Search

Hopes to move from a yeoman unit to a job in the camp library. Wants to find out about the difference in amount of leave between working at the library and in the transportation pool. Got a recommendation letter for his transfer to the library or transportation job from H. Passamaneck, Director of the Young Men’s and Women’s Hebrew Association. Finally gets transferred into the Transportation office. He finished “They Shall Not Sleep” by Leland Stowe, which talks about the future relations between the US and Russia; there is talk about making the camp into regular navy. Has gotten his leave approved, and saw the movie “Lady in the Dark;” supposedly will be getting 3,000 people who can’t read or speak English in camp later this week. Talks about how the postwar period will be something to observe and live through, for many latent prejudices will come out then. Talks about Jewish services at the Camp, and how they are uninspiring; watched the movie “Purple Heart”; bringing more regular navy to the base. Has been put on special assignment, meaning he does not meet the Navy’s physical standards, as the Navy is now integrating SA men into the entire Navy, not just putting them into the Seabees.

First day in Transportation office, had to move to a new barracks. Goes to the library to read magazines and newspapers; got his liberty schedule. Talks about Fred Woltman, a newspaper writer, and his change in politics; mentions the Dies Committee. Hears rumors that all the Seabee men at the camp will be transferred across the country; is reading Pierre Van Paasen’s “The Forgotten Ally”; calls war a “stupid extravaganza.” Men are starting to get transferred out of Camp Peary by train. Makes comments about a speech of Churchill that was on the radio, and about the White Paper. Peary is being changed to a “general service camp.” Talks about Winchell’s response to Dies. Reads Joe Rosenfarb’s book “Highway to Tokyo.” Comments on and includes an article about the Supreme Court ruling allowing African-Americans to vote in primaries.

Finds out that he will not be transferred to another base. Talks about the upcoming presidential election. Goes to a Seder meal; talks about rent in Williamsburg, at $8 a week; talks about being a checkers champion. Saw the documentary “Tunisian Victory.” Wants to do some reading on public housing, such as work in community centers. Sees most of the older officers getting transferred out as new recruits are being brought in; there is a shortage of Coca-Cola. Makes plans for his wife Esther to come down and see him. Describes his daily routine, and compares it to his home routine.

Goes to see the movie “Shine On Harvest Moon;” wonders about the new enlargement of the reserve forces. Finds out that he is a part owner in a furniture business in Clairton, PA; reads an editorial by Henry Wallace, Vice President of the US. Wants to get on community development when he gets home. Takes a walk around the campus of William and Mary; watches a newsreel describing Camp Peary as on beautiful Virginia countryside, which the people watching disagreed with vocally; listens to a concert by Vronsky-Babin piano duo; goes to see the movie “Follow the Boys.” Starts speculating that the invasion will come soon, as British censors are becoming more strict. Describes the sudden transfer order of 15 men from his department. Goes to a doctor to check his eyes and see if they are good enough for him to become an officer. Notes that, had he been assigned to the library instead of the transportation department, he likely would have been transferred to another camp by now; been at Camp Peary for six months. Watches the movie “A Voice in the Wind;” is collecting chewing gum for Esther. Is thankful for the fact that he has access to books and newspapers, as it allows him to keep a semblance of civilian life and prevent moodiness; wants to take a class in conversational Spanish.

Is told that his chances at making officer would be better if he were a 2nd or 1st class petty officer; asks for gossip from back home. Any promotion is stalled for three weeks because the officer he talked to has left for California. Puts in a request for leave in mid-June, but leaves are still frozen; reading “Release from Nervous Tension,” by Dr. D.H. Fink. Does not think it sensible for Esther to move down to Williamsburg. His superior gets transferred out, and replaced with a new boss. New boss holds a conference with Recht, telling him that both he and his old boss, Wilson, know that he is working under his capabilities, and they will try to transfer him someplace with a better chance for advancement; his new boss is friends with the procurement officer, the one in charge of rerating and taking application for promotions; talks about how some enlisted men were punished for sunning themselves while on duty. One of the members of Recht’s office gets rerated ahead of him; proposes to reorganize the entire system of filing memoranda. Would consider Navy work in Europe as a yeoman; talks about the trial of some seditionists. Is told by his new boss that Esther come down every month, and he will be given time off. Sees the movie “Gaslight” with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer; talks about a contest for Postwar Economic Programs.

Comments on his appreciation of Virginius Dabney and the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Reads the book “Germany Will Try It Again,” by Schultz. Sees a Betty Grable movie, with her and other women performing a gun drill; comments about how he is much happier being in the service than merely being a civilian; theorizes about the end of the war and what will come after; talks about a program for former Navy prisoners at the camp. Still does not know about his rerate; wants to parlay his organization of memoranda into a system for the whole camp. Gets an article from Esther about the Jews in Palestine. A book Recht requested, “Better Eyesight without Glasses” comes into the library, so he can try and improve for his officer test; Begins preparing for the takeover of Camp Peary by the regular Navy, on 29 May. Sees the movie “Story of Dr. Wassel,” with Gary Cooper; thinks about going to see Virginius Dabney give the Commencement address at the College of William and Mary; muses how long the world will be in turmoil unless it becomes better able to handle crises. Gets a letter from the ACLU asking for donations; gets his index shown to the Lieutenant.

Enjoys getting gossip from home. New changes in liberty schedules and a new Personal Inspection of each department, as part of the switchover into Navy control; talks about the trials the new lieutenant is having in replacing Lt. Wilson. New lieutenant, Lt. Crockett, wants to help Recht get his commission, even though the Navy is overcrowded with lawyers; sees the movie “Outward Bound.” Has a conversation with a friend about the current problems, as Recht is his friend’s only intellectual outlet. One of Recht’s friends from home is assigned to Camp Peary; gets another man added to his department, as well as a new ensign; sees the movie “Between Two Worlds.” Baby-sits for Lt. Crockett at his house on the York River; as he is taking Recht back to the Barracks, Crockett and Recht talk more about his commissioning. The new ensign offers to buy the men in the department cokes. Talks about the invasion of France by the Allies. Asks Esther about the perception of anti-”negro” sentiment in the Navy, and then explains what he knows about it. Hears a man in the office suggest that there is anti-”negro” and anti-Semitic feelings in the armed forces, and the best plan would be to send then to Africa and Palestine, but eventually gives up the argument because it is not going anywhere.

Hears about the government drilling for oil in Point Barrow, Alaska; sees Life pictures of the war in Europe. Talks about the fears everyone has now that the invasion has happened. Details the bus schedule for him coming home on leave. Talks about how landlords in Williamsburg and Yorktown overcharge the Navy personal because they are only there for a short time; asks Esther about the Clairton swimming pool, which is having race problems. Talks about the name of the new Camp Peary newspaper, the Peary Scope. Lt. Crockett sets up an interview between Recht and Lt. Maul, the procurement officer, to talk about his possible commission; makes fun of the other people in his unit for how young they are. Talks about soldiers caught using black market gas. Goes on leave to Clairton; lost his bag on the way back, but it was found.

All rerates are now subject to regular Navy policies, which include taking an exam. Finds it harder to readjust to life at Camp Peary this time as opposed to others. Gets complimented by the Asst. Commander of the base during an inspection of 1,500-1,700 Navy personnel; sees “Going My Way” with Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald, and hears a pianist play. Lt. Crockett asks him to help write a letter for a man in the department who wants to be discharged because his wife is not feeling well; the Red Cross is checking into requests for leave and discharge because of family members getting ill, because of fake illnesses; the Asst. Commander’s plan to have all the Seabees take tests to become regular Navy soldiers is put on hold when the Commander finds out, without having been consulted. Has finally finished his backlog of work from over his leave; runs into a group of Italian prisoners of war; talks about the Russian offensive and that state of the German army. The old assistant commander of the base is reassigned for trying to usurp the power of the commander; doctors and dentists under 38 are being told to enlist or risk being drafted as privates. Is told by the rerate yeoman that it will be near impossible for him to skip ratings to Y3c. Talks about the death of one of his friends from home, and how it affected him. Becomes a semi-official letter writer for his department.