August 30, 1943
Camp Croft, South Carolina
Sunday
Hi Folks,
I received the package yesterday & all the fruit was in excellent condition. You really don’t have to send so many kinds every week. It must cost quite a lot. But always send oranges. I always take them on the hikes & sometimes in the afternoons. I’d kinda like some plums again, so....You can also send me some “Jeep Notes” & a pair of “ropies sandals.”
Don’t get the idea from the pictures that I’m just a scarecrow, cause I’m not. I’ve still got my stomach. Why, I don’t know. It probably was the photography. They just sit you down and - snap - snap. Took about 2 seconds. All those pictures cost $4. But don’t worry about the money angle. I’ve still got some left, with pay day this Tuesday. A lot of the guys are broke though because they visit all the bars on Saturday nite and get stinko. I’m probably not normal, but I don’t care. I had a sip of beer yesterday. That’s all I could drink. The occasion was this Rochester fellow’s birthday, yesterday. He had cake, candy, peanuts, etc. from home. We held it over at the Beer Garden, which is just like one of those stands in South Park with tables & benches.
Friday nite we had a so-called cross country hike. The rumors were flying fast & thick that it was going to be from 7 P.M till 3 A.M. & all that. But it turned out to be only 3 hours & we only traveled the two hours of daylight by cross country. The other hour was spent on the Troop Trail. We went rather slow & it was a cool night, so it wasn’t bad at all. I wasn’t even tired. And our rolls & coffee were waiting for us. This past week we’ve been having patrol & scout work. That is, advancing across the countryside. An example of it is in this week’s “Life” (I’ve already seen it so you don’t have to send it) where they are advancing on Tronia. Well I’ve got to write some more letters, so.....
Love,
Ben
About Me
- Pfc Benjamin Kaplow
- In 1943 I was drafted into World War 11 right out of Madison High School, Rochester, NY. This is my story as told in the letters I wrote home. They’re all here, all 192 of them. Spend some time with me as I describe my experiences in basic training and then off to war. They were written in an attempt to help me feel close to my family and to let them know what was going on in my life. It’s the first time I was away from home and I have to confess that I was homesick. My folks were Esther and Jacob Kaplow. We were four children in this order: Arnette, Ruth, Bob, and myself.
Troop Trail
“Ropies” were sandals that could be worn into the shower. “Life” magazine was a very popular magazine filled with photos of the day from all over the world.
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