Grounds Improved at Camp Claiborne:
Camp Claiborne, La.
October 22, 1941
Will drop you a few lines tonight. Today here in Dixie it was rather warm, about 95. Not so cool for this time of the year. It seems like summer here in the south.
The big news of the week was an alert call the other night. We received a call to be ready to move out at 12 o’clock. The main idea was to see if we still know how to
move out with a short notice. We were moved out and on our way on time. The company returned in time for a 5:30 breakfast, a little tired but wiser.
By the time you get this letter most of the boys who are home will be ready to return to camp. By the way, camp has changed a lot. They have put sod around most of the
tents, planted trees around the buildings and graveled the streets. You won’t know this place, I am sure. Our new recreation hall is really nice with new bookshelves
and plenty of books. Ping pong is the main sport.
Today was sort of checkup. We had our teeth checked, plus a shot for lockjaw. We still have two shots left in the near future.
Co. M plays a new brand of football, seven man. It is played with four men in the line and three in the back field. We played our first game Wednesday afternoon
with Co. L. of Council Bluffs. We came out on top with a score of 35 - 0. Yours truly had some bad luck. While taking a pass for a touchdown I stepped in a hole
and turned my ankle. I might be able to play next week against Co. I of Glenwood. They have a good team.
I sure hope all of the boys who were home on leave had a good time. I am sure they were welcome and made the best of every day of it. I might be home next month.
Well, readers, it’s about time I close for now. Paul G. says he will be home in a couple of weeks and Herb Pontow says he will be home Christmas. Dan Myers says.
“Which train do I take to Iowa?” Will bring this chapter to a finish. Good luck to you all.
Private 1st Class D. H. Knight
News of our Men and Women in Uniform
"The Malvern Leader"
Malvern, Iowa
September 13, 1943
Sgt. Knight Goes to Burma
Dear (may I use dear) Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, City Editor, Night Editor, Foreign Correspondent, Advertising Manger, Reporter, Photgrapher, Printer, Ink Boys,
the Dog and Mr. Wortman, if he is still connected with the paper, as postage stamp moistener:
I do hope I haven't left anything or anybody out. I have been meaning to write and thank the noble people and Mr. Wortman for the Malvern Leader for some time - 2 1/2
years to be exact. I really have appreciated it and do miss it when it fails to arrive one time. I kept waiting till I had something to write about, like getting a
medal for 5,000 hours on the China Clipper or better known to civies as a dishwasher, but it looks like I will always have a bare chest - meaning no medals. I though
that "you all" (a little expression that they use in Southern Russia; of course I have never been to southern Russia but the BTO's, big time operators, tell me that
they say "you all" there) might like to hear of my travels, such as they are. We left the States the latter part of May, the 22nd to be exact, leaving there we managed
to get in some deep sea fishing. Of course we caught nothing but a good sunburn, so it was considered a success. From Palm Beach we headed south for Porto Rico.
They have a beautiful field there and a wonderful view of the Caribean, for officers, but I managed to look at the scene when no one was looking.
The next morning we headed for Trindad. When we got there my buddy, John, and I thought we would do the town, which is the Port of Spain, and have some rum and
coca cola but, alas, we couldn't get even a coke let alone rum, and transient enlisted men couldn’t have passes to town but they said they had a recent show we could
see if we were good boys and had the proper change in Trindad money. After running about here and there we got some of our money changed. It is a British possession
so we had pences instead of dollars and cents. After tramping through the jungle, over mountains and fording a stream we found the show. They said it was a new show but
it took a little time to ship it from the States. It was new all right - about 20 years ago. After that experience I expect to see "The Birth of a Nation" when I get a
little further from the States.
At 4 a. m. the next morning they got us up and told us that we were going to take off for Belem, Brazil right away so we sailed through the wild blue yonder,
as the recruiting officer told me 2 1/2 years ago, over the equator and tropic jungle. Belem is located right south of the mouth of the Amazon river. You cold see
how the river had discolored the ocean for miles out and see the fishing boats struggling against the current. I think they were struggling- anyway, it sounds good.
The next day we landed at Natal, Brazil. Our plane was to have a careful inspection before we jumped off to the Ascensions, so we had three days there. Again
enlisted men could not go to town until they had been there four days - such is life. They have a wonderful beach and a theater so after getting sunburned again
and seeing three shows that I had seen 10 years ago (things are getting better) we headed our brand new C-46 toward the Ascensions. We were told to come back and
land at the island of Fernando which is under the control of Brazil.
There was no army personnel there. At the time I was in the hands of the navy. It seems that something new had to be put on the plane that they had neglected to
put on at the factory so we had three days of fishing and tramping in the hills. It is quite a small island so we covered it quite thoroughly. We got along fine
with the navy till the skipper of the place caught a group of us enlisted men in the officers club. The gentleman (by act of Congress) was quite put out about it
and said mean things to us and hurt our feelings no end. Seems like I always have trouble with the navy. The next day we left the island and started for the Ascensions.
At first glimpse of the island, you think it is just a big rock with a lot of water around it. When you land you find that it is a big rock with water around it.
Here they told us that we were allowed to go to town so John and I got all set for a big night and than they told us that there is no town - such is life. So we
strolled around and looked at the trees on the place and hit the sack. The next day we were in Liberia. Spent the day in the darkest Africa swatting mosquitoes
and listening to the sounds of the jungle. Sounds good, doesn't it? It wasn't - it was hot. Then we went around the coast of Africa, stopping for the night at Dakar,
Marrakesh and finally Tunis. We stayed for two days and got to see quite a bit of the place, The Kasbah (and it is spelled with a K), some palaces and the like.
We went on across the desert to Benghazi for gas and finally to Cairo. There they let us out to see the place. It was mighty colorful - soldiers of every country
and people of all colors and creeds. The beggars were very thick and pestered one to death. I got to see the pyramids from the air. They look like a big WPA project.
Our next stop was Abadan, one of the hottest places in the world. It was 115 the day we were there. We left there the next morning, thank goodness, and headed for
Karachi where we got more clothing and equipment and learned how not to deal with the natives. I bought a beautiful piece of glass for 20 rupees. One rupee is worth 30c.
The glass was supposed to be smoked topaz. Ah, clever, these Americans!
We laid around at Karachi for a month, spending our money and sleeping. We had good food, quarters, lights and electric fans. Our barracks were stone and there
were only two or three to a room. Finally our orders came through and we were to report to the combat cargo group. We went across India, stopping at New Delhi for gas.
New Delhi is a beautiful new city and the capital of India. The town is laid out in the shape of a kite and from the air was really pretty. We spent that night at
Chabua in the worst quarters I have seen yet. There I met a Robinson boy who is a cousin to Dutch Robinson, so we had quite a chat. From there on we came up Burma to
where we are now. Of course they sent us to the wrong place first but we finally got here in northern Burma which is hot and sultry and things mildew in less than a day,
so we all have a peculiar odor of stale bread or something.
That brings me up to date pretty good. Well, the main idea of this letter is to find out if I could become a member of Miss Mary Ann Jones, Associated Association
of Waders, etc., Of course, I have to wear my shoes - some silly army regulation- but I do get plenty of mud on me and I feel that I could keep up with the high standards
the Association undoubtedly has, so if I am eligible please let me know.
I have to go to China tomorrow so shall hit the sack for tonight.
My love to the girls,
My regards to the men,
and Wortman.
Knightsy
First Casualty from this Community
Malvern Leader
November 25, 1943
Devere Knight Killed in Italy
The cost of the war, the very real cost of the war, was brought home to the community this week when it was learned that Sgt. Devere Knight, 28, had given his life
for his
country while in service with the United States Army in Italy. His death was the first among the boys in service from Malvern and instilled the feelings of sympathy
which citizens of this community have for those of Hastings and Glenwood and communities everywhere in which casualties have already been felt.
"Speck" Knight was loved genuinely by practically every resident of the community. He enlisted for service to Co. M of the National Guard when the war
clouds first gathered; many months before the United States was actually involved. He was still in the group of his enlistment when a snipers bullet found
him as he was taking supplies to the
front line. His brother, Harvey was with him at the time and his letter to his sisters and parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Knight, was their first notification
of their son’s
death, which had occurred November 4.
Speck had lived all his life in Malvern. He attended the schools here and was graduated with the class in 1936. He enjoyed the pleasant countryside of
his boyhood and
liked to hunt and fish with his brothers, two of whom are also in the service. He was a member of some of the school athletic teams, making an outstanding
record in basketball. He developed as well a taste for the pleasures of reading, spending much time in the Malvern library. After his school days, too,
he helped with the local boy scout organization and many remember the scout boxing matches which he arranged, teaching the boys many of the skills of the
sport which he had learned while participating in some of the Golden glove matches in Omaha.
But perhaps Speck’s most outstanding trait was his love for his parents and family and his constant concern for their welfare. It is known that while
he was in the fighting zone he sent back a part of his pay to a needy family that had been kind to him in earlier years.
Many of the readers of this paper grew to know Speck through his frequent letters to the editor, some of which have been published from time to time.
One of these,
written only two days before his death and one of the last he wrote only a day before news of his death was received.
So Speck left in the community many pleasant memories and the feeling, shared by all, that he was a genuinely great American and that he died as he
would have desired,
as a good soldier fighting for his country that he loved and for ideals in which he believed implicitly.
Sharing the communities grief in his death are his parents, four sisters, Mrs. Florence Hannah,Blair, NE, Mrs. Kathryn Lockcuby, Hamburg; Mrs. Dorothy Taylor,
Henderson; and Nancy Jane at hom; and three brothers, Hatley, Tampa Fla., Harvey Jr. in service overseas and Jack in Omaha.
