Dad’s WWII Letters Home – Letter 7

In today’s letter, my Dad wrote from Colorado and talked about becoming an armorer, which I had to look up, and it evidently means “one that repairs and maintains small arms and weapon systems.” From a previous letter I told you about a square in Cambridge that I thought was named after his neighbor and I think I got that wrong. I think the George Kennedy the square is named after is actually my Dad’s uncle. I’m learning a lot here! Also, he discusses his passion for music for the first time in these letters. My Dad was a huge music fan! It’s also interesting that he signs this letter with “Your loving SOLDIER son.” He seems to be embracing his new identity.

Saturday, Oct 16th

Dearest Mom,

How’s my sweetheart? I hope that you and Dad are okay and are in good health. I’m glad to hear that the money helped out, I’ll keep sending it home till I get a chance to find out about an allotment at my next base.

Well, I’ve only two more days of school then I’ll be a graduate armorer. This last week we studied the Thompson sub-machine gun, the carbine and the .45 automatic pistol. I can take either gun apart and put it back together again without much trouble. We spent one night of the week, so far, outside and was it cold, it was so cold that I had on my winter underwear, my fatigues, my flight jacket and my mackinaw and the upper part of my body was warm but my feet was frozen. We have to go outside again tonight and tomorrow night and I’m going to bundle up good and warm because I caught a cold the other night and I’m not going to take any more chances.

I’m glad that they named that square after Uncle George, I bet Nana’s proud. By the way, tell Dad that the sports pages certainly came in handy because in the papers out here, all they told about was the Colorado colleges and about the Notre Dame-Michigan game. Oh yes, I won a dollar on that game, I bet that N.D. would win and I bet with a fellow that came from Michigan and as you know N.D. won and I won a dollar. By the way, isn’t B.C. playing football this year, so far, I haven’t read in any of the football scores that they have played.

I’m writing this letter in the Service Club on the field and there’s a soldier here, playing piano and he’s a beautiful player, I can hardly concentrate on writing this letter with him playing, he’s playing old time songs and some popular ones. He’s the most wonderful piano player I’ve heard in a long time. He has all the boys in the club ganged around the piano watching him and listening to him play.

Hey Mom, tell the Boys to write and tell me what kind of a time they had at the Formal.

Listen about your letter it may be upside down in parts and blotted but I still want you to write me, it doesn’t matter what or how the letter is written just as long as you write to me.

Well, I guess that’s about all for now, take care of yourself and God Bless you.

Your loving soldier son,

Franny

P.S. Give my regards to the rest of the family.