Ced’s Amazing Adventure (3) – Ossining, New York to Chagrin Falls, Ohio – July 23, 1934

Last weekend I started a series of posts based on the letters, photos and memorabilia Ced collected on a hitchhiking trip from Trumbull, Connecticut to North Dakota and Wisconsin. His Mother, Arla Mary (Peabody) Guion, had passed away the year before and he wanted to get to know the Peabody family members who knew his Mother and to see the place where she grew up. I will continue the story every weekend for a while.

Cedric Duryee Guion

Chagrin Falls, Ohio

Monday, July 23, 1934

Dear Dad,

Sorry I could not write sooner but when you get a hitch through the city it is better not to stop at the post office, therefore this is the first convenient time I have had. Now for the story.

I am with the Draz’s and arrived yesterday afternoon. I had trouble finding them because their address is not the one you gave me.

I stayed with Grandmother (Peabody) until Thursday noon and while there, I went with Burton Peabody, His Mother Arla’s brother), Grandma and Aunt Dorothy (Peabody, Grandma Arla’s youngest sister) to three or four places on the Hudson and saw Sing Sing from the outlooks. I had lunch with Grandmother Thursday and she made me some sandwiches and had me take them with me. I got a ride, after walking about 3 miles, in a 1932 Buick with three army officers on their way to a reunion and they were having quite a gay time smoking, drinking and swearing at each other. I left them and walked about 100 feet and caught another Buick which took me about 10 miles and across Bear Mountain Bridge. I walked about 5 miles before getting another ride which was about 5 miles long on the running board of a Studebaker, then I got a short ride and walked about a mile and got another ride about 10 miles, walked another mile and got a ride about a mile long and then I stopped to get something at a little refreshment stand and was presented with a plate of spaghetti and the glass of malted milk with ice cream free of charge. After that I walked until about one o’clock, about six or 7 miles and got about a 10 mile ride. I walked another mile or so and then found a suitable camping spot and spent the night slapping mosquitoes.

The next day, Friday, I walked about 3 miles before getting a ride and then walked about 5 miles and came upon a Connecticut Ford which was packed and got a sort of grudge ride for about 10 miles. Just after that my luck improved and I got rides in two more Fords, then and A. & P. Mack truck picked me up and apparently the governor on it was not in correct adjustment and the driver was having a good time taking corners at high speed. Next I rode with two women without thanking them and they took me about 3 miles then I rode through some wild country in two small delivery trucks, one was a post office truck. Then I got rides in a Ford and a Chrysler which got me to Scranton where I learned Mr. Kreitler is away until September. It started to rain so I put up at a boarding house.

The next day I rode through some of the most beautiful mountains I have ever seen along the Allegheny River Valley; the views were perfect and most of the way through there with a nice man who was on his way home from New York where his wife and little boy and girl were staying. He carried me about 175 miles and as we went, pointed out some points of interest, among them the mystery of nature where there is  nice warm weather and not a cold winter, and places where the mountains were 2427 feet high.

I slept outdoors again Saturday night and Sunday I rode into Cleveland where I found by the telephone book that your address for Draz’s was wrong. Their place is about 18 miles east of Cleveland. I wandered around trying to find out how to get to Chagrin Falls and finally I called from a tavern in Little Italy, and Uncle Frank came down and got me. I expect to stay at Chagrin Falls today and leave tomorrow morning.

I am feeling fine and hope you are all well. I am keeping a diary of all autos I ride in and I have quite a list already. We’re going into Cleveland on a sightseeing trip in a few minutes and so, in haste, goodbye until the next time.

Ced

Tomorrow, another post concerning Ced’s Amazing Adventure. Next week I’ll be posting letters written in 1945. The year is drawi9ng to a close and it appears that both Lad and Dick will be home for good by Christmas. 

Judy Guion

Trumbull – Dear Ced (3) – What Dan Means … – January 11, 1942

What Dan means by moom pictures I leave it to you to guess but it does give me a chance to remark “don’t laugh at others mistakes, the banana peel may be under your own foot”.

Don Whitney has received his summons to appear before the draft board for physical examination so how long he will be figuring the profits and losses for the Stratfield is anyone’s guess. The Laufer’s have not heard from Erwin since he reached the Pacific coast. Dick Christie I understand has been down with pneumonia but is getting along nicely. It is reported that Jack Philmon tried to join the Marines but was turned down.

Meigs new store at the corner of Main and Wall – – where the A & P Market used to be – – is now just about completed and they will probably move about the 1st of February. Their old building I understand will be torn down for a new Woolworth store. There has also been a new building erected opposite Read’s where the parking lot used to be and I understand Singer’s will erect a new building near the corner of Fairfield and Broad between the old telephone building and where the church used to stand. The old building back of my office has been torn down and the space thus provided has been turned into a parking lot for customers and employees of the Bridgeport Peoples Savings Bank. So, when that glad day comes when you will be back in this neck of the woods again you will see quite a few changes in the old burgh.

As you may discern there is evidence of my news fund tapering out and inquiries of Dick and Dan not resulting in any fresh spurt to my imagination, if such it can be called, leaves me the sad alternative of bringing this momentous epistle to a close, with the usual hope that the coming week will again bring a letter with more news from my Alaskan pilot.

Give that jovial old pal of mine, Rusty, greetings from his old sidekick, and tell him to write me as soon as he gets any interesting news.

DAD

This is the letter enclosed with Ced’s Birth Certificate, sent by Kemper Peabody, Grandmother Arla’s brother, to Ced  in Alaska. The actual Birth Certificate was not with this, I presume it is wherever it was needed.

Tomorrow and Sunday, the next two communications regarding Ced’s Amazing Adventure.

Judy Guion

Trumbull – Dear Ced – (2) – I Go to Fill Out Some Scrawny African Buzzard – January 11, 1942

This is page 2 of a letter I first posted yesterday from Grandpa to Ced, the only son away from home now, but that is about to change.

Page 2     1/11/1942

Time out for a message from Dan who has just come in and wants to say something to you about taking 1/2ictures. Here’s Dan.

Daniel Beck Guion

Cedirk, dear,

I don’t rightly know why fayther wrote 1/2ictures unless he feels that our results are only 1/2lf satisfactory, which is what I aim to tell you. The moom pitchers we took show an unfortunate tendency toward over-exposure on one edge and not on the other! Lad says changing over at twenty-five feet, taking out the film…… re-loading, changing over at 25 feet, taking out the film … says it probably becomes loose on the real, allowing the light to penetrate. Solution: change film only in very subdued light and do not allow the film to loosen on the real.

Uncle Sam feels that he needs me to save the world for Roosevelt, especially since the dirty stinking yellow bastards have the idiotic nerve to grab the U.S. property called the Philippines after we went to so much trouble to save them from the nasty old Spaniards a few decades ago. Imagine their wanting to get some islands that don’t even belong to them! And they even talk of invading the U.S., just because we refused to sell them a few little staples like iron and machinery and raw materials and because we stopped buying a little silk from them!

Of course we could easily win the war if we just sent 10 more bombers to the Dutch….You can’t expect little countries like U.S. and England to beat Japan without some help. That is why the Dutch have to sink two extra Jap ships for every one they sink for themselves….one for us, one for England. If things get worse, maybe Joe Stalin can withdraw his troops from Berlin long enough to help the Dutch win our war.

Gawd! When I think of those filthy Japs having the nerve to Bomb our Navy! They are nothing but savages. And they even sink our freighters. But we will get even. We are going to start building guns and things and in about 10 years we are going to say to the Dutch and Ciang Kai Shek, “O.K., boys, we’ll take a round out of those little yellow Aryans!” And then they’ll be sorry. Of course, there won’t be anything left in U. S. by that time except taxes, but we will get those cowardly Mongolians! We’ll just take their little trousers down and paddle their pink rising suns.

New topic: When I left Anchorage I made several promises to keep the boys posted about how I made out with the Army. I have failed to do so, but there is still time. Meanwhile, if you see Fred Crowl or Don Tyree, or Hal Reherd, or any of the Air Base boys, tell them I tried valiantly, but the Anchorage draft board tried harder, so into the Army I go, perhaps to fertilize some exotic orchid in the jungles of Sumatra, or fill out the lean feathers of some scrawny African buzzard….saving America, of course, from the Japs, the Huns, and the Wops, every one of whom have only one aim in life….to make every U.S. citizen into a slave.

Dan

Tomorrow, the final portion of this letter from Grandpa to Ced.

Judy Guion

Trumbull – Dear Ced (1) – I Have Written To Kemper Peabody – January 11, 1942

Cedric Duryee Guion

Trumbull, Conn., Jan. 11, 1942.

Dear Ced:

Once again letter writing time rolls around. As I glance out of the kitchen window, the kitchen being our living room for the last few days, particularly because of the cold spell, it reveals a typical winter landscape with the white mantle of snow on the ground and the sun valiantly striving to peer through masses of dark clouds which hold a threat of more snow. Last night was bitterly cold, perhaps as much as 10 below zero here. The paper yesterday predicted 20 below in northern New England, so you see Alaska and Conn. are somewhat akin at times.

Your welcome letter of December 28th reached here on the7th, which, while not equaling the speed with which some of my letters have reached you by airmail, is still pretty good time compared with what it was this time last year. Perhaps the importance of Anchorage in the war picture has caused a speeding up of communications. At any rate I hope it will continue to be good as you do not seem quite so far away when only 10 days off.

I have written Kemper (Peabody) in Mount Vernon (his office) asking him to obtain your birth certificate from the City Hall and forward it on to you by airmail, as I figured this method would save time writing back and forth, forwarding necessary fee, etc. I have asked him to let me know the total cost and will take care of reimbursing him from here. I have also taken care of paying your life insurance premium which is due in a few days. And while we are on the financial aspect, I am enclosing income tax blanks in duplicate – – not that I think you will have difficulty in obtaining these blanks locally, but it is my experience the tendency to put such things off until the last moment generally means a wild rushing around trying to meet the deadline with the possibility of error and consequent additional expense, so the possession of blanks may induce a more leisurely attention to this disagreeable task.

Why is it you have to have your birth certificate before you can fly again? Is that a new regulation or is there more behind this than meets the eye? You said nothing in your letter about the draft status. Has Woodley been able to do anything about your deferment beyond the indefinite February date you mentioned some time ago as the time when you would cease to be a civilian? I suppose this will have some bearing on any arrangements you make as to taking a cabin with Rusty after leaving Walsh’s.

I suppose you will be one of the crew that goes out to rescue Don’s stranded plane. This should prove an interesting experience. Incidentally I should think this might be a dramatic subject for a Heurlin picture of a typical Alaskan experience. Does the idea appeal to Rusty?

It was good to know you spent an enjoyable Christmas day. Your caroling  stunt was one of those things you will look back on in years with interest and “fond recollection”. Aunt Betty has just chirped up again, “Give my love to Ced and Rusty”.

Dan got his summons this week and is to report for active duty on the 21st. He quit working for Producto and is now a man of leisure. Knowing Dan, I don’t know how much leisure there will be in his activities. Dick is working at Producto on a lathe at a $.50 an hour rate and seems to like the job. He of course, will register next month.

Tomorrow, the middle of this letter, which is from Dan to Ced and the last bit from Grandpa.  

Judy Guion

Trumbull – Dear Ced and Rusty (2) – Business Developments – January 4, 1942

Alfred Duryee Guion
(Grandpa)

Page 2 0f 1/4/1942

If you have not already done so by the time this letter reaches you, Ced, old scout, will you please be sure to let me know what packages you have received so that I can follow through from this end if anything I sent has not yet arrived. I sent a stainless steel sauce pan to Rusty to start housekeeping with, your watch which you sent home by Dan to be repaired, sealed beam headlights from Sears Roebuck, a box of Christmas knickknacks and a sweater from Forster Besse. While the total was far less than I wanted to send, perhaps it is all the more important that what did go should arrive safely. I did not renew subscription to the Sunday Post, first, because I did not know how much you cared for it (according to Dick he enjoyed the funnies from Seattle more), and second, your future movements seemed so uncertain that I thought I had better wait and ask you what you wanted done. Even if you go into service and are stationed at Fort Richardson, I suppose the mail would be forwarded to you from Box 822 anyway. Just say the word and I will do the necessary at this end.

Aunt Betty has just piped up and asked to have her love sent to you both.

At the office things are going a bit better or have for the past month or two. I am still having labor troubles but so far Dave has managed to get out what multigraphed letters we have had to produce and I am also able, with outside help, to keep up with the mimeographed jobs. Addressograph work has been quite heavy and I do have a girl that is doing this work very satisfactorily. During the year we have been able to pretty nearly clean up on our old debts, and, unless the nation at war throws another monkey wrench into the machinery, it looks as though we would continue. In this connection, the organization which Miss Platt left me to join, called the ADCRAFTERS, with offices just across the street, composed of the letter shop, run by Miss Platt, Art service (commercial) maintained by Mr. Thorpe, and commercial photography handled by the third member of the organization, has been having hard sledding. They originally had a printer in with them, but he proved to be no good so the rent that had been divided among the four of them had to be shared by three along with the other running expenses. It now develops that the photographer has been called into service and along with that fact, the bottom lately has been knocked out of the demand for artwork, so that Mr. Thorpe is seriously considering getting a job with some of the Bridgeport manufacturers who need his sort of service. This may throw Miss Platt on her own but with the doubtful course of future business in our line, it might be that she will be open for some arrangement whereby she will throw her little business in with mine and again be part of the Guion organization. If this happens, I may be content to let her carry on while I seek a job myself with some of the war industries here who are badly in need of men, due to the fact that so many are leaving to join up with Uncle Sam. All this, however, awaits the course of events.

To Rusty:

It was certainly good to get your letter. You don’t know how much I enjoyed hearing from you. Congratulations on the Dr. Romig painting. Please be sure to let me know about the result of the Court House petition, particularly if you get it. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. It will certainly mean the opening up of bigger things for you, which you richly deserve. Naturally I shall also be much interested to hear what results from the plans to seek other quarters. I suppose this depends somewhat on what happens in Ced’s case. It is good to know you are together. I hated to think of his being all alone so far from friends and home. As to your own personal affairs I have a hunch things are going to come out O.K. And if I can help, you know the offer still stands, to any extent within my power. I would be very happy if I could do anything that would help things to come out of the way you want them.

To Ced:

Write when you can, old son of mine. I’ll be listening.

DAD

Tomorrow, Thursday and Friday, another letter from Grandpa to Ced.

Judy Guion

Trumbull- Dear Ced and Rusty (1) – The Holidays Are Over – January 4, 1942

Cedric Duryee Guion with his plane 

January 4, 1942

Dear Ced and Rusty:

I am so used to writing to more than one of my boys that Rusty will have to substitute, although as far as “love and affection” goes, he fits right into that category anyway. Indeed, as far as realism goes, the fact that I had a very welcome letter from Rusty this week, penned, I suppose, from the very room that housed and still houses a portion of the Guion clan, adds strength to the fact. Rusty’s vivid power of description – – Ced’s tramping across the floor in his jockstrap, his lusty snores, all brought back well-remembered recollections. Somehow or other I had a feeling that trampings ten times as heavy and snores ten times as stentorius would be more than welcome if I could hear them right here in little old Trumbull for a change.

Well, the holidays are over and things have settled down to a 1942 basis. Before bidding it a final adieu, however, there are a few facts to record. New Year’s Eve Anne (Peabody) Stanley) phoned from New Rochelle that she would like to come up with the children and stay overnight. They arrived in time for supper. The combined party with Paul’s friends did not materialize because Paul (Warden, renting the apartment with his wife Katherine) , a few days previously, developed a very bad sore throat, swollen glands, etc., and was in bed, unable to talk above a whisper and only today has been up and around. However, most of the steady visitors were on hand, and while Aunt Betty and I did not stay up until three or four or whatever time it was the last of the revelers (Don Stanley was the last one in) had retired, there was enough noise and what goes with it to issue in the New Year in the approved fashion. Friday the Stanley’s left for Vermont where Anne felt it necessary to go in order to make financial arrangements so that she could continue on with the children’s schooling in Virginia.

Last night it snowed quite hard and today looks like an Alaskan landscape. The boys who were out in their cars last night had difficulty in coming up the driveway. Today Lad took Dave down to WICC (a Bridgeport Radio station) where he took part in a program sponsored by the American Legion, on Pan-American activities, acted out by students selected from Harding, Central and Bassick. (the three local High Schools) The new ruling that has gone into effect prohibiting the sale of tires here and I suppose all over the country, has caused me to wonder a bit what I will do. I tried to get my spare retreaded recently but was unable to do so because the sidewalls were not strong enough. Lad was lucky enough to get two tires from George Knapp the other day. There is some compensation in the fact that, as both Lad’s car and my own are identical models, the tires are interchangeable and in a pinch we can help out the other fellow.

Tomorrow, the rest of this letter. For the rest of the week, another letter from Grandpa to Ced.

Judy Guion

Trumbull – Dear Dave – Business Interests and Thanksgiving Day – November 22, 1945

Trumbull, Conn., Nov. 22, 1945

          Thanksgiving Day in the morning.

This is sort of a special

in the way of a letter,

quite uninteresting to the

majority.

Dear Dave:

On the 21st I received yours of the 13th relating to your talk with Lt. Greenberger about procurement machines no longer needed by the Army. He tells you the Army hasn’t settled its policy as to who is going to get priority on the goods or just how their plans will work. As things stand now, as long as a man is in the Army he can make no tangible deals. He must wait until he becomes a civilian and then he may apply as a veteran.

It is interesting to compare this Army dope with letter just received from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, New England headquarters, situated in Boston. I wrote asking how you could secure office machines with which to engage in business after discharge. Here is the reply:

SURPLUS PROPERTY DIVISION

Reference is made to your recent letter to this agency concerning surplus property. As office machines and equipment are classified as Consumer Goods, your inquiry has been referred to Consumer Goods, Surplus Property Division, Reconstruction Finance Corporation, at 600 Washington St., Boston. The Surplus Property Board has established a procedure whereby a veteran may make application for certain preferences in the purchase of surplus property at a local or regional office of the Smaller War Plants Corporation. The address of the regional office of the Smaller War Plants Corporation is given below:

Smaller War Plants Corporation

55 Tremont St.

 Boston, Mass.

A veteran may, of course, purchase Surplus Property independently of any preference rights on an equal basis with other purchasers.

John J. Haggerty, Manager.

          Unless you see some objection, why not write Tremont St., and ask for list so you can make formal application, and thus establish a sort of priority for any possible value it may have later. I can’t see where it would do any harm even if it didn’t do any good.

In addition to the office equipment, it might be interesting to look into the matter of materials for the island, such as outboard motor, rowboat, motorboat, motor-generator lighting outfits, refrigerators, both electric and kerosene operated, building materials, etc. I will, of course, follow-through from this end.

The barn club room is going from bad to worse. Some of the young kids around here have broken the panel in the door so they can reach up and operate the Yale lock from inside and go in and make the place their own, having little if any respect for the rights of club members or the slightest feeling of obligation or responsibility toward the owner, who allows use of his property for their use. The other morning I found lights had been burning all night and a fire in the stove was still burning in spite of the fact that the smokestack has rotted and broken off, making a fire hazard. Something will have to be done.

DAD

*********************************************

THANKSGIVING DAY REPORT

10 A..M.     Jean was the first one up this morning and the turkey is already in the oven, the aroma from its roasting wafting in here to the alcove where I am dashing off this report to you.  It is raining hard and steadily outside – – has been doing so all night, as a matter of fact, and the radio says it will continue until about noon.  Aunt Anne ((Peabody) Stanley, Grandma Arla’s younger sister) phoned last night that she was just recovering from a bad cold and if the weather permitted, she would be up this morning.  If it was rainy she would not.  That’s the way it stands at present.  Elsie Aunt Elsie Duryee, Grandpa’s sister) arrived last night loaded down with three Thanksgiving pies.  Sometime in the wee small hours of the morning Lad and Marian arrived with Bob (Marks), having all driven up from Maryland.  Marian just came down a few minutes ago with the good news that Lad has been granted a three-day pass and that the Tuesday following his return he will go to a separation camp to be processed for discharge, which should be completed sometime about the first of the month, and will take place either at Mead or Indiantown Gap (page Dan) (Dan was stationed at Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, during his first months in the Army.).  Last word from Ced was that he intended to leave Pittsburgh from Alliance, Ohio, to pick up his plane but alas he reports by letter that they have failed to get the radio and messed up the extra wing tank, and while he ended his note with the words ” See you Tues. or Wed.” he has not yet put in an appearance.  If he held over with the idea of flying back here this morning, it looks as if the weather might make this an unwise proceeding.  Reminds me of election day, wondering which candidate will make the grade and be elected in time for Thanksgiving Dinner, if you don’t mind mixed thoughts.  (Signing off at 10:30 — will report further news as received over this network).

8:30 P.M.     I expected to go on with this report long before this.  A lot has happened since the above was written. (Aunt) Anne phoned that because she had been in bed for several weeks with the bad cold, almost threatened with pneumonia and had two relapses when she had started too early to return to her regular occupations, and in view of the bad weather, she thought she had better not try to come up for dinner.  So that made two more definitely accounted for.  By two o’clock no Ced yet and no word from him, and not knowing when he would show up, we decided to go ahead with dinner.  We sat down at 2 and just when we had finished with dessert and were taking the dishes off, in walked Ced.  The plane was not yet ready and he intends to go back for it starting Sunday night when Lad also starts back.  While Ced was eating his dinner in walked Red Sirene and his bride to be.  They expect to be married Christmas day.  Incidentally, being reminded of it by the mention of pneumonia, Mr. Powell of the church up here reported yesterday that his wife, who for a few days before was not expected to live, was now out of danger and on the way to recovery.  She had had a cerebral hemorrhage followed by pneumonia.  While Red was still here, Elizabeth (Guion) Zabel, Grandpa’s only daughter), Zeke (her husband) and the two children (Raymond Jr. (known as Butch, and his younger brother, Marty) came in.  Later Ced showed some new colored slides he had recently taken of Alaska.  I had to leave in the midst of the showing to go to Bridgeport to marry a couple.  Soon after I returned, Chet and Jean (Hayden) (nee Hughes) walked in and in fact are here now.  Bob has left to go back to Maryland (Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, Maryland, where he and Lad are presently stationed) and Elsie also left a few minutes ago.  Maybe it will make you feel a little less frustrated, Dan, but we were unable to get any Burrough’s cider this year, the first time in a long series of thanksgivings when this has occurred.  Reason, shortage of apples this season.  We had had a very dim hope that Dick might have been able, by some miracle, to get his discharge overnight and fly back in time for dinner but of course that was too much to expect.  We thought of you all, of course, and will also miss you even more on Christmas and New Year’s.  With the holidays over we can then look forward to the next ones with all of you back home.                               DAD

Tomorrow I will begin a weekend series about a trip taken by Ced, Cedric Duryee Guion, when he was only seventeen years old.

He decided that he wanted to learn more about his Peabody relatives and see the place where his Mother, Arla Mary Peabody, had spent her childhood. He hitchhiked from Trumbull, Connecticut to North Dakota and Wisconsin and back, taking most of the summer in 1934.

Judy Guion

Army Life – Dear Family -Marian Writes to the Folks at Home – November 19, 1945

Monday

Dear Family —

Our status is no clearer now than it was last week, altho’ there have been a number of changes.  Lad is now in a new company – a perfectly foul one that treats their men worse than the basics.  He has no definite job to do, because he has over 50 points, but he can’t get out so they are just holding him there.  He has to report on the post at 5.45 every morning – can get a pass every night except Friday night (Don’t ask us why – even they don’t know.  It’s just a company policy.)  You have to be in the company four months (Heaven forbid!)  Before you can get a three-day pass, so we probably won’t be home very often.  Because he’s in a holding company he can’t apply for rations off the post – can’t have his laundry done on the post – can’t buy things at the commissary – can’t _______ Oh, the list is endless.  Now that I’ve presented the worst side, here are a few encouraging items.

One – He hasn’t been sent to Classification as yet, so that might make a difference, we hope.

Two – Because he’s a T/3 he won’t draw any company duties except C.2 – and that shouldn’t come up too often.

Three – they are off duty by 11 o’clock Saturday morning, so we do have a fairly long weekend.  And they usually get off at 4 o’clock on Wednesdays. otherwise it is 5:30 before he can leave.

So —–  if Lad doesn’t pull C.2 on Thursday (or Wednesday night) we will drive up Wednesday night and be home for Thanksgiving dinner anyway.  Bob is in the same company but is hoping to be moved today or tomorrow, so he might not be coming with us.  I guess one place more or less won’t make too much difference, will it?

Dad, will you please call Jean and ask her to get an extra pound of butter for us?  Butter is a very scarce item down here, so I’d like to bring some back with us.  Also tell her that we will bring olives, pickles, nuts, candy (if we can find it) and anything else along that line that I might think of.  They won’t be perishable, and we should be able to get them down here.

We have found an apartment such as it is — which isn’t too bad (We’ve been in a lot worse).  It has a fairly large living and bedroom and a fairly nice kitchen – Good gas stove – icebox – and dishes and silver furnished.  We share the bath with a couple in the other half of the duplex.  Ice and milk are delivered four times a week and we are only five blocks from town.  It really isn’t bad at all and it’s ever so much better than eating out all the time.  We just hope we won’t be here very long.

Went to see the Chandlers The Chandlers lived in Trumbull and Doug Chandler held some position in our church. He also started the Chandler Chorus, which the Lad, Dan and Ced were all involved with. The Chandler Chorus went to area towns to perform at various functions and even were heard on the local radio. Ced met his wife there.) yesterday.  Took us forever to find the place but we finally made it.  Only the two boys were home, however.  Mike is 6 ft. tall – Dave is 6’3″ !! Lad could hardly believe it.  Mrs. Chandler’s stepmother had died, so she was in Kentucky – was expected home tonight.  Mr. Chandler was speaking to a Young People’s Group in a town about 12 miles away (on our way home) so we stopped there and said “Hello”.  Didn’t have time for much more.  We hope to get back there again.

Hope  we see you late Wed.  night or early Thursday morning.

Love —

Marian and Lad

Tomorrow, another letter from Grandpa which includes some business talk to Dave and a wrap-up of Thanksgiving.

Judy Guion

Trumbull – Dear Dave (3) – Grandpa Writes to Dan and Paulette – November 18, 1945

Daniel Beck Guion

(First let me comment on the last part of your quotation. It is a bit of a bother, to be sure, to order, collect when received, pack and ship stuff ordered from. S. R., (Sears Roebuck) as it is difficult for me, with no help to get away from the office, but shucks, if we at home here cannot put ourselves out a bit when it means so much to you folks over there to get the thing, it’s just too bad and makes meaningless our protestations of goodwill.

Page 3   11/18/45

Besides knowing Chiche as I think I do, I don’t believe she would ever abuse or overdue the matter. Certainly as far as she herself is concerned, nothing she may ever want us to do for her over here will ever be too much trouble and if occasionally she has some dear friend, who, through her, we can do something for, it would probably give her as much pleasure to be the means of benefiting such other person as though it were done for her herself. There are only two aspects of the matter that give me any concern. First, is the fact that so small a percentage of the things ordered are available (in the case Rabets, for instance, of the $34 worth ordered only $12 could be obtained) and the other is the cost angle, which is your affair and only indirectly any affair of mine. I don’t like to see you spend every cent as earned because sooner or later you will want some money for fares back to USA, for doctor’s bills, for baby things, etc. and that brings me incidentally to the old order you enclosed with your letter totaling roughly $145, the more costly items being two wedding rings and an engagement ring. What are you doing, getting engaged and married all over again? Before I go ahead with this purchase, I want to be sure it is something you didn’t leave on unintentionally, particularly in view of the fact you state in your letter it was a list made out last summer. I think I know what Chiche means about the other raincoat. On the catalog page showing raincoats are shown two styles, one the trench coat model which we sent to her and the other the dressmaker model, so-called, which I take it is the one she wants for her friend. It looks to me as if Paulette made out this order in her own handwriting, and that being the case, I think I shall write her to find out if I am correct, hoping I’ll get her answer in English. I have a sneaking idea that she can write English a lot better than she modestly claims. Note: you are sending paychecks home; also new address. I shipped off two more boxes to you last week at the former address. Best Thanksgiving wishes to you. Wish you were here for a swig of Burrough’s cider.

Paulette (Van Leare) (Chiche) Guion

Dear Paulette:

You being one of the family now, you shouldn’t have to get this letter secondhand, particularly as with Dan rushing around Europe, there is no telling when his mail will catch up with him. So, if you have read down this far you will know some of the questions that are bothering me. Am I right about the raincoat? Do you want the raincoat for Renée the same color as yours? It also comes in blue. And am I also right about the other style for your friend? And maybe when you write me about these things you can also clear up the question of the wedding and engagement rings. Maybe they are not for you but for someone else? n’est se pas? I will order the tablecloth and kitchen towels and gloves and hope they have them in stock. In one of the boxes I sent to Dan last week I enclosed a number of American baby magazines thinking you might be interested in looking them over. I guess you know how disappointed we are here that official red tape has kept you both from coming to your new home, but Time will cure that as it does many other things and we can still have the fun of looking forward to your arrival on some future happy day. Meantime, take good care of yourself and my little grandchild, and give that hubby of yours a big kiss for me when you see him again. Also, please give my warmest regards to your father and mother.

To all of you, love from

DAD

Tomorrow, a note from Marian and on Friday, another letter from Grandpa.

Judy Guion

Trumbull – Dear Dave (2) – Letters to Lad and Marian and to Dan – November 18, 1945

Alfred Peabody (Lad) and Marian (Irwin) Guion

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Dear Lad and Marian:

Thought of you several times on the anniversary day and was tempted to send you a wire didn’t know whether it would reach you in time if sent to your camp address, even though of sending Marian flowers by wire, so you see that nothing tangible resulted, you were at least in mind.

Dick has been busy as the proverbial bee, tinkering away at this thing and that, much to the improvement and comfort of all concerned. He doped out a complete and comprehensive fuse plan for all the light outlets, installing new lights in the apartment bathroom, replaced one light socket (fixture) in the old bathroom. Between you and Ced and Dick a lot of mechanical things that have needed to be fixed up for some time have been completed. Jean cooked the dinner today, Marian, and did a right good job, too. We had a roast of lamb (page Dan), baked sweet potatoes, string beans, shoelace beets (canned) and prune whip. Last week another bunch of delayed letters arrived which I sent on to you at Lad’s address so you could have something to do besides knitting while Lad was out helping Uncle Sam. I am enclosing another letter for Marian which arrived since.

We are of course hoping you both can get here for Thursday’s event. Was Bob (Mark, who met Lad in Marseilles, France, after their units shipped out, bound for Okinawa, and they were left behind to gather the Company’s equipment and take it to Okinawa, while nearing the Panama Canal, Hiroshima was bombed, and Lad and Bob’s ship was sent to New York. They are both like fish out of water: not with their respective Companies, no need for their skills where they are and yet, not discharged. It is a waiting game.) transferred to the new company too? Was he able to get a pass to enable him to go home for Thanksgiving?

Daniel Beck Guion

Paulette (Van Leare) Guion

Dear Dan:

Yours of Nov. 8th from Paris. The letter in which you say: “Just like old Finnigan, I’m off again — this time to Luxembourg. We arrived back from Liege Tuesday evening and the next two days have been a hurricane of activity getting enough survey equipment to make up two crews. My crew is going to Luxembourg and another  to Holland. The job this time is rather like the last, i.e. a topo. (topography)  survey of a military cemetery.”

(Later on in the letter you say you haven’t received any mail lately so of course you didn’t answer any questions I have asked you lately which would tend to clear up such points as to what position do you occupy in these survey teams? What exactly is your work? How do you like your boss and the men you work with?)

You go on to say: “ Chiche is still at Calais. She asks for a few more items from S.R. (Sears Roebuck) some of which date back to last summer, hence are listed in the old catalog. Reasonable facsimiles will suffice. In addition to the items listed she wants to give her sister Renée a raincoat similar to the one you sent her– same size. And I promised to ask for a third raincoat for a friend– small size — not the same style as Paulette’s. Incidentally, I have told Chiche that she is not to promise anything more to her friends because it is an abuse of your and Marian’s willingness, and a hell of a bother.”

Tomorrow, the conclusion of this letter. On Thursday a note from Marian and on Friday, another letter from Grandpa.

Judy Guion