November 18, 1943

From: Pvt. Geo. F. Gleasure, 31157709, Co. E 12th Inf. A.P.O.#4 U.S. Army, Camp Gordon Johnston, FL
To: Mr. Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston, Mass. (Boston)

U.S. ARMY 

AMPHIBIOUS TRAINING CENTER

CAMP GORDON JOHNSTON, FLORIDA

Dear Pa: - 

Received your letter a couple of days ago but didnt get the chance to answer till just now. Have you had snow yet up there? Its pretty cold here & I figured from that, that it must be pretty cold up there. Glad that Martha got that job but isnt it sort of a dangerous place for her to be? Is Jimmy behaving himself at work or is he still the same way? I received a letter from Madeline the other day & have already answered it. I cant tell these people here that I cant do this or that because they pay absolutely no attention to you at all the story here is the same as every place else so we just have to see it through

Three fifty to pay for a fur coat is too much money she must be crazy. Yes Macks wife is working at that place where Martha was & somebody told me that he is working on the CI but that it was in the maintenance department. Well this is about all for now so till I hear from you again Ill close.

Luck

Geo

November 8, 1943

From: Pvt. Geo. F. Gleasure, 31157709, Co. E 12th Inf. A.P.O.#4 U.S. Army, Camp Gordon Johnston, FL
To: Mr. Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston, Mass. (Boston)

U.S. ARMY 

AMPHIBIOUS TRAINING CENTER

CAMP GORDON JOHNSTON, FLORIDA

Dear Pa: - 

Received your letter today also one from Martha, she tells me that she is going for a physical to work at the Navy Yard but I doubt if she will pass because those tests are pretty stiff. 

It did take that registered letter about a week to get here but thats the best way to spend money into this place because if it had been a money order Id had to go one hundred and thirty miles to cash it so a few days delay isnt much as long as it gets here. The newspapers didnt arive till three days later & that is due to very poor railroad sceduals down here. The railroads here have the best of engines & cars but the speed is [???]. 

We have had a couple of days of rain here & its pretty cold & we had to go for swimming lessons today but the air was too cold for us to stay very long so we got out of the water after we had all turned blue from the cold & you can bet that they wont get me in there again when its cold. Well this is all the news from here so till I hear from you again Ill close

Luck

George

October 30, 1943

From: Pvt. Geo. F. Gleasure, 31157709, Co. E 12th Inf. A.P.O.#4 U.S. Army, Camp Gordon Johnston, FL
To: Mr. Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston, Mass. (Boston)

U.S. ARMY

AMPHIBIOUS TRAINING CENTER

CAMP GORDON JOHNSTON, FLORIDA

Dear Pa: -

Received your letter this afternoon and by it I see that you didnt get my last letter thanking you for that money you sent. It got here okay but you shouldnt have sent so much because you need it for things up there. Whats the matter with Jimmy? One time he wants a day job another time nights it looks to me like he dont know what he does want. You say you turned in some insurance policies on me & that there is more due next October - How many policies do you hold on me altogether? It seems to me that you have been spending quite a little money for insurance. That fellow Beck that you were talking to in the Harvey Steel is a friend of mine but dont say too much to him because he is an awful gossiper, just like a woman, I dropped my friendship with that girl I used to write to because she is married so dont say anything to him about that because there would be a hell of a lot of trouble.

I was thinking things over one day & decided to stop that affair before there was trouble.

Things here are about the same as usual, right now the weather is very hot in the day time & very chilly at night so we have to be careful of colds. They have us down in the Gulf of Mexico every day trying to teach us to swim but I havent gotten any place yet & I dont think Ill ever be able to swim because I havent the strength to keep it up very long. Do you ever hear from Madeline at all? I wrote to her about three weeks ago & never did get an answer from her so I was wondering if things are okay out there.

I received a letter from Martha the other day & a birthday card from Theresa on the 14th also I got one from Jimmy but his handwriting is so poor that I couldnt read it so if he writes again the thing for him to do is to have one of the kids in the house re write it so that its legible otherwise I cant read it at all.

As yet newspapers havent arrived here but should be here in a few days, anyway the postal service from Washington on through the South is very poor & unreliable so we here just have to wait for things to come through. Like yesterday I got a letter that was mailed from Boston one month ago it never got here till yesterday afternoon so thats an example of the mail service down through here. Well this is about all from here for now so will close till I hear from you again.

Luck
George

P.S. You have made an error in addressing letters to me. You make is look like Johnston is a town here but it isnt, its part of the camps name.

Camp Gordon Johnston. Florida

September 12, 1943

From: Pvt. Geo. Gleasure 311577098, CoE 12th Inf. Reg. A.P.O. #4, 4th Infantry Division, U.S. Army, Fort Dix, N.J.
To: Mr. Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston Mass. (Boston)

Dear Pa:-

Received your letter about three days ago & haven't had the chance to answer untill now.  It's getting pretty cold around here now & they tell me that Pennsylvania & Jersey weather is the coldest there is on the coast.  I hope that we don't have to make that move to the South because I hate that damn place, one winter down there is enough I'd rather stay up here & freeze.  I received all letters and newspapers up to date so far.  How is Martha after her collapse?  If you ask me, I think there is something shady about that one she was with.  We had a big fire in the Pennsylvania Railroad station here last night & from what I hear the place is a wreck & it's a big place like the South Station.  They have been having quite a few train wrecks & now this fire, it looks to me like somebody's dirty work.  How is Jimmy doing at the engine house & how did he make out with the navy?  he said something about signing up.  I can't seem to think of anymore news to write up so till I hear from you again, I'll close.

Luck
George

September 9, 1943

To: Mr. Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston, Mass. (Boston)

From: Pvt. Geo. Gleasure 31157709, CoE. 12th Inf. A.P.O. #4, U.S. Army, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Dix, New Jersey

Dear Pa:-

I received your letter a few days ago and the newspapers arrived here yesterday.  Things are about the same as always with an exception of a possible move to Florida, it's not too definite yet & I hope they call it off because if we go down there, it will cost me plenty to get home & I haven't any too much as it is.  Has Martha gone to work yet?  I haven't heard from Madeline for some time now, so I think I'll write her when I finish this one.

Well, with Italy out of this mess, it looks as if the whole thing ought to be over this year, at least I hope so.  Did you hear much in the news about those two railroad wrecks last week?  All I could get was what the radio told about it.  I couldn't get much from the papers here in the line of news or pictures because these papers here are not very much good for news.  Well there isn't much more to write about so I'll close for now so don't forget to write soon so I'll get it before leaving here.

Luck,

George.

August 31, 1943

To: Mr. Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston, Mass. (Boston)
From: Pvt. Geo. F. Gleasure 31157709, CoE 12th Inf. A.P.O. #4, 4th Inf. Div. Fort Dix, NJ, U.S. Army

Dear Pa:-

I wrote you just as soon as I got back into camp the nite I left & as yet I've received no answer so I'm writing again just in case you didn't get that letter. In fact I haven't heard from anybody at all back there at all.  Martha doesn't write anymore or Theresa or Jimmy either, if they don't care to write once in a while I wish they would say so, so that I won't be looking for letters every time the mail man comes in.  I'm not going to bother any further with writing to people who don't even answer your letters, this place is strain enough on the nerves without thinking about what's going on at home.

I received all newspapers & what few letters that were here when I came back so all the mail that I know of is here.  We have been out on the rifle range pretty regular lately & one day last week while we were out there, one of the fellows in a target pit a little way from where I was stuck his head up too high & got a bullet right between the eyes and it passed in through the front of his helmet, through his head & out through the back of the helmet & as a result they have been after us ever since to keep our heads down.

Did you see anything about that train wreck up in New York the other day?  They say that some dope locked a switch engine out onto the main line when that train come along.  Well this is about all for now so I'll close till later.

Luck,

George

August 24, 1943

To: Mr. Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner St., Allston, Mass. (Boston)
From: Pvt. Geo. F. Gleasure 31157709, CoE. 12th. Inf. A.P.O. #4, 4th Inf. Div. U.S. Army, Fort Dix, New Jersey

Dear Pa:-

Just a short letter to let you know that I got back okay & it only took six hours for the whole trip so that was good time.  I don't know what happened to me but when I got up this morning I had a sore neck & a sick stomach but feel better now & I think I'll be okay, for a while I thought that I might be going to have another dose of pleurisy but it's wearing off now so I'm not going to worry over it.  Tell Martha & Theresa to write & also tell Martha to be sure that the letter I'm sending with this one is taken care of.  Well I got the newspapers & all mail due me so far, it was all on my bed when I got here last night.  Well I'll have to close now as the lights are going out so write again soon.

Luck, George

May 17, 1943

From: George Gleasure, Co. E, 12th Infantry, 4th Mtzd Division, Fort Dix, NJ
To: Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston, Mass (Boston)

Dear Pa,

Received your letter a few days ago but have been so busy that I couldnt answer till now and at that Ive only a few minutes before the lights go out. Im sorry to hear that Martha is in the hospital again but I dont think that there is too much to worry about and I would bring her home because it looks to me like they are using her to make money on, so Id take her out, I think she will be okay. We have a fellow here who has five hundred tumors in various parts of his body and hes still just as good as any of the rest of us. Ill ask the doctor about that pulse rate as soon as I see him but personally I dont think that's true because if it was she would be sweating and have a red face. They told me that if x ray showed anything that they would call me in but I havent been called so it must be negative but I am going to see a civilian doctor and see what he says. Well this is about all from here so will close till I hear from you again.

Luck,
George

April 6, 1943

From: Lt. Joe C. Leone, A-T Co. 158th Inf APO 3470 C/O PM San Francisco Cal.
To: Pvt. George F. Gleasure, Co. E 12th Infantry, Camp Gordon, Augusta, GA.

"Somewhere in New Guinea"

Dear George,

I received your letter dated December 18 a few days ago. I was surprised to hear from you, however, very pleased. Your letter did take a rather long time to reach me, however this is unusual, so we can blame it onto the fact that I have moved constantly, and I don't have such a thing as a station.

I trust, that you are getting along as well as possible. As to my doings, you will be better informed, if you read the newspapers and magazines. As you know this is no bed of roses out here, but I'm not surprised, for I had a pretty good picture of what events were to occur.

I hear from Martha quite often, which pleases me very much. As you probably already know, I'm very fond of her. Well George, keep your chin up and we'll finish this job over here, so that you probably won't have to leave the states.

Your friend,
Joe

P.S. Why not write me?

April 19, 1943

From: Pvt. George F. Gleasure, 31157709, CoE. 12th Infantry, A.P.O. #4, U.S. Army, Fort Dix, N.J.
To: Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston, Mass.

Dear Pa:-

I received your letter today along with a couple of others from boston.  I was beginning to wonder if you had been receiving my letters because its been some time since I heard from you.  I get one from Martha occasionally but I never hear from either Theresa or Jimmy.  I don't know whats the matter with them.  I wouldn't get rid of the dog on that account I'd just help him off the struts & when you catch him doing wrong just wallop hell out of him & he won't try it again.  He knows when he's wrong.

Before I left Gordon I sent you a picture book of the City of Augusta so let me know in your next letter if you received it or not.  I think that Jimmy had better stay in his job because I doubt if he can get a release now that the manpower freeze has gone into effect.  So he had better use his head or he will find himself in the army.  As for Martha having heart trouble, you had better try to curb her of drinking as that will do more harm than anything else.  THe doctor can put a scare into her if you tell him about it.  Well this is about all from here so I'll close for now.

Luck,

George.

Here is the new address.

Pvt. Geo. F. Gleasure 31157709.
CoE. 12th Infantry. A.P.O. #4
U.S. Army Fort Dix.
New Jersey

April 20, 1943 (both letters included in the same envelope)

Dear Pa

Just a note to tell you that this address has changed again so here is the new one & be sure you get it right because if you don't the letters will be censored.  The address is on the back of this paper.

Pvt. George F. Gleasure 31157709
CoE. 12th Infantry. A.P.O. #4
4th Motorized Division
Fort Dix, New Jersey

March 14, 1943

From: Pvt. Geo. F. Gleasure 31157709, CoE 12th Infantry A.P.O. #4, U.S. Army Camp Gordon, Augusta, Georgia
To: Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston, Mass. (Boston)

Dear Pa.-,

Received your letter day before yesterday but didn't get the oportunity to sit & answer till now & at that I haven't but very little time as I'm going on guard duty at four oclock.  We are out in the South Carolina woods as you probably know from my last letter & we will be here for some time yet & its cold as blazes hear at nite sleeping in tents.  How is Martha getting on now?  she should be in pretty good condition by this time.  Have you heard from Madeline yet?  I haven't had a letter from her for about two months now.  I got the magazines alright & you can forget about the pay book because I have a new one now.  I haven't heard how my Xray come out yet because being out here things are pretty well primative but I hope to get results because in this nite air that pain in my side raises the devil with me & also I seem to be loosing strength so I'll have to go to the doctors again (Its not much use because they won't do a damn thing for you anyway)  Well I don't know of any more news so I'll close for now I hope to hear from you soon.

Luck
George

March 8, 1943

From: Pvt. Geo. Gleasure, 31157709, CoE. 12th Infantry A.P.O. #4, U.S. Army, Camp Gordon, Augusta, Georgia
To: Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston, Mass. (Boston)

Dear Pa.-

Writing to tell you that I received your letter & also the magazines & that I went to the doctor about my chest & had an Xray taken but haven't heard the results of it yet.  The chances are that I won't either.  We are going out for a few weeks to train out in the woods & we will be sleeping out & on the ground & its still a little chilly here so I hope my luck holds out & I don't get sick.  I'm going to stop the Lt. when he comes in here for inspection & ask him if there can't be something done because I don't want to take the chance sleeping on the ground.  How is Martha getting on?  I got a letter from Jimmy today & he's still kicking about conditions at the roundhouse, well if he thinks he has grounds to kick he should be here.  There isn't much to say so I'll close till I hear from you again & you can continue to write to the same address.

Luck
George

Please excuse the pencil as my pen is packed away.

March 6, 1943

From: Pvt. Geo. F. Gleasure 31157709, CoE. 12th Infantry, A.P.O. #4, U.S. Army Camp Gordon, Augusta, Georgia.
To: Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston Mass. (Boston)

Dear Pa.-

I received your letter the day before yesterday & received the magazines yesterday & was very glad to hear that Martha is home & alright so I hope that there won't be any more sickness up there, we have had quite a little of it here but I've been lucky so far I didn't get any of it.  I went to the dispensary yesterday to see the doctor & he sent me up to the hospital for an Xray so I won't know what the story is for a couple of days till the reports get back but I'll let you know.  It probably will be nothing but a big bluff like everything else they do here.  Well there isn't much to say so I'll cut this short & get to bed as the lites go out pretty soon now.  So write & let me know how Martha is getting along. & also if you here from Madeline, I write to her but don't get any answer.

Luck

George

March 1, 1943

From: Pvt. Geo. F. Gleasure 31157709, CoE. 12th Infantry. A.P.O. #4, U.S. Army, Camp Gordon, Augusta, Georgia.

To: Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street. Allston, Mass. (Boston)

Dear Pa,-

I received your letter yesterday & have already answered it but right now I'm waiting to go on guard & haven't anything to do so I thought I'd use the oportunity to write again & find out how Martha is getting along.  Keep me informed as to how she is because if she should become any worse than she is I want to know so that I can put in for an emergency leave & come home  We are alowed to go home when there is serious illness at home but I hope that this letter will find things in better condition than they have been.  No I didn't have to go right to work drilling when I got back here because I still had one day left and I took it so that I could sleep & on the next day we didn't work either so that's two days I had to rest.  As yet I haven't talked to the medics about my trouble but I intend to just as soon as I get the chance to get over there.  Well I'll close now because the next thing I have to do is fill out the income tax blank.  It has to be done wethere we pay into it or not. (They get you coming & going in this place)

Luck

George

February 28, 1943

From: Pvt. Geo. F. Gleasure 31157709, CoE. 12th Infantry, A.P.O. #4, U.S. Army, Camp Gordon, Augusta, Georgia.

To: Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street. Allston, Mass. (Boston)

Dear Pa,-

I got your letter today & was glad it came because I've been anxious to find out whats been going on up there.  I'm glad to hear that Martha is coming along okay & hope that she continues to improve.  Get the adress of the place where she is so that I can write to her.  There is quite a few cases of that same disease here in the camp but there isn't much chance of it spreading because we are watched pretty close also we are being watched & have to go to the dispensary twice each day so there isn't much danger of any sickness getting ahead of them.  As for those letters that you tried to deliver, just let them sit till Martha gets home or send them to me but I think Martha will look after them when she is well enough because the girl will be in to see her.  I'm going over to the kitchen & see what I can get to eat  I slept through supper & nobody woke me up.  We don't get enough to eat half the time on account of that darn rationing, they tell you people back home to sacrifice foods so that the soliders can have it well we don't get it we even have to eat margarine in place of butter also we have a god damn rebel in the kitchen who hates like hell to give any body anything all he knows how to say is (no more) I had a couple of jams with him so far & if it helps me I'll get him outside someday & pound hell out of him.  A lot of the other boys feel the same way too.  Well there isn't much of interest to say from here so I'll close hoping to hear from you soon.  If I go I've got to send those shields home because I'm not allowed to keep them but before I send them I'll clip the points.

Luck

George

January 22, 1943

From: Pvt. Geo. F. Gleasure 7709, Co E 12th Inf. A.P.O. No 4, Camp Gordon, Augusta Ga.
To: Mr. Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston Mass. (Boston)

Dear Pa, -

Received your letter yesterday & was glad to hear that you received the insurance papers, photographs & camera. I want that camera put where it won't be carried off by Jimmy. Before he reports to the board tell him that I said to do everything in his power to stay out of the Infantry because it's too tough. We do have to make application for furlough & I've done so but for different reasons they canciled them so I was unable to get there. Evidently that lieutenant that told you I should have saved a sum of money by this time hasn't been in a camp like this because $50 isn't much for a whole month & it don't take very long to go through it. I got the presents from Theresa & Martha okay and have written to thank them for them but don't know if they got the letters or not. Well I must close now as lites will be out soon.

Luck Geoge

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.

November 1, 1942

From: Pvt. Geo. F. Gleasure 7709, Co A. 15th Bn. 1st Platoon. Camp Wheeler. Macon, GA.
To: Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston Mass. (Boston)

Dear Pa.-

Thought I'd write and see if everything is okay back home, I've been waiting for a letter from home but as yet none has arrived so I decided to write anyway.  How's the weather up there, cold?  It's still just like July & August here, hot as blazes.  Did you check on the stuff in the storeroom yet?  As for those tools just forget about them because if Jimmy hasn't the time to take care of them I'll take my chances on a furlough when we get shipped from here to get them myself.  We will only be here for about two more weeks then we move out to some other camp.  (North I hope)  I had a talk with the Commanding officer the other day & I'm due to go before a medical board sometime this week for a reclassification Martha met one of the officers from this camp up in boston & when he got back here he had me called into the office & we had a talk about my physical condition & as a result I'm to appear before this board.  His name is Lt. J.C. Leone.  she met him in some restaurant up there, he said he would have spoken to you when he was at the house but you were at work.  So I'll write & let you know the outcome as soon as you get it.  Well this is all for the present so will close for now.

Luck George.

September 16, 1942

From: Pvt. Geo. Gleasure 7709 C.A. 15th Batallion 1st Platoon, Camp Wheeler, Macon, Georgia
To: Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston Mass. (Boston)

Dear Pa,-

I received your letter this afternoon in the last mail and also one from Martha.  There isn't much I could do about my eyes as far as sentry duty at night is concerned because every man in the camp has to stand guard when his turn comes and when I go on at night I don't have to make up any time, if I was on days I'd have to make up the time lost at drill.  I haven't spoken yet about the pain in my side because I was out on the range to qualify for marksman and we could not be away from there unless it was absolutly necessary.  Well anyway I think I made the mark.  I tried to quality on the automatic rifle but don't know yet how I'll come out, tomorrow we go out for machine gun instructions, things certainly move fast around here.  Has Theresa got home?  If so tell her to write.  How was the weather up there today, down here the heat would fry eggs.  Well this is all the news for now.

George

I"m going to see the docto tomorrow or the next day.

September 11, 1942

From: Pvt. Geo Gleasure 7709, C.A. 15th Batallion, 1st Platoon, Camp Wheeler, Macon, Georgia.
To: Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston Mass (Boston)

I received your letter today just as I was going to write and see if everything was alright up there.  I thought that something might be wrong as I hadn't received a letter since Sept 4th and the letters that Martha is supposed to take care of are not getting there.  I got the money order & check okay.  Tell Jimmy to get wise to himself and bid off some job and stay put or he will find himself in the same fix as me and its no joke.  Did Theresa get home yet?  If she is tell her to write - the only enjoyment we have down here is receiving and answering letters.  Its all we have time for.  Well I guess I'll close now because there isn't any news.

George