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Title
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[Letter from Jeanann Madden to Mom, December 09, 1990]
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Identifier
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MSS397c_letter_19901209
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Type
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Letters
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Manuscripts
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Contributor
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Madden, Jeanann
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Madden, Gloria
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Date
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12/9/1990
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Description
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Jeann Madden's letter to her mother, Gloria, about her MP duties, the packages she has been receiving from people at home and the upcoming base Chistmas celebration. She also asks her mother to write her a "real" letter instead of just cards or postcards. She includes a breakdown of her payscale. Page 3 of this letter is missing.
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Format
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11 pgs. Page 3 missing.
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Language
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en
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Rights
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Materials may not be used without permission. For more information, contact us at (940) 898-3751 or womenshistory@twu.edu.
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Rights Holder
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Woman's Collection, Texas Woman's University, P.O. Box 425528, Denton, TX 76204.
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Is Part Of
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MSS 397c, Jeanann Madden Correspondence and photographs, 1990-1991.
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Provenance
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Madden, Jeanann
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Teacher and Army reservist. Served with 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps of the Army Reserve during the Persian Gulf War.
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Gift
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extracted text
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-1-
Sunday, Dec. 9, 1990
Dear Mom,
Phew - finally, I get a chance to write to you! I’ve been literally SWAMPED by mail!!! Letters and packages just keep coming! I’ve heard from: (not necessarily in order)
Gramma Betts (2x, 1pkg) Aunt Jaye
You (2 cards, 2 post cards, Yellow Ribbon Project) Hazel (!?!) pkg.
Buddy Helmstadter (3x) Monica (2x, pkg)
Maureen Staff at School (BIG pkg - nice!)
David Helmstadter (2x)
Cindy (my friend in Philly)
Aunt Dorothy
Grammy (2x, 1 pkg)
High School
Sheila Kaprow (teacher at school)
Lisa + Dave Carnahan (pkg)
Aunt Jane, Uncle David, “the Currys” (pkg)
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I may have missed a few. Here’s the kicker - that’s only this week!!! Someone just walked in and told me I have another package!!! I’ll be right back.
I’m back! I got a book from Cindy, a letter from someone in Ocala, a letter from an Elaine Smith from Cleveland St, McKeesport (got my address from the high school list - her son is here), and a letter from Jane! She wrote it 11-26, and I just got it today - this mail system is really screwed up!
I’m glad people are writing to me - I just hope I don’t go back to getting no mail after the holidays are done.
-3-
I’ve sent you one box with some clothes in it. I’ll probably be sending another one soon with some of the extra stuff from my packages. Everyone here has the same problem - too much stuff if we have to move out into the desert. Don’t tell anyone I’m sending any of this stuff home. I don’t want to seem ungrateful, and I will use it after I get home. It’s just too much stuff for me to use/eat and you can’t even give half the things away! Boy - I wish I always had this “problem”!
I’m sorry to go on about the mail, Mom. But if anyone asks if I need anything, just tell them I’d appreciate a nice,
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_ letter more than anything else, and if they feel they must send something, they can send a Daily News or 2, and some chewing gum! It’s good to know so many people care.
I wrote back to that Tiffany Moor, and I also wrote to Mrs. Stevenson and Mrs. Renner, since they were involved. But don’t let that fool you. I know you are really the brains behind the high school’s project, Mom. On behalf of all the other kids from the high school who are here, and who don’t know you’re behind it;
THANKS!!!
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They’ve been keeping us busy here. Since we are MP’s we still have a real job to do, even if there isn’t a war going on. So if you’ve been hearing about bored troops, it isn’t me. But I do want to come home. I just checked my calendar, and by my count, we have 91 days left. I heard that when you leave here, they rotate you out 30 days prior to your ETS (Expiration of Term of Service), so I guess I can look at it as 61 days instead. That’s provided nothing happens between now and then. I keep hoping, but I don’t think anybody knows for sure what will happen. I hope the politicians decide it’s unwise to keep us here more than
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six months. Jane said she doesn’t want to turn 25 without me. I hope I’m there to celebrate it.
They are planning a special dinner and party for Christmas. They also are having Midnight Mass on Dec 24 at 2300. I’m glad they are doing that. I have been able to go to Mass every Sunday since we’ve been at our new compound. The chaplain, Father (Lieutenant Colonel) Quinlan, comes each Sunday at 1330. Usually, there are only 10 or so at Mass which is a shame, because I know we have at least 15 guys in the unit who are Catholic. The Protestant services are usually filled to overflow, but then again,
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it covers alot of denominations. They are having a special Hanukah service for our Jewish soldiers too, but it’s being kept really low-key, so as not to irritate the Arabs. Strange how the two are so closely related, yet so far apart.
How are you doing? You haven’t said what you are planning to do for Christmas. Did you decorate the house? You better do it! When I come home, we’re going to celebrate our Christmas, so you’d better not put the tree too far away!
Thanks for the pictures! I’m sending them back to you - they were great to see, but I had
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no idea who the kids were in the last few pictures?!? The yellow ribbon sure is BIG!!! And thanks for the picture of the high school marquee. The girls thought that was pretty neat.
We should be moving into our buildings sometime in the next two weeks It’ll be nice to not live in dust and dirt for once. They said we’d move into them by Christmas.
They are putting a small Saudi-run store on the compound. Now maybe I can pick up some small souvenirs of my stay here!
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I was thinking of somethings you could send me. I need some of my checks (if they ever come - I did order them), a pack of 3x5 index cards, and some white, cotton, crew socks. I’ll sure be glad when I don’t have to write home to ask for stuff!
I’m sending along a copy I made of my November pay account. I thought you might be wondering about all the money. So you can see where everything is coming from. December’s will be alot smaller, since I have drawn about $200 in casual pay since I’ve been here. Pay off as many of my bills as you can.
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Next time you write to me, could you let me know what the balances on my bills are? I want to see what the progress is on them. Also, if I get any W2’s (tax) in the mail, send them to me here so I can do my taxes. I should only get one from the school - my Army stuff will be given to me here.
And Mom, next time you write, could you sit down and write me a real letter? I’d like to hear more from you than just a few lines at a time in a card or on a postcard. Please? Let me know what you’re up to and how you and everyone are doing. I miss being able to talk to you once a week on the phone.
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You’ll probably hear from me before you get this, since I said I’d try to call between the 10th and 20th.
I know I just prattled on about alot of nothing here, but it felt good to feel like I’m really just keeping in touch with you. I’m still doing OK Mom, but I’d really love to be home with you instead of here. I miss you alot!
Merry Christmas!
Love,
Jeanann
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Pay for November
(In case you were wondering where all that money came from!)
Pay Period 01-30 Nov 90
In Out
Basic Pay 1078.80 Rebate*2 4.86
BAQ*1A 131.76 Rebate*2 8.10
Danger Pay 110.00 SGLI*3 4.00
BAQ*1B 219.60 Fed Tax 181.77
Oversea Pay 13.00 FICA 85.52
Danger Pay 110.00
BAQ*1C 219.60
In 1882.76 Out 281.25
Net 1601.67
Mid Month Pay (Dep. 15 NOV) -426.00
End Month Pay ----> 1175.00
(Deposited 30 NOV)
*
1- Basic Allowance for Quarters - they’re paying part of my rent after all.
A-Sep. B-Oct C-Nov
2 - Rebate is Army gobbledeygook - don’t worry about it
3 - Serviceman’s Group Life Insurance - monthly premium
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