Ice Skates

Ben is 18 years old.  He is at the University of Connecticut.  Florence says he’s showing his temper here which was an extremely rare event during their 53 years together.  She wonders if the ice skates ever arrived but they could never replace Ben’s love for his mother’s cooking.  Besides if Ben is stationed in the south after his furlough, he won't be using skates.e,

December 21, 1943
Monday

Dear Folks, 
Well, how’s everything with you.  Right now I would like some advice.  What do I have to do for you to send me the ice skates?  I’m not angry with you, I’m just madder than hell.  I asked for them almost three weeks ago.  Maybe it’s better this way though.  I won’t have to go through all the trouble of opening the box.  I’ll just mail it back, as it came, as I rush for the train South.

In case I ever do get home, you can appease my anger & hunger by having some of the following.  Bean soup, cabbage soup, breaded veal cutlet, baked beans & potatoes, lima beans, chopped liver, etc. & anything else that you remember I like.

Ben

Croix de Guerre

Ben is 18 years old.  He is at the University of Connecticut for the Army Specialized Training Program.  He’s hoping for his first  furlough.  Ben's photo in this letter on the web site is out of order.  We see now that it is really at the time he returns from the war as we learn from his December 2, 1945 letter he writes home, "A few days ago, the 104th was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French Government.  Another ribbon and a fourragere to wear."  In the photo the fourragere is displayed over the shoulder of his jacket.  The National Museum of American Jewish History confirms that the fourragere is still attached to his jacket.

December 21, 1943
Monday Night
 
Dear Folks, 

At last I can tell you something definite about the Christmas furlough.  I just came back from a talk with the C.O. & he told me that I would be able to get home from Thursday night until Sunday night but wasn’t at all certain about the regular furlough.  I’ll arrive home sometime Thursday night or Friday morning, all depending on what time we get out.

I really feel sorry for our C.O.  As I told you before, he’s a young handsome lst Lieutenant.  But he’s limited service because of something wrong with his eye that can’t be corrected with glasses.  And just recently in the Gilbert invasion, his Dad (a Colonel) was killed while leading his men forward.  I can imagine how he feels when people stare at & wonder what he’s doing up here in the A.S.T.P.

Don’t forget to have some good meals & please don’t faint when you see how fat I am.  I couldn’t help it up here.

Ben

Vaughn Monroe

Ben is hoping for his first furlough.   He is at the University of Connecticut for A.S.T.P.    Vaughn Monroe entertains in Hartford.  Click on Ben name to listen to Vaughn Monroe singing “Sound Off” on the web site.

December 21, 1943
Sunday
 
Dear Folks,
Hello again.  Just got back from a weekend spent in Hartford.  Had a very nice time.  Saw Vaughn Monroe.  Nothing definite on the Christmas furlough yet.  Weather is fine.

Love,
Ben

Restricted

Ben is 18 years old.  For the last two months he has been at the University of Connecticut for A.S.T.P. school.  His company is restricted for a week.  He describes his experience here which becomes very different when he returns to Infantry Basic Training.  

December 4, 1943
Sunday Morning

Dear Folks, 

Well, how’s everything at home.  I hope you’re not affected by the flu, as most of Rochester is.  Everything is okay with me, haven’t even got the sniffles, knock on wood.  Although I don’t know why.  We’ve had average winter weather here up until the wee hours of Saturday morning.  It was chilly but not cold enough for an overcoat.  The lake had melted, too.  But starting Saturday morning we got about a 60 mile wind blowing around the place.  It was beastly cold.  A teacher told us, that down in the Valley where he lives, it was about 10 above.  The University is located on one of the highest hills around the countryside, so it was a lot colder than that.  And it kept getting colder all through the day. 

Am I glad I got that scarf and earmuffs.  Some of the fellows got their ears frostbitten just waiting to get into chow.  And these buildings were probably built before the Resurrection, as the Sergeant said.  Every room in the joint was freezing, cause the radiators aren’t working to their full efficiency.  We took the valves off to see if that would help (and it did) and we found ice on one of the stems.  I was wearing my overcoat inside.  And regulations say that the windows have to be open a foot from the top and six inches from the bottom, to prevent respiratory diseases.  Even during the past week, it was too cold at night to do that and stay warm, at least on our side of the building, which faces the wind, and we happen to have a corner room.  But yesterday, it was too windy & cold to have a parade, so we had an inspection.  And for purposes of the inspection, we opened the window to regulations, even though we knew that they wouldn’t want us to have them open on a day like that, but we wanted to emphasize the situation. 

Our new C.O. (Commanding Officer) - a young handsome lst Lieutenant who just came up from Camp Croft - realized the situation but there’s nothing he can do.  A couple days ago we asked him for extra blankets & he said he’d get something for us.  They issued comforters yesterday, but by the time our section had a free period to go get them, they were all out.  So we spread our overcoats on top of the bed.  As it turned out, we were pretty warm last night, as long as we were in bed.  It’s still pretty cold in the rooms, but not as cold as yesterday.  That’s probably because the wind has died down, although its still almost as cold.  Yesterday morning, the lake was unfrozen but at night it was all frozen, even with the wind.  And you know it has to be damn cold for a lake to freeze when a big wind is tossing the waves about.  It froze rough so it probably won’t be good for skating.  Well that’s enough about the weather. 

Perhaps you’re wondering why I haven’t said anything about what I did last night.  Well, the whole Company A decided to stay on campus this weekend, after the C.O. told us we had to.  It seems that we’re  restricted until further notice.  We really got the book thrown at us.  We are restricted to the barracks for the week, can’t go to the college store or community house or any recreational function, we have to eat at the end of every company all week long, we have to form in platoons after mess & march back in formation, instead of just wandering back, (oh, is it cold) we had to stand reveille this morning & will have to stand all formations today, and the section leader has to make a report every half-hour of the rooms to make sure everybody is in.  But some of them sneaked out.  A fellow in our room left at 10:30 to see his girl in one of the dorms.  We pinned some Pfc (private first class) stripes on him so the officers wouldn’t stop him.  That’s quite a lot of restrictions.

And all because some freshmen girls complained that we were waking them up in the morning when we came back from chow.  I admit that we used to holler “Hit It” & “Get Up” & things like that, cause I used to do it, too.  After a while they started throwing water at us.  The dorm is right in our path coming back from chow, & it was a temptation no one could resist.  I know it was our fault for doing it, but we shouldn’t have gotten the book thrown at us.  After they got us restricted, they were a little sorry & tried to get it lifted.  The house mother of another dorm that had a formal dance last night tried to get it lifted too, but that’s where they made their mistake.  Civilians shouldn’t try to argue with the army.  He can’t let civilians run the army.  I guess some of the people resent soldiers being sent to school & getting paid for it & monkeying around at the same time.  They think we lead a soft life.  Sometimes we wish we were in combat.  Anyway, that dorm is black-balled from now on & the other girls are mad at them, too, cause lots of them had dates.  That’s all there is to it.  I guess we’ll have to keep on our toes this week or we’ll be restricted next weekend too.

I got the laundry back Friday.  They did a pretty good job, at least better than the G.I. laundry.  I have some more all packed to go.  Probably mail it tomorrow.  I forget exactly how many of what kind of pictures I’m having made, but I think it’s; one large one, two 5x7 & 6 of each of the two you picked out, in a  small size.  I will be able to get reprints later on.  Well, that’s about all,

Love,
Ben

Typing

Ben asks for ice skates in a testy manner.  The infantry basic training he had at Camp Croft is very different from the training here.

HEADQUARTERS S.C.S.U. 1146
THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
STORRS, CONNECTICUT
December 17, 1943

In reply
refer to:
Kaplow, Benj.

SUBJECT:  Letter home
TO:             The Folks Back Home.

 Perhaps you’re wondering why the typewritten style of letter?  Well, I happen to be C.Q. (Charge of Quarters) tonight.  All it is, is a monotonous job.  I’m on from 5 p.m. until noon tomorrow.  I just sit at the desk in the orderly room and sign the fellows in and out and collect the room check reports from the section leaders.  I was afraid that I was going to have to stay up until 2:30 tonight on account of a Greek Letter Dance, but, luckily I don’t have to.  I’m using this military style cause that’s what we’re taking up in English now.  Thought I’d practice it.

 Everything is going along pretty good.  The weather here has toned down, the restriction is lifted, and the ice is swell for skating!  Say, when are you going to send those skates?  I asked for them two weeks ago.  I would like to get in a little skating before I leave, IF YOU don’t mind!

 I’m not saying that I won’t, but don’t rely too much on my being home for Christmas and the furlough as I planned.  I don’t know anything more about it, but just don’t plan on it.  If I do get home, all well and good.  If I don’t, I’ll be home some other time.
 No, I haven’t heard from Bob in a long while.  So please forward his letters.

 Marion sent me a scarf the early part of the week.  The same day I got a bar of candy from Saks with no card.  Probably from Aunt Anna. That’s about all the news except that I’m getting very sleepy doing nothing.  If you still haven’t sent the skates when you receive this, never mind then.

    Love,
/s/ Ben Kaplow
     Lt. Inf.
     Commanding Platoon (4)

Drafty Dorms

Ben is 18 years old.  He is at the University of Connecticut for A.S.T.P. school which is the  Army Specialized Training Program.  The weather continues to be very cold and windy.  Not the best situation for drafty dorms.  Here’s a post card he wrote.

December 14, 1943
Monday Night
 
Dear Folks,

Well how’s everybody tonight?  I’m still the same here.  The wind has been blowing all day here again, harder than Saturday when it was blowing about 70 miles an hour.  But they sent men around to fix the radiators so they’re not too bad now.   Tell Arnette to buy me a little toilet kit bag.  I think she knows the kind I want, like we saw before I came into the Army.  Send it before Christmas.

Love,
Ben

Worried

Ben is 18 years old.  He is at the University of Connecticut for A.S.T.P. school which is the  Army Specialized Training Program.  In this Post Card, we don’t know exactly why his family was worried. 

December 14, 1943
Sunday Night
 
Dear Folks,

I just received your phone call.  If I had known that you would have worried as you did, I wouldn’t have written you.  It was just another incident in the life of a soldier.  I had almost forgotten about it.  It’s getting warmer now.  Might turn out to have some good weather.

Ben

"350 or Fight"

Ben is 18 years old.  For the last two months he has been at the University of Connecticut for A.S.T.P. school which is the  Army Specialized Training Program.

December 4th

Dear Folks,

We were sitting around waiting for the inspecting officer, so I thought I might as well catch up on my badly neglected correspondence and also write to you.  The inspection this morning is supposed to be stricter than usual.  They’re going to inspect us personally and also our walls.  Yep, they had us washing the marks off our walls last night.  Imagine, us A.S.T.P. men doing manual labor.  I thought I left that behind at Camp Croft.

We had our last exam yesterday.  I think all the fellows agree that these were harder than the first.  In fact, my eye is still twitching today from straining it during the exam.  And we took the exams in a smaller room too, where the proctor didn’t have so much to watch, which made it harder for us.

I think I wrote you that they shipped out some fellows.  They got one fellow from our room, who happened to be in the hospital at the time with a cold, so he left a couple of days later.  We drew cards for his bed and I won.  It’s a small 2 man room off the big one with a single bed and thick mattress.  It’s a much warmer room too, cause the wind doesn’t blow through it.

Have you heard our new motto?  “350 or Fight”, cause you need that many points to stay in the program.  Received the box alright.  Thanks.  Also received the snapshots & proofs.  Mom & Dad look very good.  So is the one of Ruth & Arnie.  How about those reprints you said you would get?That girl that Arnie met is the girl friend of Russ Hildebrant who went through #3 with me & was cheerleader at Madison.  I think he’s overseas now, at least he has an A.P.O. number.  In the next package, please include some pipe cleaners.  That’s all for now,

Love,
Ben

Ben's photo 2

Ben is 18 years old.  Photos were taken at the University of Connecticut for A.S.T.P. school.  Perhaps the photo Ben selected from the proofs sent home is the one on this site’s home page, however the medals might indicate that it is not.

December 1, 1943
Storrs, Connecticut
Tuesday Night
 
Dear Folks,
I’m sending you these proofs so you can pick out the one you like best.  The ones I like best have an X on the back.  Choose one of the pictures and send them back right away, possibly the same day you receive them.

They won’t be done until about the 22nd of December.  How many big ones do you want?  I was thinking of getting one or two large ones and a dozen small ones.  They all come in frames.

Love,
Ben

Gigged

It’s hard to imagine Ben mailing his laundry home from the University of Connecticut, but in another letter he says there isn’t a laundry facility for them on campus.  Here the family is telling him not to send it home, but it’s too late.
 

December 1, 1943
Tuesday Night
 
Dear Folks,
I received your letter telling me not to send the laundry, just after I had mailed it at the post office.  Just have it done as fast as possible.  It doesn’t have to be ironed, just wet wash if it doesn’t take as long.  But if it takes the same length of time, have them ironed.  I finally got back the six pair of socks that was missing from the last laundry, something that I never expected would be done.

Well, they’re finally shipping some fellows out tomorrow, to the Airborne Infantry.  They’re only taking one fellow from our room.  Don’t worry, it isn’t me.  But it probably will be next time.  By the time you get this letter, the second monthly exams will probably be all over with.  We’re having the first ones tomorrow.

I got gigged last night for having the light on after taps.  Imagine gigging anybody for studying late.  But it was my own fault.  I should have gone down to one of the class rooms downstairs.  I only got 2 demerits, which doesn’t mean anything, because you have to have three to be restricted a weekend.

They’re getting awfully strict around here lately.  Coats & jackets have to be buttoned in chow line & either taken off or kept buttoned while eating.  And your collar has to be kept down at all times.  They made us take off all our insignias & we can only wear the A.S.T.P. patch, which made a lot of the fellows mad.  And when there is snow, we can’t throw any snowballs at any time on the campus, not even in our free time.

A puppy followed one of the fellows up to our room this afternoon.  It’s a cute little thing.  We brought some hash from chow & fed it.  We don’t know what we’ll do with it, but we’d like to keep it.

Love,
Ben

1931 Ford

Ben is at the University of Connecticut for A.S.T.P. school  which is the Army Specialized Training Program.  Granddaughter, Serena Obrecht, reads this letter on the website.
 

November 28, 1943
Sunday                                                                            

Dear Folks,
Just got back from an overnight trip to Hartford.  Had a pretty good time.  Saw “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and a stage show with The Merry Mars, Gracie Barrie & Orchestra, and Jean Parker.  I stayed at the servicemen’s “Y” for 35 cents.

Tell Dad that whenever he has an opportunity to pick up Servicemen, to do so.  You don’t know how we cuss some of those guys that pass us up with empty cars. 

When I left the University, I got a ride in a 31 Ford.  Three in the front seat, three in the rumble seat, and two on each running board.  That car was weaving all over the road, but it took us to Manchester where another car picked us up right away.  Just missed a ride in a jeep cause there wasn’t room enough.

On the way back from Willamantic, got a ride with one of the Captains up here.  Well I’m going to catch an hour’s sleep & then get on with my studying.

Love,
Ben

Until Victory

Ben is at the University of Connecticut for A.S.T.P. school which is the Army Specialized Training Program.  The website photo from left to right: Mother, Sisters Ruth and Arnette, Brother Bob.  Ben is kneeling.  Grandson, Greg Kaplow, reads this letter on the website.

November 25, 1925

Dear Folks,
Happy, burp, Thanksgiving! burp.

I’ve just come back from a Thanksgiving meal that was delicious.  Turkey, potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, etc.  It wasn’t as elaborate as I used to get at home, but, it was undoubtedly better than some other soldiers are getting.  I guess I do have a lot to be thankful for.  In fact, I’m not even going to gripe once during this letter.

The package arrived yesterday and was welcomed by all.  The cookies passed inspection with a gold star.  And we really made a feast on that salami and bread.  One of the fellows wasn’t quite sure about the cookies so he wants you to send another batch to double check, if you get what he means.

I hope you had good weather for Thanksgiving.  The weather here is perfect again.  It’s warm again and practically all the snow has melted.  Say, don’t forget to send me some snapshots of the family.  Old ones will do, just anything that I can look at when I feel like it.  Guess I’ve run out of news, so

Until Victory,
Ben

Danced

Ben is at the University of Connecticut in the Army Specialized Training Program.     He reports to his sister about the happier time he had on Saturday night in Willimantic, CT. 
 

November 21, 1943
Letter to sister, Ruth
Sunday

Dear Ruth,
Well, I’m writing this letter in a different mood than the one I wrote you last weekend.  I went to Willimantic yesterday and had a swell time.  I saw “Sahara”, which I thought was very good.  Then I went to the U.S.O...... and danced!  Not very much, I admit, cause there wasn’t much time.  Nothing is doing at the U.S.O. before ten o’clock, when the first show lets out, cause practically all the soldiers go to the show.  Then they start piling in.  It gets more crowded each week. 

They had a 5 piece orchestra there for the first time.  I met one of my roommates who can’t dance, but he had his girl, so we danced a couple of dances.  Then they had a Paul Jones, so I got in a few more dances.  Then I met the girlfriend of another roommate who went to Hartford this weekend, and I danced with her. 

But I couldn’t dance with any of them like I can with you.  I guess I’ll have to learn to lead better.  When the dance was over at 12, we went out and had something to eat and drink.  Then we took the girls home.

All in all, I had a swell time, probably the best spent Saturday night since I’ve been here.  But I can still do a lot of improving on myself.

The weather here is beautiful today.  Just like Spring.  I bet you wish you were up here instead of being in the dreary weather Rochester is experiencing.  I was sorry to hear about the package, but it was probably the mishandling of the packages by the Post Office.  When I worked there, I used to see them throw them all over, sometimes missing the basket and hitting the floor.

Love,
Ben

Tension

Ben is 18 years old.  He is at the University of Connecticut for A.S.T.P. school.  Here he tells his folks not to be shocked if he cheats on his upcoming exams because he doesn’t want to be out of the ASTP before he gets his furlough over Christmas.   Florence, Ben’s wife, could see how much a furlough meant to him and the other soldiers.  And she says, “Within our 53 years together, I never saw Ben cheat or heard him lie.  In fact, he was brutally honest.”

November 20, 1943   
Storrs, Conn.
Friday Night

Hello Folks,
It’s me again.  No special homework to do except reading, but I can do that Sunday so I’m taking it easy tonight.  We got brand new desk lamps yesterday, which makes it much easier on our eyes.  That twitch I had in my eye has disappeared, so I’m all right physically, the only thing wrong being that I’m not too happy most of the time.

 As I think I told Ruth; sometimes I feel like I want to stay here but then I think of all the work, and tension, and the way I’m always tired and I want to be shipped out, but then I don’t know what’s ahead of me, so I’m in a hell of a state of mind.  That’s why I’m not too interested in my studies anymore, even though I make a stab at it every night.  It doesn’t do to pay any attention in Physics anymore, cause I’m so hopelessly confused, though I passed the exam.  I’ll have to cut out sleeping in class, though -- getting too many hotfoots!  We give them to everybody that goes to sleep.

And some nights, some bug gets into all of us and we have a riot in the room.  Pushing kids down the hall on top of dressers; throwing bags of water on the kids in the room below when they stick their heads out of the window; having battles with coke bottles; and one night, when two of the fellows were in bed, another showers them with the refuse from the wastepaper basket.  All such nonsense as that.  It helps to lift our spirits.

The other night we had a 15 minute blackout.  A fellow from another room came in with his blouse & garrison hat on & told us to keep away from the window & to shut off the radio.  In the dark, we thought it was the Sarge. But when we found out______!!  Today was just like a Spring day.  It was lovely.  But from our window we can still see some of the ice left on the lake from a couple of days ago.  What changeable weather.

There are a lot of planes always flying around here.  Sometimes they circle around & do some stunts for us.  Like today, there was a trainer that was circling & banking right outside our window.  So low we could see the pilot. 

I haven’t received the box as yet, but my mouth is watering for that salami. About the exams ---  The only thing I flunked was math, which I expected.  If I’m still here for the next exams, I don’t mind telling you that I’m going to cheat as much as I can.  Don’t be shocked.  It’s no longer a matter of knowing the stuff yourself, it’s so you’ll be able to stay around for the Christmas furlough (Friday night to Sunday night) and for the furlough at the end of the term.  After the term is over, I won’t care about flunking out at all.

Some fellows in the Air Corps that flunked out this time, left a few days ago.  They’re supposed to read another shipping list next week sometime.  Well, that’s about all.

Love,
Ben