← The 49th Engineers & George's path
Camp Carson, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
George's letters from here: Oct 1942 – Nov 1943 (28)
Camp Carson was established in 1942, after Pearl Harbor, on land south of Colorado Springs that the city bought and donated to the War Department. It was named for the frontier scout General Christopher "Kit" Carson. At its peak it held facilities for some 35,000 enlisted men and was home, over the war, to more than 100,000 soldiers and 125-plus activated units.
George's 49th Engineer Combat Battalion was activated here on August 25, 1942 and trained in the surrounding mountains. His earliest letters describe exactly this place — the altitude ("the camp is so high the air is thin... we run short of breath quick"), the engineers being "a good outfit" with "a better chance for advancement," nightly movies and dances, Tennessee maneuvers in 1943, and even President Roosevelt's visit to the post that spring.
He was here from his arrival in late 1942 until the battalion shipped out in the fall of 1943 — more than a year in the Rockies before he ever saw the war.
Letters from Camp Carson, Colorado
- on arrival (autumn 1942) to Marian Just arrived — “a thousand miles from nowhere,” ringed by mountains.
- autumn 1942 to Ann Settling in with the engineers in the thin mountain air.
- October 1942 to Marian Out of quarantine at last — the life of Riley on weekends.
- autumn 1942 to Marian Mail call keeps raising his hopes — but “Butler!” is always for another soldier.
- November 12, 1942 to Ann Combat-unit training, quarantine, and Colorado’s wild swinging weather.
- Thanksgiving 1942 to Ann Thanks for the Thanksgiving package; Franny is on the mend.
- December 15, 1942 to Marian Christmas gifts arrive early; scheming for an invite to dinner.
- December 18, 1942 to Marian Firing a rifle for the first time, amid a flood of Christmas cards.
- December 20, 1942 to Marian Opening the camera and gifts early — and a general’s inspection.
- December 25, 1942 to Ann Written Christmas afternoon — snow, turkey, and dodging K.P.
- Christmas 1942 to Ann After Christmas: movies and dances nightly, scarlet fever in camp.
- January 1943 to Ann Filing his income tax and hoping for a furlough next month.
- January 1943 to Marian Missed rifle qualification at six below; furloughs cancelled for all.
- February 7, 1943 to Ann A camp fire, the year-long training plan, and a USO show.
- February 7, 1943 to Marian Volunteering as a machine-gunner; the Jane Frazee USO show.
- February 1943 to Ann Writing from the camp hospital with the flu — Fay McKenzie visits.
- February 1943 to Marian A kiss from Fay McKenzie as she sang “Kiss the Boys Goodbye.”
- February 1943 to Marian Just out of the hospital, and the mess-hall free-for-all.
- March 5, 1943 to Marian Marathon walking tests — beating even the Commandos.
- April 1943 to Marian Off to Lake George to build roads; Roosevelt visits the camp.
- spring 1943 to Marian Sneaking into a USO dance; the hill-billy who can’t march in step.
- late May 1943 to Ann Bridges in the snowy Pikes Peak forest — and a furlough home June 5.
- mid 1943 to Ann A terrifying night guarding a transformer in a 75-mph gale.
- early July 1943 to Ann Back from furlough, on maneuvers, guard duty over the Fourth.
- August 1943 to Ann A quick pencil note before the fall maneuvers in Tennessee.
- September 1943 to Marian Bound for month-long maneuvers in Tennessee.
- autumn 1943 to Marian The Air Corps turns him down; news of the battleship he helped build.
- November 1943 to Marian Still stuck at camp, chasing Aviation Cadet with a 128 test score.