"1 April 1946
My dearest Ellen
Here I am on my Sunday afternoon schedule once again. I just got back from my usual jaunt around the rock and it is changing for the better slowly but surely. Most of the outfits have discarded the tents and are now living in Quonset barracks except for a few army outfits that are due to break up soon. The Navy by all means surpasses the army as far as neatness is concerned in their areas and buildings and it can be noticed almost immediately. Who knows but in a few months I won't be able to recognize the joint. I guess about the only things that can't be changed are the weather and the mud. With fairly good facilities I guess we will be able to stand either of the two. Our airstrip here at Awase opened today for the first time in a long while as they just finished putting an asphalt surface on it. Now N.A.B. Yonabaru will be closed while they do the same thing down there. All Navy aircraft out here will be operating out of our strip so we will be in for a pretty busy time until their strip is completed. They can't work us over twenty-four hours a day so that's a consolation. I guess when the carrier comes in and takes our planes out most of our real work will be done and we will be able to take it a little easier. At least I hope so. I heard them say last November that we weren't going to get any more planes in our Pool but we are still getting them. We now have close to one hundred and only twenty men to take care of them.
During the war they would have had at least two men for each plane and then some. Such is life. I guess I might as well explain the outfit more clearly so that you won't get confused. When the Marine and Navy air groups leave the states they take their aircraft out here with them and keep them in as good a condition as they are able. After so many outfits hit an area a certain number of spare aircraft are sent out and kept in a centralized spot within reach of each group operating in the area. When their planes get worn out they fly them into us and we give them new planes in return. The worn out planes we preserve with an application of oils and various mixtures so that they won't corrode and then we send them to Guam or to the States where they are overhauled as good as new and sent back out. We have only a few planes now that are new and all the old ones we are due to get rid of as soon as the carrier comes in. We are or I should say were supplying Marine groups in China Korea and Japan with new planes but since we haven't any new ones for them we can't do them any good.
Well honey I'm running dry of inspiration for the time being but I promise to write to you tomorrow as I know that their will be mail for me to answer. As it is I haven't had time to answer my buddies mail that I received two weeks ago. I answer yours when I can grab a bit of time. I love you that's the main reason but I am dogged tired when I get through work and since yours is the most important to me I take time out to answer it. I miss you honey and if ever I get close to you you won't never get rid of me. Your secondary duties will be to be my corresponding secretary. Well I'll close for now till tomorrow and tell you that I miss you tremendously and love you with all my heart
Always
John."
"6 April 1946
My very dearest Ellen,
Here I am again on another Saturday nite and once again I am (on) watch. It seems to me that Saturday nights watches and myself are getting to be synonymous. Nevertheless I can bear them as they are all early watches and I can retire at midnight and get some sleep for all my Sunday activities which out in this neck of the woods amount to very little.
This has been a really trying week for we poor occupants of this forgotten isle. We have had so far this week two typhoon warnings plus a tidal wave alert. Tuesday we were alerted for a typhoon and stood around waiting for it to hit when we got a message that a tidal wave was due to hit us. This tidal wave alert came on Wednesday while we were still awaiting the typhoon. After securing and tying down any thing that moved we left for the hills. After a two or three hour wait we came back to camp and hit the sack. Yesterday we got another typhoon warning and once again we went 'round and 'round lashing down everything and by now we are all set. The latest word I've got so far is that it has passed us by and that we will only receive high winds at about 30 to forty miles an hour which is a little higher than a normal day out here. I guess anything can happen in Okinawa during rainy season. The rainy season incidentally has just started and will continue for six to eight weeks. So far the rain has appeared in the form of fog only but today the rain pelted down as heavy as ever and in a few minutes we were ankle deep in mud once again. I guess the typhoon was the cause of it. I hope the rainy season continues as it started, but I guess we will be pestered by typhoon alerts and conditions that will bring the water that is a necessary evil. The whole trouble with these typhoons is that only a few get close by and none of them cause any damage. We have a mess of warehouses out here that a typhoon would do no harm to and it would save us the trouble of keeping a man on watch on them. Maybe in time God and nature will be good to us and blow them down.
These typhoons are holding up our incoming and outgoing mail so I didn't get any mail from you for about a week. I hope my mail isn't too disrupted due to the elements. I did get a letter from my brother Joe yesterday and he is on his way to South Carolina and then for a discharge. He has been on patrol duty out of San Francisco and from his letter it was pretty rugged duty. They sailed out 700 miles and then after cutting their engines drifted for thirty days. I guess he's pretty glad to get away from that duty. Well honey I'll close out now till tomorrow as things are beginning to pick up a bit around here. I love you with all my heart and miss you more than everything. I wish I could be with you or you with me and then things would be fine. I'm waiting and waiting and only hope that we can get together really soon and stay together always. I love you I love you -------I love you
Always
John".
There are 2 envelopes postmarked Apr 8 1946 but only this letter. Both envelopes are very similar.
"8 April 1946
My very dearest Ellen,
Here I am as I promised and as I said before mail is slow. I have a couple of letters here that I ran across that I don't remember answering so I'll take care of that little matter right now. They were written March 15 and March 17. I also received the same day another letter with an old letter enclosed that had been sent back to you for want of another or a better address. I don't know why they sent it back to you unless the mailman slipped up out here and returned it by mistake. As it is they have about a thousand men to take care of and they have to forward mail to all these guys that have gone home. Its a pretty rugged job and I often wonder why they don't make more errors than they do. I see that you also got my recording list. Well honey don't worry too much about it as it's more or less a result of a moment of loneliness that caused me to write it up in lieu of something better to do. You can be the sole judge of what you want to do about it. Most of them are old recordings that will be pretty difficult to get if not impossible. As far as your changes of mood are concerned you are doing splendidly and I hope you can keep it up as it helps out quite a bit. The only moods I'll put up with are happy and loving moods and since they will only be registered on paper at this time it will keep you and me in the right mood till we can be together once again for keeps.
Your letter also states the very obvious fact that Peggy & Paul are 'jerks' as you put it. From what Peggie is getting out of the romance I'd say she was a pretty clear headed girl and shouldn't take a back seat from anyone. Paul from his antics could be a 'jerk' but a good egg just the same. I guess Peggy isn't doing to bad at all. Your opinion of me really makes my ego stand up and take notice. Keep it up hon, as that really makes me feel good. Your also afraid that if I keep saying I'm not romantic I'll probably convince myself that I'm not. I'll change my attitude towards romance as of now and by the time I get home and commence to romance you you'll probably swoon before I can really get started into high gear. How does that appeal to you? You can count on plenty of lovin's and loads of wolfing from yours truly when I hit the states so when I do get started you'll have no excuse as you started it. I'll sign off for now with the usual I love you which I mean with all my heart and I will love you
Always
John."
There are two envelopes dated April 13, 1946 but no letters to go with them.
There is no envelope for the following letter - April 14, 1946 - unless my father made a mistake with the date and it was really April 13? I suppose we will never know.
14 April 1946
My very dearest Ellen,
It is now after nine Sunday night and it is my first opportunity to write to you for quite a stretch. I just finished work and after drying out and scraping the mud off I have finally come to the conclusion that I have to write to you. We were loading planes on a carrier for the past two days thru a steady drizzle and sometimes heavy downpours. It is all finished now thank the Lord and I hope it will be the last carrier that we will have to load. We have been getting these planes ready for this carrier for the past few weeks so maybe now I'll be able to relax and slow down to a gallop for a few days a least. I am taking tomorrow off so I guess I'll be able to catch up on all the letter writing that I missed while I was toiling so strenuously to help out the poor Navy.
Yesterday I received the amazing total of seven letters and all from my one and only. I'm used to receiving one or two letters every few days but seven letters in one day really floored me. I want to extend to you my heart felt appreciation for your efforts and I really appreciate it. I get to love you more and more each day and on days like yesterday I get to the point where I adore you, honest. You think or I say you say that my letters are so good for your morale well honey add another as your letters keep me going and help me out an awful lot. I'll try to avoid answering them tonight and will leave it 'til tomorrow when I will have lots of free time to really answer them at length.
As it is now I am a bit weary from my toil the past few days so if this letter doesn't contain much news or information blame it on the Navy. But weary or not I still miss you an awful lot and love you more and more each day. I guess if you were with me or I with you I wouldn't feel the least bit tired as I figure you would cheer me up an awful lot. It really would be nice to have you near me as I miss you so much. I guess I'll close out for tonight and I will commence answering your abundance of mail the first thing in the morning. All my love to you now &
Always
John"
"15 April 1946
My very dearest Ellen,
Here I go now answering your mail as I promised you last night. The first one that I'll answer is your letter of April first which I consider at the spur of the moment the most interesting as it tells me all about you in more ways than one. I see that you are getting my mail at a pretty good rate so I can relax for a minute and since you praised me on my constant writing I'll pat myself on the back and strive to do an awful lot better now that my real heavy, time-taking work is over. Maybe I'll have your morale sky high in no time at all. I hope so anyway. Your letters have been spaced so well that I hardly noticed your lack of writing while you were sick in bed so you needn't apologize for it. All I care is that you are well once again and able to get around again as usual. Now I'll attempt to clarify a few statements I made in my previous letter in regard to your developments such as they are. When I asked for your measurements in a previous letter when I anticipated a trip to China you sent me a waist 28" and a bust 34" measurement. Your waist measurement astonished me as I have only a 31 or 32 myself and you are so much smaller than me around the waist. Now that you tell me that 28" is your skirt size I fully understand the situation. Twenty-eight inches isn't so bad when you consider the overhang to the rear of each hip if you get what I mean. I guess when I get home I'll be forced to put you thru a few exercises or turn masseur or massager or whatever it is and knock a few pounds off of where you don't need it and push it around to where you do need it. Since you measured your waist and got 25" I guess I'll sleep a little better. I'll love you no matter how much you measure around the waist unless it gets over 30 inches. I'm giving you a break! Now for the other portion of the anatomy that is usually the first point of interest depending on the way people look at you, especially me. I guess I'm turning into another Earl Wilson of 'Behind my 8 ball' fame whose only interest seems to be busts and accessories. Your 34 inch development in that sector surprised me a little but it didn't amaze me. You are getting more 'oomph' day by day so keep up the good work. You are only three inches smaller than Jane Russell whose picture I am enclosing and from my point of view she has the most 'outstanding' oomph of any girl I have yet to see. You know honey, I went to a burlesque show in Philly one night and they featured a strip teaser who had the most oomph of all even Russell and when she went into her act it was as outstanding as neon lights. At the close of her number she removed her do-dad (I can't spell it) and her 'oomph' sagged almost down to her knees. Everyone moaned and moaned. I have finally come to the same conclusion as Teresa the girl you work with. Remember when you told me what she told the wise kid at work! Well I guess all over a handful is wasted especially when you have to carry around so much at once. To sum up the whole issue my comment and advice to you is to follow the cigarette advertisement that says 'Keep them so firm so round and so fully packed.' If you do that I have no complaints whatsoever. (over)
After reading this over I am almost afraid to mail it as it sounds kind of raw but you asked for my honest opinion on your developments so there it is. I'll expect your comments on my comments in the near future. Please don't disown me, please.
As for wives and brides-to-be coming ot Okinawa I haven't heard any more on it as yet but I will keep you informed of the issue as soon as possible. I hope it materializes and that you will be able to come out as I certainly would love to have you around with me, always and always. I'll finish this letter out now by saying again that I love you with all my heart and soul and miss you terribly.
All my love
Always
John"
"15 April 1946
My very dearest Ellen,
Here I am once again still answering your terrific influx of mail as best I can. I hope that I can catch up on it real quick. I just received another letter from you so that makes eight that I must answer at present. I guess we are both doing pretty well as far as correspondence is concerned so what say we both resolve to keep up the good work till we meet again. Agreed? I sincerely hope that our meeting won't be too far off as I get lonelier and lonelier by the day just to be with you. I guess when I finally do get home I'll be the wolfish type so far as you are concerned, and you won't be able to find an unloving moment through out the course of the day. I or should I say we must catch up on all this wasted time and being wolfish is about the only way I can see to do it. I hope you won't mind. I don't think you will as one of your previous letters requested such action on my part if I am not mistaken, so that is about all the permission that I need. As I told you in my letter last night I have today off after slaving yesterday thru the rain and after sleeping till noon, eating dinner, reading till now my day is finally rounding into shape now that I am writing to you again. The letter I got from you today I shall answer now. It was written March 27 after you came home from the dance with Hannie. I guess I must have a mess of twins floating around that look like me and since they make you blue and melancholy I'll have to publish an official edict a la Ceasar or some other big shot, and have them all liquidated except me. When I was back in he States I spotted a couple of girls who reminded me of you and since their wasn't anything I could do about it at the time being I went into a gin mill and drowned my sorrows with a little firewater. I guess we all get our blue moments. I get them out here when I hear music or programs that I associate with you or home and I get depressed something fierce. After a few beers I loosen up and my blues pass. If they didn't I guess I'd go rock happy out here by my lonesome. As for the stork pictures I put on the envelopes, they contained no hidden or obvious meanings but if people wish to attach meaning to it let it go as it can do us no harm one way or the other. I got a copy of some movie magazine and saw Mr Stork as a plug for the picture 'Stork Club' and since it looked nice to me I put a reasonable facsimile on the envelop of a couple of my letters to you. No hidden meanings nor secret intentions were held by yours truly believe me. I guess we can't worry about stork trouble till I get home so don't give it a second thought. It was merely a decoration, pure and simple and o, so innocent. Tell Hannie I'm surprised at her for having such illusions. Now to switch to another epistle of yours if I may, your letter of March 26 in which you state that you are not really as good as I think you are. Honey I know that you are a god kid but only God is perfect so you must have faults, everyone has. Nature endows everyone with habits and traits some good some bad but taking all these understandable things into deep consideration I still think you are a good girl especially when you waste time with a lug like me. Since you are afraid I'll disown you if I ever hear of your misdemeanors please tell me about them as they can't be as bad as you say. Like the mission fathers say when they prepare the congregation for Confession - You haven't done any thing that I haven't heard someone else say that they had done before. Let me hear about them and let me be the judge. If they are worse than murder I'll think twice before I forgive you so let me hear about them. After all in the near future you will be my wife and I'll find out sooner or later so why not forewarn me. As for my spree out here I've had another that wasn't too bad although it cleared up my cold and got rid of a case of nerves for me so all in all these sprees are medicinally beneficial from my way of thinking. Please don't get any ideas clear or vague that I am getting rummyish as I'm not. I'll return to you just as I left you in good shape good health and good spirits thru the grace of God. As for our spree how about the night we get married? I guess that night we'll really need it. I'm really glad you don't drink as that is one less worry on my part and one fewer gray hair on my dome. About waking up together with big heads that's another issue. I try to avoid them and when they do arrive - wow. I learned a secret formula to cure them and for once it really works. After a tough night I mix a half a glass of beer and half a glass of tomato juice and drink it right down just before I hit the sack. The next morning there are no after affects whatsoever. Tell Hannie to try it after one of her boiler maker nights. Well honey I'll close this letter out and will write again. I miss you terribly and still love you with all my heart and soul.
My love to you
Alway
John"
"15 April 1946
My very dearest Ellen,
Here it is the same day but at a different time. Right after I finished my last letter to you I was rudely notified that I was fifteen minutes late for my watch. The real reason that I was late was simply the fact that I didn't know that I had the watch until I was told. So without any real difficult deduction on your part or mine you can realize that I am again on watch. Last Saturday night was the first Saturday in quite a while that I didn't stand a watch. Instead I was working so I lose either way. I guess I may as well continue answering your mail which incidentally has now reached the amazing total of ten. At supper tonight I received two more letters from you. Wow are you working for my side. Keep it up. One was written at work the afternoon previous to the dance at Roseland. The other was your letter discussing our mutual impulses and stuff along that line, really interesting to be sure. I'm trying to decide whether to answer it now or devote a whole letter to it. It really deserves a whole letter as is really an important issue. I'll postpone it for the time being and discuss less important questions.
I haven't reached Shanghai as yet but two of the chiefs here made the trip and your measurements came in real handy. I had them get me a set of pajamas for you. They really are slick no fooling. It has a blue top and jet black bottoms. My only objection is that it hasn't an elastic waistband but I guess you will be able to dig one up before we get married and you get around to wearing them. These chiefs sent back a mess of stuff and when I go I'll dig up a few more items namely a very nice kimono and a housecoat. I haven't sent it to you yet but I guess I'll get to it tomorrow for sure. I can't wait to see in them but I guess I'll have to wait nevertheless as at present nothing can be done to help me out. I guess that will be another reason why I will demand that we get married as soon as possible once I get home. Tell Rita that I will think up an appropriate picture for her now that I know her weight. She must be growing something fierce to weigh that much.
I've got to close out now for the time being and I will endeavor to answer some more of your letters tomorrow especially the 'impulse' one, but first I'll have to think up an inspiration. I love you with all my heart now and always
My love always
John"
"21 April 1946
My very dearest Ellen.
A very happy Easter to you and all. I have just finished my work for the day and after a shower and a light supper I have finally come around to writing to you. My work today wasn't my usual toil as it was more or less housework. I washed and ironed all my clothes today and I've been doing it since eleven this morning. I finished at four thirty this afternoon so you can see that my day has been indeed complete for a change. The sun was very bright and very hot and since I was running around in shorts, I have now a slight sunburn to bear for all my troubles. It isn't bad so maybe I can work into a tan for a change if only my body will cooperate.
I haven't had any mail from you since I wrote to you last but I guess I'll have a few tomorrow. Those ten that I received in two days really had me going and I still haven't got around to answering them all. My intentions are really good as far as letter writing is concerned but sometimes a lot of complications arise that sort of throw me off the beaten path. Please bear with me for a while and I'll strive to succeed. You have put up with me now for this long so I guess you can stand me for a little longer. I hope. Your letter of April 5, impulses and stuff, that I promised to answer. I will attempt to answer now. I'm still very glad that my letters build up your morale as much as they do, and I would like to say the same about yours. They keep me happy and in fine spirits so keep up your fine work as I appreciate it with all my heart and soul and I can't thank you enuff.
Now to get into the theme of things namely impulses and stuff. I'm glad that you enjoyed parking with me the last time I was home although I really don't know why you wouldn't. Maybe it's because we did things we never did before, and neither of us blushed once. At least I don't think we did. As far as you're doing anything I asked, I'm glad we only went as far as we did. If we went any further who knows what might have happened. I'm glad though that I am the object of all your impulses and to be truthful your the object of all of mine. I guess when we get married we'll get along fine so never you mind about anything at all.
As far as your lack of experience, actual experience I mean, is concerned, I guess after a honeymoon everything will work out fine for us. Never fear that you will be a disappointment to me. Remember honey that when I see you and marry you that you will be the first woman I've seen since I left the States so forget everything. I'm glad that you feel the same way that I do about making up for lost time as I was afraid that I would be doing all the lovemaking. I'd do a little better in this letter save for the fact that I am in the barracks and I can't really concentrate on the subject so I'll write about it again in the near future. I love you with all my heart and soul and miss you terribly I'll close now with all my love to you.
Always
John."
The date on the following letter is April 23 1945 but I think that was a mistake as the address is the same as the other letters in April before and after this one.
"April 23 1945
My very dearest Ellen,
Here I am on watch once again so once again you are getting a letter from me to keep up your morale. I received a nice long letter from you today and if time permits me, I'll answer it in this letter. We are standing our watches in a Quonset hut, and it is terribly hot. In fact it has been real hot around here since Saturday and there is no relief in sight as yet. I'll struggle through it all I guess as hotter days have yet to come. Our outfit is breaking up first of May but please don't get the idea that I'll be going home as I won't. I still have some time to do out here so I will undoubtedly get transferred somewhere else probably back to Yonabaru.
I was talking to the Personnel Officer about the breaking up of the outfit and he is going to try to place us in the best spot he can find for us. I've requested Shanghai or some other Chinese port and if my luck holds out I'll probably reach my requested destination. I'm not trying to get any place I can't get home from but I want someplace that will be halfway decent. After all I want the best I can get so please understand honey. Since I started to write this it has begun to rain, so maybe it will clear up some. Now for your letter of April 8 from which I just got a whiff of powder that seems strangely familiar. I'm glad that you liked the pictures that I sent to you as I thought they were pretty good myself. As far as our glamour girl is concerned, she is only a painting of a girl that adds charm to our jump joint. If we didn't have her around what would the guys talk about when they get gassed up. She is a good reminder of the fact that there is still white women on earth although they seem quite far away right now. We have Red Cross girls out here but they aren't worth the ground they walk. In a few years a big stink will be raised over these Red Cross gals especially the way they acted morally out on these rocks. Not all of them but a good percentage of them.
I'm glad that you went over to my house again as I know my folks are always glad to see you. I guess when I get home I won't know anyone of the family they have grown so since I left the States. As far as Tom is concerned I guess he'll manage Edwina or do without her. He really has a one tracked mind. Richie making his first Communion really surprise me no end. I still regard him as a mere baby. I guess I have been away for quite awhile.
As for writing to my folks, well, I must confess that I have slipped quite a bit. What with all my work I've only been able to keep you on my steady correspondence list and that in itself is a real struggle at times. I'll have to do better or I'll be disowned. I guess my father is my biggest booster as far as married life is concerned. I told them in my letters about us getting married as soon as we can get together once more. I'd like to have him meet your folks so if you can swing the deal do so by all means as I'll appreciate it immensely.
I'm glad that you have a good time when you go to the dances at Hibernian and anywhere else that you go as you deserve every good time you can muster up. I'm in favor of you having a good time and being as happy as you possibly can be. After all I don't want to go home and find you all wound up with wrinkles and bad nerves from sitting around doing nothing. Enjoy yourself honey as you are a long time married. As for your wild life it can't possibly be as bad as you say. As long as you love me as I love you everything will be fine indeed. I'm too hopelessly in love with you to disown you no matter what you do so that's that.
Since you reminded me of the lack of mail that my folks are getting from me I guess I'll drop them a line as soon as I finish this letter to you. I got a letter from them a couple of days ago so I guess this would be just as good as any time to answer it. I'll close out now honey with my usual ending. I love you sincerely and miss you an awful lot. All of my love to you now and
Always
John."
28 April 1946
My very dearest Ellen
Here I am again, and still going strong. I hope. Our work is still piled up and to top it off some goof ran a tractor into three of our planes and I have just that much more work to do out here. I guess a man's work is never done at least it doesn't look that way. I received about four letters from you this past week and this is my first opportunity to answer any of them. I have fallen off a bit in my letter writing but I'll try to improve. What with all our work and stuff I had two social engagements during the week on Wednesday and last night. It was really a blowout on both occasions and I came back to my sack a little worse for wear on both occasions. Today we played a game of ball and I got a pretty nice red rosy sunburn as a result. It doesn't hurt much, but it does make its presence felt. I guess I must have lost four or five pounds of my extra poundage during the course of the game and in turn sweated out most of the beer that I drank at the parties. So all in all I'm right back to where I was when I wrote to you last. As far as answering all your letters is concerned I'm afraid I can't do it.
About the best I can do at present is to get your letters in a digest form, and answer them as best I can. They are coming fast and furious which you know is the way that I like them to come so in order to keep your morale up I'll have to keep up at a pretty rapid pace myself.
I'm glad that you are making progress on my recordings but as I told you before you really don't have to try too hard as it's really unimportant. Most of them are really 'oldies' and would be difficult to get no matter how hard you searched for them. With all that money you're paying in taxes I have come to the conclusion that you must be paying the war debt on your own. I am immune thank the Lord. Madeline will never really learn the score I guess. She is really a sucker for punishment so there is nothing that can be done about it. Peggy and Paul are really getting themselves set up in a big way. I guess they mean what they say and are going to it in a great big way. As for your buying furniture I'll leave everything in your hands and you do as you see fit. As it is, I'm not around those things now and after being out here I doubt if I'd recognize a sofa or an arm chair if I saw one. You do what you think is best honey and it will be all right with me. You can tell Hannie that my man Puhl is single, unattached and available and is just as hubba as he looks. I don't know what she wants in a man as after she sees him for a while she leaves him flat. What a female! Was Mary Blackburn and herself no man will be safe I guess till they capture one. I'm glad that I'm over here. Thanks for your blotter pin up but I guess no one could be like that no matter how hard they tried so so never worry about it. Well honey, I'm getting groggy from the sunburn and this mosquito spray they are using so I better sign off for the present. I miss you and love you with all my heart. Take care of yourself and my love to you
Always.
John"
The postmark on this envelope looks like April 20 but maybe it is 29? If it is April 20, there is no letter to go with it.
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