Encoded for the Veterans History Project, July 18, 2022.
All letters in the John Aubrey Enman, Jr. collection were digitized.
The following letters were transcribed from the handwritten originals by Veterans History Project staff. No alterations to this transcription has been made, although spelling errors are indicated with [sic]. Any special emphasis (i.e. underlining) is presented *between asterisks*.
I
Oct. 27, 1943
Hi, yourself, Julie,
I was nearly floored today when I got your letter - have gathered myself together again, and will attempt and answer. These letters of ours do a lot of [?] around - yours out to Colorado, and then back here to Oklahoma City.
Life here is the best I've had in about 2 months. If I had friends and relatives as I had at Boston this would be the same, But I still have a great time going to town to dances, roller skating, bowling, movies, football games, and dates. Life is easy on the post also - we have a brand new service club [with?] rodeos, victrola, library, writing tables all around, dance floor, cafeteria; a gymnasium; bowling alleys; rec rooms; movie houses; and a PX. So we have plenty to do when we get our spare time.
The wish is not hard - and most of the time we are through a couple of
hours before quitting time - the work is making maps from aerial photographs and maps by fitting photographs together.
They are mostly navigational maps whereby bombers and pilots can find out the ground over which they are supposed to fly. We do the work in two shifts - night and day. Right now I'm with the night shifts - night and day. Right now I'm with the night shift and have a nice set-up. Our day starts at 2 P.M. when we have an hour's calisthenics - 3-5 P.M. we do our regular work. At 5 P.M. we knock off for chow and mail call, and then back to work again at 6 P.M. until 11 P.M. at which time we are almost all asleep. The day shift is better - 7-12 A.M. - 1-3 P.M. and calisthenics 3-4 P.M. and the nights off. This week the only time I'll get into town will be on my day off - have yet to decide what I'll do then. So much for that.
Not lonesome out here - I got used to that while out at my induction station - since then I've acquired a few buddies that I usually pal around with - we've been together about 6 months, and are still hanging together. Almost all the boys here are college men - one from Bowdoin - the rest are from
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all over - Illinois, Brown, Yale, Alabama, Indiana, Missouri, Michigan, So. Cal., Penn State - and on down the line. I've never heard [?] sessions at Maine like I've heard [here?] when all these different guys get together. Sort of Inter Fraternity and intercollegiate night with a [?].
If this thing makes sense, it's a miracle, because I've been called in and out all day for inspection, drill, calisthenics, lectures, etc. In a few minutes I'll have to start the 6 to 11 P.M. night shift, so will probably be on this again tomorrow.
Your school sounds great - sounds really like work you would do in post graduate school. But I'm not all clear on it yet - do you have another year there at Maine? or do you finish up your college career at Merrill Palmer. Reading your letter over I guess it's the [first?] but I like to read your letters
so explain it again anyway.
I've never been in Detroit, a couple from Grand Rapids - but I don't know anymore than that.
The city of Ok. City is 8 miles distant and the population is about 300,000. The passes are for every night we have off and also our day off – and I usually go to town about 2 to 3 times a week. The remaining nights I devote to going to dances here at the post, as well as the G.I. theatres (see all the latest pix at 15¢ a show), [washing?], and writing letters. Also have a chance to read, usually before and after chow, as the base library is great – about 5000 books – a great many classics of fiction, non fiction – have read a couple of Dumas and have buried myself in a book on Canadian history.
The people out here don’t know much about the east – but I don’t know much about out here, so guess I’d better not say anything. One girl thought that they had all [week?] in people’s backyards there just as they do here. They talk with sort of southern drawl – anyone with a New England accent has to report things
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usually.
Have yet to see all the sights. Took [?] the state historical museum with its Indian and cowboy apparell [sic.] (the would doesn't look right), and the capitol grounds. Want to take my day off out at the University of Oklahoma about 20 miles from here.
I'm waiting around to go before the board for ASTP. - If I can't do anything with that I'm going to try O.C.S. - and if I still don't get that I'll be content to stay a corporal - it's a happy life free from care - but I'd like to get into the area - language part of A.S.T.P. - Have luckily, the qualifications, which are a background of geography, history and languages - will, no doubt, mean the army of occupation, but I'll get a lot of experience if I ever get back to teaching geography.
Where do you plan to teach - Maine? or are you going back to Altoona - (PA) the place with the horsehoe [sic.] curve?
I envy your going to school - I had 3 months of drafting school in Boston, and I enjoyed it - [just?] this hanging around is not so hot - do a little "progressive" stuff here - but I get too interested in books that have nothing to do with the war, aerial photography, or anything else -
I get the "Campus" - but practically everyone's name is strange except the faculty. Have a furlough coming up Dec. 8-23 and hope to get up and see the place for a little while -
You [?] yourself down in explaining your being at M.P. - but as I remember you were quite a girl with the studies at Maine - so don't try and get away with that modesty stuff - Your brother does all right, too.
Wouldn't mind one bit taking you to another house party at [EN?], but guess that time is gone.
Intend to take you up on your offer to write - hope you will answer, because I'll be waiting
As ever
John
Cpl. John Enman 11043444
Eng Avn Topo Tng Bn
Will Rogers Field
Oklahoma City, Okla
[Upper right:] free
A
Good description of John's work.
Miss Julia Robbins
71 East Ferry Ave
Detroit #2
Michigan