Rest Camp in the Pacific
March 3rd, 1944
Dear girls,
In my last, which went free by slow freight, I explained that we were only allowed to send one air mail letter a week, but since I have found out that I’m the one that has to enforce the regulation – well, here we go.
Things are quiet and actually restful. We had our first liberty a few days ago, and though the town is small and quiet, it felt wonderful to get away for a few hours, and do just exactly what you want to do. Gee, a woman. The first woman white or black in almost two months. That’s just about as close as you can get to them around here, too – just see them.
There have been many changes made in our outfit – most of them caused, not by casualties, but by Col. Hart’s belief that we have been too long in our present jobs, and need a change – new faces. Also the fact that Headquarters Washington has changed the organizational setup of a company. What used to be a separate heavy weapons company – heavy machine guns – is now a part of our rifle company – to that new platoon is added my section (3 squads) of light machine guns. And my mortar section has been slightly increased – my command now consists of the mortars, and Company Headquarters personnel. Which suits me fine. Our Battalion Commander wanted to make me T.Q.M. – a job peculiar to the Marine Corps, concerned with Combat loading and unloading of ships. I would have had charge of all the supplies for the Battalion. A responsible job and all that, and someone has to do it, but I didn’t want it. It meant leaving my men, and the Company, and I like working with the mortars – and it’s too far behind the lines. So the Captain and I screamed like wild Indians, and I stayed. But most of the rest were juggled, and they were all very unhappy about it. I think it’s a Hell of a theory myself.
Today is March the fourth, and my thoughts are with you, Mother. So much has happened since – to all three of us – but somehow that relationship which he founded has not changed, but only grown in strength – your love for him – and from it our feeling of family, of unity and love.
If he were living – I’ve said that a thousand times – he’d be in this with me, and we’d be so proud of each other.
All my love,
Phil
The reconstruction of the Marine Corps in 1944 became the "F-Series Table of Organization." Combining the lessons learned in operations up to this point with increased production capabilities, the Corps shuffled its personnel around with reprecussions that were felt all the way down to squad level. The basic unit - a rifle squad - was to be composed of thirteen Marines. A sergeant led three fire teams, each consisting of a corporal, a BARman, and two riflemen. As Phil noted, the weapons company - in First Battalion this meant Dog Company, with Fred Stott and Joe Swoyer - was disbanded, and the men and equipment distributed among Able, Baker, and Charlie Companies. Heavy machine gunners were combined with the company's light machine gunners to form a separate platoon; they could, if needed, swap out the light weapons for the heavier water-cooled guns that were kept in company reserve. The mortars were reattached to the Company Headquarters.
Whatever Colonel Hart's "belief" may have been, Able Company lost platoon leader Endecott Osgood to Battalion Headquarters; he was replaced by First Lieutenant Joseph Stevens. They were also joined by 2nd Lt. Paul Rossi, Battalion mess officer, who had stayed behind when the company went to Namur; also, 1st Lt. Thomas Cox was assigned, and probably led the new machine gun platoon. Buck Schechter, David Smith, and Roy Wood stayed in their old positions, and Phil did manage to avoid being made Transport Quartermaster.
March 4 was the fourth anniversary of the death of Phil Wood, Sr.