfit, go down to the bank and draw it out and buy yourself a new outfit.

SPEAKER_01 37:03

Oh, dull. I know. I love it that he told her this way back when. Oh yeah. Like, get yourself a new fall outfit. Now he's like, get yourself a new spring outfit.

SPEAKER_00 37:12

Well, you gotta have something nice for church.

SPEAKER_01 37:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:15

You know the$30 I was going to have you save for me to buy a new fish pole when I get back. But since you need it for telephone calls, that comes first. See? Yeah. He's like, maybe that is really what I'm saying. I think you're right. Yep. Since you have mine melded with Donald, I'm gonna trust your judgment. Maybe someday I'll get lucky again. So 30, I just want to mention 30 bucks in 1944 was 570 bucks.

SPEAKER_01 37:44

Ha! Mm-hmm. I love that he wanted to buy a new fishing rod. Instead, he was like, get a new outfit, pay the phone bill. Yeah, I guess we have to pay the bill first.

SPEAKER_00 37:55

Like, well, I'll just keep saving for that fishing rod. At the present, I don't have too much. In fact, damn little, but I don't want you to send me any money, and I don't want you to feel hurt that you use the money for calls or that you done wrong. Please believe me, because I know how you'll feel. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it, but honest dear, don't think nothing of it, and I'll send some home someday. Enough for a brand new pole and reel for each of us, and maybe a pair of waiters for you too, if I get lucky. I know, and I love that he's like That's his plan. I'm gonna make some extra money while I'm in the army. I have a nice Easter outfit, and I want you to have a nice fishing pole. And maybe even some waiters. Oh my god. Living high on the hog. Well, kid, we're getting up tomorrow morning at four o'clock to go on the firing range, and it's 10.30 now. I hope I get some sleep some of these days. I'm dead tired. Now to keep your morale up, and not only that, but because I want to tell you very much for myself. And then it just literally has three dashes. So I don't know if it's like I love you. I'm I I don't know. What does it say? And just do dash dash dash. Yes. Say this now. To keep your morale up, and not only that, but because I want to tell you very much for myself, dash dash dash. Oh, I love this beautiful secret message. They have a hidden code, Katie. I guess I don't know. It doesn't, and it's just like I was so excited to like see what came next, and it was dash dash dash. Uh excuse me. I love that. Yeah. And then I love that we don't know that. I know. Good for them. That's something they can keep.

SPEAKER_01 39:48

There are very few secrets that they have at this point. It's true. And I love, I feel like he they they had something. Yep. And he remembered it and was like, you know, dash dash dash. Nobody's gonna read this in, you know, in years to come. My granddaughter in the world will never know what I mean. Exactly. Exactly. Good luck. Ah, I love it.

SPEAKER_00 40:14

It's a little secret. Loving and missing you always. I love you as ever, ever so much. Love and kisses, Don.

SPEAKER_01 40:24

I love that they have a secret code. You know, I don't, I I don't know what I mean. I think if it were I love you, he would have written that because he wrote it a million times. It's something else. Yes. Because he told her how much he loves her in every single letter, Katie. Yes. He tells her all the time. So it's not that. No. There's something else there. I love it. I know. It's very sweet. It's very secretive. Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 40:55

Okay. So I think pause. Because we have been talking quite a bit in this episode. I think we can do one more. Is everybody else? Is it short?

SPEAKER_01 41:08

I'm fine.

SPEAKER_00 41:09

It's it's not I like a long episode. It's not long, but there's no like extra stuff in it. Okay. Okay, I think we can do one more. Okay, yay. March 6th, 1944. My dear Philoma, I received a letter that you sent to Wallace. He thought it was for him, so he opened it to find it said Dear Donald. So he knew it wasn't his. So he looked me up and gave it to me. So they found each other. In a way, it was a good thing you wrote to him. Then he knew where I was located, but I didn't know where he was. So now I got his. Oh, I'm sorry, he knew where I was, but I didn't know where he was. So now I got his address and I can look him up. That is the most confusing sentence. Okay. Exactly. Sorry. Yeah. He was telling me about he thought that you were going to send a package to me only with his address, and if he received it, he would bring it down to me. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 42:13

There was a little confusion of where letters needed to go.

SPEAKER_00 42:17

Yes. It is what maybe she wasn't sure if they were getting to him, but she knew for a fact that Wallace was there. Yeah. I listen.

SPEAKER_01 42:26

Look, she was just desperate to get letters to Donald.

SPEAKER_00 42:28

I don't know if her and Amelia were in cahoots about something like that.

SPEAKER_01 42:33

I love that it was addressed to Wallace, but dear Donald. Right. Right. I wonder if there were any um dot dot dots in there.

SPEAKER_00 42:41

Oh well, I guess we'll find out. Okay. In this letter, you stated you received the field jackets. And I'm glad and I'm glad they fit the both of you. And I certainly bought them. He's like, I didn't steal them. I wonder what you excuse me, did you procure these? Yes. You didn't state whether you received the compass or not. Or did you mean the et cetera part was the compass? So she was probably like, I got the field type. Probably et cetera. Probably. I'm glad Chips fits him too. Or was it big? And he just said it fit him to be a good fellow. Can you see Philoma and Chip just like trying on their jackets together? Absolutely. Absolutely. And they're like, we're just, it's fine. It's perfect. Look. That's so funny. If yours is a little big, you can have it shortened. And they're washable too, but it's best to have them dry cleaned and have them water repellent treated, and then they never leak. I'm glad he said this because I was wondering if it would be better to wash that jacket or have it dry cleaned. And so I told you to get that thing dry cleaned. And you are right. And I'm going to get it dry cleaned. Okay. I'll take it and drop it off for you. Oh, that'd be great. I received a letter from Mike Arenda tonight, and I'm always glad to get his letters because He's always joking. Is he active duty? Yes. So we had a letter from him some time back.

SPEAKER_01 44:06

I can't quite remember where he is at, but I just I I I can I can't remember who who's where who's in or who's out. Yes. Who's active or not? He's in. Okay. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 44:19

So Perazzi, Kelly, and George are home. That's fine. Wallace was telling me tonight that Shine got a furlough at last. I'm glad you got the shelter half. Now all I need is another shelter half, and you can make a tent to go fishing with. It takes two of them to make a tent.

SPEAKER_01 44:40

Obviously, I didn't know that. My husband schooled me. Yes. But like that was that is from way back when yes.

SPEAKER_00 44:47

And I do remember him saying, I'm gonna send you a shelter half. Yeah. And we because we were talking about one piece at a time. Like he's slowly gonna send her equipment that he likes.

SPEAKER_01 44:59

Yeah. It is so fascinating to me how much stuff he sent back. Like oh, yeah. He's just he was always sending something. Yes. Be it a letter, be it um a book, a photograph, something. He he didn't mind sending anything in the mail.

SPEAKER_00 45:18

No, he wanted to keep her.

SPEAKER_01 45:20

Apart for philoma, I would have been skipping to the mailbox every day.

SPEAKER_00 45:23

Absolutely. What am I gonna get today? A few a tent half and a compass. Woo!

SPEAKER_01 45:28

A piece of canvas is just like great, what do I do with this?

SPEAKER_00 45:32

And three poles. Awesome. Exactly. I love it. You stated you were going to send me some dough. Well, don't send me any because I won't need it and I'm getting paid the 15th. You don't have to send me anything, kid. I know it makes a lot of trouble for you to pack it and also the money that you spend. As much as I like to hear your voice and to talk to you, don't call. It really costs too much dough for what it's worth.

SPEAKER_01 46:00

I can't even imagine where a phone call would go to this particular camp. It's not like they have barracks set up. These makeshift tents. I mean, it's it's a permanent tent. Right. Cabin shelter. It's a permanent shelter, is what it is. Yeah. Um, but it it's not like they had a like electricity. I mean, they were with I don't know what they had. Yeah, where are you going up to get the phone? That's what I'm saying. Then she would be waiting as long for him to come to the phone. Right. As she would be able to talk to him.

SPEAKER_00 46:32

Right. He goes on to say it cost 18 to 20 bucks just to call, and that's too damn much to spend. So that's about 340 to 380 dollars. Way too much. That's crazy. That is that is crazy. That is nonsense. No. It's just not worth it. I would rather buy something with the money and send it to you. At least you would get some good out of it. So please, dear, unless it's absolutely necessary, don't call. Because as I said before, it's not worth that kind of dough. It's not. Don't spend your dough foolish. You weren't taught to take care of money that way. You're way more responsible than that, Philoma. I know. He's like, I'm the i irresponsible one with the gambling. You are supposed to be good at this. You're the one with your little black book and your in your budget. Exactly. Thursday we graduate out of the training battalion, and then I think we will probably go to our companies. We have to parade in front of the general on Friday, dressed in OD and with our packs on. What do you think of that? We're getting up at 4 45 AM again in the morning, and it's 10 o'clock now, so I don't know when I'll ever get enough sleep. I wish they would give me a day or two just so I could sleep. Oh, they won't. I think this outfit might ship out, so I don't know as yet. And a fellow may be here for three or four months more. You never know what's going to happen.

SPEAKER_01 48:06

You know, it wasn't that long ago. I think it was in the last episode where he was talking about going on like a 15-day cruise. Mm-hmm. So now he has he he dropped that tidbit, but he hasn't circled back around to that. I don't think they're doing that. Well, I shouldn't say that I don't think they're doing that. He hasn't mentioned doing that again. Maybe when he gets to his unit. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 48:27

Yeah. We'll see. I wish she would quit worrying about me. That makes me mad when you do that, with all the headaches I have to put up with here. Hollywood is about 200 miles from here, they say. So it's quite a ways. So I'm sure she asked, like, how far is Hollywood? Yeah, like you're in California. How far are you from Hollywood? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:48

Amazing. I love that. Like, how sweet. Like she's young, like, so how far are you from Hollywood? I know you're in California. Do you see any stars? You must see somebody, famous people. You must see somebody.

SPEAKER_00 49:00

I mean, he did see famous people at Camp Adair. He did. That's fair. That's fair. As I stated before. So glamorous. Kid, don't call unless you have to. Just think it over and you'll see I'm right. Well, kid, take care of yourself and take it easy. Loving and missing you as ever. Love and kisses, Don. P.S. Yes! Oh, we haven't had one in so long, Katie. The letter I received tonight was the best letter you wrote to me since I've been in the army. Aww. I know. It's so sweet. Oh. I know. I wish I had it. I don't.

SPEAKER_01 49:39

I know. Donald, you couldn't have sent that one back. I know, right? Don't tell me you burned that one.

SPEAKER_00 49:45

I know. It probably disintegrated. It probably did. Yes. So that's what I have for you today. That was a good PS, Katie. I thought we should end on it.

SPEAKER_01 49:55

I love it. That was a good that's a good ending. Oh man, this is wonderful. I'm so happy we're back to Donald Infloma.

SPEAKER_00 50:03

I know, me too. I'm happy to be on a more regular recording schedule so we can be more up to date and things. So that's that's awesome. Wonderful. Yeah. So thank you so very much for listening. You can follow us at 500letters to Nana.com and at 500 Letters to Nana on Instagram. And we are signing off from Camp San Luis Obispo, California. And we are about 2400 miles from Nana. And only 200 miles from Hollywood. That's right. Bye. Bye.

SPEAKER_01 50:52

500 letters to Nana. Woohoo!