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.

Friday,  April 23, 1943

April 23, 1943 Diary Page

Sacramento to Stockton

This morning I was called at seven so I could catch the 8:30 bus. It’s a good thing I didn’t have far to go because when I finally pulled in here I had exactly one dollar and fifty sents left. That is pretty close running. Well I caught the bus and we pulled in about ten fifteen. Ray and Sgt. Enright met me at the station and we came out to the camp. Well it seemed like old home week. My office is in a tent and I sure spent enough time in them at Ft. Sill and Barkley. Of course I found out some news when I came in. First of all we lost seven picked men and were given seven rookies. That’s bad enough. This afternoon I got a phone call telling me I had just one week to get ready. I wish I could say where I am going. I know what Dottie is going to say when I tell her I can’t see her after this week.

Good Night

To view previous diary entries, click here.

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The Day That Was:  April 23, 1943

•    The Donald Duck film, “Fall Out—Fall In,” was released to theaters. (http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/disnehis/disn1943.htm) •    Japanese patrol boat No. 39 was sunk by the submarine, USS Seawolf (SS-197), off Formosa. (http://www.blountweb.com/blountcountymilitary/wars/ww2/timelines/1943_ww2.htm		Walt Disney Studios released “Fall Out—Fall In” to theaters 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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