A Paratrooper’s Story

  The paybook is reissued on 4-24-1944

It looks similar to the other pay books but has an important stamp.  AR35-1495.  This means he receives the additional $50.00 a month for jumping out a plane.  A Marksman award would also result in an extra $5.00 a month.  And combat pay once sent overseas would bring in another .30 cents a day.

These pictures were taken on my first time home since I had been in the service.

Which was the first week  of April had seven days which went all to soon for me.

These pictures were taken at Grandma’s. Al, Raymond Bill and I.

Photo on the left appears to be James in uniform with his sister Carrie.

Photo on the right is clearly James in uniform with sister Carrier who is also picture in the dark dress.

Sister Mary is pictured in the hat below Carrie.

This parachute log record has the dates 3-14-44 and 3-15-44.  Under activity or individual it says:
John J Doe with initials.

I’m not sure why it says John Doe.

Dear Carrie

We moved again we are right across the street from the Wars unit right by the airport. We are not rich Kings now.

With Love Marcum  Postmarked March 7 1944 Ft Benning

Pvt Grubb tells us:  My first two weeks with the Paratroops was not an easy task.

It was T.S. and plenty of it from morning till night. The first week was spent in exercises.

TS was a term referring to tough shit.  FUBAR and SNAFU also came out of the war.

FUBAR meaning "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair", or beyond all recognition.

Not to be confused with SNAFU:  Situation Normal: All Fucked Up.

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