Dear Folks, There Ain't A Damn Thing In The Army That Bothers Me Except Maybe A Little War, June 1958, 38th Parallel South Korea, Love, Robert

Dear Folks,

I sort of thought that you may
have given up on me, some times
writing does get a little tedious.
I haven't mailed the package yet
but I will this week. I am
pretty damn sure that I will
have a R & R this month (June).
  You know I wrote you about a
month ago I thought I would try
for the track team. Well I went out
for a week then quit because I
decided I wanted to see Japan again.
The other day I got a set of TDY
orders sending me to the track
team and I had quit a month
ago. I must have made a good
impression, but I turned down the
orders, even having so much guard.
  I figure it this way I have
played my share of sports and
I may continue after I get out
of the Army. I played Army basketball
and made the track team, even though
I quit.
  I am 10,000 miles away from
home and I never will see Japan
again, so I refused the TDY orders
for in hopes of going on an R & R
to Japan. Japan is the most
fabulous place I have ever been
to or seen. It's so close to home
from this damn place (Korea) but yet it
has the beauty and mystery in the
Orient that one expects in the far
East.
  The last time I went I stayed
at Mt Fuji for 3 days. The army
had a special service hotel up there
which there isn't a damn thing
which nothing in Alabama could
compare to. It used to be for
officers, but they let both enlisted
and officers go there. Rooms cost
$2.00 a night, buy a steak for $1.50
just ring a bell for no extra
charge and get breakfast in bed.
Hell I could write a book about
 it, but I'll just tell you about
 it when I get home. As it stands
now I have 85 days left. It
might be earlier but I ain't counting
on it. I know in 6 more days I
will be 24 years old my second
birthday in Korea.
  I I just got off guard my duty
for Sat & Sun but I don't
give a damn and I could care
less. There ain't a damn thing
in the army that bothers me
except maybe a little war. I
might get out of the Army with
a slightly different attitude, but
I have seen it and seen enough.
I have seen human beings act
like animals and animals act
better than humans. I'll close
for now "Gerry Owen" best for
the battle group.

        Love Robert,

I Wanted To Live Amongst My People

  That is the answer that people get when asked why a college graduate wanted to go home and live on a farm.

  I met some of my people today. They came and fixed my perpetually stopped up kitchen sink, replaced a water hogging, leaky, cracked, stained toilet and put a new metal roof on my tool shed and didn't charge me enough.

  I made out a check payable to the local building supply company where my Grandpa had bought nails from the current owners Grandpa and left the amount blank so they could fill it in later after all of the necessary items needed to complete the job were purchased.

  On breaks we talked about the price of horses, the fatness of commercially grown chickens and the wholesomeness of fresh cows' milk and the delight of homemade buttermilk and when it was paired with onion and cornbread was once called "supper".

  Honest, hardworking, good tempered. You know, the kind of folks that made this country great.

  I think about what my farrier once said after his mule-wrestling to get "Happy Jack Frost" to stand still while he had his hooves trimmed:  "One lady I shoe for asked me if I thought it would be alright if  her 18 year old son could cut the trees in her backyard down with a chainsaw." I told her, "that depends." He then told me a story about how when he was 14 years old and went to work with his Dad and Uncles and they put him out on an old road bed with a chainsaw, bottle of mixing oil and a baloney sandwich and told him to clear it by dark and they'd be back to pick him up later that evening.

  My people have character or are characters. Not just a homogenized blend like "that skim milk you get from the grocery store these days"..it "tastes like water".

 At least that's what my people say.

Dear Folks, It's A Hell Of A Life, May 15, 1958, 38th Parallel South Korea, Love, Robert

   

 Dear Folks                15 May 58
 Well this letter is overdue, but
I can't help it. We are going to
be busy the rest of this month. We
are pulling guard almost every night
and at different compounds. It's
really bad to, especially when
the breaks are far and few between.
I am so sleepy now I can
hardly see the paper. 5 hours
average sleep a night just ain't
to much.
  I see that B'ham is
first place in baseball, but I
could care less about that. I tell
you one thing my little radio
sure does help on those 2 long
hours of guard. I am still using
the original battery. They have one
G.I. Station over here and at night
time from 12:00 to 6:00 in the morning
they play only music, and it sure
does get lonesome out there by yourself
with only your thoughts. Well guys
have started to leave Korea to
go home and it's going to continue
all summer. The thing which hurts
is that we haven't had a replacement
since 1957 around November. In 6 more
days I will have spent exactly 1 full
long year in Korea and its been a
rough year. Sleeping on a mountain
snow all over the ground. Zero
weather out in the open its
been a hell of a life.
  Give Earl my congratulations if
you ever see him again 3 down
1 to go Ha! Is Billy racing
his car now or what. By the way
what ever happen to Sullivan, is
he married. There must be
somebody I can go out with and drink
beer with. It's May now, but
it's still in the low 40's. Give
me the Sunny South. (Captain Patton speaking I do not know
whats wrong but I have been getting
the paper on Monday instead of Sat.
Well there is no excuse. If you have
to get up at 4 o'clock Sunday morning
and read the paper it should be finished
by 5 o'clock and mailed by 6 o'clock no excuse.)
That is the way it is in the Army and
the way it has been with me for 17
months. Re-up, never a hatchie G.I.
                                           Love Robert

Maitland Newsome, Home Economics Teacher

  Maitland Wadsworth Newsome went peacefully into The Arms of her Maker December 30, 2011 at the age of 92.  The daughter of a prominent family in our community went off to college at the University of Montevallo and returned home to raise a family, make a garden and teach Home Economics, when most of the areas's families lived on dirt floors.

  Mrs. Newsome taught the daughters of the pioneers and their mothers were just as eager to learn. My Granny did not know to rise dishes, my mother taught her. It was something she learned in Home Ec. class.

All the girls looked up to Mrs. Newsome. "Do it right the first time and you won't have to do it again" was a favorite motto.

  She represented all we aspired to be- ladies. Kind and gentle and patient, she had her standards and stuck to them. She taught us all of the skills necessary to keep a home, as well as the fiber arts.

  I often think about how she brought an entire generation, plus one, out of the dirt and into the twentieth  century. What a privilege it has been to have been one of her students. She taught my Mother when part of the class period involved the lighting of a wood burning cook stove and she taught me in a brand new, state of the art Home Economics building that she had had a hand in designing.

  It was in this building we stitched our very first aprons. Rest in Peace Mrs. Newsome, I still am wearing mine.

Dear Folks, It's April But It's Still Cold At Night, April 13, 1958, 38th Parallel South Korea, Love, Robert

Dear Folks,                     13 April 58
  Well I didn't get
the paper this Sat
which was somewhat
of a disappointment.
  Every day over here is
just another day to
exist. At night time
there is nothing much
to look forward to except
the end of day and guard
duty if it's your time.
  The end of this
month up until Sept.
I guess 75% of the
guys will all leave to
go home including
myself.  I will be glad
when the new recruits
start arriving in this
god forsaken place.
  I have been trying
out for the track team
for a week. I don't
know whether I will
make it or not. We
practice in the evening
but still are required to
train and walk guard.
If I do make it, It
will be the same as
basketball I think, or
at least I hope. I
stand a 50-50 chance.
  So I am holding
off on R & R at least
until I know how
I stand. 16 1/2 months
in this army seem like
an eternity. Eating, sleeping
doing almost everything
wearing the same clothes
with 150 people. It
seems to me there is
no other life. A civilian
and a soldier is a
distinction between night
and day.
  My advise to all
young people such as
Betty is to make merry
while the sun still
shines. Who is the
guy she wants to marry
she better get wise
working ain't too good
especially when the money
you make goes to the
things which are necessary
to existence and not
luxury. Well I know
I haven't sent much
money home but with
the $200 at home I have
about $250 here. I expect
to get at least $200
when I get my discharge
because they will owe
me about 45 days leave
time. I figure I
will have $700 maximum
$0 minimum. I know
I will have to buy new
clothes because at the
present time I stand
165 pounds and unless
I began to get some
exercise I don't know.
I know nothing will
fit me around the
waist.
  As far as school
goes I don't want
to make any plans,
because I just don't
want to think. I wish
I could get a
job when I get out
and work through the
winter until summer
school, because I
can't see going a
full semester for 6
quality pts, but I
will try to work that
out when I get home.
In about 47 more days
I will turn 24 years
old. Two birthdays in
Korea. those years
do add up.
  If I stayed in
the company and didn't
try out for track I
probably could get another
promotion, but with
the time I have left
to do it wouldn't
help me any. It's
April but it's still
cold at night time walking
guard duty. this is a
long letter ain't it. Those
long underwear you
sent me were lifesavers
though, they are alright
for situation such as
mine. Earl is getting
ready to join the ranks
of the living dead. I
guess he is getting
pretty settled, I figure
I am the only real
wild one in the family.
By the way
how is Jena getting along
maybe I might have
a chance to go to
through Texas if
possible. By the way
do I still have a car?
What shape is it in?
Does it still run? I am
planning on using that
thing for awhile. Well
I guess I'll close for
now. Try to keep the
paper coming.
             Love, Robert

Make Your Words Sweet

                             Make your words sweet.......for tomorrow you may have to eat them.

      "Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the mind and healing to the body."
                                                                                                  Proverbs 16:24                                      

Dear Folks, During The Time It's Warm Over Here Guard Isn't To Bad, March 21, 1958, 38th Parallel South Korea, Love, Robert

                                   21 March 58
Dear Folks,
  We went out into the field
last week and didn't get back
all Tuesday night. It has
been pretty nice weather. The
day we left for the field the
sun was shining, but damn
if it didn't snow. This weather
is all messed up. We have to
go out again next Tuesday
and I think that will be the
last time for awhile.
  So Joe Williams called up
and said he had a brain operation.
When I knew him, he needed
one. I guess the weather is
getting real pretty home. I want
to go the Japan next month
if I can. I haven't made up
my mind whether to go out for
track or not. During the time
it's warm over here guard isn't
to bad and the field is all right.
The time passes faster
in the company.
  I want you to send me
$20 so if I do go in April, I
will have enough to get there. I
will call the first day over there
and get you to send some money.
I don't know what got into me
but I took out an allotment
to buy stocks.
                        Love, Robert

(Note: My Uncle Robert continued to work the stock market all of his life, and he made it work for him. C.P.)