Dick LaSalle’s band; and others with significant credentials.
The newsletter staff quickly expanded and included a new cartoonist, introduced to the passengers as: “Pvt. Sol LeWITT, age 22, of New Britain, Conn., assigned to HQ Co., 40th Div., Japan. Sol was an artist before entering the Army and attended Syracuse University, N.Y.” His prolific output during the voyage expanded his penchant for wry commentary.
Among his cartoons is one of soldiers trying to sleep during a rainstorm. One of them says: “I had a very restful sleep last night on one of the hatches. The gentle pitter-patter of the rain on my sleeping bag made me sleep all the better.” LeWitt also showed the cramped conditions on board with a sailor holding a whip and saying, “After I woke up and took a leisurely shower I got into the chow line which really moves fast because it is a single line and no one crowds it.” Another chow line drawing was accompanied by the following text: “And the KPs and cooks are nice to us. Even though there are no cups or bowls and silverware they let us go thru the line anyway. The dining room is a huge, spacious place, air conditioned and filed to overflowing with smiles, and we talk about politics and world news.” In yet another cartoon about the chow line, he shows a lieutenant colonel saying to a much younger officer, “I’m sorry, Lieutenant, the cook says you can’t have any caviar.”
The newsletter included updates from the war, indicating the participation of Chinese troops. It is particularly candid for an official Navy document: “War News: U.S. 8th Army Headquarters, KOREA, June 26, 1951—Chinese forces formed a still resistant line against patrolling and attacking United Nations units on the central and western fronts yesterday and early today. Communist units offered light to heavy resistance in the area north of Wachon and northwest of Hangue while enemy activity was confined to platoon-sized engagements against Allied patrols from the east coast.”
When the voyage ended at Yokohama, Private Solomon LeWitt rejoined the 40th as it trained for duty in Korea. Japan would have an inspiring effect on him, some which is reflected in his letters to Libner. The only one that survives from Japan was written about the time the division shipped out for Korea. LeWitt’s arrival in Korea was about week after that of the new commander, General Matthew Ridgway, who replaced General Douglas MacArthur after he had been fired by President Truman.
December 28, 1951
Dear Lib,
… Right now the section is embroiled in a mighty production called “Once Upon a Holiday.” It is a real stinker by any standards except for a couple of numbers. I am property man—which means I get a free TDY [military shorthand for “temporary duty assignment”] to Tokyo when the show plays there on New Year’s Eve. We don’t come back until Jan. 5, which means one big last fling before we ship out….
I really was beginning to enjoy Japan, too. But I won’t be in any great danger [in Korea], since I think I’ll be in the PX section [post exchange]….
GENERAL KIMBELL (I think.)
The 40th Division was sent directly to the front in Korea, relieving the 24th Infantry Division. Over the next several months, the 40th participated in the battles of Sandbag Castle and Heartbreak Ridge, and while it inflicted heavy casualties, it suffered about 400 fatalities, with many more wounded. LeWitt, assigned to headquarters company, worked behind the lines, designing posters for events and working at the post exchange, where he was in charge of the warehouse in which general supplies and whiskey and beer were stored. Behind the lines, though, was not necessarily a safe address, as the next letter indicates.
LeWitt received his first promotion, to private first class, but he was still slightly outranked by Libner, who had yet to go to war. The letter begins with a mockery of Army regulations and refers to the point system—when soldiers received enough points, largely measured by in-country service, they were eligible to go home. And it is signed with the nickname of Dwight Eisenhower, former general and president:
To Pfc. Arnold Libner, 53rd Quartermaster Co.,
Fort Drum, NY,
Dear US51090148,
… Our division “rear” unit (mine) is moving about 7 miles to Chunchon which is closer to the 40th front than we are now. The place we have in Chunchon is supposed to be real jolly…. One side is the largest oil dump in Korea. On the other side is a large oil seaport. [Enemy units] apparently swoop down on the place. They also like to pick off guards….
We just finished our inventory here and happily were only a couple of hundred dollars behind. We aren’t supposed to make money here and are allowed one and one half percent loss—about $2,000….
With any luck I’ll leave this favored land in the middle of summer. That is if 36 points are still the criteria. I now have 24 points.
The only contact I still have with the army is guard duty but even that is a joke now. We show up late to our posts, don’t bother sleeping in the guardhouse, always have dirty weapons and sometimes don’t even bother to blouse our boots [arrange fatigue trousers so they puff out a bit at the boot line]. When on our posts we sit around and talk to other guards. Due to our semi-blackout we can hear the officer of the guard coming before he can see us….
Love and kisses,
IKE
April 4, 1952
PFC Sol LeWitt to CPL Arnold Libner
Fort Drum, NY
53rd Quartermaster Sub. Support Co.
Dear Stonewall [referring to Stonewall Jackson],
… At the end of this month the Lt. [lieutenant] promised me 10 days off in Japan. I don’t think I’ll have much difficulty in finding something to do.
Nothing new in the px business except I’m glad to be here even at 2 points a month. However, when I get out and people ask me about my peonage in this wonderland, I’ll say, “I’d rather not talk about it,” with an expression on my face that could be interpreted as “God, why must they crucify me by making me think about it.” It ought to be good for at least two or three pieces of ass until they begin to catch on….
Well, all’s well that ends, or so they say,
Yours truly,
Phalanx T. Phalanx
Before he wrote the next letter, LeWitt had received another promotion, to corporal, and had further explored Japan’s lures—cultural and quite otherwise:
May 4, 1952
CPL Arnold Libner,
53 Quartermaster Sub Sup Co., Fort Drum, NY
From CPL S. Lewitt
Hello Hector,
Just returned from Japan a couple of days ago after five days of uninterrupted bliss. It was like climbing out of a cesspool into a pink, scented cloud. A young lady friend and I did the town up and down with a couple of sideways thrown in. Never walked more than six feet, took cabs. Saw Kabuki theater, very nice but very long—started at 4:30, ended at 9:30. Slept between sheets for the first time in four months. Had a steam bath at the notorious Ginza Center, was massaged by two winsome flowers of Nippon. Took a motorboat ride thru the canals of Tokyo, almost as much algae floating around as there was in the water at Nice…. Drank many whiskey sours at Tokyo’s plush EM Club at 25 cents a throw. Missed May Day riots by a day,
