Letter from James C. Fanning to his family, November 13, 1949

Letter from James C. Fanning to his family, November 13, 1949

James C. Fanning, Class of 1953, wrote these letters to his family during his four years as a cadet at The Citadel.

Audio recording by Kyle Ballinger, Citadel Archives intern, summer 2020.

A2013.1

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James C. Fanning Cadet Letter Collection

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English

Text

https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/538

Charleston (S.C.)

[Page 1]
11/13/49

Dear Daddy, Mother, and Sandy,

It is 9:55 this Parent’s Day and I thought I would write you all about it so far. I believe I wrote you Wednesday morning so I will start on Wednesday afternoon and work up till today.

Wednesday afternoon after eating and going to the post office (I received Wed.’s letter with the money) I studied history. Then at 3 I went to history. At 4 we had marching band practice for the VMI game until rain broke it up. After that I went to wrestling where I wrestled my last match because I was whipped in the battalion finals by Sam Purple from Norfolk, Va. [Virginia] a clarinet player and a second class staff sgt [sergeant]. He was very good. That night we had choir practice to practice up very fine for Sunday morning and all the parents. Studied that night.

Thursday was a pretty easy day. I had very light classes and after dinner Bob and I mopped the floor and cleaned up. That afternoon later I

[Page 2]
shined my brass for Friday brass inspection. My afternoons are free now until I have to work tours. (Ha!) That night studied and at tattoo (10:00) we went down to the division inspector’s room and he gave us the low down on Parent’s Day and the dance. Friday we got up Oh Yeh! Thursday night we really had a bang-up pep meeting and talent for the General, visitors, and corps. Lots of dancing, singing, and comedy.

Friday we got up to a rough day. Friday is a pretty hard schedule anyway, but that afternoon we had an Armistice day parade downtown. We left here at 2:45 and got downtown. It started after 3:00. We played “Land of Hope and Glory” for a fellow to sing. We marched down King St. [Street] and up Meeting. It was quite a long way. We had on blouses, breastplates and waistplates with white bands. It really looked sharp but it was hot. (72 [degrees] F) We got back to school. I ate and got ready for the dance. It was at 9:00.

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The dance was very good and lots of people came, but one definitely can’t have any fun unless you have a date. You don’t know anybody. (Girls that is and the boys won’t introduce them). It is absolutely free to bring one down. I left the dance at 11:00. This dance is really different than other dances receiving line, free punch, etc.

Saturday morning we slept to 7:15 and got up to bright day ahead of us. Immediately after breakfast the band practiced for a half an hour for the game this afternoon. This morning we had to get our rooms in tip top shape for the parents. There are really a lot of them. They started pouring in about 9:00 and are still here (10:25).

I am sending this special delivery so you will be well informed as to what’s going on. Another letter will accompany this with [words crossed out] some more of my clippings and junk. I got your answer to my question Friday. I don’t know yet whether I will go with

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the Club so find out if you don’t mind, the train and bus schedules from Charlotte to Atlanta if you don’t mind and the cost. Then send me the money with about $2 extra I guess that will be all right if you will do it and think it is all right.

We are going to have a parade in 15 min. so I had better start getting ready and put all my junk on. I am glad you are not here in a way because I wouldn’t get to see you very much anyway as on a regular weekend, but if you were you could see all the activities and our rooms.

We just had the parade (11:25). It was very short because it wasn’t retreat. We just had to play adj.’s call and pass in review. We have dinner at 12:15. I wish you were here so I could eat in the messhall because the ones who don’t have parents have to eat outside.

I got for my birthday “a skin” from the Douthits and a beautiful pair of pajamas from Aaron. I don’t want to wear them here because they are so hard and have to be washed care-

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fully.

I have decided what I want for Christmas and you will be surprised. It isn’t an electric razor. You couldn’t guess. I am going to tell Santa Claus though. Very cheap so he wouldn’t mind.

Today none of the “doowillies” have to brace. I guess they want the parents to think we have a good time here.

I gave never told you the good deal we have here in the band and that is that we “doowillies” are on the quadrangle (1st floor) while in the other companies they are on the 3rd and 4th floor and have to run up and down the stairs.

I guess I had better shine some shoes. So I guess that’s all.

With lots of love,
Jimmy

[See original letter for scans of an invitation and dance card]