Need a US cover from October 18, 1940 to August, 1940

[jimbo]

Help!

I need your help in finding an elusive US cover. It will have these characteristics: It is a letter home from one of the peacetime draftees from the period October 18, 1940. to, say, August, 1940. It will be fairly common looking (approx.6 3/4 size, franked with 3¢ 1938 Presidential or otherwise undistinguished stamp). The return address should indicate It was sent by a Pvt xxxx  with a serial number somewhere in the 30 millions from some camp/base/fort likely to be involved in basic training. The cancel will indicate the camp/base/fort and the date in the period. It should be addressed to "home" - someone with the same family name, girlfriend, someone else.

The significance of the cover is just that this is a letter home by a recent draftee. The cutoff of August is because the first draftees were scheduled for only a year in the army which ended in October 1940. The term of enlistment was extended to 18 months before October 18, 1941 and then Pearl Harbor changed everything.

Now the catch! I need this to be in my hands no later than Thursday, March 21 - 2 weeks from yesterday. The reason is that I need to add it to an exhibit for a club show. BTW, if you're in range of Naples,  Florida on Friday and Saturday March 23 and March 24 we'd love to have you visit Naplex 2018. It's a stamp and coin get together this year. No admission required. It's being held in the Naples Conference Center at 1455 Pine Ridge Road (north side of the road). There will be displays and dealers and friendly collectors. I'll try to get a poster up soon. Contact Information:
Bruce Beardsley
Phone: 239.434.0186
E-mail: BruceBeardsley@yahoo.com

Thanks very much for your help.

[jaywild]

I'm confused!

The span of time you state--October 1940 to August 1940 has time running backwards.

Do you mean October 1940 to August 1941?

[billsey]

No, I think he means from April 1940 to October 1940, when the term of enlistment was still 12 months. After the October date the enlistment term was 18 months and after the declaration or war (I think) it was extended to 'the duration'.

[jimbo]

Yes. he period is October 18, 1940 to August, 1941. Proofreading late in the evening is not good. Me bad!

[jimbo]

Bill,

The period is defined by the induction of the first of the peacetime draftees which occurred on October 18, 1940 (probably not much time for mail home until November). The first draftees were to serve 1 year which would end October 18, 1941. I've picked August, 1941, as being likely to capture an early draftee. By August the period of service was coming to a head. The troops were chalking OHIO (Over the Hill In October) on their wooden tanks. (The lack of real equipment was one of the draftees' gripes.) The period was extended to 18 months before any discharges were mandatory. And, of course Pearl Harbor changed everything.

[jimbo]

I said I would provide more info regarding Naplex 2018. Here it is:Naplex 2018 Flyer