66th Army Division Panthers at Camp Rucker

July 16, 2025

Today my ground-breaking triumph, “How I Improved the United States Marine Corps,” appeared as a Kindle(R) edition.  Apparently, you might be able to download it freely, for a short time.  After that it will be $5.  I saw no image on the Kindle advertisement, so that bummed me, like out.

Now, back to transcribing the letters from my uncle Carl (Bud) R. Bonde wrote home from army training, this time from Camp Rucker, Alabama.  I’m guessing 1944, but none of Bud’s letters are dated.  In 1944 Bud’s 66th Army Division transferred to New York, for further transportation by troop ship to England.

Note this first letter home was before Bud was finished with A.S.T.P. in Grand Forks, North Dakota.  I have a photograph dated, Jan. 1944, with Bud’s image, of his platoon at the University of North Dakota.

7. [Pencil on three sheets of plain 5×9.5” stationery.]

Dear Mother and Dad:  Sunday

Well I’m going into my last week here. Final examinations this week and back to the troops next week. We’ve had physical examinations almost every day this week.  It seems that there’s a couple of scarlet fever cases in camp.

I went to Fargo last week had a pretty good time down there.  They have a A.S.T.P. unit down there, and there’s a couple of fellows from camp crowder going there that I know.  From what I saw and heard down there they have it even nicer than we do.  They don’t have evening study hall and they can get week end passes almost any week end.

We get a diploma and a carton of cigarettes when we leave here.  

One of the civilian classes is applied physiology ran a test to prove the falsehood of cigarette advertising. Me and Siefeldt were a couple of the victims.  They blindfolded us and gave us 7 different cigarettes to smoke.  We were supposed to name the brand.  I only got one right, that was “Spud” it’s a mentholated cigarette.

This week end I and a fellow named John Coleman went out together on a blind date.  The girl I got was a school teacher visiting her sorority sisters, she is the same age I am, and belongs to the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.  Her name was Marjorie Renoldson.  

Well here comes the inevitable.  I’m broke again.  We ship next week and I have to pay for my laundry, cleaning, and drawing equipment, so will need about, should we say, a “sawbuck” $10.  Siefeldt says to write — “don’t forget that I am your only son,”  For best results should reach me by Saturday of this week.

[No closing, no signature.]

8.  [Smaller Camp Rucker stationery, in ink.]

Dear Mother and Dad:

I got the five dollars you sent, and also the five you sent just before.  I think I have told you before, but in case I haven’t:  I got the underwear you sent also.  As usual I haven’t done anything interesting, so there isn’t a great deal to write about, aside from our regular training we’ve had several inspections this week.  Rifle inspection, clothing inspection, and equipment inspections.  After retreat I usually go over to the P.X. and get some ice cream, then come back to the barracks and read a book and eat ice cream.  All very boring.  I received a letter from Corinne Friday.  Also got another letter from Ken Brust.  He expects to get a furlough sometime in June.

I wrote to Mrs. Baldwin for Roger address so maybe I will get a letter from him soon.

I go out on the rifle range next week again to fire the B.A.R. (Browning Automatic Rifle). After that I fire the carbine and the machine gun.

Love Bud

9. [Larger Camp Rucker stationery, in ink.  The pages are each embossed in gold “United States Army [eagle motif] Camp Rucker Camp Rucker, Alabama.”]

Dear Mother and Dad:

The division celebrated its 1st anniversary this week, and I did a little celebrating myself.  They started Friday morning with a big parade, the whole division (15,000 men) passed in review.  After lunch 75% of the men got to go on pass until Monday morning.  Me and McKain (that’s my new buddy now) decided we didn’t want to go anywhere, so we would stay in camp and let someone who —  really wanted to go —go.  But the more we thought about it the more we decided it would do us good to get out of camp even if we didn’t go anywhere in particular.  So we finally talked ourselves in to it and went down and got our passes.  The three of us started out —me, McKain and Telling (another buddy).  By the time we got to the bus station it had started to rain and we were soaking wet, but we decided to continue on come hell or high water.  We finally got into Dothan after a miserable ride on the bus.  The first thing we did was dash into a restaurant for something to eat.  While we were eating we discussed the situation and finally came to the conclusion that we would take for Tallahassee, Fla.

Just as we were to leave the restaurant we ran into a fellow U.M.D. student and we stood around and batted the breeze with him for awhile.  He asked us where we were going, and we said Tallahassee.  He says “don’t you remember Eugene Dunaway he lives in Tallahassee.”  Eugene Dunaway was also a fellow U.N.D. student who flunked out in the second term and was sent to camp crowder.  It so happened that this fellow we were talking to was a particularly good friend of Dunaway and he gave us Dunaway’s address in Tallahassee.  We didn’t really expect to use the address at all.

We got a bus out of Dothan for Tall. at eight o’clock Friday night and arrived in Tall. at 12”30 that same night.  We only had one clean uniform on and by the time we got to Tall. we looked like bums.  We stood up on the bus all the way.

By some miracle and after trying about three hotels we finally got a room, we were pretty down hearted.  Ny the way I forgot to mention — it had rained all this time.  Next morning (we got up at eleven o’clock) the sun was shining and after having a good night’s rest we felt a whole lot better.  The first thing we did was get a shoe shine, next we had dinner, and then went out and got ourselves some new uniforms, which set us back $15 apiece.  When we were waiting for our pants to be altered we took in a little bit of the city.  We went in the capital building of Florida.  Saw all the old relics of the civil war, went into the room where the state legislature meets etc, etc.  While we were wandering around town we went into a jewelry store to get a  and for Pellings’ wrist watch and while were waiting for the band to be put on, we got in a conversation with the clerk.  We asked her if she knew a Mrs. E.P. Dumnaway.  Why sure she works just across the street.  So we decided “what the hell as long as we were that close we might as well go over and see the old lady.”  Mrs. Dunaway was delighted to see us, and nothing we could do but must come out for dinner that night and sleep in Eugene’s bedroom.  So she called up her daughter and her daughter came out in the car and picked us up.  Now it so happened that her daughter is a student at the Florida state college for women and so from then on we were really set up for the week end.  The college was putting on a May Day program so we picked up two more girls and went out to the college for the show.  After that we went over to Doris Dunaway’s sorority and she showed us around.  We played records etc.  By this time it was time for supper so the girls took us out to the hotel where we picked up our suit case (and all the towels in the room).

We had supper out in the back yard.  They had a fire place out there (it was just the sort of a back yard you would want).  After supper we went to a night club about two miles out of town and had a few drinks etc.  After that we drove around awhile and then went back to the Dunaway house for sandwiches.  We took the girls home and that wound up the evening.  Sunday morning we got up bright and early had breakfast and then went out to the golf links for a game a golf.  Never having played golf I didn’t do too good, but on the other hand I didn’t do too bad either.  With the exception of Doris Dunaway we had a brand new set of girls to go with our golf.  After the golf we came back for dinner (Southern fried chicken).  After dinner Mrs. Dunaway took our pictures, and also made us sit down and write a letter to Eugene — her son.  After that we just had time to catch our bus.  I’ve never had a better time in all my life.  Mrs. Dunaway treated us just like you and dad treat the fellas I bring home.  She’s about forty five years old I should say, she has a five year old son, a nineteen year old daughter and I guess Eugene is about my age or maybe a little older.  They have a beautiful home — a colored maid and all that sort of thing.  The old man works for the railroad so we didn’t see much of him.

Tallahassee is a beautiful place even prettier than Kalispell.  I sure get a kick out of this Southern drawl we kidded the girls a lot about their drawl.  We have a standing invitation to come to the Dunaway home any time we come down there.  I spent almost every cent I had but I think it was well worth it.

Love Bud

10. [Ink on larger Camp Rucker stationery.]

Dear Mother and Dad.

I haven’t been able to write all week because of the lack of time.  We have been out toe rifle range every day this week.  We got up at a quarter to four and walked out to the range; stayed there all day and came in about 8 o’clock in the evening.  By the time I had eaten supper and cleaned my rifle I was too tired to do anything but go to bed.

I received the underwear and stockings you sent, and was half mad and highly amused at the same time.  When I said I was short on underwear, I meant I could about about a half a dozen or a dozen pair.  As for stockings I want some heavy athletic socks (cotton).  The G.I. laundry is not too reliable.  I have to go dirty for a week or or two if I don’t have plenty of clean clothes.  Either that or wash my own clothes, and I’m too tired after a day in the field to do that.

I guess I have received all the money you sent.  Pay day is tomorrow and I will receive about forty dollars.

I got a letter from Helen the other day. She sent me some pictures of Tommy and Carol.  Also got a letter from Corinne. I to a letter from Kenny Brust, he is in the 21st Arm’d Inf.  He says he expects to go oversees soon.

Well I haven’t done much this week so I don’t have a great deal to write about.

Bud

please send me some underwear ! !