DATE OF ENTRY INTO ACTIVE SERVICE: 19 FEB 42
Signature of Soldier Louis J Cohen


3/14/42
Camp Croft
Spartanburg, SC
To: Mr. and Mrs. P.R. Cohen

Dear Folks,

Rode for 25 hours and landed at Camp Croft now Spartanburg S. Carolina. Will be here thirteen weeks and don’t know what will take place.

My address is

Pvt. Louis Cohen
Co. D 3rd Platoon BN.
39th Infantry Training Battalion
Camp Croft So. Carolina

Love, Louie

Will write more tomorrow.

3/14/42
Camp Croft; 3rd Platoon Co. D, 39th Tr. Bn., Infantry Replacement Training Center
Spartanburg, SC

Dear Folks,

I am here in the service club waiting for 9:30 to phone you. I left Devens at 2:40 Thursday and was on the train for 25 ½ hrs locked in with no one allowed to get out. We went through by Mayfield and Hartford and it made me quite a bit out of order to look up Asylum St. from the station. It was a tiresome trip but could not be helped.

This is a brand new camp and it is where I will be for thirteen weeks. After which I may be sent north again. This is nice country but neglected. Poor houses, poor land and a lot of poor people.

It is quite warm here and so we work in our short sleeves.

We will be issued some clothes Monday, 2 more pair of shoes, some new underwear, shorts and all the rest of the things we will need down here.

I don’t have much more to tell you but will write a letter or a card quite often. It is too far to call often as it is quite expensive. So my current address is as follows:

Pvt Louis Cohen
3rd Platoon
Co. D 39th Bn
Camp Croft
S. Carolina

When Pa looks for it on the map tell him to look for Spartanburg So Carolina as it is four miles from that town.

Love to all Louie

3/16/42
The War Department
The Adjutant General’s Office
Washington, DC
Camp Croft, SC
(typed) This is to advise you that the person named below arrived this station 3 – 16 – 42
Pvt Louis J. Cohen 31066780
39th INF. TNG. BN. Camp Croft, SC


3/17/42
Camp Croft, SC
To: Mr. and Mrs. P.R. Cohen
Monday 7:45pm
Dear Folks,

Just to let you know that things are O.K. this is a nice camp and everything is allright. It rained here yesterday and it became very muddy.

We have started drilling and I expect to lose a lot of excess weight which won’t hurt me at all.

I am going to services next Sunday.

Each week about 12 boys are invited to town to dinner with some nice people and may go.

Nothing else to write, expect to call this Friday or Sat nite.

Love, Louie

3/18/42
Camp Croft, SC
To: Ellis Cohen
Mar 17
Dear Folks,

Just to let you know that I am O.K. and that it rained like the dickens here. This country is red clay and when it rains the mud rises to your ankles.

We are starting serious work tomorrow. Today I got 3 more trousers, underwear, sox and other things.

I think that I am going to like it here after a while but it still is to far from home.

How is business? I hope that it keeps up and that you are very busy.

I expect to come back as flush as the ace of spades.

Regards to all, Louie

3/20/42
Camp Croft, SC (Postcard with General View of Camp Croft on the front)
To: Mrs. P.R. Cohen
Thursday 3/19
Dear Folks,

Just finished a hard day at 18.P. (?) Rained yesterday but today was pleasant. Beginning to get thinner. How is Pa feeling

Please send me a couple of fairly old bath towels and a box of book matches.

Nothing else to write

Regards to Millie + Sam + Ellie

Take care of yourself Ma

Love Louie

3/23/42
Camp Croft, SC
Spartanburg, SC
To: Mrs. P.R. Cohen
Sunday
Dear Folks,

Rained here yesterday all day and it was very muddy.

I just was made the mailman for the Co. for as long as I take care of it. It is a little extra work but I don’t mind it. ???? about taken today and cleaned my stuff ????... I sent Pa a Putnam book let me know if he got it. Will try to call on the first seder.

Love Louie

3/24/42
Camp Croft, SC (Postcard with Tent Instruction on the front)
Spartanburg, SC
To: Mrs. P. Cohen

Dear Mom, Pop and Ellie,

Am O.K. Not much to tell been nice here and getting warmer learning a lot of things

Take care of yourself Louie

Sunday Mar 28, (1942?)
Dear Folks,

Just to let you know that I was very happy to hear the news concerning the block.

I know that it is the best thing that you could do and I think that at the price it is a good buy.

I may have sounded a little disappointed at the amount of business done in my store but I guess I didn’t realize how many young fellows have left town.

I am writing this in the Jewish U.S.O. club in town.

Until yesterday we weren’t allowed to leave camp because we didn’t have our identification tags but we got them yesterday and so we can go up to fifty miles from camp without a pass.

The weather here is very uncertain, right now it is swell.

Not much more to write except my best wishes for a healthy and happy Passover and hoping to be home for the next one.

Love Louie