July 19, 1943 Diary Page

Today is the day I’ve dreaded for a long time. This evening when I came out from Tunis after hunting our weapons carrier which had been stolen there were some orders sitting on my desk stating that a Capt. So & So would report for duty to this outfit. It is quite obvious that he outranks me so there goes my command. For a year now I’ve had command of these boys and now this has to happen. It gives a little glimpse into the appreciation a man gets in this army for good work. It looks almost certain now that I’m a First Lt. for the duration. Maybe I’ve let this command mean too much to me. That is a bad habit of mine: that is letting things I make or create become so important to me. In the army that is sticking your neck out. However it is pretty rough serving as a junior officer in an organization you built up and trained for a period of a year. I know I should take it like a man with a smile on my face but its pretty hard to wipe that cloud of resentment and disappointment away right at present. God, why didn’t that Captaining of mine go through. It’s funny how little it takes to destroy a secure faith in the work he is doing, but right now I’d like to chuck it all right over the fence and tell this army of ours to go to hell. Its taken me 2 years and a half to work up to a place where a Captaining is practically a cinch then having it taken away before you even get it … well maybe I had better not say what I think. It won’t do any good any way.

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The Day That Was: July 19, 1943

1943 Diary Recaps

January 1943 Recap: We first met Lt. Reichard in January, stationed at McClellan Air Base in Sacramento, where he was in charge of a motor pool unit. Expecting to be sent overseas, their orders were changed and they became restless to see action. Lt. Reichard’s sweetheart, Ginnie, would write frequently, and he would go to dinner and movies with local girls – Dorothy, in Sacramento, and Marie, when the unit moved to Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho. The men have spent their days in lectures, and physical demonstrations to try to keep sharp mentally and physically. But they are getting increasingly restless.

February 1943 Recap: The unit continues to be restless as they still haven’t any orders for overseas. The days are kept busy with lectures, physical demonstrations, and frequent hikes in the mountains above Boise. Lt. Reichard receives a promotion to Lieutenant First Class and continues to write to Ginnie back home, though her letters are becoming more infrequent. February 1943 comes to an end with the unit still feeling bored and discouraged.

March 1943 Recap: March brings uncertainties in weather and daily life to Gowen Field. Still no word about overseas orders, the outfit must now share quarters with another unit. There is now time to begin a photo album, collecting pictures from times with the outfit. Letters from Ginnie are becoming more infrequent but there is no shortage of dates with the local girls in Boise. March comes to an end with everyone in the outfit anxiously awaiting word of upcoming furloughs.

April 1943 Recap: Last minute furloughs come through, and Lt. Reichard returns home to Maryland for some time with his family on the farm. He and Ginnie have a chance to talk things over and hopefully save the relationship. Just before leaving Boise, the unit gets orders that a move will come at the end of April. April comes to an end with the men spending a week in Stockton, California getting ready to ship out. But where they are going remains a mystery.

May 1943 Recap: The long journey begins by train as the outfit travels cross country to Camp Shanks, New York, where they will prepare to head overseas. Lt. Reichard now knows the destination: Casablanca, Morocco in North Africa. After ensuring that all the supplies are in order, the outfit boards the “West Point”, the newest in troop carriers and heads to sea. Lt. Reichard spends many peaceful evenings enjoying the time at sea before landing in Morocco. May ends with the outfit setting up camp and adjusting to the customs of Morocco.

Lt. Reichard’s WWII Diary Project : On January 1, 2009, WorthPoint began a three year project following the life of a WWII soldier through the daily pages of his diary. To read about the inception of this project, or to add your own comments, click here.

Production Credits:
Diary transcription: Shari Seippel

Diary photos: Claudia Forbes

Video production: Alison Harder

Narration: Mountain Vista H.S. Theater Department

Jeremy Goldson, Department Chair; Bryan Smith – voice of Lt. Reichard

May 31, 1943 Diary Page

Today I did quite a bit of running around. It started out a perfectly peaceful day with very little to do and ended up pretty busy. Capt. Blay came out about ten a.m. and asked me if my equipment had come in. I told him there was nothing in sight so we both took off for the “Oasis” which is the ordnance dump. I have made it a point to check that place every evening so I knew blame well there was nothing there. Then we went downtown to his office and started checking over records and still found nothing. It ended up by his requesting a complete shortage list of everything we do not actually have on hand. I came on back out and started Sgt. Sanders and T.K. Moore to work on it and they have at least a two day job. We made a physical check of every piece of equipment we have which meant tearing open all the boxes sent over and sorting them piece by piece. While we were going over this stuff a P-38, a P-51 and P-39 came overhead and started a dog-fight. It seems that both the 51 & 39 went after the 38 but the 39 didn’t have a chance so was left out of most of it. We watched them rolling around the sky like a bunch of mainiacs (sic) for half an hour. It was interesting. I don’t think it will be long before we will be seeing the real thing. Tonight I had a date with a nurse. She was from Rising Sun Maryland and had met Chick at West Nottingham _______ at one of the dances. It’s a small world. We went to a show in town.

Good night.

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The Day That Was: May 31, 1943

1943 Diary Recaps

January 1943 Recap: We first met Lt. Reichard in January, stationed at McClellan Air Base in Sacramento, where he was in charge of a motor pool unit. Expecting to be sent overseas, their orders were changed and they became restless to see action. Lt. Reichard’s sweetheart, Ginnie, would write frequently, and he would go to dinner and movies with local girls – Dorothy, in Sacramento, and Marie, when the unit moved to Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho. The men have spent their days in lectures, and physical demonstrations to try to keep sharp mentally and physically. But they are getting increasingly restless.

February 1943 Recap: The unit continues to be restless as they still haven’t any orders for overseas. The days are kept busy with lectures, physical demonstrations, and frequent hikes in the mountains above Boise. Lt. Reichard receives a promotion to Lieutenant First Class and continues to write to Ginnie back home, though her letters are becoming more infrequent. February 1943 comes to an end with the unit still feeling bored and discouraged.

March 1943 Recap: March brings uncertainties in weather and daily life to Gowen Field. Still no word about overseas orders, the outfit must now share quarters with another unit. There is now time to begin a photo album, collecting pictures from times with the outfit. Letters from Ginnie are becoming more infrequent but there is no shortage of dates with the local girls in Boise. March comes to an end with everyone in the outfit anxiously awaiting word of upcoming furloughs.

April 1943 Recap: Last minute furloughs come through, and Lt. Reichard returns home to Maryland for some time with his family on the farm. He and Ginnie have a chance to talk things over and hopefully save the relationship. Just before leaving Boise, the unit gets orders that a move will come at the end of April. April comes to an end with the men spending a week in Stockton, California getting ready to ship out. But where they are going remains a mystery.

Lt. Reichard’s WWII Diary Project : On January 1, 2009, WorthPoint began a three year project following the life of a WWII soldier through the daily pages of his diary. To read about the inception of this project, or to add your own comments, click here.

Production Credits:
Diary transcription: Kathleen Long

Diary photos: Claudia Forbes

Video production: Alison Harder

Narration: Mountain Vista H.S. Theater Department

Jeremy Goldson, Department Chair; Bryan Smith – voice of Lt. Reichard

May 19, 1943 Diary Page

This morning when I went out on deck I had a welcome surprize (sic) in the form of a destroyer, just off our starbord (sic) bow. Also there was a PBY just leaving. That was probably the plane that we picked up last night. I’ll be forever grateful for this lovely cruise because it could hardly have been better under our time conditions. About ten o’clock we had a meeting of compartment commanders to discuss landing operations and of course we found out we were to have another boat drill at two o’clock. At eleven we had our ammunition passed out and a meger (sic) ration it was. Each man had fifteen rounds which sure isn’t much. I tried to get three clips full for each man which would total 45 rounds but, no soap. At two o’clock we had our last boat drill and it was pretty good. We finished it in an hour which was damn good for a group of air corps men. They couldn’t be soldiers if they tried because they have a bunch of boy scouts for officers and military courtesy is just a joke. We ate a delicious dinner at four thirty then I went down and had a talk with the men giving them the low down on what was to happen. We are supposed to pull in about seven thirty and unload at eight so a lot of packing is being done. After I finished I went on deck and enjoyed the most beautiful moon of the voyage. I miss Ginnie like hell.

Good Night

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The Day That Was:  May 19, 1943

•    In Germany, Propaganda Minister Goebbels announces that all the Jews have left Berlin. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_World_War_II_(1943)) •    In an address to the U.S. Congress, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill pledged his country’s full support in the war against Japan. (http://timelines.ws/20thcent/1943.HTML)		On this day in 1943, Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels announces that all the Jews have left Berlin.

1943 Diary Recaps

January 1943 Recap: We first met Lt. Reichard in January, stationed at McClellan Air Base in Sacramento, where he was in charge of a motor pool unit. Expecting to be sent overseas, their orders were changed and they became restless to see action. Lt. Reichard’s sweetheart, Ginnie, would write frequently, and he would go to dinner and movies with local girls – Dorothy, in Sacramento, and Marie, when the unit moved to Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho. The men have spent their days in lectures, and physical demonstrations to try to keep sharp mentally and physically. But they are getting increasingly restless.

February 1943 Recap: The unit continues to be restless as they still haven’t any orders for overseas. The days are kept busy with lectures, physical demonstrations, and frequent hikes in the mountains above Boise.  Lt. Reichard receives a promotion to Lieutenant First Class and continues to write to Ginnie back home, though her letters are becoming more infrequent.  February 1943 comes to an end with the unit still feeling bored and discouraged.

March 1943 Recap: March brings uncertainties in weather and daily life to Gowen Field.  Still no word about overseas orders, the outfit must now share quarters with another unit. There is now time to begin a photo album, collecting pictures from times with the outfit.  Letters from Ginnie are becoming more infrequent but there is no shortage of dates with the local girls in Boise.  March comes to an end with everyone in the outfit anxiously awaiting word of upcoming furloughs.

April 1943 Recap: Last minute furloughs come through, and Lt. Reichard returns home to Maryland for some time with his family on the farm.  He and Ginnie have a chance to talk things over and hopefully save the relationship.  Just before leaving Boise, the unit gets orders that a move will come at the end of April. April comes to an end with the men spending a week in Stockton, California getting ready to ship out.  But where they are going remains a mystery.

Lt. Reichard’s WWII Diary Project : On January 1, 2009, WorthPoint began a three year project following the life of a WWII soldier through the daily pages of his diary. To read about the inception of this project, or to add your own comments, click here.

Production Credits:
Diary transcription: Kathleen Long

Diary photos: Claudia Forbes

Video production: Alison Harder

Narration: Mountain Vista H.S. Theater Department

Jeremy Goldson, Department Chair; Bryan Smith – voice of Lt. Reichard

May 16, 1943 Diary Page

It’s hard to realize that today is Sunday. Each and every day aboard ship is the same and one just runs into the other. There was a short church service this morning which was the only difference. I woke a little earlier this morning so decided to take a quick cold shower. It sure makes you feel a lot better. One thing that is bothering me is this shaving. I’m used to an electric razor so this safety razor is chewing my face up and the fact that we use cold water doesn’t help the situation any. This is another lovely day. The water is almost oily in its smoothness and as blue as if it were painted. The sky is full of small nimbus clouds floating across like patches of clean cotton. Dead seaweed, dried to a light brown has been floating by and I wonder where it came from. Several large schools of fish have been seen tearing away from the boat like frightened deer. We saw several “Manta Ray” that were huge. They are supposed to be very scarce. Today we were issued malaria pills and we take two doses of two pills each a week for the duration. If you don’t swallow them pretty fast they leave a hell of a bitter taste in your mouth. Most of the day was taken up talking to the gun crew and messing around. Ray has picked up a nurse. I’m not interested yet.

Good Night

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The Day That Was:  May 16, 1943

•    RAF Lancaster bombers, flying Operation Chastise, bombed the Möhne and Eder dams in the industrial heart of Germany, releasing 160 million tons of water down the Möhne-Ruhr Valley, killing 1,300 civilians and cutting off electrical power to war industries. Specially modified Lancasters of the number 617 Squadron dropped circular “skipping bombs” that bounced along the surface of the water until impacting and exploding against the concrete dams. The Sorpe dam was also attacked by two aircraft and damaged, while a fourth dam, the Ennepe, was reported as being attacked by a single aircraft (O-Orange), but with no damage. An estimated 1,294 people were killed by floodwaters, and eight of the 19 aircraft dispatched failed to return with the loss of 53 aircrew and three taken prisoners of war. Wing Cmdr. Guy Gibson, commander of the 617, was awarded the Victoria Cross for his part in leading the attack. (http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/rafhistorytimeline1943.cfm)		The breached Möhne Dam taken by Flying Officer Jerry Fray of No. 542 Squadron from his Spitfire PR IX. The bombing of the Möhne and Eder dams on this day in 1943 cut electoral power to war industries in the Möhne-Ruhr Valley.
•    German troops crushed the last resistance of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and killed thousands of Jews. The rest were sent to the Treblinka concentration camp to die. (http://www.worldwariihistory.info/1943.html) •    The Warsaw ghetto was finally cleared of Jews by the German police and security units. (http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/the-holocaust/the-holocaust-index-1943.htm) •    The German submarine, U-182, was sunk by the destroyer, USS Mackenzie (DD-614), west of the Madeira Islands. (http://www.blountweb.com/blountcountymilitary/wars/ww2/timelines/1943_ww2.htm)

1943 Diary Recaps

January 1943 Recap: We first met Lt. Reichard in January, stationed at McClellan Air Base in Sacramento, where he was in charge of a motor pool unit. Expecting to be sent overseas, their orders were changed and they became restless to see action. Lt. Reichard’s sweetheart, Ginnie, would write frequently, and he would go to dinner and movies with local girls – Dorothy, in Sacramento, and Marie, when the unit moved to Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho. The men have spent their days in lectures, and physical demonstrations to try to keep sharp mentally and physically. But they are getting increasingly restless.

February 1943 Recap: The unit continues to be restless as they still haven’t any orders for overseas. The days are kept busy with lectures, physical demonstrations, and frequent hikes in the mountains above Boise.  Lt. Reichard receives a promotion to Lieutenant First Class and continues to write to Ginnie back home, though her letters are becoming more infrequent.  February 1943 comes to an end with the unit still feeling bored and discouraged.

March 1943 Recap: March brings uncertainties in weather and daily life to Gowen Field.  Still no word about overseas orders, the outfit must now share quarters with another unit. There is now time to begin a photo album, collecting pictures from times with the outfit.  Letters from Ginnie are becoming more infrequent but there is no shortage of dates with the local girls in Boise.  March comes to an end with everyone in the outfit anxiously awaiting word of upcoming furloughs.

April 1943 Recap: Last minute furloughs come through, and Lt. Reichard returns home to Maryland for some time with his family on the farm.  He and Ginnie have a chance to talk things over and hopefully save the relationship.  Just before leaving Boise, the unit gets orders that a move will come at the end of April. April comes to an end with the men spending a week in Stockton, California getting ready to ship out.  But where they are going remains a mystery.

Lt. Reichard’s WWII Diary Project : On January 1, 2009, WorthPoint began a three year project following the life of a WWII soldier through the daily pages of his diary. To read about the inception of this project, or to add your own comments, click here.

Production Credits:
Diary transcription: Kathleen Long

Diary photos: Claudia Forbes

Video production: Alison Harder

Narration: Mountain Vista H.S. Theater Department

Jeremy Goldson, Department Chair; Bryan Smith – voice of Lt. Reichard

WorthPoint – Discover Your Hidden Wealth

WorthPoint – Discover Your Hidden Wealth

WorthPoint – Discover Your Hidden Wealth

WorthPoint – Discover Your Hidden Wealth