On July 19, 1943 the Allies bombed Rome for the first time.
July 25 Mussolini was arrested and relieved of his offices after a meeting with Italian King Victor Emmanuel III, who chose Marshall Pietro Badoglio to form a new government.
August 2 John F Kennedy's PT-109 is rammed in two by a Japanese destroyer and sunk off the Solomon Islands. Kennedy became a war hero after his rescue of the surviving crew members. I grew up hearing about the Kennedys - I remember during our summer vacation the adults huddled around the TV in the front of Cullen's cottage in Falmouth Heights watching the 1960 Democratic National Convention where Kennedy was nominated for President. We watched his presidency on TV. We were glued to the TV after his assassination and through his burial. Sr Gonzaga presented me with his book - Profiles in Courage - after I had been out of 6th grade with the measles and scarlet fever for almost 2 weeks and came back to got 100% on a test. Monseigneur Houlihan autographed it. So the Kennedys were important to our Irish Catholic family.
"Aug - 19, 1943
My dear Ellen,
At last I am writing to you and it already appears to be a novelty, an enjoyable one to say the least. I intended to write to you sooner this week but one thing after another prevented my doing so. I really must get on the ball and keep up my correspondence with my buddies elsewhere that I have let go astray and slip away. All the letters you wrote to me over the past past two weeks I have just read over and after reading them I think you really want me to write. There isn't much to say from this point but I shall do the best I can. I met a kid I was in 'boot' camp with and he just arrived here from Pensacola. He is a radioman gunman and was in the same class as the kid I met last Sunday. Remember? I told you about him. For the past three mornings I have had intentions of getting up early and going swimming but I just never did get around to it. I don't know what is the matter maybe I am falling in love with my bunk. I don't believe that would ever due because one love life is already tossing me around something fierce. Well Monday I start on days and things will be all right again, I hope. I know it will at least be a change.
As I am writing to you now I can just about picture you slaving and pouring thru your books in an effort to figure out a three cent difference in the books. Good luck! The last few nights I have noticed millions of start everywhere in the sky and late in night a beautiful big yellow moon rising over the hills on the island across the bay. Boy I just go out of this world.
This afternoon I must continue with a bit more studying and make up my assignment if I intend to go up for second class next month.
I got my whites back from the tailor Monday and when you see my hulk graced by these garments you will collapse. Every time I breathe the seams stretch and stretch but never give out. I can't afford to get any added weight on my frame or I will be forced to discard them entirely which I don't intend to do. I shall be forced to borrow your girdle if matters come to worse.
By the way my pen is acting up. I am afraid I am running out of ink so for now
Love always
John"
September 3, 1943 A secret Italian Armistice is signed and Italy drops out of the war. Mainland Italy is invaded when the British XXIII Corps lands at Reggio Calabria. On the same day Nazi Germany begins the evacuation of civilians from Berlin.
September 10 German troops occupy Rome and took over the protection of the Vatican.
"Sunday
5 September 1943
My dear Ellen,
As you have probably noticed it is Sunday afternoon and as I am writing I am being soothed and comforted by the music of Andre Kostelanetz? whose soothing mellow strains ease my heart and mind no end. I am under the spell of a severe case of the sniffles which I am trying my very best to shake. Right now I am hungry as about this time 5:00 pm is usually feeding time at Keohane's when yours truly is not on duty at this confounded spot on God's good green earth. I am attempting to squeeze all my correspondence in now as all week long I'll be studying even next weekend when I'm home with you. Don't fear not when I'm with you but in between time (ie when I'm sleeping, etc) I'm coming along pretty well as it is but I'll know that book inside out before I take that test. In your spare time you can say a prayer or two as yours are always answered whether for good or for not so good. I just finished a letter to my brother giving him a little advice on the ways of the cruel cruel world and tipping him off on the ways of counter acting the wiles and snares of the wicked.
I couldn't resist the temptation to eat so here I am again writing still, I hope. My boy Oleo going on liberty tempted me into going to chow and after making very appealing and mouth watering I joined him. The meal ? spaghetti and ? what we(re) OK. The added substance with the spaghetti were a substitute for meat balls and appeared and tasted like chicken croquettes but they weren't. I really don't know what they were. I ate them so that ended it. I am now writing a few word(s) again as study time draws near.
I am coming home Friday night and will have the weekend off so prepare yourself for something I don't know what. Saturday being my birthday I will be 'his exalted majesty' or some other less revered individual over come by circumstances beyond my control.
As I told you before this weekend will also be your birthday so relax. Well I got to scram thru a book now so again I say relax and take care of yourself.
Love Always
John"
My father's birthday was September 11 - my mother's was September 14.
He said he was being soothed and comforted by the music of Andre Kostelanetz (1901-1980) - he was a well-known conductor who began his career in Russia and proceeded to conduct the New York Philharmonic and orchestras all over the world. He is synonymous with orchestral music called 'easy listening,' 'light,' or 'semi-classical.' He arranged pop songs, Broadway show tunes and familiar classics for his orchestras.
The website - https://www.masterworksbroadway.com/artist/andre-kostelanetz/ - has a really fascinating article about him.
"Sept 22 1943
My dear Ellen,
As you can see I have no(t) gone as yet and I contemplate arriving in Boston Sunday nite if every thing turns out all right. I was home Monday but having to rush both ways I neglected to phone you. I hope you will forgive me. I am now getting ready to go to work and haven't much time. I intended to wait till I got definite word but none has come as yet. If this letter (?) appears to be short please, again forgive me as I will talk about it Sunday.
Love Always
John"
September 26 the Germans placed an extortion on the Jews of Rome with an order to produce 50 kg of gold within 2 days or face massive deportations. Pope Pius XII offered to loan the Jewish community 15 kg of gold with interest and with repayment due within 4 years after the war. Rome’s Jews and citizens came up with sufficient gold to make the Pope’s offer needless. There was a lot of controversy about Pope Pius' role in the war - he was criticized for not speaking out against the Nazis from the beginning of the war and especially when the Final Solution was made know. He was criticized for not doing more to save the European Jews.
Hugh O'Flaherty was an Irish priest from Cork who was working in the Vatican during the war. He recruited other priests, nuns, civilians, and others and set up a network to save thousands of Allied POWs, Jews by hiding them in monasteries, convents, and private homes. O'Flaherty escaped detection - he went about Rome in disguised. A Nazi officer painted a white line along the boundary between the Vatican and the rest of Rome - he threatened to kill O'Flaherty if the Monsignor crossed the white line into Rome. He was know as the Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican.
Reports are that Monsignor O'Flaherty saved over 6, 400 people. There had been 9700 Jews in Rome - 1007 were shipped to Auschwitz - the Catholic Church saved 5000 - the rest were hidden by other individuals.
October 3, 1943 Churchill appointed Lord Louis Mountbatten (Prince Philip's uncle) as commander of the South East Asia Command.
"Oct 4, 1943
My dear Ellen,
At last I am writing to you and I am sorry that I haven't written sooner. My only alibi is that at present I am busier than a one handed painter with a severe case of the 'Seven days itch.' They told us we were shipping out almost a month ago and we are still here. We are on edge afraid to plan anything or do anything for fear of orders arriving to throw everything into turmoil. As it stands now I'll probably see you Saturday if not I'll either be in Philly or well on my way. Every thing is set here for shipment except a few last minute details but from reports the Bureau is running into a mess of red tape at Philly. Since I've had things postponed this far I won't mind another week, say till next Tuesday. I received your letters for over the past ten days and deeply appreciate your interest.
Every time I received one I opened it ever so cautiously afraid that - well maybe you would be in a sort of depressed mood in my failure to write you. After I read them and there was no sign of indignation in your manner of writing I felt like a little kid that stole a piece of cake and when he was apprehended failed to be scolded. What a relief. So today my guilty conscience forced me to write. Please forgive my thoughtlessness.
Well honey you may now address me as AM 2/C. I made my rate. Everyone who went up with me made it also so everything is OK. Thanks a million for your prayers. I think they must have done it. I am making a resolution now to write more often . So I deeply hope and you pray that I see you Saturday ------------ Please.
My main reason is you, my second is my brother Joe wants to join the Sea Bees. I got to get home to save him.
Love Always
John"
My father seems to be always apologizing for not writing. I am wondering how I would feel in my mother's place - would I be mad that I hadn't heard from my father or would I understand that he was in the service and might not have time? She seemed to be pretty understanding.
October 6, 1943 Himmler ordered the acceleration of 'Final Solution.'
The stationary for this next letter is stamped US Naval Air Station, Hatboro, Pennsylvania. I found a little information about it on the website - https://coldwarhistory.org/projects/willow-grove-naval-air-station.
"Former NAS JRB Willow Grove is located in Horsham Township, Montgomery County in southeastern Pennsylvania, approximately 20 miles north of Philadelphia.
In 1926, aviation pioneer, Harold F. Pitcairn ... purchased a large section of farmland on the west side of Doylestown Pike (now Pennsylvania State Route 611) and constructed a hangar and a grass airstrip. The airfield was named after the nearest town, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. At the time, Horsham was a rural township with little significance. That farmland today is the former Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NAS-JRB) Willow Grove located in Horsham, Pennsylvania.
From 1926 to 1942, Pitcairn used the airfield for numerous air shows and to design, construct and test a number of aircraft, including the Autogiro and Mailwing, which was used by the United States Postal Service to carry mail starting in 1927.
In 1942, Pitcairn sold his airfield to the United States Navy, which launched a classified anti-submarine warfare program at the base. Two hundred fifty naval personnel from the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard took possession of the field that year. In January 1943, the field was officially commissioned the Naval Air Station (NAS) Willow Grove."
"October 12 1943
My dear Ellen,
Well I have arrived here at last and everything is terrific here. Till we came there were about fifty sailors and two hundred waves. Now there are about a hundred and fifty sailors and the Wave situation hasn't changed a bit.
Every thing is terrific, I repeat but our weekend liberty is short from Saturday noon till Monday morning at 0800 am. I will just about be able to get home for a few hours Sunday that's all but I'll make it anyway. We have every other weekend off here plus every other night. We are about seventeen miles out of Philadelphia on top of a plateau over looking the most beautiful scenery in the state. Its simply swell. Now we are the main group on the station will eventually be kings here - I hope anyway. We have a beautiful spot swell barracks swell officers and a beautiful ships service in the joint. Its only a small place but its nice & cozy. The field has three runways but none are too long for our planes. When they take off the(y) miss trees around the edge of the field by inches and when they land they leave the field and wind up in a rough old corn field adjacent to our field. With a little experience we'll navigate ok I hope otherwise there will be a few crashes around here.
Already I have been stuck for a dirty detail clean the lavatory and wash room. It turned out to be easier than I figured and now things are sailing smoothly. We spent yesterday and today unpacking our gear and getting set up we are about a month behind in our production and it will be a few months of hard work before we get on smooth sailing completely. We have a commanding officer here who is all a guy can ask for. He's a millionaire and a swell guy besides. Anything we want he('ll) get us he says. We were warned to keep mum as this is the biggest alien district in the country and is constantly under the surveillance of the FBI. I rate liberty tonite but I washed my blues and haven't dried yet. A few of the boys are hear but most of them have left for Philly Camden NJ or Atlantic City. Not bad eh kid. Well I got to wash my hammock sea bag etc and will write soon again.
Love Always
John"
My mother's brother Jim Keohane joined the Navy October 15, 1943.
On www.ancestry.com I found a Navy muster roster of the crew for the US Silenus commissioning on 9 August 1944 - it listed James P Keohane as a crew member - his serial number was 803-03-21- his rate was metalsmith 3rd class - he was received on board like all the rest of the crew on 9 August 1944. I wonder if this was our Jim?
I found the USS Silenus on Wikipedia. She was a Motor Torpedo Boat Tender in service with the US Navy during WWII. The USS Silenus started life as a Tank Landing Ship to support amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto shore with no docks or piers. This enabled amphibious assaults on almost any beach.
She was commissioned on 8 April 1944 but then decommissioned on 29 April 1944 at Maryland Drydock Co., Baltimore, Maryland for a 104 day conversion to a Motor Torpedo Boat Tender. She was recommissioned on 9 August 1044. During WWII she was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. She was decommissioned on 14 March 1947 and scrapped on 25 July 1947.
I have a picture of Jim Keohane taken in Washington DC on September 7, 1944 - this was a month after the USS Silenus was recommissioned in Baltimore a Motor Torpedo Boat Tender - whose job was to provide necessary fuel and provisions to the torpedo boats for which she was responsible. So it seems that Jim might indeed have served on the USS Silenus.
The picture below is the USS Silenus on 12 August 1944.
Oct 17 1943
My dear Ellen,
Today is Sunday and to be really definite it is about eleven ayem. At writing I am under the strong powers of religious music coming over the airways from Baltimore. This place my dear is the most peaceful place in God's earth. This morning for chow we had eggs Sunny side up with bacon the first time we had it since I joined up. This place is full of new surprises and as they fall I'll tell you all about them. I got two letters from you already this week and I too am surprised at the rapid delivery of mail both to and from you. I am getting accustomed to this place now and am getting into the real routine of things. For the first week here I have been a compartment cleaner with another boy of mine. It was a real racket and we worked it right up to the hilt giving little and taking much. It was in fact a combination of a chambermaid and janitor and only a four hour a day job - after dinner we went to Ships Service and really bothered the hired help there. There are five or six Irish kinfolk working there and we get treated royally. We are getting well acquainted in town now and in a few weeks, I hope, we'll be sort of established here.
The townspeople are very very friendly as I told you before and we are treated as we like to be treated at least as half-decent human beings. I haven't been to Philly yet but may get there in time. I am in no hurry as the reception we get in these small towns is to good to toss aside. Philly is a big navy town but sailors seem scarce and soldiers even scarcer. We had an outfit here that stole the hearts of all the girls and they are all broken hearted since they have left. Oh, well, its common fact that sailors love 'em when they get to port and then leave them flat. And did they leave these girls flat. They have followed the sailors to their new posts some going as far as Quonset and Norfolk, Va. They call it love but I call it madness. There is an Irish gal, well her parents are Irish, who works at Ship Service we've been bothering who is a typical example of the type I am referring to. She went out with the star of the football team one Friday night and the following morning she was engaged to him 'believe it or not.' Well he treated her rough so she tells us always neglecting her and never paying any heed to her cries etc. Well he left her flat poor gal and now she is so bulue. What a line she has and I thought I was good at stringing someone along. She has me beat to a standstill. The boys are all competing for her affections but she has rocks for brains and as a result no one gets no where. Well I must and positively press my clothes as I have Shore Patrol duty tonight and must look sharp.
Incidentally we must wash all our clothes here otherwise we will go broke paying our laundry bills etc (shirts laundered .13 each.)
Well got to close now so take it slow.
I'll see you two weeks from next Saturday
Love Always
John"
"Oct 28 1943
My dear Ellen,
I wrote you a letter on watch last night but since the pen I was using was off the beam a bit I finally decided to write to you now as I wait chow. It has been raining here steadily since the last time I stood a watch which was Friday night. It doesn't pour and stop like at home it comes down moderately heavy all day long and all night long making the walking here very dismal and muddy. The ground around here is mostly clay and with this added moisture the stuff turns into a quagmire that when it sort of gets attached to your shoe really sticks and is there to stay. In order to get it off it must be chipped and washed with water. You can't brush it off its so sticky or tenacious to really exercise my vocabulary which I think needs exercise. I got a letter from my brother who is now at Petuxet River, Maryland about 20 miles from Washington. He says its real nice there with good liberty and conditions but the transportation situation is very very poor. He gets two liberties a month, weekends that is - one long and one short which from the tone of his letter he really intends to make use of. After school I really can't blame him a bit.
To clear up matters I received your picture at long last and really liked it. Down here it seems even better than when you showed it to me at home. Thanks a million.
Its about time I had myself mugged again and when I do I'll send them along to you. I wish camera film wasn't so scarce and I could really send you some very neat shots of a million and one things I've seen and liked. I'm going to get sort of friendly with some of the photographers on the base and see what I can do.
All things are still about the same around here maybe a little damper if you know what I mean. We are finally getting organized and our production has picked up considerably. The officers expressed their gratitude and they continue to be real nice fellows. I am sending out feelers for a leave but have had no comment made as yet. I am working on it slowly but very deliberately.
Incidentally I just returned from a very lovely palatable breakfast of oatmeal, a pear, eggs, sunny side up and bacon with coffee as a chaser. And you wonder why I like it here. Its really something no fooling. I am, since I arrived here become almost a continuous pipe smoker. I smoke about four cigarettes a day now and already I feel better no fooling. Maybe I'll be one of those easy going devil-may-care guys they show in the papers.
We are all getting accustomed to our new home here and the few complaints we do have are easily squelched or should I put it, as they say in Europe - exterminated, liquidated, etc.
Well I have to go to work now so I'll write again in a day or two. Keep the chin(s) up and stuff ----------adios.
Love always
John"
I was shocked when my father wrote that any complaints they had at the naval air station were easily exterminated or liquidated like they say in Europe. That is a clear reference to the Holocaust and sounds so glib that I can't believe my father wrote it. I get that he tries to improve his vocabulary - some of his sentences are quite flowery - but to make light of such a horrific campaign by the Nazis to kill all the Jews in Europe is really inexcusable. He obviously knew what was going on in Europe - he might not have known the extent of the killing centers - I don't know how much news the military had access to - but I am still flabbergasted. And what did my mother know?
"Oct 30, 1943
My dear Ellen,
It is now Saturday night in Philadelphia and as usual I am confined in my barracks. All the excitement we have here is radio music and as a last resort take a nap. We have a new pool room and bowling alleys set up but they are mobbed most of the time. I've put in a very tegious day and am now attempting to relax so I can sleep. If I go to bed now I won't fall asleep for hours over exertion or something. I don't like to go to bed early anyway and on the other extreme I hate to get up early in the morning. My mother sort of broke me in wrong I guess. Its different here than it was at Quonset. Down here they have a master at arms who comes around every morning to wake you up and when he returns again in about fifteen minutes if your not up your on the restricted list thus no liberty etc. It just don't pay. Maybe that's why I don't like to get up early. This isn't a gripe or fault I have with the place as I still like it tremendously and I mean tremendously.
I received a few letters from you during the week and they really hit the spot if you know what I mean. That pillow case and banner I sent you I meant to ask you about but it slipped my mind entirely when I was home with you. I still have to get you one from Quonset NAS which I will do when the opportunity presents itself. I'm glad you liked it as I hoped you would. As for viewing your etchings on a venture to your boudoir I shall have to look into it. I still don't think it is scandalous as you say or believe it is - its just your imagination.
As for that baby shower I'm glad it was a success and I can imagine the eligible maidens gabbing all about married life and prospective wedlock etc. Since you and Mother Keohane are on good terms spring the trap as you suggest but try and make it before three or four months. I hope it materializes as I'm really looking forward to it.
As far as weather is concerned here the sun has finally stuck out its funny looking nose and things are again coming to life. I had two watches to stand during that rainy season but doing a little or should I say a lot of cheating and breaking usual procedure I dug myself into the hangar and kept dry both nights. So your man has still the luck of the Irish.
Well I got to scram off now so take it easy.
Love always
John"
"Nov 10 1943
My dear Ellen,
Well it is about time I sat down and wrote you a letter as its about a week since I've done so. I'm sorry but time flies by down here faster than you can even imagine and a week or ten days has rolled by before you realize it. Well things are still ok down here although the boys are beginning to gripe and complain. Their biggest gripe is the watch situation around here. It so happens that we were sucked in for all or mostly all the watches around this place. We stand twenty- four watches a day every other day. That means each man gets hit for four watches out of every night duty. It makes it really tough as on liberty nights the boys don't get in till after midnight and eighteen of the twenty four watches are at night so that means little sleep and a crew of very tired men. We have only one alternative - give up liberty for sleep but the boys will be damned if they will. As it is now we are working nine hours a day seven days a week with no weekend liberty at all. On duty nights nine hours working plus four hours watch make 13 hours a day every other day. It is the only thing they really gripe about around here but if it keeps up they are bound to find other reasons. Its really a shame as our immediate supervisors have no say in the watches at all and it is they who get cussed out about the grind we are forced to grind. We are very willing to work if we get liberty but with curtailed liberty and a mess of watches our workmanship and morale is at a very low ebb.
Well now that I have told you about conditions here lets gab about ourselves a bit. By the way how are you coming along with 'Dear Mom' or am I rushing the subject a bit?
I wrote you a letter about a week ago containing a mess of stuff and haven't heard any reply in the affirmative or the negative but since I possess a world of patience I can bear with you a while till you answer it. BUT please answer in a hurry as I am anxiouly awaiting a reply. My jeweler friend here is impatient thus the hurried reply.
I was thinking about seeing my brother but with no liberty things are quite confused now as I only have nights off.
Incidentally our Captain here got married tonight in the auditorium amid pomp and circumstance. The fortunate or unfortunate girl as the case may be is an officer WAVE. Incidentally the old boy is worth about seven million bucks so I don't know if he's smart or just lucky. He's 53 she's twenty six so he hasn't much longer to go. Well I have to muster now as I have a 4:00 AM to 8:00 watch tonight which if I remember correctly is the same watch I had the last time I wrote to you. Well honey take care of yourself and take it easy -- I love you --
Love always
John"
"Nov 17, 1943
01:00 AM
My dear Ellen,
Well finally I have come too and am answering your numerous letters now. If you have noticed I inserted the time of writing to keep you informed of my activities such as they are. As on last writing I am again on watch this time from midnite till 4:00 am a real lovely time to be doing any thing but sleeping. But I consider myself very lucky as most of the boys are worse off than I am. You see I sit down at a desk here in the hangar while the other lads have to pound the pavements. We have a watch here out in the middle of the field which is a killer and I mean a killer. There is no shelter and the wind there just roars by, around and thru you. We still can't figure out just what its purpose is and from the way things are running now I doubt if I or anyone else ever will no matter how hard they try. My Irish friend has it tonight but he is spending his time here and when he hears or sees a car goes dashing down to his post on a bicycle. If he gets caught off post he will undoubtedly wind up in the brig for not being on his post. Its been really cold around here nights for the past week or so but not bad at day time as the sun offers some relief and consolation. If you ever wonder why a guy does not like to stand a watch just you jump out of bed some night say at midnite get dressed up nice and warm and walk up and down your driveway till four in the morning. At four you can go back to sleep if you can then you have permission to put in a days work besides. Oh my loving dear! This watch situation is our only drawback here and we nor our officers see no way out of it but to stand them till we drop. As it is all our officers can do is make up the watch list but the real big shots say where and how many posts we have to patrol and how we have to patrol. At present writing we have five posts to stand. This adds up real nice to a watch every duty night. In between we have a liberty and I'm telling you between liberty and watches things are really going to pop soon. We want liberty and no watches where as they insist on us standing watches but figure we will stay in on our liberty nites to catch up on our sleep but we are as determined as they are that we won't stay in and we won't.
Soon something will break and I hope it won't be us. I hope I'm not boring you with our troubles but your going to have to hear about them soon so you might just as well be prepared. You'll be hearing about them as long as I have to stand them. -------- Thanks for your indulgence & consideration.
Well honey I have done some flying down here about five hours and its great. We have four pilots just back from Africa and they handle these big babies just like a good cabbie handles his cab in heavy traffic if you get what I mean. Most of our other pilots are very cautious and reserved and fly them just as though they were buses.
These new men are really something and give you a real thrill whenever you go up with them. The other day I flew with the one who is credited to be the wildest of the pack and is he wild. He isn't crazy as he has control of his ship at all times and knows just exactly what it will & won't do. If he doesn't think he can do it he won't attempt it if (it) endangers anyone. The other day when I flew with him we did a lot of monkeying around way up and then came down close to the ground and I mean down. He put her nose up a little and then down in a dive. It was completely unexpected but hearing about him you can expect anything. We pulled out at about three hundred feet and descended steadily till we just skimmed the ground. He spotted a farm yard and with full throttle he zoomed it. The terrific roar from the engines must have terrified the chickens and cows as they scattered in every conceivable direction.
Keeping at a low attitude we picked up a railroad track and followed it to Philly as we neared Philly we zoomed up and over a freight train. We were so low to it that the smoke from the locomotive covered the plane. He wanted to go under the Delaware River Bridge but was talked out of it. After a hectic flight we returned. Incidentally the poor guy is grounded that is he is to stay on the ground till he gets permission to fly again. Oh well!
So much for that now to get down to pleasanter things. I wrote a letter that you didn't receive and I informed you my liberty here weekends only have been cancelled but since that time they have been restored and I will be home this weekend unless something unexpected occurs which I doubt - I hope anyway. I am attempting to make connections to fly to Quonset if no soap I'll probably be home by two or three o'clock Saturday afternoon. If I can get me a hop though I should be home in about three hours after I leave here depending on the time the hop is scheduled for. If its scheduled too late I'll use the train. Anyway I'll be home. About that letter I wrote to you and you didn't receive well I'll discuss that with you when I get home as I figure I can gab better than I can write and if there is any arguments big or small I'll be able to cope with them. So be prepared to say yes to everything I ask otherwise there will be arguments galore.
Well I got to write a letter to my mother now something I haven't done for a long while so I'll close now. I love you honey so keep your chin up and I'll see you Saturday ----------------
Love always
John"
"Nov 22 1943
My dear Ellen,
Well I arrived here at last but with not too much time to spare and I mean it. We arrived about ten minutes early for muster which is really stretching the issue down to the limit. Our train arrived in Philly at 5:45 AM and after a lot of rushing around jumped the subway to the end of the line where we boarded a bus. The bus took us to Willow Grove about five miles from the base. About 7:10 a Wave picked the three of us up and took us to the base. I have finally come to the conclusion that I was born under a lucky star or something. If she hadn't picked us up we would have been done for.
On the train down I met a kid who I once hung around with away back when. I knew I saw him before but couldn't place him - he finally made the move and we rode down together. I hadn't seen him for nearly ten years and we talked over old times. What a discussion we had. The talk brought back some of the pleasantest memories of my life.
He lived next door to me when I was in the last years of grammar school and the first year of high school. He has one brother and five sisters and they were really swell. If you promise you won't get real jealous I'll tell you something. His sister, a year or two younger than him, was my first real girl. That was when I was young and foolish. But you have no reason to fear as she has grown up now and has a couple of kids of her own. They were the swellest people I ever want to meet, no fooling. I remember all the fellows, big guys, there all married and got kids now. How they sang and danced in his house every night with their girls who in a number of cases turned out to be there wives. It was those sessions that gave me a real love for music of all types and moods as I could feel that certain something in it that sort of moves your spirit. I can remember those summer nights as though it were last night or last week sometime. I'll say again it was the happiest memories of my life. I often hoped we'd be the same way but circumstances beyond our control won't allow it now but some day I'll get around to serenading you as those guys once serenaded their gals. At that time 'Ramona' Avalon Remember, when the blue of the night meets the gold of the day, Sweetheart of Sigma Chi et were all the favorites and to this day they are still my favorites and I'm afraid they always will be. If the drift of the letter seems to vie away from you I'm sorry as I don't ever intend to neglect you, never. Well I've given my boy the word about your ring and I should have it by Christmas if every thing goes as planned but never fear you'll get it if I have to walk all the way home to present it to you. Well I got to write to my brother now so please write soon as my efforts are really amazing.
Well take it really slow and relax.
Love always and always
John
Eileen alana- I hope the latter is spelled properly"
Eileen Alana means Ellen darling.
I looked up the 1930 Census of Boston - the Mannings are listed at 11 Cedar Street. Lo and behold at #9 Cedar Street lived the Goulart family - 33 year old Manuel, 32 year old Catherine, and two sons and 4 daughters. Manual was a radio operator for the US government - his parents were born in the Azores. Catherine was from Canada. Joseph Goulart was 9 - the same age as my father - he had been born in Nantucket. When he registered for the draft in 1946, the family was living in Wichita, Kansas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGQm1ahsWWM - Bing Crosby - "when the blue of the night meets the gold of the day"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=simDyBY7E1E - Bing - Sweetheart of Sigma Chi
Nov 30 1943
My dear Ellen,
Already I have let a week slip by without answering you but in the future I'll attempt to make amends. Things around here are the same pretty much but I am now pulling strings to get out of my present division. I am now temporarily detached but am still on the roster. Where I am working now, there is a real swell officer who if we swing the deal and get assigned to his shop has promised me first class with flight orders at least two out of every three months that sort of deal is really something in fact it is liking having a guy come up and promise you a job at $100 a week for sleeping at home all day. There are three of us in on the deal. I am working on it real hard at present. If I stay where I am I will be forced to wait till June before I get 1st clsss so you can see how it is almost a seventy dollar a month raise.
The way it stands now I am in the same shoes as a defense worker. I can't move unless my present officer releases me. So get you in a praying mood honey and get me my objective. So far you have helped tremendously.
Well to keep things straight I've received a few letters from you since I saw you last the most recent being today. As for my Thanksgiving dinner it was really swell plenty of everything. In the morning I did me a lot of work on the outside therefore I worked up a terrific appetite. I went thru the chow line twice and wound up really and honestly full right clear up to capacity for a change.
At night as you had it figured out I had liberty but I didn't do any howling what so ever. I went to a USO and enjoyed a wonderful evening. To commence they had a turkey buffet dinner and it really hit the spot. I again filled myself. Understand when I say I filled myself I don't mean that I stuffed myself. I just ate until I wasn't hungry any more. After dinner we sat around for an hour or so then we did some dancing till midnite which sort of wore off my accumulated avoirdupois. It was an enjoyable evening and a good time was had by all. I went to our executive officers general the other day last week to be definite and what a gala occasion. I wound up loading a hearse with flowers. I didn't go to the internment but went on liberty for the rest of the day. We got noon time liberty to go to the funeral but had no intentions of going. Just as we were going out the gate an officer suspecting our aims nobly offered to drive us to the funeral home. Our spirits sank down to the bottom if our shoes and our plans were ruined. After the funeral we went to Philly, my buddy and I, to see his sister who is a student nurse here. While there my buddy bumped into a girl from his home town who just graduated from the hospital & was headed overseas with the Army Nurses. My buddies sister plans to join the navy nurses upon graduation for what I don't know. Incidentally every girl, practically every girl, is studying to be a nurse. They are all from up State Penna. There practically all colleens from Irish vintage sometimes mongrels by marriage.
As for whose going to choose the ring hows about trying my taste on the matter? Please?
Love always
John"
"Dec 10 1943
My dear Ellen,
Brrrr, is it cold. Last night a terrific gale blew up around here and even at this time it is still running strong. Yesterday was a mild calm day but today - again brrrr and brrrr. It is really freezing cold. I'd say it was about +20 degrees F but with a real wind about 30 knots an hour which is really blowing. A few light planes were pretty well banged up last (night) during the height of the blow but since we need work they think, I'm afraid, we'll have to fix them up.
My 'big deal' came thru as I figured so once again Keohane has come thru with spiritual assistance to aid me in attaining my goal. Thanx a million honey thanks a million. I am now no longer attached to the Radio Radar Unit but am now a permanent member of this station. Its really good and I'm really glad to get away from them. Seven of us are or should I say were transferred over to this new department. The officer is an old Navy chief who is now a lieutenant. He knows men and how to handle them both by use of his tongue and brains. He is very informal and tries to keep everyone happy. I should run into some luck as far as flight orders are concerned. My first class rate has gone thru I have passed all my tests with flying colors. Five of us went over at first and were all recommended for first class with in three days. We put our course in took our final and semi final and am now awaiting my certificate of verification. It is indeed a real good break for me and I shall see to it that my appreciation is felt. Normally I would have had to wait till next June before I could have gone up with the expectation of getting my rate some time in August. So when you see me again I will be first class. I say not bad, that was part of the big deal. My next step will be chief and don't you think I'm not going to try and get it.
Since I wrote to you last a few of the boys have shipped out heading for sea duty. They are now at the Philadelphia Navy Yard waiting for a carrier. It seems to them to be good duty at least I hope so as I have been with (them) too long to see them get fouled up with a 'bad deal' again!
A couple went thru school with me and their primary reason for going to sea is to hit Hawaii or New Caledonia where the rest of the class is now stationed. They are all on leave at present and we have hopes of seeing them again before they go for good.
We have been getting rumors around here that the Radar group is headed for San Pedro California soon so you have no worries now of where they are going 'cause your man is remaining. As individuals the outfit was good but as a unit it stunk if you will excuse the expression. If along the way here my writing changes from time to time it is simply my fingers freezing up and thawing out again so excuse it.
I've worked and worked on my leave but no soap as yet so to save you any over anxiety you can say it just ain't going to be. To be exact my next trip home won't be until after New Year's I'm afraid as they have fouled us up over the holidays. Only ten percent of the station can have leave over the holidays and those ten percent are the fellows with the fewest days leave this year. Since I have had seven days already my time holds me back - we have a mess of new men here just out of boot camp who have had no leave at all so they form the ten percent.
I have tried to finagle my way in but no soap at all. I had intentions of giving you the ring for Xmas but I guess that can't be but I will make it a Little Christmas present in January ('scuse me while I thaw out my fingers there freezing up). Now to return. I am on watch again if you are interested in my whereabouts sitting at a desk all bundled up in clothes and overshoes with a flying Helmut tossed on my head to keep my ears warm. The only difference between here and the outside is that my position is not in the wind which is howling by. All the planes are tied down so they won't go astray .... (?) like.
I've been receiving your letters quite regularly and again I appreciate it. At times mine may be slow but they arrive I hope. I do the best I can under the circumstances.
I received a letter from home today and was informed of the death of one of my friends who works at Fore River. It seems he was scalded by live steam in one of the boiler rooms aboard ship. I also received during the week a letter from my brother Joe who is at Manhattan Beach New York and was I surprised to hear from him. He has been home over the weekend and he's mad because the kid who lives beside (us) now home on furlough laughed at him because Joe was in uniform. Incidentally Tom my brother is now enjoying himself a leave of seven days I think and I'm afraid I'm jealous of him. He's in the same kind of outfit I'm in or was in. I've given him the dope and I hope he heeds it at least some of the real pertinent facts I've sent his way.
I've received your pictures and appreciated them a lot. It is too bad I didn't arrive earlier so the sun light that was so abundant could have been taken advantage of. I'll do better on my next trip I hope.
I'm glad to hear that your Aunt Nellie is coming along fine. Please give her my special regards and my very best wishes for a speedy recovery.
After your novena and all I take it that you should have a very pious disposition now as if it is something unusual. Keep it up my gal.
Well I've got to scram now as my bunk awaits without. I'll write again in a day or two to give you all the dope I can so relax and take it easy.
Love always and God Bless you too, always
John
PS I finished this letter in the barracks.
PPS We stand watches now every other night so any time from 8:00 pm - 8:am --------------------------Good stuff ------------!"
"Dec 26 1943
My dear Ellen,
I am terribly sorry I haven't been able to write to you sooner but due to conditions beyond my control I have been unable to do so. As it turned out on my return here after my weekend I wound up in sick bay with a nice fever and lovely sore throat plus about a hundred other complications too numerous to mention. I've been trying to write to you but couldn't get up the strength. Coming down Sunday night I got aboard a damp drafty dreary cattle car and froze all the way down. It was so cold I was shivering with my peacoat on. Every body was complaining about it but nothing could be done. To top it off the train didn't leave Boston till 11:30 or after therefore we were at least a half hour late before we started. When we got in Philly we were forty five minutes late leaving me only an hour to get to the base. I didn't make it in time. I was twenty five minutes late. Nothing happened to me as my chief was the only one who knew I was absent. I've come to the conclusion tho that I'll have to leave Boston earlier so I can have some spare time just in case. Well Sunday I didn't get any sleep and Monday night I had a watch. Tuesday morning found me very miserable indeed. I was running a fever had a headache and a sore throat to match. Wednesday I felt worse so I reported here to sick bay where I've spent a hectic time. Today I feel good although a little woozy from being in bed so long. If I get in a bed again my back will break.
They have been giving me pills here till there coming out my eyes but there working and as long as they work I won't mind much. I hope to be released in a day or two, definitely for New Years so don't worry about it.
I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day here and didn't mind it a bit. We were treated well by all. The Christmas dinner was something real - I'll send you the menu just to show you. They had their party here and although there wasn't to be any liquor everyone was ossified and I mean ossified. Maybe it was just as well that I was in sick bay after all. I've spent all my Yuletide listening to the radio where I've been entertained royally by outstanding artists. Christmas here was a lovely day the sun shining nicely and nice and cold out so they tell me. But what I can't understand is why they sing 'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.' I'm looking forward now to New Years so say a prayer. I'm supposed to be in bed as I write this but have sneaked out for a while. I expect the doctor around any minute therefore I'll have to close now -----------
Love always
John"
So my father was home for a weekend - did he give my mother the ring then? What gives? What a way to end the year!!
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