19
He drives a 2/6 ton G.M.C. truck.
He mentioned that the natives were
very interesting, and in that connection
writes: "The old women srhoke cigars,
the young ones wear pretty dresses,
but no shoes and the little kids don’t
wear any pants. Most of their houses
are made of bamboo. They wash our
clothes for Us for a reasonable price and
do a good job of it.
"The cocoanuts are' very plentiful
and ^occasionally we see some bananas
and sugar cane. The natives raise water
buffalo, chickens and pig«. In many
cases the chickens live with the na
tives.”
Bob said that mail is a better morale
builder than a beer rations so let’s write
the boys and tell them about home.
Thanks Joe for letting us read your
letter.
Lt. Lloyd R. (Pop) Chandler has
reported to Camp, Endicott, Davisville,
Rhode Island, for re-assignment after
visiting his many friends in Oregon. .
Sgt. Lester Tolvstad, U.S. Air Corps
of Hobbs, New Mexico, stopped in La
Grande recently enroute to Oregon
City. He is changing Engines and su
perchargers on B-17’<r Quite a contrast
to running a roller on Paving Crew No.
5, He spent the day calling on old
friends.
Sgt. Bernard H. Gruis, son of Ed
ward Gruis (of the La Grande Shop)
is a member of the 701st tank destroy
er battalion, a Fifth Army unit which
has been in combat -almost 500 days
in the Apennioe Mountains in Italy.
An official Fifth Army announce
ment says in the 10 day period from
May. 25 ito June 4, 1944, the battalion
destroyed 29 tanks, a battery of 210
millimeterhowitzers, 30 vehicles and
two self-propelled, guns between the
Anzio beachhead and Rome.
It is one'of the first United States
tank destróyer units to have fired on
German tanks and has fought with
troops of eight Allied nations.
| Pfc> William Thomas Orr, former
employee, of the Highway Department,
has been overseas for more than a year
and a half, and is now stationed in the
Admirality Islands, where he is serving
with a portable surgical hospital unit.
His wife and daughter reside in La
Grande.
Sgt. Joe M. Duvets, Jr., with the
Army Signal Corps, was a recent vis
itor in Salem, being bn furlough after
nearly two and one half years of ser
vice in North Africa, Corsica and Italy.
He has now reported to a re-assignment
center at Columbia, South Carolina,
accompanied by Mrs. Devers. Mr. Dev
ers, chief counsellor for the Highway
Commission, advises that his boy stayed
close to home during the furlough and
enjoyed every minute of his visit.
Yeoman 3/c Birdie Hebei, formerly
with the Highway Department, is un
derstood to be enjoying her service in
the Waves. She is. stationed at San
Francisco and besides her regular du
ties is acting is an art director for a
magazine published in the interests of
the Waves activities.
Lt. (j.gtjL John R. McCullough, son
of C. B. McCullough, Assistant High
way Engineer, is reported on board the
destroyer U.S.S. Overton which saw
recent action at Lingayen Gulf in . the
Philippines. Lt. McCullough had hoped
to be furloughed this spring, but ex
pects that recent developments will
preclude such freedom due to "prior
commitments.”
Major Herbert B. Glaisyer, Jr., with
the U.S. Army Air Corps at Williams
Field, Arizona "dropped in” on his
'¿.(Continued on Page 40)