Monday, June 21, 1943
Tunis, Tunisia, North Africa

June 21, 1943 Diary Page

This morning about three o’clock I was awakened by the A.R. siren and when that sounds over here you scat. They didn’t come over our area but dropped a few eggs up near Mateur sector. We could see the Ack Ack sailing up into the sky in fiery streaks that looked like the fourth of July. K_______ had his 50 cal. gun all loaded and we were hunting for some action. It was all over in about twenty minutes and we went back to bed. One of the nice things about having a maintenance outfit is that you have most of the comforts of home. Right now I have a light to read by, a nice desk to write on the latter a packing box converted. To the left of the desk is an easy chair made from the seats of a convertable (sic) car we salvaged. I have my pictures on the desk as well ad my pipe rack and tobacco. This evening I took a motorcycle luggage carrier and with the help of an acetelyne (sic) torch made myself a nice wash stand for my helmet which is the basin. About all I lack is running water. It’s a soft war. (sometimes) This afternoon Sgt. Sanders, Moore and I took the Jeep and went over the battle fields. We found a box of rifle grenades so put them in the gun hole of a blasted german (sic) tank and got off about 100 ft. and shot them off with our carbines. We quit that when we nearly got hit by some of the schrapnel (sic). It went right between Moore and myself and sounded like a drove of bees. I saw the grave of Gen. R_______. It’s a lovely mound under an olive tree with a small white cross. There was an American scout car right near burned and twisted almost beyond recognition. It was an interesting tour and exciting when you expected to get tossed on high by a land mine. This place isn’t cleaned up yet. We are a bunch of damned fools anyway but it’s fun.

Good night.

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The Day That Was: June 21, 1943

•    The United States Supreme Court upheld wartime curfew and exclusion orders affecting Japanese-Americans. (http://www.shmoop.com/events/history/us/world-war-ii-home-front.html) •    Marines and army troops landed at Segi Point, New Georgia, in the Solomons. (http://www.blountweb.com/blountcountymilitary/wars/ww2/timelines/1943_ww2.htm)
•    Jean “Max” Moulin, French resistance fighter, was betrayed by fellow Frenchmen and captured in a massive antiresistance dragnet. (http://timelines.ws/20thcent/1943.HTML) •    The Germans killed most of the remaining ghetto population of Lvov in the Ukraine. (http://www.neveragain.org/1943A.htm) •    The RAF launched a heavy raid on Krefeld in the Ruhr, but lost 44 aircraft. (http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/war-in-europe/european-air-war/european-air-war-index-1943.htm) •    The U.S Supreme Court held the broad claims of Guglielmo Marconi’s patent for improvements in apparatus for wireless telegraphy to be invalid. First written for publication by the Antique Wireless Association, this monograph showed how the nation’s high court arrived at its decision. It provided an answer to the continuing argument regarding the popular misconception that Marconi invented the radio. (http://timelines.ws/20thcent/1943.HTML)		Jean Moulin’s most famous depiction

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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