Link to Family Tree to understand family relationships.
Today we have a letter from soldier Harry Lowell at Fort Francis E. Warren in Wyoming to his cousin Paul Zerzawy in San Francisco.
May 16, 1943
Dear Paul,
Well, I know you couldn’t believe your eyes when you saw my handwriting on the envelope – but here I am writing you a letter so soon. You have probably read the letters I wrote to Hilda & Tillie and you have therefore an idea of what I am doing, etc. But this letter will contain facts you might be interested in – opinions which would be misinterpreted by the folks. I know you’ll understand.
As I said before I like it here very much, indeed. I know that if you were in my place, you too, would enjoy the happy fellowship and good spirit that prevails amongst us. Unfortunately very many of the soldiers cannot get used to the fact that there is a war going on and that they are in the army to be fighters, not playboys. We really are fed the best food, and plenty of it, but still the majority groans and squawks because they had beans twice in a row and couldn’t get more than two pork chops. They scoff at scrambled eggs for breakfast, and so on. I get pretty disgusted at times to listen to their unreasonable complaints. If they’d only use their thinking apparatus and be thankful for what they had! (And to think that we all say grace before meals!)
I lost quite a bit of respect for my second lieutenants the other day on parade grounds. Our company was to review before the commanders of the day; the privates were standing in formation and all officers and noncommissioned officers were commanded to come before the inspecting commanders. It’s unbelievable, but – none of the ten second l’s knew what they were supposed to do. I was standing in the first line of the company and had, so to speak, a ringside seat to what was going on. The lieutenants took one step forward, looked to the left and right to see what the others were about to do, finally formed a line, and marched (entirely out of step) toward the big shots. We, in the front line, had a hard time keeping from laughing out loud. These lieutenants were the ones that get excited when someone gets out of step – our teachers! (I know that any high school R.O.T.C. boy could have put them to shame. I remember how we reviewed at Mission.) There is a shortage of officers and the army is glad to get hold of these men who are well-schooled and of good reasoning. The officers’ candidates school fails to teach efficiently in the short time they are given. Just wait until I get to become an officer!
To round out my criticism I must add to the aforementioned facts that there is too much wasting of valuable time and money going on. That’s all right now.
I haven’t mentioned yet that every soldier is furnished with a complete wardrobe – from sox to overshoes; there’s nothing we lack. For further details write for a catalog.
How are you getting along with your pupils? The Lowell Loan Co. [cute graphic] is still in existence.
If you have any questions, ask them and I’ll try to answer them.
I am enclosing a picture of myself. (Purty, ain’t it?)
Well, so long!
Harry
P.S. This letter is restricted. Order 7-12-T650 PvtHL
P.P.S. Will you kindly take my foil and mask to the … next time you come from Hilda’s. Thank you.
P.P.S.S. (Sorry, my pen isn’t housebroken yet.)
Harry’s graphic of the “Lowell Loan Co.”
In this letter to his cousin Paul, Harry seems to want to speak soldier to soldier. He knew Paul had been in the army during WWI and would understand what he was experiencing.
Here is a photo of Harry with his parents and Paul in Vienna from around 1930 – despite the close family connection, they were of different generations.
From left: Harry, Helene (crouching), Paul, Vitali
Harry talks of the fellowship he enjoys in the army. Paul kept many photos of his time as a soldier. Here is one that shows them all with a list of names on the back. It does not appear that Paul was in the photo. Perhaps he had left that company by then. One other thing to point out is something that was common in the early 20th century – making photos into postcards so you could send to friends and family. Sort of the Snapchat or Instagram of the time.
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, Paul Zerzawy never quite found his footing in San Francisco. It must have been both comforting and embarrassing to be offered loans from his young nephew.