Phil Wood's Letters
Letter #30
Off Again On Maneuvers
To Margretta & Gretchen
1 August 1943
Sunday night
(August 1, 1943)[1]
Dear Girls,
Hi — we’re off again on maneuvers — this time regimental, on the move for two whole weeks, sleeping and eating where we happen to land. It won’t be exactly restful, especially since I’m going to be company executive officer. The Captain is an umpire. Harry Reynolds is company commander. Good, except that the exec has a lot of responsibilities & duties in the field; doesn’t do much in the barracks, but has to operate the command post in the field – run the walkie-talkies, phones, sick bay, etc.
Remember Harry, Mother – the big boy from Mount Vernon, NY? He’s my roommate since Ed [Keyes], and I didn’t know him very well before. Now I like him a hell of a lot, he really is a prince. You’ll have to meet him when we get back, Gretch.
But he’s only one of my roommates. The other is Bing – a Great Dane! The mascot of Company A. We decided that A Company had to outdo them all in mascots as well as anything else, and by golly we did. He is tremendous, a lot of trouble, and eats enough beef for a couple of lions, but he’s worth it. A mascot means a lot to an outfit. Only trouble is we’re going to have a hell of a time smuggling him aboard ship.
Had a real good time last weekend, but am not going out this weekend, nor next. She turned out to be a very nice girl, quite the best yet though that statement doesn’t exactly bury her in bouquets. Strong on looks, weak on personality. Hit most of the nightclubs in LA Sat. night, then hitch-hiked out to the zoo. Good idea, but there were moments – have you ever seen lions do it? Embarrassing, but quite an icebreaker![2]
And coming back in Capt. Schechter’s car late Sun. night, I realized one of the ambitions of my life. We plundered a full orange grove by moonlight; the acrid smell of the crushed orange peel, the boughs heavy with globes of pale sweet sunshine. Wonderful place, this California.
I haven’t been near a radio shop while it was open yet, but I’m going to make a stab at it – I know how you must miss it, especially in the dog days. Haven’t seen any yet, but I will. And I do need the watch, Mother – no repairs, gotta have it back in as soon as I can.
Got a sudden yen the other night to see Bill again – what is his address, Gretch?[3] Oh, and send me the magazine – thought that was marvelous about Emmy, and a riot in the telling.
All love,
Phil
Footnotes
[1] Assuming that this letter follows the one dated 20 July 1943; 1 August would be the Sunday after Phil’s most recent date, referenced below.
[2] Phil, apparently, has been having quite a bit of success with the women of Pomona College. According to his buddies, however, he never had a “steady” girlfriend after the marriage fell apart.
[3] William “Bill” Timmis was a Swarthmore classmate of Phil’s, and a fellow Phi Delta Theta brother.
Harry Dare Reynolds, Jr., the executive officer of Company A, was known as “Big Harry” to fellow officers, and “Mister Reynolds” by enlisted men. At New River, prior to the arrival of Captain Irving Schechter, Reynolds was the company commander; he and Phil Wood are by no means strangers, but their close association now will make them good friends.
Phil’s assessment of the exec’s duties in barracks are a bit misleading – Reynolds handled administrative duties, especially those concerning the enlisted Marines. “He was a giant of a man, six feet two or three, and really built,” recalled George A. Smith. “He really held the company together; we [enlisted] dealt with him more than with Schechter. I saw him mad a couple of times and thought I’d better stay out of his way.” When not incensed, however, Reynolds “always, always had a smile” and much liked by the company. He was particularly fond of PFC Amedeo A. Izzo, a tough-talking Brooklynite full of adventure stories about running with a bootlegging gang. “Those two got along like peas in a pod,” said Smith, “it was really funny to see.”
Phil’s relationship with Captain Schechter appears to be warming up as well. The company CO is not frequently mentioned in letters up to this point (aside from Phil’s dismissive first impression in February) but now they are hitting their stride and working together well. Schechter will also become a true friend in the months ahead.
The 24th Marines are heading out to the “boondocks” for a lengthy training session – one of several they will undertake during their time at Pendleton.