NORTH CAROLINA

Camp Butner N.C.

Nov. 26, 1942

Dear “Ma”

Well I made quite a little trip this last week. I spent seven days and six nights on the train. We are in a heck of a mess now, our clothes and things haven’t got here yet. This is a new camp and there’s not very many here. The climate seems to be nice and there’s no hills, but I haven’t seen it all yet. We didn’t have very good eats on the train and we were only off one time for exercise so I don’t feel just right. I’m not going to write much, but I wanted to let you know where I was. You won’t be able to write for a while because I might be moved again so I can’t tell you where to write. I’m not quite as far from home now, but it would take 30 hours on the 400 to get to St. Paul. I’m just fourteen miles from Durham and twenty miles from Raleigh N.C. Everything is just as bad as when I got to Roberts and nobody knows the score, but I hope we get straightened out tomorrow so I can settle down again. Well I’m sleepy, so I’ll close for now.

Love,
Pvt. Lawrence Gunderson

Co. G. 310th Inf. A.P.O #78

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Sun. Nov. 29, 1942

Dear Mother,

Well I guess I am finally settled for a while at least, so you can write and I hope you would as soon as possible. I was moved in three different companies since I wrote. I never can tell how long I’ll be here either because as soon as this division is formed, we’ll be going across. This is a very new camp. In fact it was built last summer. I like the country up here pretty good, but it is kind of cold. There is a good chance for advancement here, lots of the boys got to be sergeants almost overnight. I’m in the same barracks as Ronald and a few of the other Minnesota boys, so we can talk old times. We haven’t done a darn thing since we were here except play ball yesterday afternoon. But I suppose next week will be different. There’s a mixed up bunch here. Some guys had six weeks training, some the same as me and there’s three sergeants in with us too. We are not allowed to take pictures so I guess I’ll have to send my camera home. We sure saw a lot of country on the way over here. We came through California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina. Up here is just like Northern Minnesota, all kinds of pine trees and a real snap to the air. I can’t hardly believe it, but I tip the scales at an even 200 lbs. We get pretty good chow here, but not as much fruit as at Roberts. There’s a lot of things I don’t like as well, but I’ll get used to them. Well I guess there isn’t much more to say. Write soon.

Love,
Pvt. Lawrence Gunderson

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Dec. 12, 1942

Dear Mary,

It’s about time you wrote me a letter and as for getting the fall work done, I know you, upstairs laboring over a hot magazine everyday. Well all kidding aside, I suppose you do have a few things to do. I haven’t done much since I got here and the less I have to do, the better I like it. This is a heck of a camp. They burn soft coal and it rains everyday and it’s all red clay, so you can imagine how nice it is. After you walk for about a half an hour, you can’t hardly pick your feet up. Ronny’s mother got here today so he was in fairly good spirits. But as long as we are on shipping lists, we can’t go anywhere and that makes it tough. She has to come out here to see him, he can’t even leave the Company area. I suppose you have to stay home right now with gas rationed, it’s too bad you couldn’t get in the Army so you could go to bed every night in the week at nine. You said I should see Flying Tigers, well I saw that over two months ago, of course way back in the sticks the shows are all old stuff when they get there. We have nothing but the latest. I don’t know of anything that I need now, but I can’t buy much here in camp, just candy and ice cream and little stuff. I am going to send my camera home as soon as I can get some stamps and maybe some other things. I hope I am still in the U.S. till after Xmas, but I never can tell. I didn’t even unpack my things so will be ready to move anytime. I think when we get to a new outfit we can have a furlough, that is if it’s not across. There’s so many rumors going around that a person don’t know what to believe. Of course we are not supposed to write about anything that goes on or see or hear. We can’t send any laundry or clothes to get cleaned and we have to stay around close so that means we go soon. I am glad to hear that Vic is going home because I know everything would be awfully hard for him. After a guy gets as old as he is, everything is so different that you’re just lost for a couple months. Things that I do now would seem crazy when I was home. I hope everyone is well at home aside from colds. I had one ever since I got here. It seems hard to get rid of it, the weather is so damp. Well I wrote enough for tonight. I have to shave and shower yet. Church is at seven and eight so I must wake up early. You know Sundays, we don’t have to get up till eight. Try to write a little more, I like to hear from home as often as possible. 

I remain your Brother,
Pvt. Lawrence Gunderson

Co. E. 310th Inf. A.P.O #78 

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Christmas Card: Mr. & Mrs. Wm J. Gunderson & Family

Just a few lines to say I’m still here. The way it looks now I’ll be here till after Christmas. If it is possible I will try and call up Christmas Day. Mrs. Benson sent us some cards from Durham so I sent one to most of my friends. I got a box of candy from the Malones today, if you see them, thank them for me. Well write soon. I’m short of time.

Just me,
Lawrence 

P.S. This ain’t much of a card, but it’s all I got.

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Dec. 28, 1942

Dear Mother,

Well I’m still in the same camp and I haven’t heard if we will stay here or not. Everything is just about the same, it rains nearly everyday so you can imagine how muddy it is here. There’s lots of swamp land and everywhere else is that dark red clay. As soon as you step outside you get into mud about two inches deep, it sure is tiresome walking in it. I went to midnight church, but didn’t receive. We had been on the machine gun range for three days and we didn’t get in til late so I couldn’t go to confession. I was so tired I couldn’t hardly keep awake in church. Well I finally got a pass last Saturday. I went down to Raleigh with four other guys. We sure had a time, we stayed at the “Sir Walter” hotel. Boy it was class, six dollars a room, private bath, radio, and everything. I spent about thirty bucks, but I still think it was worth it. It’s quite a nice town but everything is awfully high, we got there at four on Saturday and stayed til five on Sunday. I looked all over town but I couldn’t find anything to send home, so I’ll send a little money and you can buy anything that you want to. I’ve had a cold ever since I’ve been here but I feel a little better the last few days. I got an awful lot of mail the last two days and I don’t know how I’ll ever get it all answered. I also have enough cake, candy, cookies and cigarettes to last about a month. Ronny seems to be in a much better mood since his mother was here. I guess it did him some good cause I think he was quite lonesome and very glad to see her. One of the boys from Virginia, Minnesota just came back from furlough tonight. He’s going to be a corporal so he got a ten day leave. He said he had an awful good time. All soldiers get sixty gallons of gas to use when they’re home. Two other boys tore their furlough up because they live in Wyoming and they couldn’t make it in ten days. I think if I got ten days I’d try to make it somehow. Well I must try and write another letter tonight so will close for now. Hope you are all well.

Love,
Lawrence 

“I was sorry to hear about Warren Hendrick, but there will be lots more boys from around home coming back in a box before it’s over. I can safely say right now, I never expect to come home any other way.”

Postcard: Miss Mary Gunderson

Dec. 31, 1942 

Dear Mary,

I’m still in the same spot and still don’t like it, but might move anytime. We had a nice Christmas dinner, not like home though. It’s awful muddy here and fairly warm. I’m busy everyday but nothing new. Had a good time last weekend. Here’s hoping for the best.

Pvt. L Gunderson  

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Jan. 10, 1945

Dear Mother,

I have a few minutes now to write so I’ll try to construct a letter. By the time this letter reaches you I will be in a different place or at least on the road to it. All us guys from Roberts are leaving this week. I’ve just been sitting around for the last two days waiting. I’m not sorry that I’m leaving either. I thought when we got here it was a nice camp, but now I don’t want no part of it. I feel sorry for the boys that will be stationed here. This camp is for those boys that are getting in the army now, eighteen year olds for the second army. There seems very little to write about as usual. When I first got in the army there seemed more to write about, but now I’m so sick of writing the same in every letter. All the things were new to me then. Well it’s about time to go eat so I’ll close for now. I’ll write as soon as I get to my new place.

Love,
Lawrence

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Jan. 11, 1943

Dear Gene,

I received your letter today. Was very glad to hear from you. It’s pretty nice that you can get new tires but I suppose that will cost quite a bit. I was really surprised to hear that I have another sister and I’m glad it was a girl. Well I’m still here, we all thought that we would ship out Sunday night, but we’re still waiting around. That is some of us. They took eight or ten from my barracks, but I still have a few of my pals left and we are on the same shipping list so we might stay together. There isn’t much to say. I find it hard to write letters now because there’s never anything new. I suppose it keeps you plenty busy taking care of one coup. You work inside and Stan is outside, so I think you have the nicest job in the winter. Well, here’s hoping this letter finds you all in good health. I wish I could get home and see that new sister of mine. Well I must close for now.

Here’s Hoping,
Lawrence

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Jan. 16, 1943

Dear Mary, 

Received your letter today. I was very glad to hear from you. You are right, I am slipping on my letters. I get so sick of writing the same things all the time that I just don’t write. I suppose it sounds funny when I say nothing to write about. Well all this stuff I go through don’t interest me anymore and I figure that it don’t interest anyone at home either. For instance, we go out in the morning for one hour exercise, then one hour close order drill, then classes til noon. In the afternoon, some more classes or a hike or something til five o’clock, then change clothes for retreat at five thirty, supper at six and we’re supposed to be done for the day, but as long as I’ve been in the army I don’t think there was two nights in a row that we didn’t have something to do, change our sheets, draw equipment or turn some in. Oh yes, by the way, we’ve only changed sheets once since we were here. They’re getting so black. I hate to sleep on them. At Roberts, we changed every week. I’ve been on the alert for over a week just sitting around and I’m getting sick of that too. We can’t go anyplace. It’s worse than being in prison. About half the company has been shipped out. I heard since they left, some went back to California and some went up to Montreal, Canada. I guess I can expect to go most any place and I mean in the world. They even sent some boys up to Alaska that were here. I suppose to work on that big road up there. I got permission last Monday night to go to a dance that our battalion was giving at the service club. I had a nice time. They had two bus loads of girls from Durham and they were really nice girls. It was a formal dance, evening dresses and all. There wasn’t so many men, because there isn’t many left hear anymore. That was the first dance I went to since I was in the army. Ronny went with me, it was also the first one he went to. I’ve still got some of my pals left. Hauble and two others from Minnesota and two from Nebraska and one from Missouri. That is I know a lot more, but I chum around with them mostly. Our names start with G’s and H’s so were always close in line. I could of stayed here if I really wanted to and got corporal rating, but I wouldn’t take it when I wasn’t entitled to it. Some of the guys that stayed here as Corporals are as thick between the ears as a Missouri mule, but they just play up to the sergeant and buy beer for him and so on. I wouldn’t take a rating like that no how. I would rather be a first class private, have no responsibilities, no K.P, and a lot of other things. So Freada thinks I don’t write to her enough. Well I write to her about as much as I write to any of the girls. I think I did get three letters from her though that I didn’t answer yet. I’ll put a string on my finger and do it tonight (maybe). Well I don’t know of any names just off hand for the baby, but it should be some short name, how about mother’s middle name? I think that would sound nice. Don’t you think a short first name is nicer with a long last name? Well, there doesn’t seem to be much more to say. Don’t you think I “done” pretty good this time, more than I ever wrote in one letter before. I was sorry to hear about Warren Hendrick, but there will be lots more boys from around home coming back in a box before it’s over. I can safely say right now, I never expect to come home any other way. Well I must close for now and I will try to write more often in the future. Hope mother and the baby are well and will be tearing around soon. Give my love to everyone.

Your Brother,
Lawrence

P.S. I moved to a different company, but I get my mail at the same address.

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Jan. 19, 1943

Dear Mother,

Well I’m still here and don’t know anymore than I did a week ago. It’s two weeks now since we did any training, we have just been lying around. I lost six pounds so I guess lying around doesn’t agree with me. Well you know when a person doesn’t get any exercise you have no appetite. We have had lousy eats lately too. I don’t even go twice a day to eat because it isn’t worth the effort. I got a letter from Jim Dwinnell today and he wrote he wants to try and get me out of the army. I wrote and told him to go ahead if he thought it would do any good. I don’t see why he didn’t think of that sooner or before I even went. In a way it would seem nice to be back again, but it wouldn’t look right, would it? Well I’m going to see if he can do it anyway. Well, I suppose it’s plenty cold around home now. It’s been quite warm here, I guess it was about up to seventy one day. My cold is breaking up a little, but it seems to take a long time to get rid of it. Well I guess I’ll close for now. Hope everyone is well.

Love,
Lawrence

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Jan. 25, 1943

Hi Kids,

Well I got your letters today. I was glad to hear that you’re all well. I like the name you picked for the baby, it sounds nice. I wish I could come home and see her, she must be cute. I haven’t heard from Jim Dwinnell yet, so I don’t know what he has done. You know I answered his letter and told him to do what he could. As far as action goes, I have seen all I want right now. I’m so disgusted with the Army that it isn’t funny anymore and I mean it. I sure pity those poor nineteen year olds when they get in the army. They will be so darn scared, they won’t dare open their mouths. I used to get up in the air when somebody would tell me to do something as you must remember, but I have to take it now and say nothing. It sure would do some people good to hear the way they order a person around. I’ve worked for quite a few guys that talked rough and told you what to do in a rough way, but these suckers are about the best I’ve seen. So if J.D can do anything about getting me out of this mess, I really would like it. You know I won’t even talk the same language when I get home if I do. Right now if I ever talk to a civilian, I don’t know how to talk anymore. They say the training is good for a person, but I think it does one more harm than good. Well enough about the so & so Army. Stan must be doing alright if he can buy Buick cars. If I was home right now, I’d buy the newest one I could get a hold of because I think cars will be so high when the war is over that no one can afford one. The snow must be pretty deep when you have to get the cat to plow the roads. Well just the same, I’d like to see some of it. There’s two boys with me from northern Minnesota and where they live it was as low as sixty below last week. “Pretty cold, eh?” It’s not as cold here now as before Christmas, you can be outside all day in your shirt and don’t freeze at night. Well I’ll close for now as I want to go and get something to eat. So long till next time. 

Your Brother,
Lawrence

P.S. I think I will have to send home my garrison cap, so you can expect it.

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Jan. 27, 1943

Dear Mother,

Just thought I’d write a few lines before the lights go out. It rained mostly all day today, so we didn’t go out much. We scuffed the barracks floor and washed the windows so we have a clean floor tonight. Believe it or not we got clean sheets tonight so we really are in style tonight. I guess I told you we live in a different company now, but I get my mail and orders from the same company. It rather complicates matters but it’s just the Army. I don’t think we will go for a few days yet, because they told us we would get paid before we go. Some of the boys must of gone across because they gave them blankets, extra clothes, helmets and a lot of extra things. I hope I don’t go across right away because there might be a chance for me to get out yet. I read a piece in the paper that said they were releasing quite a few from service to go back to the farm. I got a letter from Florence Schiffsky today and she said not to be too hopeful because she didn’t know what Jim D could do. I don’t think you need father to send the papers because Ronny’s ma sends them nearly every week and I see them anyway. Well, so long till next time and write often.

Love,
Lawrence