Lee and Lloyd c. 1919
In September of 1940 I, Garland Lee Reasor, was 23 years old. I had worked as a farm hand most of the time since high school graduation and had been away from home most of that time. I had worked three years in East Central Illinois on a large grain and cattle farm. Two years I had worked for the State Mental Hospital at North Madison, Indiana as a farm tractor driver. This job was only possible because Reasors were dedicated Democrats and Democrats were in office. Lloyd [Lee’s twin brother] and I drove our Model A Ford to see the head Democrat in Crawford County, Indiana to get the endorsement for work. He lived on a mud road and it was winter time. While we were interviewing the water on our brake line froze. We had to heat them with a wood torch before we could move the car.
Lloyd and I had both been hired at the hospital. Lloyd had quit and returned to Illinois to work. France had fallen to the Germans earlier in the year. I wrote to Lloyd suggesting that the United States would get involved and we should get in the army and get prepared.
The recruiter had promised that he would enlist us in the Army Air Corps. Lloyd immediately quit his job and came to Madison. The recruiter said he couldn't get us in the Air Corps but could get the Signal Corp which was the next best. We left Lloyd's car parked on the street in Madison took my car and went to Fort Benjamin Harrison Indianapolis Indiana to be inducted.
Mom and Dad were living on the farm but it did not occur to either of us to talk this action over with them. We did write them a letter after we were privates in the army earning $21.00 per month. After deductions were made for laundry etc. the net was $15 to $18 per month.
We were accustomed to working from sun up to sun down. That changed immediately. We were housed in tents and the sergeant, after a few minutes drill, would say, "Go to your tents and wait." We nearly went crazy with nothing to do.
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Lee and Lloyd at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, Indiana. 1940
Ft. Harrison, Ind
Sept. 25, 1940
Hello Folk,
Well. well, things aren’t so bad at that. We have to drill about one hour each morning and the rest of the day we just fool around doing one thing and another. We still haven't got any clothes and none in site. We were measured today but some of the boys were here for 6 wks before they got their uniforms but I'm hoping we're a little luckier. We were assigned to the T & T section. That is mostly telephone installation and switchboard operation.
We've all been in a temporary squad room till this afternoon. We all had to move into tents four boys to the tent. We drawed one blank. He sure is a counterfeit from Georgia. The other boy is from Ohio. he got a box of candy and magazines from his mother today. He's only 18 or 19 tho. About the 14th of next month we move to Camp Custer, Michigan for the winter so we won't be in tents very long. It rained here all day yesterday & last nite and turned mighty cool. We had to take excercises before breakfast this morning and everyone almost froze to death. I think I'm tougher than the Seargants are. It makes him pant a lot more. We eat cafeteria style and if you want to you can go back and get second helpings. It's better than we got at Cragmont [the Indiana state mental hospital where they previously had jobs]. This is the 26th. Lloyd got a lot of his clothes this morning and I'm to get mine this afternoon. I woke up this morning froze into a frazle but it's turning a lot warmer today so I guess it won't be so bad. I'm laying on a bunk writing this we can't have a table in the tent.
Lloyd said he would write the last of the week. We get Wed. afternoon, Sat. afternoon and Sunday off unless we are assigned to some detail. We may get to come home before we go to Michigan. Some seem to think that we will be in Burmuda Islands within the next six mo. and I sure hope so. Well I'd better get this in the mail.
Your Son,
Lee Reasor
I'd have finished this last nite but we don't have any lights at all in our home.
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