Lt. Lawson Reichard’s WWII Diary – April 30, 1943 by Lt.Reichard (04/29/09).
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.
(editors note: There were no diary entries for April 28-29, 1943)
Friday, April 30, 1943 Stockton, California
April 30, 1943 Diary Page
Will I ever forget today? I doubt it. I got up early and went over to the office to check over everything to make sure we were ready to go. The train was scheduled to pull out at 4:30 P.M. so we had a lot of last minute details that had to be cleaned up. I also made my final stops on the clearances from this station. Of course, by far not the least important, I got paid. I also collected quarters allowance for the time I was on leave and traveling. That was a nice little gift as I didn’t know I had it coming. The boys are all ready and are looking forward to getting across. That is an attitude I’m glad they have. I got off a final letter to both mother and Virginia although there is practically nothing I could tell them. I knew nothing myself. The train time was jumped back until ten tonight so we have a lot of time to kill.
Well at eight I pulled the boys out and we took our bags over to the car. I had the boys put their toilet articles in their field pack so both barracks bags could be put in the baggage car. That saves a lot of room in the train. We finally loaded on board and I sent the boys right to bed so there would be no messing around. They had just about taken the P.X. apart and 5 civilian employees quit work. These men are pretty well trained physically and need something to take it out on. I’m glad I’m taking them across.
• Pope Pius XII wrote a letter to Bishop von Preysing of Berlin and referred to the extermination of the Jews. His concluding thoughts stated: “Unhappily in the present state of affairs, we can bring no help other than our prayers.” (http://timelines.ws/20thcent/1943.HTML)
• The British submarine, HMS Seraph, dropped “the man who never was,” a dead man the British planted with false invasion plans, into the Mediterranean off the coast of Spain. (http://timelines.ws/20thcent/1943.HTML)
• The Dutch struck against forced labor in Nazi Germany’s war industry. (http://timelines.ws/20thcent/1943.HTML)
• Magdaleno Sanchez Duenas, a Philippine guerrilla fighter, assisted in the escape of 10 U.S. servicemen from the Davao Penal Colony. (http://timelines.ws/20thcent/1943.HTML)
Pope Pius XII
• The submarine, USS Gudgeon (SS-211), landed personnel and equipment on Payay in the Philippines. (http://www.blountweb.com/blountcountymilitary/wars/ww2/timelines/1943_ww2.htm)
• The submarine, USS Snook (SS-279), laid mines off Saddle Island, China. (http://www.blountweb.com/blountcountymilitary/wars/ww2/timelines/1943_ww2.htm)
• The U.S. Atlantic Fleet turned over responsibility for convoys between Halifax and the United Kingdom to British and Canadian naval forces. (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.
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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