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13 January 1943
Diamond, Sidney, 1922-1945
to Estelle Spero
Diamond informs Estelle that he has just received an $100 clothing allowance check.
GLC09120.172
14 January 1943
Diamond describes the ways in which "his" trucks must be cared for.
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15 January 1943
Diamond tells Estelle that he is "attempting to learn the basics of Spanish".
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Diamond informs Estelle of a recent discovery of another instance of petty theft. Sidney also tells her that the company has been increasingly practicing rifle marksmanship.
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16 January 1943
Diamond reassures Estelle of how faithful he is to her.
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17 January 1943
Diamond describes watching a group of cavalry officers warming up for a fox-hunt. He also discusses his Spanish class.
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19 January 1943
Diamond tells Estelle that twenty two of the men are in the hospital with severe colds. He also explains that if he changes during his stint in the army, it is because he is forced to for the protection of his men. Sidney describes a trip to the...
GLC09120.178
Diamond discusses the "agony" of not being able to speak to Estelle.
GLC09120.179
22 January 1943
Diamond describes his room to Estelle. He then tells her about an exchange that had taken place between himself and one of his men who had been worried that he could not stop thinking about his wife, and the possibility that she was being unfaithful...
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25 January 1943
Diamond continues to describe his abode to Estelle. Sidney also instructs Estelle to save him a "corner of [her] mind and when [he] come[s] home [they] can oil it up, take of [sic.] the mist, dust it off and [they'll] [illegible] the same as always...
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27 January 1943
Diamond describes the experience of scoring on the firing range for another company. He tells Estelle that the following day, his company will start to go on the range.
drawing on upper left corner.
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29 January 1943
Diamond apologizes for not having sent Estelle a Valentine card.
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Diamond tells Estelle that he is embarrassed about how poorly he performed on the firing range at Castner.
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30 January 1943
Diamond informs Estelle that he is to leave for Don Anna Range on the coming Monday, and remain there until 6th February.
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31 January 1943
Diamond tells Estelle that after they return from the firing range on 6th February, they are to go back on the 8th for combat firing.
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3 February 1943
Diamond tells Estelle that he has enclosed some notes scribbled in class while at Edgewood that he found in the pad on which he is writing. He explains that it mentions one of his nicknames, G. T., and also informs Estelle that his new nickname is...
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6 February 1943
Diamond tells Estelle that he has successfully qualified as an expert rifleman.
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8 February 1943
Photocopy
…" He then describes his men's combat firing practice. The following day, he is to go out to a nearby range and practice the emplacement of mustard land mines.
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9 February 1943
Diamond describes having lost his temper after a squad leader let loose a chemical gas attack forgetting that two men were in front of him.
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Diamond warns Estelle that she will receive no mail for the next week as he is taking the men on a grueling four-day trip.
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24 February 1943
Diamond describes the "torture" of the past few days, a trip which consisted of simulated battle situations.
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26 February 1943
Diamond tells Estelle about another petty robbery that occurred within the ranks. He also informs her that the Eighty Second Chemical Battalion is to go to Louisiana next, but that he has no information as to when they might leave. He discusses his...
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27 February 1943
Diamond has enclosed a photograph of the officers of Company D with the letter, and proceeds to name all of the officers featured in the photo. He also informs Estelle that they have found further evidence against the company thief.
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28 February 1943
Diamond describes the experience of making a telephone call to Estelle.
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1 March 1943
Diamond declares his love, stating that he is "afraid that this affection will remain for a very long time, a very long time."
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2 March 1943
Diamond describes the preparations being made "for the move". He then discusses his platoon sergeant, a man who has been "[r]aised in the back-woods of Mississippi".
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March 1943
Diamond states that "the day of movement rapidly approaches". He also mentions that his company have been getting rid of many of the "over-age men", or men over thirty-eight years of age.
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4 March 1943
Diamond describes the poverty, hunger and crime found in the border town. He also asks Estelle to send him an identification tag.
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11 March 1943
Diamond describes Louisiana and the journey down there. He comments on the expansive nature of the country.
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15 March 1943
Diamond promises Estelle that he is not having sex with his "women". Instead, he just practices old jokes, eats and dances with them. Sidney continues to describe his journey down South and the types of homes and scenes that he has passed.
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16 March 1943
Diamond tells Estelle that he is "desperately in love".
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17 March 1943
Diamond describes the East Texan scenery that he is surrounded by.
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18 March 1943
Diamond describes the company mascot, Mabel the dog, digging a slit trench for herself to sleep in.
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28 March 1943
Diamond describes the "torture" of the ten days of simulated warfare that he and his men had just been on.
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29 March 1943
Diamond tells Estelle that he just spent an entire day cleaning equipment.
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31 March 1943
Diamond informs Estelle that they are devoting the next period of time to providing additional training to the men, teaching them about camouflage, discipline, depression etc.
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Diamond describes having fought a forest fire during training that day.
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1 April 1943
Diamond reminisces over his first date with Estelle. He also tells her during the day, he had been forced to crawl within 500 yards of his target in order to get some decent observation
GLC09120.209
April 1943
Diamond describes having taken his troops on a trip to practice compass. He tells Estelle about the surrounding Louisiana scenery.
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Diamond tells Estelle that April 24th will mark a year of army service for him, an experience that has transformed him into a "frowning, quiet, determined man who refuses to listen to excuses".
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6 April 1943
Diamond expresses surprise to Estelle that in a few days time he will turn twenty-one years of age. He also tells Estelle that he is bored by the extended rest period that he is currently in. Sidney informs her that he feels ridiculous and...
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8 April 1943
Diamond tells Estelle that it is raining hard, but that his tent does not appear to have been greatly affected so he will still be able to sleep in it that night.
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Diamond informs Estelle that he has half an hour free, and expresses apprehension about the next four days, promising to write when he returns.
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10 April 1943
Diamond tells Estelle that the following day he shall turn twenty-one, and that to mark the occasion he has been inflicted by a bad case of diarrhea. Sidney compares democracy to a map cause, in that when things are easy, people are "prone to get...
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11 April 1943
Diamond describes his birthday, which was celebrated with a quiet luncheon. However, Sidney reports back that festivities were disturbed by an act of insubordination (a staff sergeant talking back to the company commander), a tremendous quarrel, a...
GLC09120.216
22 April 1943
Diamond tells Estelle that the company has just received orders for the next move which will most probably be to East Texas. He also informs her that on Monday evening he had attended a seder.
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Diamond writes this letter after the troops have been traveling for thirty-seven hours. He describes the journey thus far.
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Diamond describes the Dales, a family that lives nearby to the camp. He writes that the "woman of the family epitomizes the motto of these backwood Southerners - 'Keep 'em pregnant and barefoot and you'll never have trouble with 'em!'
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Diamond writes that he has just returned from a lesson teaching him how to drive a two and a half ton truck. He proceeds to describe Leesville as the typical small army town, with the number of soldiers exceeding that of local civilians tremendously...
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Diamond instructs Estelle as to what information should be engraved on his identity bracelet. He then describes the contents of his field abode, a peep tent.
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