The Letters and Photos of Leon and Mary Grayson, 1943
A New Baby and a Call to Duty
Our maternal grandparents Leon and Mary Grayson moved to Washington D.C. in 1935 and finally welcomed their first child Mary Ann in August 1942. On November 20, Leon was called to active duty in the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps (CAC, or CA). Mary and the baby were able to accompany him on the drive to his first assignment. Camp Stewart, Georgia, the Army’s primary Anti-aircraft Artillery (AAA, or AA) training center, was conveniently located only 40 miles from the Graysons’ hometown of Savannah, where Leon was able to spend some time with his wife and new daughter at Mary’s parents’ home. The family celebrated Thanksgiving, their respective birthdays, Christmas, and New Year’s Day with or near each other in Georgia.
“Forgotten Totten” and a Budget Bonus, January-March 1943
Orders dated January 7, 1943 headed “HEADQUARTERS ANTIAIRCRAFT ARTILLERY COMMAND EASTERN DEFENSE COMMAND, Ft. Totten, N.Y.” read in part: “You WP [Will Proceed to] Ft Totten NY fr sta indicated to rpt between 0700 and 1200 Jan 11/43 on temp dy for course of instruction approximately 5 wks duration. On completion of temp dy you will return to proper sta”
The orders were addressed to more than 150 officers at 12 separate East Coast Army stations, eight of them CAC-AA bases. Though one of these latter bases was in Washington, D.C., 1st Lt. Leon H. Grayson was listed among 16 others as being attached to the 604th CA Regiment (AA) in Bayonne, New Jersey. Fort Totten was located about 25 miles northeast of Bayonne in the Bayside area of Queens, where the East River widens into the Long Island Sound.
Aside from a nice post titled “Forgotten Totten” that tells us about the then-U.S. Army East Coast AA Headquarters, we know little of Leon’s experiences there. A pay stub from January 1943 indicates Leon’s monthly base pay was $175 a month, or $2,100 a year. As a Justice Department lawyer Leon had been earning $2,600 annually. Allowances and subsistence pay, however, bumped his Army compensation that month to $292, equaling $3,500 annually if those same allowances continued to be carried over. With Leon’s debt and poor financial decision-making having become such an uncomfortable topic of discussion in Georgia, this would have been a timely budgetary bonus.
We have only one letter written in just over a month in Georgia, understandable as Mary was near by, perhaps even close enough for a local telephone call. Surprisingly, although Leon was stationed at Ft. Totten for more than eight weeks, we have just a single post card from that duty station. Mary was not a prolific writer, as evidenced by her mother Julia’s occasional plea for Mary to “write [so-and-so], who has been asking about you.” The preponderance of Leon’s letters still in our possession as compared to those written by Mary also attest to this, though in the Ft. Totten post card Leon mentions a letter from Mary, a missive not in our possession. Perhaps Leon was more faithful at writing and Mary was more faithful at preserving their communications. In any case, the post card tells us that Mary and baby Ann did not accompany Leon up north in early January, but that they did plan to visit him in New York City later that same month.
Postmark: Jan 18, 1943. Dearest ‘Mummie,’ I received your letter and it was wonderful – I love you and our baby Ann more and more and am looking forward to seeing you Sat nite in Old New York – All my love The ‘Puppy.’
Needless to say, the crape myrtles would not have been in bloom in January, nor would Leon’s decidedly junior officer’s quarters have looked anything like those represented on the post card. One does wonder if the building depicted is still standing.
Fort Eustis, Virginia, March 1943-April (?) 1944
Orders dated March 11, 1943 read: 1st Lt. Leon H. Grayson CAC, reld fr– 604th CA Regt (AA), Bayonne, NJ, and fr temp dy prov Hq Btry AAA Comd EDC, Ft Totten, NY, Det or asgd to– AAARP Ft Eustis, VA.
On the eve of U.S. involvement in World War II, Army artillery units were of two types: Light (maneuverable) Field artillery and Heavy (fixed) Coast artillery. The latter were assigned coastline and harbor defense tasks, primarily focused on keeping enemy ships out of American waters. The surprise aerial attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii changed that focus overnight, thus the rush to train in AA tactics. Some CA units served overseas, but the bulk were stationed on the U.S. coastline. Ft. Eustis was the primary CA-AAA replacement personnel training center on the East Coast. Unlike wartime infantry and cavalry replacements (i.e. young, physically fit men being trained to take the place of battlefield casualties), the CAC trainees were mainly limited-duty troops who due to age or disability weren’t or were no longer suited for front line service.
Leon and Mary were familiar with the Tidewater, Virginia region, having visited Leon’s sisters Dorothye and Lynne and their respective military spouses while the older couples were separately stationed in Norfolk and Virginia Beach in the late 1930s, and perhaps having attended Lynne’s daughter Lillian‘s wedding in Norfolk in 1941. Ft. Eustis itself is on the James River in Newport News, north of Norfolk and just south of Williamsburg.
Letters From Fort Eustis
The drive from Ft. Totten or Bayonne would take Leon through Washington. It is probable he was given a few days personal leave between stations, though it is unclear how Leon otherwise spent the ensuing time before writing a letter on Fort Eustis stationery dated May 10, 1943:
“My Darling Beautiful Angel ‘Mummie’ and Sweetheart ‘Baby,’ Just a few lines to let you know how much I loved being with you. Every minute was wonderful and I’m so very happy when I’m with my “one and only” girl friends. “Fuzzie” looked wonderful as did her beautiful mother…. I know everything will work out fine for us…. I was told that i would get orders soon – Meanwhile I am attached to a battery – Waiting for them – I am getting so I’ll believe I’ll get orders when I get them. I’ll telephone you when I get them. “
Of particular interest is the next paragraph, which indicates that Leon may have taken his older brother Spence‘s somewhat harsh November 1942 letters about taking financial responsibility (and giving Mary some control over the budget) to heart.
“I cashed 2 checks, one for $24 and one for $5.75/xx for the officers mess and officers club respectively. I had to buy another summer uniform, trousers and a shirt – Things get so dirty here – Also bought a pair of Army low quarter shoes for $3.35 which look pretty good – I have 3 good pair of shoes, one working pair and the others…. I am dreaming of a little place near the ocean where we’ll spend the summer. Darling take good care of yourself and our angel baby – and I’ll see you soon – The trip back wasn’t so bad. All my love, The ‘Puppie.‘ -“
One further letter we surmise is from April or May 1943 references two family get-togethers. The 1941 Pontiac is never mentioned nor depicted beyond the summer road trip following its purchase, but we assume the car as well as bus and train service from Washington, approximately 165 miles north, were both likely involved: “Tuesday – Just a line to let you know how much I love you and to say what a heavenly time it was for me, being with my Darlings last night…. I marched the battery down to get some routine stuff through – Then I’m duty or alert officer until eleven tomorrow – There will be a farewell party tomorrow night for the men as the training period for this bunch ended – about 12 of them are getting up a show – a sort of a band, songs and a couple of skits. “Puppie” doesn’t know anything except I’ll be certainly glad to see you over the weekend…. I love you Darling and Baby Ann, The ‘Puppie’ -“
Pvt. William M. Grayson, MIA
Leon’s orders arrived in late May 1943. His assignment: Assistant manager of the Ft. Eustis base theater, a far cry from Judge Advocate General lawyer or intelligence officer, but better by far than the wartime ordeal being faced by his 27 year-old brother Bill, from whom the family had heard nothing since February 1942.
Eldest brother Spence, a Georgia state senator with political connections in Washington, received a letter in April 1943: “I regret to inform you that the [MIA] status of Private Grayson remains unchanged. The War Department is receiving partial lists of prisoners of war through the International Red Cross but to date the name of this soldier has not been found on any of the lists.” Two months later, and 16 months after they last heard news of their younger brother, Spence received a long-overdue telegram.
Postcards later arrived from Bill assuring he was indeed alive, but barely one-third through what would be a dismal, life-defining ordeal. Letters flew back and forth, some received, others never seen. One of the letters that Bill saved was from Leon. Dated July 29 from his Washington, D.C. address and postmarked Aug 4, 1943 from Newport News it reads:
“Dear ‘Bill,’ Just a line to say Mary and I are thinking of you and are anxiously waiting until we can be together again. We have a pretty baby girl named Mary Ann…. Am in Williamsburg on business so am mailing this note from there [note: interesting that Leon didn’t mention that he too was in the Army]. I think of you and the good times we had together and pray for you every night. Have seen and talked with lots of your friends and they all miss you and look forward to seeing you. Bill, we all love you and we will be together sooner than you think. All my love, Your brother, Leon.”
Bill was honored at a homecoming parade in their native Savannah in October 1945. Leon subsequently served as Bill’s best man at his February, 1946 Massachusetts wedding, and he and Mary hosted the young couple during their honeymoon trip south.
Colonial Williamsburg
The May 10, 1943 letter in which Leon dreamed of “a little place near the ocean where we’ll spend the summer” was not perhaps just mere fancy. Another undated letter on “Post Theatre [sic] Fort Eustis, Virginia” stationery which must be from early summer 1943 reads: “Tuesday – Darling ‘Mummie’ and Sweetheart Baby, Just a line to let you know how much I love you – Will go over to Williamsburg this afternoon and try to get an apartment…. ‘Puppie’ sure will be happy when we are together again – And enjoyed seeing his sweet hearts so much the other night – Will call you Saturday…. The ‘fighting’ Puppie -”
Multiple photos show the family in and around a swimming pool and in Colonial Williamsburg, including one of Ann on a horse harnessed to a carriage captioned “Ann – 11 mons. Williamsburg VA,” setting the time as July 1943. Others show a slightly older Ann in the winter of 1943-44 at the Williamsburg Inn, a lovely hotel built in 1937 by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The pool photos seem to have been taken at the same location.
Further Letters
Mary received an undated letter from a neighbor named Jean that we speculate was written in late June 1943. “Everything in D.C. is about the same… How are Lee and Fuzzy? It was certainly nice that you had a few days at the beach…. Too bad your apt. is sitting idle, expense still going on. Are you still coming up July 15?” Further letters that autumn require another post, so we’ll leave the happy family in Williamsburg for now.
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