Letter from James C. Fanning to his family, October 22, 1949
Title
Letter from James C. Fanning to his family, October 22, 1949
Description
James C. Fanning, Class of 1953, wrote these letters to his family during his four years as a cadet at The Citadel.
Creator
Source
A2013.1
Publisher
The Citadel Archives & Museum
Date
Rights
Materials in The Citadel Archives & Museum Digital Collections are intended for educational and research use. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright. For more information contact The Citadel Archives & Museum, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, 29409.
Relation
James C. Fanning Cadet Letter Collection
Format
application/pdf
Language
English
Type
Text
Identifier
https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/534
Coverage
Charleston (S.C.)
Date Valid
Audience
Text
[Page 1]
Saturday Morning
October 22, 1949
Dear Daddy, Mother, and Sandy,
I guess that my letters are collecting up quite a bit, but I guess you are still saving them. They are like a diary because that’s just the way I am writing them.
Thursday morning all the seniors left for senior leave until Sunday. Eating breakfast and cleaning up the room, we took for class. I just had three classes to go to so it wasn’t much. After class I studied from 12-1. At 1 we ate dinner. From 2-4 I studied. From 4-6 I shined my breastplate and waistplate for brass inspection on Friday morning. At 6:30 we ate. At 7:00 we had this pep rally which I am sending
[Page 2]
an article about. The rally was really funny see article. Turner was last year’s band captain. Collins and Black (the boy I visit on the Isle) are plebes in the band. Surherel [sic], Cannon (my platoon sgt.), Easler, (drum major), Duc (my squad leader), Holbert (2nd chair clarinet) and Early are upperclassmen from the band.
After studying quite diligently Thursday night, I woke up bright and early Friday morning to a brass inspection, an hour test in German, English, Algebra, a ten-minute quiz in Chemistry, drill, a parade, and a football game. The test in English was the hardest. I think I knew it pretty good though. Drill was sitting band practice and was not so bad. The parade was rough because of the sandflies. Can’t raise your hand to brush
[Page 3]
them away. I am going to buy some insect repellent. The football game was bad because we lost 19-7 to Furman (see paper). The band can’t march during half because the drill platoon marches, but we do a lot at the beginning.
Because of the game, we didn’t have SMI so we didn’t have to work on that. From 8-9 this morning we had skull practice on what the game with VMI was going to be like. To show you what I mean it took 1 hour for the drum major to explain a 10 minute program and is it complicated, all sorts of pivoting, counter marches, etcs. Takes place at the beginning of the game. For the VMI game there will be everything for that is Parent’s day. I sure wish you could come. Tell me if you want to and sene me money for the
[Page 4]
tickets. Write later how much they will be. Better stop writing now time for a military test (11 o’clock) on the National Defense Act. I just got back from taking the test (easy) and choir practice. We sang with the YMCA boys chorus today (ages about 8-10). What for I don’t know. Leave starts in 20 mins (12:40). I’ll tell you what I will do in the next letter.
Bobby got quite a build-up in the paper didn’t he. Do you ever see any of the boys? Non have written me.
Lots of love,
Jimmy
Saturday Morning
October 22, 1949
Dear Daddy, Mother, and Sandy,
I guess that my letters are collecting up quite a bit, but I guess you are still saving them. They are like a diary because that’s just the way I am writing them.
Thursday morning all the seniors left for senior leave until Sunday. Eating breakfast and cleaning up the room, we took for class. I just had three classes to go to so it wasn’t much. After class I studied from 12-1. At 1 we ate dinner. From 2-4 I studied. From 4-6 I shined my breastplate and waistplate for brass inspection on Friday morning. At 6:30 we ate. At 7:00 we had this pep rally which I am sending
[Page 2]
an article about. The rally was really funny see article. Turner was last year’s band captain. Collins and Black (the boy I visit on the Isle) are plebes in the band. Surherel [sic], Cannon (my platoon sgt.), Easler, (drum major), Duc (my squad leader), Holbert (2nd chair clarinet) and Early are upperclassmen from the band.
After studying quite diligently Thursday night, I woke up bright and early Friday morning to a brass inspection, an hour test in German, English, Algebra, a ten-minute quiz in Chemistry, drill, a parade, and a football game. The test in English was the hardest. I think I knew it pretty good though. Drill was sitting band practice and was not so bad. The parade was rough because of the sandflies. Can’t raise your hand to brush
[Page 3]
them away. I am going to buy some insect repellent. The football game was bad because we lost 19-7 to Furman (see paper). The band can’t march during half because the drill platoon marches, but we do a lot at the beginning.
Because of the game, we didn’t have SMI so we didn’t have to work on that. From 8-9 this morning we had skull practice on what the game with VMI was going to be like. To show you what I mean it took 1 hour for the drum major to explain a 10 minute program and is it complicated, all sorts of pivoting, counter marches, etcs. Takes place at the beginning of the game. For the VMI game there will be everything for that is Parent’s day. I sure wish you could come. Tell me if you want to and sene me money for the
[Page 4]
tickets. Write later how much they will be. Better stop writing now time for a military test (11 o’clock) on the National Defense Act. I just got back from taking the test (easy) and choir practice. We sang with the YMCA boys chorus today (ages about 8-10). What for I don’t know. Leave starts in 20 mins (12:40). I’ll tell you what I will do in the next letter.
Bobby got quite a build-up in the paper didn’t he. Do you ever see any of the boys? Non have written me.
Lots of love,
Jimmy
Collection
Citation
Fanning, James C., “Letter from James C. Fanning to his family, October 22, 1949,” The Citadel Archives Digital Collections, accessed April 28, 2024, https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/534.