[Letter] 1944 August 8 [to] Prof
Dublin Core
Title
[Letter] 1944 August 8 [to] Prof
Subject
Yaeger
Boecher, Walter Jr.
Kwajalein Atoll, Battle of, Marshall Islands, 1944
Eniwetok Atoll, Battle of, Marshall Islands, 1944
Description
Grosse thanks Stoughton for his recent letter and provides a brief update on his activities. He also updates Stoughton on Jimmy LaHart, Walt Boecher, and Chaplain Yaeger, all former Wagnerians.
Creator
Grosse, Eric Frank
Source
Wagner College Archive, Horrmann Library
Date
8/8/1944
Contributor
Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
Is Part Of
A complete index to the letters in this collection can be found here: http://library.wagner.edu/wagnerarchive/StoughtonPDF/Correspondence index.pdf
Format
application/pdf
Language
eng
Type
text
Identifier
Grosse1
Document Item Type Metadata
Text
8 Aug. 1944
Dear Prof,
Got your letter of 30 July and believe me prof it’s really swell hearing from you. Thanks for the compliment but I don’t think I really enjoy all that flattery because I don’t feel I deserve it. I just put my thoughts on paper and it’s really the way I feel.
Gosh, you know it’s really swell to know how you felt about “us guys” while we were up there. I guess I never did realize how swell it was of you not to see too much. You know I’ve got about the same kind of a job you’ve got. You are right now I’m a Camp Commander with close to a hundred fellas to watch over and I know just how it feels. There are many times you have to overlook; things you wouldn’t ordinarily let pass by. Of course you realize that in the military service, especially the Marine Corps, it is a little different but the situation is still the same.
You really needed the rest, you so well deserve it ‘cause I can imagine how you felt after a strenuous workout of trying to run Wagner under these wartime conditions.
You know prof you put into words, thoughts that I’ve had for a long time but never could really say it. All the boasts and escapades are entirely true but I can’t get over the way you expressed it, it’s really marvelous.
Thanks for the dope on the K’s. Of course, it’s only between you and I. You and I see eye to eye on so many things. The frankness with which we express ourselves seems almost unreal, doesn’t it? Maybe it’s that this mess has made us both a little more understanding in many respects. I’m beginning to talk in circles now I guess but there are many times I thought I was due for a ram from you prof. At times I didn’t realize tho what a swell Joe you were and that what you were doing was really for the good of the most concerned.
Both the Rappolds fooled me completely. I had ‘em both figured as being true blue but I guess I called ‘em wrong again.
So Jeanne is now an Ensign doing communication work. Glad she seems to like it. And I know what you mean about the climate. We don’t have the most enjoyable set up in the world either. But I will say we have air conditioning. Yeah, you get air on one condition – you bring it in yourself. Now just what brought that on?
[Page 2]
Was glad to get all the news of all the guys. You seem to be the only one who knows what’s going on with all the people so I guess I’ll have to rely on you.
Jimmy La Hart is still out on one of the other islands and Walt Boecher is expected out hear some day, some place. To hear that wife of his tell it you’d think he was coming out on a special mission for the president himself.
Marie’s brother has made several trips across the Atlantic as an ensign in the Merchant Marine. Right now he’s studying some line of pharmacy because his skipper recommended him after some work he did in a few scrapes.
Saw Chaplain Yaeger. He’s in the sick bay with kidney trouble of some kind. Seems to be a reaction of concussion suffered on Entiewitok [Eniwetok] and Kawajelen [Kwajalein]. He’s really a swell fellow prof. you were right. He’s a Marine Corps chaplain you know. He was with the 6th Marines and from what he tells has seen his share of this mess. You know I was really surprised and pleased to run into a chaplain, graduate of Wagner, especially in the Corps. We just shot the bull and I had to leave all too soon. I think I’ll try to see him again.
Well prof, that’s about all for now. This writing leaves things okay on this end, hope it finds you that way on your end. Best regards to all and God bless you all.
Most sincerely,
Eric
Lt. E.F. Grosse
Dear Prof,
Got your letter of 30 July and believe me prof it’s really swell hearing from you. Thanks for the compliment but I don’t think I really enjoy all that flattery because I don’t feel I deserve it. I just put my thoughts on paper and it’s really the way I feel.
Gosh, you know it’s really swell to know how you felt about “us guys” while we were up there. I guess I never did realize how swell it was of you not to see too much. You know I’ve got about the same kind of a job you’ve got. You are right now I’m a Camp Commander with close to a hundred fellas to watch over and I know just how it feels. There are many times you have to overlook; things you wouldn’t ordinarily let pass by. Of course you realize that in the military service, especially the Marine Corps, it is a little different but the situation is still the same.
You really needed the rest, you so well deserve it ‘cause I can imagine how you felt after a strenuous workout of trying to run Wagner under these wartime conditions.
You know prof you put into words, thoughts that I’ve had for a long time but never could really say it. All the boasts and escapades are entirely true but I can’t get over the way you expressed it, it’s really marvelous.
Thanks for the dope on the K’s. Of course, it’s only between you and I. You and I see eye to eye on so many things. The frankness with which we express ourselves seems almost unreal, doesn’t it? Maybe it’s that this mess has made us both a little more understanding in many respects. I’m beginning to talk in circles now I guess but there are many times I thought I was due for a ram from you prof. At times I didn’t realize tho what a swell Joe you were and that what you were doing was really for the good of the most concerned.
Both the Rappolds fooled me completely. I had ‘em both figured as being true blue but I guess I called ‘em wrong again.
So Jeanne is now an Ensign doing communication work. Glad she seems to like it. And I know what you mean about the climate. We don’t have the most enjoyable set up in the world either. But I will say we have air conditioning. Yeah, you get air on one condition – you bring it in yourself. Now just what brought that on?
[Page 2]
Was glad to get all the news of all the guys. You seem to be the only one who knows what’s going on with all the people so I guess I’ll have to rely on you.
Jimmy La Hart is still out on one of the other islands and Walt Boecher is expected out hear some day, some place. To hear that wife of his tell it you’d think he was coming out on a special mission for the president himself.
Marie’s brother has made several trips across the Atlantic as an ensign in the Merchant Marine. Right now he’s studying some line of pharmacy because his skipper recommended him after some work he did in a few scrapes.
Saw Chaplain Yaeger. He’s in the sick bay with kidney trouble of some kind. Seems to be a reaction of concussion suffered on Entiewitok [Eniwetok] and Kawajelen [Kwajalein]. He’s really a swell fellow prof. you were right. He’s a Marine Corps chaplain you know. He was with the 6th Marines and from what he tells has seen his share of this mess. You know I was really surprised and pleased to run into a chaplain, graduate of Wagner, especially in the Corps. We just shot the bull and I had to leave all too soon. I think I’ll try to see him again.
Well prof, that’s about all for now. This writing leaves things okay on this end, hope it finds you that way on your end. Best regards to all and God bless you all.
Most sincerely,
Eric
Lt. E.F. Grosse
Original Format
http://library.wagner.edu/wagnerarchive/StoughtonPDF/Grosse1.pdf
Date Digital
2014
Citation
Grosse, Eric Frank, “[Letter] 1944 August 8 [to] Prof,” Wagner College Archives and Special Collections, accessed April 25, 2024, https://wagnercollections.omeka.net/items/show/16310.