Dear Friend Bud

I recently shared correspondence that my grandfather, Sig Levy, sent to Congressman Bertrand Gearhart as my dad entered the Army Air Force in 1945 here.  Did Bud respond?  It looks like he did on November 10, 1945.



W.BSA14 DL PD GOVT=BX WASHINGTON DC 10 1005A
SIGMUND LEVY = 1233 BROADWAY  FRESNO CALIF =

COMMANDING OFFICER SCOTT FIELD ADVISES QUOTE LEVY UNDER ORDERS TO TRANSFER TO AAFORD GREENSBORO NC IN COMPLIANCE WITH ORDERS ISSUED BY HIGHER HEADQUARTERS UNQUOTE CAN ONLY SUGGEST GORDON CONTACT ME DIRECT IMMEDIATELY UPON ARRIVAL AT NEW STATION IN VENT FURTHER TRANSFER INDICATED =

CONGRESSMAN BERTRAND W. GEARHART.

Interesting, although it doesn’t mean too much to me except that Gordon should contact Congressman Gearhart directly.  Wonder if he did?

But Sig DID contact him on November 17, 1945.  I have the handwritten version of his correspondence which is quite crumpled – I would like to know the story behind that.  Did he consider not sending it?  Did he change his mind about throwing it away after it was typed up?  I’m glad he kept the typed version as it is much easier to read than his handwriting!









November 17, 1945

Hon. Bertrand W. Gearhart
Congress of the USA, Ninth District
House of Representatives
Washington D.D.

Dear Friend Bud:

Yes, Gordon is home on a 15-day delay to say “goodbye” as he is on his way overseas.  He reports to Greensboro, N.C. on December 3rd to AAFORD.  It is apparent from his orders that the army now has a definite policy to ship every eligible teen age boy overseas to man the occupations ofrces [sic].

Gordon says he wants no inivudal [sic] favor, for he realizes that someone must do the job, but he wonders if it really is an indiscriminate choice.  He thinks it somewhat unfair that all enlisted AAF men who were called to duty two or more months earlier are being completely dischraged [sic].  It appears to be dsicriminating [sic] against the younger boys who enlisted on the same basis under the same qualifications.  No wonder he is dubious about the so-called policy of “every one do his share.”

The is why, Bud, we feel that if the need isn’t actually so great, that the men with stern ambitions in life and who enlisted ahead of time to serve their country should have the same chance as the present draftees who are being deferred once they reach college.

The boys are all hoping that when they arrive overseas they will be placed in important work so that they may be of real service to their country.  They hope they will not be kept there too long, as they naturally feel that they are entitled to get back to their colleges and complete their educations.

I assure you, Bud, that the parents of all these young boys are bitterly opposed to the policy, and I have heard from many of them.  They fell [sic], as I do, that it is no longer necessary to break up educations, for there are plenty of men who have no educational ambitions at all who can man the occupation forces.  It appears that these volunteer boys of the war days are now being penalized for their patriotism just because they were two or three months younger than the rest.

Bob is still in the army..he is information and education officer at Fort Lewis, Washington, and I get reports from other officers that he doing a fine job up there.

See you are making the front pages everyday re Pearl Harbor.  I guess that it is keeping you very busy.

I hope my couple of notes haven’t burdened you, and here’s hoping that you guardians of democracy won’t let the kids down.  They will be doing your job in the next generation.

So long now and with kind regards,

Cordially.
Sig Levy

SL:fg

One thing I can’t be sure of is if he ever actually mailed the letter since I found an envelope addressed to Congressman Gearhart that was never used.  Maybe the typist/secretary (fg) typed an envelope even though Sig had already hand addressed one?  One thing I do know from all of the typos is that Sig should have found a different typist!