John Edward Binnion: 15: Life at Camp Blanding

 

John Edward's Corporal Stripes, 1942

 

John Edward, now a Corporal,
wrote on the 22nd of March,
"Erstwhile has neglected to write.
Somehow or another, work piles up
and time flies. Horse flies, too."

Soldiers were busy most days and nights
with work, training, and classes held until 9 or 9:30.
Then there was personal care, polishing shoes,
and cleaning weapons and other equipment.

Friend of John Edward playing croquet, 1942, family scan

 

 

When
there was free time,
soldiers might
play croquet
outside their barracks,
go to one of the
post bowling alleys,
play basketball or baseball
on a post team,
swim in the lake,
or take a bus
to a nearby town
if they had a pass.

 

 

 

 

 

Dances were a favorite form of entertainment, and young women from
nearby towns were offerred bus transportation to the camp.

Camp Blanding dance, 1942-1943, Army photo

This was the Swing Era, and popular dance tunes that year included In the Mood,
Chatanooga Choo Choo, I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo, American Patrol,
and slower tunes such as Stardust and Moonlight Serenade.
(If you scroll your cursor along the bottom of this video you can
sample and select songs you'd like to hear.)

One Friday night in late March, about 150 young women came from
Gainesville and Jacksonville to dance with the troops.

"Looking back over my 16 months in the army, I think I can say
that it was the most enjoyable evening I've spent on an Army post (22 Mar)."

Letter home, March 22, 1942, family scan

The next day the troops were back training and
"Erstwhile was platoon leader"
for a five-mile hike with full gear.

Letter home, March 22, 1942, family scan

 

 We slowly begin to see recognition
of John Edward's leadership qualities.

 

 

Springtime in Florida also included Baseball Spring Training.
This was a boon for any baseball fan.
(In subsequent war years, teams trained near home to save fuel for military purposes.)
Training in Miami Beach was a five hour drive from Camp Blanding,
but Daytona Beach was just over two hours away.

However, John Edward lamented, "do you realize that will all
the big league teams playing around here,
I haven't been able to get off to see a single one play (3 Apr)."

 

And he had not yet been able to play on any of the post baseball teams.

Letter home, April 3, 1942, family scan

 

He also wrote in this letter that Ruth had received the record
and card his sister Helen had purchased and mailed for
him -- as well as birthday cards from all the family.
"There's nothing like having the family pitch in and help" (3 Apr).

A letter from Ruth thanked the family for the Christmas gifts
and the birthday cards they had all sent to her:
"I was so very thrilled you should remember me on Christmas .... furthermore,
my birthday was a great surprise for me because I had birthday cards
from 3 Binnions. Helen, you, and John" (4 Apr).

She also wrote about local support for Camp Blanding troops, and the
headaches John Edward continued to experience after he was hit in the head
back in December by a milk bottle that fractured his skull.

Letter from Ruth to John Edward's mother, April 4, 1942, family scan

In addition to such direct support for the troops in training, civilian war efforts
had accelerated and broadened once the country entered the war.  

 

WWII poster, 1942-1944.
Library of Congress

Rationing was underway, and communities held drives for
rubber, metal, aluminum, and other scare materials needed
in the defense industry. John Edward wrote to
his parents about a number of such enterprises in Sweetwater
(where he had stored his belongings with  Binnion relatives).
An airbase and a munitions plant were under construction,
and "Marilyn is saving tinfoil
(so Mary says) so that she can help
John (me) win the war ... boy,
do I slay 'em. Young and old (18 Apr)."

 

WWII aluminum foil ball, 1942-1944,
American Experience Museum photo

Six-year-old Marilyn
probably collected
wrappers from
chewing gum. All
around the country, children crumpled the small,
thin, bits of aluminum foil and rolled them
into balls an inch or two in diameter.
These balls contributed to the millions of tons of
rags, paper, rubber, and aluminum collected by children
from their toys and other household items.

 

 

Back at Camp Blanding, John Edward wrote about daily duties,

 as well as the extra work required before an Inspection:
"Friday night was free -- we could do anything that we wanted.
Of course, everyone enjoyed themselves immensely --
scrubbing, polishing, and mopping."

Letter home, April 12, 1942, family scan

 

His report of the "good account" they made continues to amuse:
"During the inspection -- at which the IG [Inspector General]
was late -- we made a good account of ourselves tho.
He would ask questions and we would give the wrong answers."

Camp Blanding soldiers stand at attention, 1942-1943, Army photo

The letter concluded with John Edward describing how he was chosen for
an Easter weekend stay in nearby Williston. The men danced all night,
and after they attended church the next morning, danced again.

Letter home continued, April 12, 1942, family scan

 

"Erstwhile wore a hole in each shoe -- that's right, so help me" (4 Apr).
 

 

 

 Thanks for reading.
Join us for the next post where we
continue with life at Camp Blanding.