June 15, 2025 • 12 mins
Corp. Albert W. Chase, US Army. We catch up with Corp Chase in New Guinea after he arrived at a replacement depot on Goodenough Island.
ALSO! The family of Russel I. Armstrong, who was the subjiect of a podcast back in August of 2024 came across the podcast while doing some research on him - I am happy to report that Pvt Armstrongs letters have gone home!
During WW2 men and women were deployed throughout Europe and the Pacific and their only means to communicate home was through letters, handwritten notes to assure those at home they were alright and waiting for letters from their loved ones to provide semblance of support and normalcy. Over the years I have collected letters with the intention of returning to family - but first I’d like to share who these men were, where were they from and the context of where the soldiers were and what role they played in the War.
Please sit back and get to know these members of the greatest generation. It is my hope that All letters in these podcasts will return to family. If you recognize the soldiers or families, please reach out to me at and help me get the letters home
ALSO! The family of Russel I. Armstrong, who was the subjiect of a podcast back in August of 2024 came across the podcast while doing some research on him - I am happy to report that Pvt Armstrongs letters have gone home!
During WW2 men and women were deployed throughout Europe and the Pacific and their only means to communicate home was through letters, handwritten notes to assure those at home they were alright and waiting for letters from their loved ones to provide semblance of support and normalcy. Over the years I have collected letters with the intention of returning to family - but first I’d like to share who these men were, where were they from and the context of where the soldiers were and what role they played in the War.
Please sit back and get to know these members of the greatest generation. It is my hope that All letters in these podcasts will return to family. If you recognize the soldiers or families, please reach out to me at and help me get the letters home
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Welcome to Warren Family Letters Home. I'm your podcast Lauren News.
In this podcast, we talk about letters letters written home
by US servicemen and women during World War Two. My
mission is to return World War II history to families,
one letter and one story at a time. And it's
(00:46):
my hope that someone will hear the podcast and recognize
family connections and contact me because these letters home will
they belong to them. I found today's letters that auction.
Please join me for this story and here the letter Home,
(01:14):
a letter for this week's podcast, was written by Corporal
Albert Wyatt Chase, US Army. Corporal Chase's letter is part
(01:34):
of the batch of letters that I came across that
were written from all different soldiers to Lieutenant James U. Wisby,
who was stationed in Salt Lake City, Utah, in a
quartermaster unit. Lieutenant Whisby was from Morgantown, Indiana, and most
of the soldiers that wrote him were from the same area.
(01:54):
They attended same churches and social clubs, or worked on
his day farm in Morgantown, Indiana, and some seems to
have developed a friendship while training with him in Utah.
Corporal Chase appears to have met Lieutenant Wisby at Fort Douglas, Utah.
(02:17):
Albert Wyatt Chase was born February twenty seventh, nineteen oh
eight in Birmingham, Iowa. He was the only son of
doctor Albert Chase and his wife Laura. In nineteen ten,
the family added a little girl and named her after
her mom, Laura. On the nineteen twenty census, we find
(02:39):
the family has moved to South Dakota, and in nineteen
thirty the family has moved for the final time to
Long Beach, California, where doctor Chase was a well known
X ray and radium specialist in the Santa Anna, California area.
Albert was twenty two years old on this census and
his occupation is requ coc courted as a pressman in
(03:01):
the printing industry. In nineteen forty, Albert is now living
in Idaho working on his own farm, and on October sixteenth,
nineteen forty, Albert went to the local board of Lemhi County, Salmon,
Idaho and registered for the draft. He is described as
being five foot six and one hundred and forty pounds.
(03:25):
He had brown eyes, brown hair, and a dark complexion,
and he listed his mom, who was still living in
Long Beach, California as the person that will always know
his address. On May twenty fourth, nineteen forty two, Albert
was called up to serve in the US Army, and
(03:45):
sadly it was while he was training at the US
Army base at the University of Maryland when, on September seventeenth,
nineteen forty three, he received word that his dad has
passed away. After training, which included some time at Fort
(04:07):
Douglas in Utah, Corporal Chase was sent to the Pacific
in July of nineteen forty four as part of the
one hundred and ninety second Replacement Company Number five, and
we find him on good Enough Island in New Guinea
at the replacement depot. I found information about replacement depots
(04:28):
in an article written by Carl Schultz Vento in April
of twenty twelve. In World War Two, replacement depots were
used in all theaters of the war. Army Chief of
Staff George Marshall and General Leslie McNair, Commander of Army
Grand Forces, implemented the individual replacement system, unlike the Axis military,
(04:52):
which replaced entire decimated units with trained replacements. The US
believed it was logistically difficult to transport full units to
the front and would also be difficult to be able
to get enough replacement equipment to arm the complete replacement unit.
(05:13):
The American plan was to create replacement depots, which the
GIS nicknamed repel depols. The depots were located near the battlefronts,
and soldiers were sent to companies and battalions to replace
the men that were lost. It was it was difficult
for these replacement soldiers because they stood as stark reminders
(05:36):
of lost comrades, and there was also a distrust of capabilities.
As these battle hardened units had formed intense loyalty to
each other, they viewed the replacements as and experienced and
potentially unable to be counted on in the heat of battle.
This opinion, while harsh, was not completely unfounded. Later in
(05:59):
the war, these his replacements were not always properly trained,
which made them a risk for both their units and themselves,
and they often became casualties soon after be being sent
to the front line. Realizing the flower and the replacement systems,
some units would hold the replacements back from battle until
(06:21):
there was a break in combat and then give some
training with the unit when things were quiet. Corporal Chase
was with the Replacement Depot on good Enough Island in
New Guinea with the one hundred and ninety second Replacement Company
Number five in July of nineteen forty four, when he
sat to write his friend Lieutenant Whisby July third, nineteen
(06:47):
forty four, New Guinea. Hello, Lieutenant, I am now in
down here in the South Pacific, and certainly don't like
where I am now. I am liable to be moving
on soon, though this isn't as hot as I thought
it would be, but it's warm here with a few
showers once in a while. Andy wrote that you had
(07:08):
been promoted, and I'm glad to hear it. I hope
you keep on going up now. I haven't been near
a shop since I left Beals, but hope to hit
one on my next move. You'd better tell Roman, Andy
and a few others to stay where they are. There
is no poe physical anymore. If they get a poe,
(07:28):
they're going overseas. Tell the boys that are left there.
Hello for me. I hope we won't be over here
much longer. Write whenever you have the chance, as ever.
Albert Chase in World War Two POE meant point port
excuse me of embarkation. A POE reports that were identified
(07:52):
as the pickup points for troops to move them overseas.
On the East coast, we often see New York and
Boston as the po for the European Theater, and on
the West coast La San Francisco and Seattle, POE meant
you were heading to the South Pacific. There were physicals
done at many points of a soldier's training, and there
(08:17):
was a physical at the point of POE as well,
to make sure that soldiers were in good health before
joining ranks at the front. In the late spring of
nineteen forty four, the POE physical was eliminated. I haven't
been able to find out exactly which unit Corporal Chase
(08:39):
was assigned to, but chances are he stayed in the
Pacific for the rest of the war and perhaps after
the war. I also don't know when he was sent
home or officially discharged. If I could track down his unit,
the rest of the pieces would come together. What I
do know is that when he he did return, he
(09:01):
made his home in Lemhi, Idaho, where he ran his
own ranch. In nineteen seventy three, Albert retired and sometime
between nineteen seventy three and nineteen ninety four he moved
to Lasson County, California, and it was there that he
sadly passed on April twenty eighth, nineteen ninety four, at
(09:24):
the age of eighty six. He never married and he
never had any children, and unfortunately, his burial information is
stated as unknown. Thank you for joining me today as.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
We heard a little bit about Albert Wyatt Chase. This
is the third episode in the podcast series highlighting the
lives of men that came to know Lieutenant Wisby. Lieutenant
Wisby preserved the letters that were written to him and
they're giving us a glimpse into the friendship that he
had with these men. Corporal Chase mentioned Andy and his letter,
(10:12):
and Lieutenant Wisby didn't have a letter from Andy, and
he will be the subject of the next podcast. If
you know anyone from the Chase family of California, please
consider sharing this podcast with them. These stories deserve to
be remembered.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
And speaking of that, I am so happy to report
that I was contacted by the family of Private Russell Armstrong.
I told a Private Armstrong story in a podcast way
back in August of twenty twenty four and they just
came across the podcast while doing some research on him
(10:58):
Prior Russell Armstrong. Your letters have gone home. Warren Family
Letters Home is self funded and we will never ask
a family for any compensation to receive letters Home. If
you would like to contribute to my mission of returning
(11:21):
history to families, please contact me. You can find me
on Facebook at Warren Family Letters Home, and I can
be reached by my email at Warren Family at outlook
dot com. All details in this podcast were discovered by
research done by me using public military genealogy and newspaper
(11:45):
search sites. We support our military, whether active or veteran status.
These men and women sacrifice to serve this great country,
whether in war or peace time. And I'm recording this
podcast as we're celebrating the US Army's two hundred and
(12:06):
fiftieth anniversary. Thank you US Army for all you do
to keep us see. This is Lauren Use and you've
been listening to Warren Family Ladders Home
Welcome to Warren Family Letters Home. I'm your podcast Lauren News.
In this podcast, we talk about letters letters written home
by US servicemen and women during World War Two. My
mission is to return World War II history to families,
one letter and one story at a time. And it's
(00:46):
my hope that someone will hear the podcast and recognize
family connections and contact me because these letters home will
they belong to them. I found today's letters that auction.
Please join me for this story and here the letter Home,
(01:14):
a letter for this week's podcast, was written by Corporal
Albert Wyatt Chase, US Army. Corporal Chase's letter is part
(01:34):
of the batch of letters that I came across that
were written from all different soldiers to Lieutenant James U. Wisby,
who was stationed in Salt Lake City, Utah, in a
quartermaster unit. Lieutenant Whisby was from Morgantown, Indiana, and most
of the soldiers that wrote him were from the same area.
(01:54):
They attended same churches and social clubs, or worked on
his day farm in Morgantown, Indiana, and some seems to
have developed a friendship while training with him in Utah.
Corporal Chase appears to have met Lieutenant Wisby at Fort Douglas, Utah.
(02:17):
Albert Wyatt Chase was born February twenty seventh, nineteen oh
eight in Birmingham, Iowa. He was the only son of
doctor Albert Chase and his wife Laura. In nineteen ten,
the family added a little girl and named her after
her mom, Laura. On the nineteen twenty census, we find
(02:39):
the family has moved to South Dakota, and in nineteen
thirty the family has moved for the final time to
Long Beach, California, where doctor Chase was a well known
X ray and radium specialist in the Santa Anna, California area.
Albert was twenty two years old on this census and
his occupation is requ coc courted as a pressman in
(03:01):
the printing industry. In nineteen forty, Albert is now living
in Idaho working on his own farm, and on October sixteenth,
nineteen forty, Albert went to the local board of Lemhi County, Salmon,
Idaho and registered for the draft. He is described as
being five foot six and one hundred and forty pounds.
(03:25):
He had brown eyes, brown hair, and a dark complexion,
and he listed his mom, who was still living in
Long Beach, California as the person that will always know
his address. On May twenty fourth, nineteen forty two, Albert
was called up to serve in the US Army, and
(03:45):
sadly it was while he was training at the US
Army base at the University of Maryland when, on September seventeenth,
nineteen forty three, he received word that his dad has
passed away. After training, which included some time at Fort
(04:07):
Douglas in Utah, Corporal Chase was sent to the Pacific
in July of nineteen forty four as part of the
one hundred and ninety second Replacement Company Number five, and
we find him on good Enough Island in New Guinea
at the replacement depot. I found information about replacement depots
(04:28):
in an article written by Carl Schultz Vento in April
of twenty twelve. In World War Two, replacement depots were
used in all theaters of the war. Army Chief of
Staff George Marshall and General Leslie McNair, Commander of Army
Grand Forces, implemented the individual replacement system, unlike the Axis military,
(04:52):
which replaced entire decimated units with trained replacements. The US
believed it was logistically difficult to transport full units to
the front and would also be difficult to be able
to get enough replacement equipment to arm the complete replacement unit.
(05:13):
The American plan was to create replacement depots, which the
GIS nicknamed repel depols. The depots were located near the battlefronts,
and soldiers were sent to companies and battalions to replace
the men that were lost. It was it was difficult
for these replacement soldiers because they stood as stark reminders
(05:36):
of lost comrades, and there was also a distrust of capabilities.
As these battle hardened units had formed intense loyalty to
each other, they viewed the replacements as and experienced and
potentially unable to be counted on in the heat of battle.
This opinion, while harsh, was not completely unfounded. Later in
(05:59):
the war, these his replacements were not always properly trained,
which made them a risk for both their units and themselves,
and they often became casualties soon after be being sent
to the front line. Realizing the flower and the replacement systems,
some units would hold the replacements back from battle until
(06:21):
there was a break in combat and then give some
training with the unit when things were quiet. Corporal Chase
was with the Replacement Depot on good Enough Island in
New Guinea with the one hundred and ninety second Replacement Company
Number five in July of nineteen forty four, when he
sat to write his friend Lieutenant Whisby July third, nineteen
(06:47):
forty four, New Guinea. Hello, Lieutenant, I am now in
down here in the South Pacific, and certainly don't like
where I am now. I am liable to be moving
on soon, though this isn't as hot as I thought
it would be, but it's warm here with a few
showers once in a while. Andy wrote that you had
(07:08):
been promoted, and I'm glad to hear it. I hope
you keep on going up now. I haven't been near
a shop since I left Beals, but hope to hit
one on my next move. You'd better tell Roman, Andy
and a few others to stay where they are. There
is no poe physical anymore. If they get a poe,
(07:28):
they're going overseas. Tell the boys that are left there.
Hello for me. I hope we won't be over here
much longer. Write whenever you have the chance, as ever.
Albert Chase in World War Two POE meant point port
excuse me of embarkation. A POE reports that were identified
(07:52):
as the pickup points for troops to move them overseas.
On the East coast, we often see New York and
Boston as the po for the European Theater, and on
the West coast La San Francisco and Seattle, POE meant
you were heading to the South Pacific. There were physicals
done at many points of a soldier's training, and there
(08:17):
was a physical at the point of POE as well,
to make sure that soldiers were in good health before
joining ranks at the front. In the late spring of
nineteen forty four, the POE physical was eliminated. I haven't
been able to find out exactly which unit Corporal Chase
(08:39):
was assigned to, but chances are he stayed in the
Pacific for the rest of the war and perhaps after
the war. I also don't know when he was sent
home or officially discharged. If I could track down his unit,
the rest of the pieces would come together. What I
do know is that when he he did return, he
(09:01):
made his home in Lemhi, Idaho, where he ran his
own ranch. In nineteen seventy three, Albert retired and sometime
between nineteen seventy three and nineteen ninety four he moved
to Lasson County, California, and it was there that he
sadly passed on April twenty eighth, nineteen ninety four, at
(09:24):
the age of eighty six. He never married and he
never had any children, and unfortunately, his burial information is
stated as unknown. Thank you for joining me today as.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
We heard a little bit about Albert Wyatt Chase. This
is the third episode in the podcast series highlighting the
lives of men that came to know Lieutenant Wisby. Lieutenant
Wisby preserved the letters that were written to him and
they're giving us a glimpse into the friendship that he
had with these men. Corporal Chase mentioned Andy and his letter,
(10:12):
and Lieutenant Wisby didn't have a letter from Andy, and
he will be the subject of the next podcast. If
you know anyone from the Chase family of California, please
consider sharing this podcast with them. These stories deserve to
be remembered.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
And speaking of that, I am so happy to report
that I was contacted by the family of Private Russell Armstrong.
I told a Private Armstrong story in a podcast way
back in August of twenty twenty four and they just
came across the podcast while doing some research on him
(10:58):
Prior Russell Armstrong. Your letters have gone home. Warren Family
Letters Home is self funded and we will never ask
a family for any compensation to receive letters Home. If
you would like to contribute to my mission of returning
(11:21):
history to families, please contact me. You can find me
on Facebook at Warren Family Letters Home, and I can
be reached by my email at Warren Family at outlook
dot com. All details in this podcast were discovered by
research done by me using public military genealogy and newspaper
(11:45):
search sites. We support our military, whether active or veteran status.
These men and women sacrifice to serve this great country,
whether in war or peace time. And I'm recording this
podcast as we're celebrating the US Army's two hundred and
(12:06):
fiftieth anniversary. Thank you US Army for all you do
to keep us see. This is Lauren Use and you've
been listening to Warren Family Ladders Home
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