WWII Soldier's Pay (with responses from the vets themselves)

[Walt's Daughter]

GREAT!!!!

[laurenbeagregory]

I LOVE these accounts... LOVE them!!

[Walt's Daughter]

David Wagner - 39th Combat Engineer

 

Marion

 

As far as I can remember, only in North Africa when" Eagle did his duty" we were paid in regular money except that the bills had a gold seal. This was done in case the enemy got hold of a large amount he would not be able to use it.

 

Since the invasion of Sicily occurred so soon after the fighting ended in North Africa it is barely possible that some of the gold seal money was paid in Sicily. I just can't remember because at that time we were all busy considering what we had to do to stay alive.

 

I hope you can use the info.

 

As ever,

Dave

[Walt's Daughter]

From Carl Furtado, 36th Combat Engineer

 

Marion, I sorry I don’t have too much information on what we were getting in WWII. I looked in my 36^th files and I saw a mention of my pay as a private first class went up to $50,00 a month while I was still in the states. After deductions I received $37.87. For the rest of the ranks I have no idea. I gave Tony Stefanelli a call and all he could recall was that at the of the war when he was a master sergeant he was making $200,00 a month. As he said, not my words but his, what did we need money for except for booze and broads, as we were always at the front or making a landing. Sorry I can’t be more of a help on this subject, but money was the last thing to think about over there.

 

LOVE

Carl

[Walt's Daughter]

Hello Marion,

 

Called my Dad and talked to him about how he received his pay. He said some of his pay was sent home and he was given $21.00 per month in cash. He would have to sign a voucher that he had received it. He was not 100 percent sure but he thought the money came to his commander.

 

My Dad (Clarence Ramey, Jr.) was in Patton's 3rd Army 172nd Combat Engineers.

 

Take care

 

Pamela Ramey Rose

[Walt's Daughter]

From Armonde Casagrande - 343rd Engineer

 

Speaking for my own Regiment. the payrol was delivered to Regt Heasdquaters, which in turn distributed to the line companies. We were paid in cash. The money (paper0 had a special yellow seal on it to distinguish it from the money used in the states. Money was paid every month. It was considered legal tender in the States also

 

Hope this helps;....As ever, Armi

[brian m]

Great topic and I love the Veteran's responses!

 

 

Obviously no direct experience with me, but my grandfather talked about it a couple times in his letters home while he was in boot camp. In the first instance, he is writing home after being in boot camp for about a month and says:

 

“I got $29.53. They took two months insurance out (that was $14.00), they took $1.50 out for laundry. The laundry is taken out every month and we can send in all the clothes we want and al it costs is $1.50 per month so thats not bad is it?”

 

The next mention is six months into his training and just a day before they leave for the Louisiana Maneuvers. At this point he is a Corporal and is acting as Weapons Sergeant (which he ultimately becomes and serves as during the war). He says:

 

“I will try to write you again tomorrow if I can, I may have to guard the payroll. You see we get paid tomorrow and guarding the payroll is one of the Weapons Sergeant jobs and as I am acting as Weapons Sergeant I may have to do it.”

 

In looking at the dates of those two letters it looks like payday was at or very near the end of the month (or possibly more and these just happened to be written then). I do not recall any more of him referencing the pay except how much more he would get if he made the next pay grades.

 

In my conversations with a veteran friend, he remembers waiting to get paid and then having to go up to the desk where the money was and having to say his name, rank, serial number, etc. all while the the money is being guarded by a large man with a side arm!

[Walt's Daughter]

Thanks Brian. That was cool of you to post that. Ya, it turned out to be a great topic.