A Paratrooper’s Story

Its hard to read, but the post card it to Carrie Koch

on W Six Avenue, Columbus Ohio

Pvt. James asks "did you get the box? Love Marcum

Its clearly dated Ft Benning March 7 1944

Pvt Grubb tells us: "The last four weeks at Ft McClellan were spent in the woods. With a lot of hiking and with not much to eat. Also sleeping in fox holes every night.

On February 23, 1944 was sent to Fort Benning Georgia for my training with the Parachute Troops.

The idea for a parachute started with Leonardo da Vinci in the fifteenth century he sketched a man sized parachute with man in mind even though no one had ever flown . He visualized it as a tool to escape from tall buildings and structures. The dimensions he calculated as necessary to safely land a person 300 years before one was ever used are very close to the ones used today.

In 1785 a French balloonist named Pierre Blanchard used a pet dog for his first idea of a parachute and dropped the dog several hundred feet, the dog ran off with the parachute and was never seen again.

Pvt. Grubb tells us he receives "6 hours of KP" or kitchen police duty for failing inspection.

He has a slight accident, while on a "problem" and received a small scar on his face.  The problem resulted in a stay at the company hospital but we do not know what the problem is.

There is another card that makes reference to a "problem" they do not call it in obstacle, or challenge or even a maneuver. It makes me wonder if the army doesn’t consider all things standing in their way, mere problems so as they do not seem impossible to overcome.

Replacement Training Centers (RTCs) were established in 1940 order to provide basic training for Army personnel. RTC’s specialized in a particular service, such as infantry, engineers, artillery, medical corps, etc., and were tasked not only with basic combat training, but also with introductory training relating to the RTC’s service area. More advanced training was handled by service schools.

Although the length of training fluctuated at first from anywhere between 8 to 13 weeks, most RTC’s eventually settled on a standard training length of 17 weeks.

Paratroopers then received additional training at "Jump School."

James tells us he received 35 hours of machine gun practice which was "much more thrilling than the rifle range."  Also he is now shooting 85 out of a 100 on the rifle range.

James receives 7 hours from Ft McClelland to enjoy beautiful downtown Anniston Alabama

On October 26, 1943 Pvt. James M Grubb, age 18 and 5 months arrives for basic training.  His training will last 17 weeks.

[insert card]

[Insert information about the Ft here]

The training center is just west of Anniston.

On 10/1/43 James is sent to Ft. McClellan and we learn a little about army life from the cards that were once a part of his scrap book.

Most of the photos that accompanied the scrapbook were destroyed in a flood at his residence in about 1958 but the cards with caption have survived.

This was issued 10/1/43 it looks like a change of address card for James to submit to the U S Army.

We are not sure why he had this in his records but it does indicated Ft. McClellan Alabama which is where James was sent to basic training.

The actual pay for a private in 1943 was $50.00 a month. You could voluntarily remit part of your pay to dependents, and Pvt. James Grubb has elected to send his mother $22.00 a month.  The army also deducted $3.75 for life insurance which the army heavily promoted the soldiers to purchase as no life insurance company would sell them life insurance if they were in the army.

This means James would have $24.25 a month to spend as he pleased.

Once you earned the infantry badge you received another $5.00 a month.

When you were shipped overseas you were promoted to private first class and your pay increased to $54.00 a month before deductions.

Combat pay was granted when you were "shipped" overseas and resulted in an additional 30 cents a day or $10.00 a month.

However, paratroopers received an additional $50.00 month hazard pay.

This pay book indicates the serial number of 35228831, that in case of emergency his mother Genevieve would be notified and she would receive the life insurance amount as well, $10,000. a tremendous sum in 1943.

Interestingly none of his paybooks list his actual pay. His pay after boot camp, infantry badge, paratrroper school and being sent to a combat zone would have been the huge sum of $89.25 a month.