Lt. Lawson Reichard’s WWII Diary – May 10, 1943 by Lt.Reichard (05/10/09).
Monday, May 10, 1943 Camp Shanks, Orangeburg, New York
May 10, 1943 Diary Page
Ray and I got up early this morning and got dressed for the range. This is the first chance that we had to fire the carbine. Well it was raining when we got up and right now it is pouring and it’s ten fifteen at night. However soon after we left camp it stopped and graciously stayed that way until about an hour ago. Well we ate breakfast then went up to the men’s barracks and checked the rifles to see if everything was O.K. The convoy picked us up about eight and we took off. There was close to a thousand men and we had fifty four trucks. These trucks were in horrible condition and it’s a wonder they got us to where we were going, but they did. As our men were not to fire until around two o’clock Ray and I went into Peekskill and killed some time and then had a steak dinner. It’s a cinch it’s the last one we will get in this country. After dinner we went back out and fired. There were quite a few “G”-men there and they wanted to try out our new carbine. They were given some ammunition and fired a course (?). They sure did like the gun and it’s ideal for their type of work as it is so light and easy to handle as well as deadly. We got back to the camp about five thirty. There had to be a loading detail at seven to load the “B” bags for shipment _____ ________ ________ the deal this time. Physical inspections were at ten tonight & I’m tired.
Good Night
(editor’s note: Camp Shanks was one of three staging areas “to ensure each soldier and WAC left the U.S. fully equipped before crossing the Atlantic. The final field inspection at Camp Shanks identified any problems, made any necessary repairs, and replaced anything which could not be repaired.” Read more about the history of Camp Shanks at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Shanks)
• The British 1st Army reached Hammamet on the coast of Tunisia. (http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/war-in-the-desert/war-in-the-desert-index-1943.htm)
• The destroyer, USS MacDonough (DD-351), and the light minelayer, USS Sicard (DM-21), were damaged in a collision in the Aleutians.(http://www.blountweb.com/blountcountymilitary/wars/ww2/timelines/1943_ww2.htm)
The destroyer USS MacDonough (DD-351) collided with the light minelayer USS Sicard (DM-21) in the Aleutians 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.
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.
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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