Lt. Lawson Reichard’s WWII Diary – May 8, 1943 by Lt.Reichard (05/08/09).
Saturday, May 8, 1943 Camp Shanks, Orangeburg, New York
May 8, 1943 Diary Page
This morning who should I run into but that gang of men I sent as a cadre down to Muroc Lake California last fall. They are in a hot outfit and headed out too. They are all looking fine and I certainly was glad to see them. Yesterday my hands broke out with something that itches like hell. Today it’s twice as bad and I’m about to go nuts. These damn doctors around here don’t know from nothing. The Q.M. and Chem Warfare came around at eight o’clock and gave us an inspection. The C.W. inspection was pretty good and everything went off O.K. The rest of the day was taken up running down equipment and getting cleared so I could give the men passes. We had the situation cleared up so that was possible. I granted the passes about six o’clock and told the men to get the hell out in a hurry. Sure enough about six thirty headquarters called up and canceled all passes. Naturally I said the men had already gone. I went over to the hospital to get treated and found I had a serious case of atheletes (sic) foot and it’s got me worried. I never had that on my hands before but I’ve got it now. _____________ and I decided to go to a show. The lights went off due to a terrific storm which blew over soaking the country and turning this camp into a sea of mud. Well we couldn’t see the finish of the show so I came back and went to bed. Passes were OK’d about nine o’clock.
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 Jewish Fighting Organization (ZOB) headquarters on 18 Mila Street in the Warsaw Ghetto fell on this day in 1943. ZOB leader, 24-year-old Mordechai Anielewicz, died in battle. (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Warsaw.html)
• Thousands of Korean-Americans petitioned to have their status converted from that of enemy aliens to friendly aliens. In December 1943, this was granted. (http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/the-americas/the-americas-index-1943.htm)
The Jewish Fighting Organization (ZOB) headquarters on 18 Mila Street in the Warsaw Ghetto fell on this day in 1943; ZOB leader, 24-year-old Mordechai Anielewicz, died in battle.
• British forces withdrew from Buthidaung, just inside Burma. (http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/asia-and-the-pacific/asian-mainland/asian-mainland-index-1943.htm)
• The Japanese destroyers, Kuroshiro, Oyashio and Kagero, were sunk by mines and aircraft in the Kula Gulf in the Solomons.
(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.
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
This entry was posted
on Friday, May 8th, 2009 at 1:00 am and is filed under Articles, WWII Diary.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
