Lt. Reichard’s WWII Diary – March 14, 1943 by Lt.Reichard (03/13/09).
Lt. Reichard’s WWII Diary Project and Recap: 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.
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.
Sunday, March 14, 1943
March 14, 1943 Diary Page
Gowen Fieid, Boise, Idaho
This morning for the first time in a hell of a long time I slept until noon. Of course I was out pretty late but it is unusual that we didn’t have an inspector or someone in to look things over. We weren’t bothered the whole day which is really hard to understand. That mother of mine is a bird. After I had already made out my income tax return and sent in a check for a quarterly payment she sends me a letter showing where I had lost so much in my business interest at home that I didn’t have to pay any income. I got that letter this morning so it helped out a lot. Now what in the hell am I supposed to do? I can use that money I sent very nicely but how am I supposed to get it back? This afternoon Lt. H ______ and I saw “Air Force” which is by far the most powerful show of this war I have ever seen. I think every one should see it. This evening we went in town and dropped around to see some friends of his and enjoyed a bull session until about ten thirty when we decided to come on out and go to bed. Tomorrow I have to go out on the rifle range so would like to get a good night’s sleep. I don’t sleep very sound any more and I can feel it.
• In a series of convoy battles over the next week (March 14-20), 21 ships of 140,800 tons from convoys SC-122 and HX-229 were sunk in the Atlantic. About 20 of 40 U-boats would attack, and the convoy escorts would fail to sink a single German U-boat. The German intelligence service, B Dienst, had provided solid information on the routes of these the convoys. (http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1943/mar1943/f14mar43.htm)
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; Sean McGill – voice of Lt. Reichard
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