Letter #89 September 15, 1943

Sept 15, 1943
Darling wife;
Here it is the middle of September, only 24 more days until---Whoope. The days keep rolling by rather swiftly but not a bit too fast to suit me. I'm anxious to see my honey again.
School is interesting again this week. To date I still have my two point lead on Ernie. We have 38 & 40 points respectively. I have gotten 2 perfect papers and Ernie one. Most of this week is working on the engines themselves with just a couple hours classroom work. They have the engine all set up exactly as they would be in the tank with all the power train and differential hooked up but instead of sprocket & tracks, they are hooked up to a system of water brakes so we can load the engines as though they were driving the tank out in the field. That way we can simulate actual driving conditions and can experiment with the carburetion, ignition, lubrication, and cooling systems and then be able to tell if we had them properly adjusted so the tank would operate efficiently if it was in the field.
One of the problems I had today was: I was sent from the engine room and the instructor "fucked" up the engines and then called me back in. He says, "Well Effinger this damn tank doesn't run very well and you're a tank mechanic, so fix her up." The first step is to start the engines and then diagnose the trouble. I climbed on the seat and went through the G.I. inspection of all instruments and gauges. Have a panel like an aeroplane, about 20 different gauges and etc. Everything seemed in order so I flipped the switches and pressed the starter buttons. The engines turned over but didn't even cough, so I eased up on the starters and took another look at my instruments. Everything still O.K. so I tried again. This time one engine coughed and turned over a few times but wouldn't keep running so I threw the switches and took a break to think things over. Of course the other fellows are all sitting around watching and getting a kick out of watching the other fellow try to find the trouble, and they start asking questions. Ernie especially. I do the same thing to them. Ernie and I have a big time trying to confuse each other.
Ernie asks, "What's the matter with her?" "What did you find out?" I told him, "I found out the damn thing won't run. One engine is flooded and the other acts like no ignition." Then the question, "How do you know?"
"Black exhaust smoke, loping and won't keep running usually indicates flooded engine." "The other one didn't even fire so it is likely to be ignition."
"Oh! Right on the ball aren't you?" says Ernie.
"You damn betcha."
"What you going to do now? Just sit there and look at it?"
"Hell no, if you guys will just stop asking questions, I'll go to work and check out the trouble."
"Well get off your dead ass and get going."
We have a good time badgering each other and the instructor enjoys it along with us. The more questions we ask each other, the more we learn and the less he has to do.
I went back to the dead engine, grounded a spark plug and had one of the boys turn her over. It fired good.
Ernie laughed, "So you guessed wrong. Now what you going to do?" "Big gun like you can see in the pictures."
All the fellows know what is wrong and get a big kick out of it.
"Just don't get your shit hot, I'll get to it." Next thing is to check for gasoline at carburetor."
"Why?" says Ernie.
"Well the damn thing won't run without gasoline." I say. I check the gasoline and it is O.K.
"Now what do you know?" asks Grafton.
"I know the ignition is O.K. and I have gasoline up to the carburetor so it must be trouble in the carburetor or intake manifolds."
"Check." says Grafton.
So I examined the carburetor and found they had the automatic choke all screwed up. I fixed that and tried to start the engine. It started but it wouldn't run above an idle.
"Now what's wrong?" says Ernie.
"Well," I answered, "It acts to me like one of you bastards took off a part of the accelerator linkage."
Ernie just gets that shit eating grin on his face and pulls a piece of the linkage out of his pocket. I put the piece back in, started the engine and she runs like a new one, so I have half the job done. I still have the flooded engine to start. I thought the damn fools might have just poured some raw gas in to flood it and after standing it might start, so I tried it. Knowing what I was thinking and knowing it wasn't the trouble they give me the horse laugh.
"Well laugh you damn monkeys, it was worth a try." I said.
"Boy if you find this one before dinner I'll take my hat off to you." says Ernie.
I just walked back to the engine again and inspected that carburetor. The choke on that one was screwed up, so I fixed it and tried to start it again. No soap. All grinning at me like a bunch of apes, so I took another break and thought things over and mentally eliminated possibilities until I got a hunch. Went back and took off the air filter inlet pipe to the carburetor and looked through it. Sure enough, there was Ernie's cap wadded up and crammed in the pipe. I poked it out, reassembled the parts and she ran like a top. I climbed down off the seat and here stands Ernie with his cap in his hand and bowing as nice as you please.
"At ease soldier and take your seat." I told him. I'll get even with him some other time, or maybe I am even already. I've pulled some on him too. It took quite a while to tell all this and I hope it isn't too boring, but you asked for it honey so I gave it to you. I always try to satisfy whether it be writing or loving or whatever. If you can understand all that and want more say so. I tried not to make it too technical. It is somewhat of a description of how we pass out time.
Gus just suggested that we do as he and another buddy have done: send our wives the other's addresses. He says he and this other buddy did this quite some time ago and the girls have a steady correspondence and almost feel they know each other. Gave him your address and also took hers. I don't know if you will be interested or not. I'm just telling you so if you get a letter from her you'll know what it's all about. Here is the address:
Mrs. Gustav Redinger
Tappan, N. Dakota
Her first name is Amelia.
Now for your Sunday eve letter.
I think it would be a good idea to get some coal in even if you don't intend to stay there. If you can't pay for it on the spot, Ed will wait for a while.
As for Gus coming down to get me or taking me back, that would be swell, although hardly necessary unless they want to see the camp. However, I won't kick a bit if they do. It would be swell.
I don't and won't know if I report back to camp here or just catch a train from somewhere else until I get my orders the day I leave. I also won't know anything absolutely definite about leaving until I get the same papers on the 9th. However if I don't hear about my leave being cancelled at least a week before I leave it is very likely that everything will go as planned. If that is the case and they do as is the usual practice I would be able to leave by 6 P.M. on the 9th. Of course there is the chance that they would have all the trouble for nothing. If we were sent someplace else we probably wouldn't go until Sunday and I could see them for a little while. It's all a gamble, but it would be swell of them.
Well honey I've gone on and on and and I still have to do the S's of personal maintenance so I'll quit and finish tomorrow. I love you Chubbins darling. I'm thinking of you and loving you by long distance.
your lover
Norm.