Sidney's Letter, October 13, 1942

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Tuesday morning
10.05 AM
October 13, 1942

I am now sitting on a crate and am using 2 trunk lockers for a table - inside a baggage car of the Penn R.R. station on a siding in Stelton N.J. just outside of Camp Kilmer. Our men and officers are due to embark on this train at 11 A.M. and I have been put in charge until the outfit arrives and we pull out. Where we are going is still a mystery with the exception of a slight hint. - more about this later -

Flashback - - -

I arrived back at Camp Kilmer yesterday afternoon 3 P.M. Monday Oct 12 after having spent the weekend at Boston. As soon as I hit the barracks I was confronted with the news that we would not get anymore 48 hour passes. Next I was told that we were going to turn back the protective impregnated (gas proof) clothing which had been issued to me last week. That didn't make much sense because last week we were told that everybody who sails from N.Y. must have, and even wear this strong-odored protective gas proof clothing. Next I heard that we had got "hot." At supper, 5 PM, the Col. announced that we were leaving Tuesday morning by train, destination unknown. We all (the officers) started making all kinds of guesses -- "Ft Dix" some said. "No" others said, "if we were going to Dix, we would go by truck." "Down South," some said. "Back to Boston" some even dared say. Getting on a boat immediately was definitely ruled out as (1) we had the gas proof clothing taken away, (2) we had no typhus innoculations which is required of all troops going overseas (3) we had no physical exam, which is required of all troops going overseas within 48 hours

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of their departure. Then where are we going? why? what for? what will our assignment be? are we ever going overseas? have they decided to give up sending us overseas? are they going to break us up? Another thing which leads me to believe we are not going overseas now: One of the boys got a venereal disease and was put into the Camp Kilmer Hospital yesterday. Another one of our AWOL's wired that he was on his way back. When we inquired from the Overseas Staging Area Hq. as to whether they would give us replacements for these two men, the answer was that they would join us later. Not knowing what might happen, I wrote home and to Clara that a restriction was going on Tuesday morning so that would explain them not hearing from me for a few days anyway. Then if they did not hear from me then they would know that I had gone over. Then the Col. said no mail goes out, but right after breakfast this morning (Tuesday) I dashed over to the Post Office and mailed the two letters - one home and one to Clara telling them not to expect to hear from me for a few days.

Last night Tommy overheard the Col talking on the phone in a muffled voice and the Col mentioned something about somebody meeting us in Washington D.C. Now what in the world would we be going to Wash. D.C. for? Tommy & I, in talking over this whole thing are beginning to think that the Col. knows more than he is telling all the officers.