Dec 6, 1944, letter to Art from Ted former Breck High School schoolmate
Title
Description
Ted a student at Breck in December 1944 referenced World War II, in the following manner, “I seem to be in a tizzy most of the time, what with getting ready for Christmas and still trying to pound a few fact into the heads of the young ones who are still floating around Breck.
And when I speak of some of them still floating. I really mean it. For example, so far in the last three weeks we have lost Don Pfaff to the Navy, and McCord has just left school preparatory to going the same way. Don is at Great Lakes and has a temporary rating of assistant chief petty officer already because he was the only one in his company who had had any military training at all.
I call that quite a boost for Captain Smith’s work here at Breck. Incidentally, Chuck Davis is expecting to leave at any time too.”
Ted tells Art he’s sorry he didn’t spend more time with him when he was home on leave; acknowledged that Art did have relatives over; asked how things were going with Elaine; told him about preparations for Breck’s upcoming military formal; said he was going to see Artie Shaw at the Orpheum in downtown Minneapolis, also to see Frankie Carle and Paul Robeson in Shakespeare’s “Othello.”
YouTube links to those sources:
Band leader, Artie Shaw: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBGdCpEliT0
Band leader Frankie Carle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dojCKT8V0w
Actor, Singer, Activist, Paul Robeson as “Othello,”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IynoOLAk3bM
Ted’s letter head & envelope indicates the location of Breck High School at that time, and that Art Eisenberg is no longer in Navy Boot Camp in Farragut, Idaho but is now in Pre-Commissioning school in Seattle Washington.
Creator
Source
Box 449, File 13.
Date
Format
Language
Original Format
Text
2477 Como Avenue West
St. Paul 8, Minnesota
December 6, 1944
Dear friend Art,
I seem to be in a tizzy most of the time ,what with getting ready for Christmas and still trying to pound a few fact into the heads of the young ones who are still floating around Breck. And when I speak of some of them still floating. I really mean it. For example, so far in the last three weeks we have lost Don Pfaff to the Navy, and McCord has just left school preparatory to going the same way. Don is at Great Lakes and has a temporary rating of assistant chief petty officer already because he was the only one in his company who had had nay military training at all. I call that quite a boost for Captain Smith’s work here at Breck. Incidentally, Chuck Davis is expecting to leave at any time too.
I was sorry too, Art, that I did not get to see you anymore than I did when you were home, but I know how rapidly the time can fly when the stay is so short. Of course you also had relatives visiting at the time, and that has a tendency to complicate matters. And, there is the little matter of Elaine, which is not to be elected for slighting. How did you and she make out. Is everything hunky dory there?
The main buzz is the breeze around school here these days is the preparation for the Military Formal on the fifteenth, of course with Bud Strawn on the podium again. The corps, however, is introducing a new wrinkle this season in that they are going to put on a special ceremony just before the half is which, after parading down a lane of sabers, each senior will present to his lady a miniature sterling silver saber bearing the Breck crest. Now that sounds very picturesque don’t you think? The officers are all getting red silk sashes too so with the white gloves and all that, the party is mounting up in cost for the dear urchins. Some of them are moaning about ten and twelve dollars flying far the evening. Well, anyway our formals here are usually pretty successful affairs, if you remember, and yes, Art, when you come back, we shall go to some more of them.
I always enjoyed our times together, and there is not reason on earth way we can’t have some more of those “good old days”.
I was at the Orpheum last night to hear Artie Shaw and his band in person and enjoyed the show very much. Did you know that he had just organized this band and that Minneapolis is the first city to hear him? Next week comes Frankie Carle, who promises to be very successful too. I am especially looking forward to seeing Paul Robeson next week in Shakespeare’s “Othello”.
The bugle is blowing for dinner so I’m in a cloud of hen shit. Lets hear from you soon again.
Always your Friend.
Ted
Envelope
Art Eisenberg S 2/c
U. S. S. Bergen 150
A.P.A. Pre-Commissioning School
U. S. Naval Station
Seattle 99
Washington
- Date Added
- November 30, 2013
- Collection
- Letters to Art that Reference World War II
- Item Type
- Document
- Citation
- Ted, Breck High School student, “Dec 6, 1944, letter to Art from Ted former Breck High School schoolmate ,” Discovering the Importance in the Ordinary:, accessed April 18, 2024, https://eisenbergexhibit.omeka.net/items/show/28.