Lt. Lawson Reichard’s WWII Diary – April 22, 1943 by Lt.Reichard (04/05/09).
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.
Thursday, April 22, 1943
April 22, 1943 Diary Page
Sacramento, California
Matthew, the porter woke me at two this morning just before we pulled into Sacramento. I dressed and cleaned up. We pulled in about 2:30 and Dottie was there to meet me. I had wired ahead for her to get me a room at the hotel but didn’t expect her to meet me at that time of the morning. We talked for a while then I went to bed. I slept until about nine and took a hot bath. I called Dottie about ten thirty and will meet her at 1:30. <—-Time—-> I met her at the Senator and then we went to a show. After the show we went out to her house to get her mother who was to meet an aunt at the station. Well after that was accomplished Dottie and I went to Bedells for dinner and both of us were pretty hungry as neither had eaten more than a light breakfast. After dinner we stopped into the Senator for a couple drinks. We got tired of this and went for a walk through the capital park which was truely lovely tonight. The trees in blossom scented the air with and intoxicating perfume and the sky was clear and full of stars. We sat under a huge magnolia tree and talked for nearly two hours. We went over to “Donovans” about ten and saw the floor show and had a few drinks. About eleven thirty we both decided to call it quits as we were pretty tired. Little Dottie is pretty serious so I’d better be careful. She say she will be down pretty often. We’ll see.
• The British 1st and 8th Armies, the U.S. 2nd Corps and Free French forces began the final offensive to destroy the Axis bridgehead in Tunisia in North Africa. (http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/war-in-the-desert/war-in-the-desert-index-1943.htm)
• Japanese aircraft bombed the airfield at Funafuti in the Ellice Islands. The submarine, USS Grenadier (SS-210), was damaged by a Japanese air attack and scuttled in the Straits of Malacca. (http://www.blountweb.com/blountcountymilitary/wars/ww2/timelines/1943_ww2.htm)
• Japan announced that captured Allied pilots would be given “one way tickets to hell.” (http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/pacificwar/timeline.htm)
Free French forces, along with the British 1st and 8th Armies, the U.S. 2nd Corps, pushed Axis forces into full retreat in Tunisia on this day in 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.
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
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