Sunday, June 20, 1943
Tunis, Tunisia, North Africa

June 20, 1943 Diary Page

This morning Sgt. Enright woke me with the news that the Major had called last night and ordered us to send twenty-five men on D. S. to an amunition (sic) dump where they would act as part of a labor battalion for a couple weeks. Well we pulled all our men off driving and sent them out. That is a hell of a note for a maintenance outfit. I wonder what we will be doing next. I decided to try and make today seem as much like Sunday (sic) as possible so after policing up the area I gave the rest of the day off. I spent the time on the rest of the morning writing letters and censoring the men’s mail. I make it a point to clean up the mail at least once a day because I know how important it is for the men’s morale. It seems the outfit below us has their mail censored about once a week. One boy claims he has had a letter waiting for fifteen days. That’s pretty rugged. This afternoon we went swimming again. After a long swim I went into Tunis in the Jeep and looked the place over. It doesn’t look bad and has hardly been trashed by bombs except by the docks which were practically leveled. Bombed buildings are a mournful sight. This town is almost as easy to get lost in as Casablanca with it’s narrow winding streets and dark alleys full of Arabs. The down town section is pretty nice though. I met some pursuit pilots and we had supper together. They were bitching because they had to fly P-40′s which are about 8 years old. They were blaming it on L____ and all other ______________ _____________. L____ is one man I’d take great pleasure in killing as would any other soldier.

Good night.

To view previous diary entries, click here.

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The Day That Was: June 20, 1943

•    A race riot began in Detroit. Following a protest in Detroit over a public-housing development, fights between whites and blacks escalated into a citywide riot leaving 25 blacks and nine whites dead, 676 injured, 1,838 arrested and $2-million worth of property, largely in black neighborhoods, destroyed. (http://reportingcivilrights.loa.org/timeline/year.jsp?year=1943) •    Operation “Cartwheel” opened with landings by the United States 4th Marine Raider Battalion at Segi Point on New Georgia in the Solomon Islands. It would not be secured until August. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_World_War_II_(1943))		Race riots erupt in Detroit.
•    Heinrich Himmler sent 100 Jews to a concentration camp in Alsace called Natzweiler. They were killed there, and their skeletons were sent to the Anatomical Museum in Strasbourg. (http://www.neveragain.org/1943A.htm) •    5,500 Jews were rounded up in Amsterdam and deported. (http://www.neveragain.org/1943A.htm) •    The RAF instituted “shuttle bombing” runs with planes leaving England, bombing Germany, reloading in North Africa, bombing Italy and then returning to England. It began with 60 RAF bombers attacking the radar works at Friedrichshafen. (http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/war-in-europe/european-air-war/european-air-war-index-1943.htm) •    The British announced a five-day U-boat attack on the Atlantic convoys and claimed that 97 percent of ships survived. http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/war-at-sea/atlantic/battle-of-the-atlantic-index-1943.htm) •    The German submarine, U-338, was sunk by naval land-based aircraft (VP-84) in the North Atlantic. (http://www.blountweb.com/blountcountymilitary/wars/ww2/timelines/1943_ww2.htm)		View of the Natzweiler concentration camp. USHMM, courtesy of Abraham M. Muhlbaum

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: 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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