Delaware County NY Genealogy and History Site

Pvt. Ed Martin (letter 1/2)
Deposit H.S. Class of 1938
Army
Ft. Benning, Ga.
Dec. 15, 1941

Dear Coach,

Received your little note of encouragement and it made me feel very good to know you folks at home remember us boys and are with us.

We boys in the service are all confident that Germany and Japan will receive e their just dues.

It might be several months or heaven knows when until we get into the fray and we are all anxious to get there.

The 4th Division of which the 42nd is a part - moved to Augusta, the site of our new camp - Camp Gordon, the 14th of this month. It is a town of about 65,000 and there is no other Army troops there. We will be 200 miles neared home then.

Well you will have quite a job deciphering this. I will be glad to hear form you at any time you get the time to write. Thanks again for the encouragement.

Sincerely,
Ed Martin

Cpl. Ed Martin (letter 2/2)
England
"V-Mail"
May 6, 1944

Dear Coach,

Received your most welcome letter to-day and it really was just what the doctor ordered. Seems like years ago that you had things like me to try to hammer some football play or BB play into our heads. However, I suppose there are times when you can just sit down and think of all the boys you used to coach and wonder just what they are doing now.

How do you like being a dignified principal? No doubt there are times that you wished you were coaching again. I sure would like to see some of the old gang again but I'll have to put that off for awhile. Yet I haven't heard from any of the boys lately. I hear Bus Gould is home with a discharge.

We're having some lovely weather over here now (every once in a while) and the country is really beautiful. All the hills and fields are marked out in different sizes and shapes with the old stone walls and hedges as fences. With this, all the different colors blend in and make it really beautiful.

Have played one game of softball since arriving here. Have seen parts of several English football (soccer to us Americans) games. Some of them are really fair at the game. Darts seems to be their favorite night indoor game. In all the pubs (public bars) they have a dart game and play for the drinks. Most of them have their own darts specially made to suit their touch but its not too hard a job to beat them at their own game.

Well Coach, I've written this with a typewriter so you could read it. Was very glad to hear from you and think it was a darn good idea. No doubt the rest of the gang did too. Hope you keep writing, as receiving mail is one thing that one in Service really wants to do. Tell Mrs. M..* that her husband is out of chewing tobacco and to get on the ball and send him some. Will close now as I am running out of writing space.

One of your old headaches

Ed. Martin
*[Martin, Ed's wife]