"Section 8"

Ben is at the University of Connecticut for A.S.T.P. school  which is the  (Army Specialized Training Program.)  In 1943, the dormitories at UConn left a lot to be desired and the weather hit record low temperatures in that year.

October 27, 1943
Storrs, Connecticut
Hi Folks,

Just came back from chow and found seven letters waiting for me.  Here I’ve been complaining cause I’ve only been getting one or two a day & now I get seven.  But I take a look at the post marks and most of them were mailed between the 15th and 20th.  What a lousy system they’ve got here.  Only one mail call a day.  Now to answer a couple of your questions in those letters.  Send the Times Union and seeing as you can’t get regular shorts, get the V-type.  I’m feeling okay and I haven’t even had a cold since I’ve been here.

Monday night it started to drizzle & the wind started to blow and blow.  It seemed to increase by the hour until a gale was blowing & it got cold as hell.  By Tuesday it was really raining & colder yet.  You could hardly open the outside door, it was blowing so hard.  The rain kept up all night but stopped this morning.  It isn’t cold now either.  I only wore my O.D. shirt today.  My field jacket is being repaired by some women’s Church society up in the Community House.

All we are doing is studying & slowly going nuts.  We’re bucking for Section 8 (Instant Discharge) & I think we might get it.  Last night, the windy night, we were all studying at our desks which are in front of two windows.  It was sort of warm because the radiator is right in front of us.  One of the two fellows on the left opened the window a little.  I don’t know why, but me and another fellow objected, probably just to break the monotony.  So he then proceeds to open the window wide, top & bottom.  We do the same.  Then someone opens the door to create a draft.  Then pretty soon, someone goes out & opens the hall window until a gale is blowing through the room.  And there we were, sitting in our underwear.

Other fellows going down the hall were complaining about the freezing wind & wondering what the hell was going on, but no one would give in, until one of the other fellows broke down after getting his overcoat & winter hat.  (P.S., we turned off the heat, too)  Do you think that qualifies us for Section 8.  If not there are plenty of other incidents.

Alfonse is still in Georgia.  From letters I get from fellows & girls that I graduated with, most of the grads are in the Air Force, Navy or A.A.A.,(Anti Aircraft Artillery)  but I haven’t  heard of anybody in the Infantry.  Tell Madeline I’m sorry I haven’t time to answer her card but it’s sorta impossible.  Besides I have seven letters to write to people that have congregated for the past two weeks.

Love,
Ben