Wednesday, July 24, 2013

November 22, 1942

From: Pvt. Geo. F. Gleasure, CoE. 12th. Infantry. Camp Gordon. Augusta GA.
To: Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston Mass. (Boston)

Dear Pa.

I received your letter this afternoon (Sunday) & I was surprised to hear that you haddnt received my letter in regards to the change in address because I sent it out about two weeks ago & it should have arrived there long ago, the course of delay is delay is diffinetly at the other camp because since Ive been here the mail has been fairly good in coming in.  How will that slump that they are having on the railroad effect my job & some of the others who left there in the past year?  It looks to me like all the veterans of this war will have the same unemployment trouble that those of the last war had.  If we do go back & find no job it wont be taken by us as easy it was by the old war veterans.  I read about that fire in the Macon papers last week.  Yes I did mention Dr. Thompsons findings to the army doctor at Wheeler & he said the xray didnt show anything.  I didnt get any [?] from him so Im going to see the doctor in this camp as that pain is still there regardless of the xray saying negative, it could be something else or may be they were giving me the run around at Wheeler but Im going to find out anyway.  That furlough that I told you about should be due somewhere around the first couple of weeks in December.  If it comes through & as far as getting home Ill make it okay if we get paid before it comes up. we new ones who just arived in this camp havent yet signed the payroll so if we dont get it by then Ill only be able to get as far as New York City as Im a couple of dollars short of what I need.  The weather here today is hotter than blazes and it makes us lazy & sleepy, I dont like it atall, Id rather be up where its cold rather than down here where its hot.  Talking about strenuous forms of work, we have to go [out outs?] a large parade ground here about three times a week & run two miles, sofar I havent been able to do it, I go for about a mile & a half then I drop out its too much of a strain when you are not used to it.  Well this is about all the news from here so will close hoping to see you all soon.

Luck
George

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

November 17, 1942

From: Pvt. Geo. F. Gleasure, Co E. 12th Infantry, Camp Gordon, Augusta, GA
To: Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston, Mass. (Boston)

Dear Pa,-

Here I am once again.  I thought Id write & tell you that I may be able to come up there on a furlough sometime next month, this is not definite yet but the chances look pretty good so I hope I'll be able to get there.  Dont tell the rest of the family as I dont want them to know Im coming until I get there.  I dont think I'll be able to make it by Christmas but it will be somewhere around there.  If I get it.  How's the weather up there now?  Is there snow on the ground?  I want to know these things so I can wear proper clothes for that climate.  Ive only been here a short time & already I have a heavy cold so Ive got to be more carefull here than I was at Wheeler as its much cooler here.  Well this is about all there is for here so will close hoping to see you all very soon.

Luck
George

Let me know if you ge the pictures in last letter.

Monday, July 22, 2013

November 16, 1942

From: Pvt. Geo. Gleasure, CoE. 12th Infantry, Camp Gordon, Augusta, GA
To: Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston, Mass.

Dear Pa,-

I wrote you a short note the other day telling you not to write till you heard from me, well its okay to start writing again as Im settled in my new home for a while.  I dont know how long but Im here anyhow so you can send the mail to the above adress from now on if it changes again Ill let you know.  How is it that the railroad is slaking up in business?  I thought that it would be going full blast How does Jimmy like the Masons?  I think Ill try for aplication in the order either after I get home or possibly if I get settled someplace before I get back home.  I think this place is better than Wheeler every body here seem to be very friendly & willing to help you if you need it.

As for that condition in my chest, I was up to the hospital & had an exray taken and they said its negative but that pain is still there, I cant understand what would cause it, if it bothers me much here Ill see the doctor in this camp & he might be able to tell me what it is.  You can tell Martha & the others to send their letters to this adress.  This is all for now, so write soon.

Luck
George

Please excuse pencil as I broke the pen.

Friday, July 19, 2013

November 15, 1942

From: Geo. F. Gleasure, CoE. 12th Infantry, Camp Gardner, Augusta, GA
To: Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston, Mass. (Boston)

Dear Pa,-

I forgot to tell you in my last letter that there may be a letter sent there from a friend of mine who I met at Camp Wheeler so if it comes just put it into an envelope & mail it to me here, you see he couldn't send it hear because he don't know where I am so we figured that that would be the best way to get in touch with each other again.  Im also sending a few pictures we took.  I have to find out about that physical trouble of mine & when I do Ill let you know whats the cause of it.  Well this is about all for now.

Luck
George

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

November 12, 1942

From: Mai Baker, The Cottage, Ballincollig, Co Cork
To: Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston, Mass. USA

My dear Frank,

What a pleasant surprise when I was just going to take my breakfast this morning at getting your letter, you bet I did not bother with breakfast until I read your letter over a couple of times so glad to hear yourself & family are well, its a relief to you they are all grown up now, you had a lot of worry while they were young but in married life there is always something or another.  I have not heard from Listowel for past two months they are a bit slow sometimes in writing or I think they are busy making lots of money, they are doing very well down there they have got the house next door and are enlarging their business.  There is not many in Listowel that you would know now the only ones belonging to your time would be girl & boys of Buckley's family.  Mollie Lyons.  Leane the Chemist & Dr. Dillons.  You know Behan house next door got burned to the ground.  George came near losing his home at that time also there are strangers there now all the Behans are left town & some of them are dead.  I suppose you remember Nell Dowling who used bring us the milk she has a provision shop at end of the Square & has a grown up family she used often ask about you her sister Maggie went to New York & done very well.  Paddy has the house at Woodford.  All the old people of Tullig & Mt. Cole are dead James Connor Uncle Adam & Wife some of the Parkinsons etc. and all their family's are grown up and have children of their own grown up also I would not know half of them as I am over twenty years left Listowel and it's 19 years since I was down there they never invite me down for a few days and I would like to go John & Jim Connor are at Mt. Cole John is married but Jim is not.  Sarah is married she was very bad during summer & had to be put in hospital suffering from cancer.  as you know all the Dillons are out of the police now Tom is here in Cork he has five in family all doing splendid Paddy is living in Listowel his wife is dead and he drinks a good deal himself Bridge is living near Lixnaw & has a grown family also do you ever meet Mike he buried his wife last March and then the Carrolls there is only one of them left here Henry & Matt are dead Jerry is in New York also two others and are doing well by what themselves say.  And now about myself I don't know if I told you I have seven boys eldest 21 and youngest 9.  my eldest boy is motor Mechanic and is very good at his trade my second boy is trying at present to get to Belfast to do some war work if he can but the country is a bit upset and its hard to get anything [?].  I had a hard struggle to rear them as the father is very much given to drink and I've had a terrible life up to this he is over in England at present and I hope he stops there you said you did not hear from George after you wrote to him they told me they answered your letter & did not hear from you since so you got a wrong idea about it the world is so upset for past few years a person don't know if the letter goes right or not.  I do not know how many times I've written to Annie but I'm sure it's about 20 letters anyway I never got an answer to any of them I even sent them to Mrs. Smyth.  I am posting another along with this to her.  I'll be delighted to get the parcel if you will be able to manage it I hope I did not give you too much trouble I never knew you should look for permission to send them.  George was not very well for past twelve months I met them in Cork last May they were up to take their boy home from hospital as he was in with apendix George got very old looking his wife is very good to me as she sends me all my clothes as the same things fit us and she get finished with hers before they are worn I'd be lost for clothes only for her as I could not buy them myself I will send them your new address this evening and I'm sure they will write to you you will be tired reading all this I hope you will write to me very soon again I've often and often thought about you and wished you would write ask Annie to write me also Hope this finds you all in best & wishing you all a Very Happy Xmas

Your loving sister,
Mai

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

November 3, 1942

From: Pvt. Geo. F. Gleasure 7709, CoA. 15th [?] 1st Platoon, Camp Wheeler, Macon, GA
To: Mr. Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston, Mass. (Boston)

Dear Pa,

I wrote and told you the other day that I was to apear before a reclasification board for a physical examination.  Well I went up yesterday to the hospital and had a three dimension exray made of my chest and I went back again this morning to see how it came out and they told me it was negative so I don't have to worry about T.B. or anything like that, but I still have a physical weakness that almost overpowers me when Im under any strain such as a long march or anything that requires any degree of endurance.  At the hospital they act as though everyone is faking, at least that is how they strike me.  But I still have that pain in my chest regardless of what they or the xray says, there is something wrong somewhere.  Im not the only one who is told that there isnt anything wrong when there is.  But one thing I do know & that is that I'll never be able to stand up against anybody who is of better physical condition than I am.  The doctor that I spoke to said that he would talk to the doctor who has jurisdiction over this company so I wont know till then just what the results will be.  I also had a talk with the Company Comander and he understands that there is a general physical weakness there because he had observed me himself and he was about to call me in and ask me about it when I came in myself.  So far he has done what he could, but Im going to have another talk with him as soon as possible.  So far as that lung is concerned there isn't anything to get alarmed about so Ill close for now and will write again as soon as I find out what is to be done.

Luck,

George

Here are a few pictures I had taken Sunday