"16 June 1947
My very dearest darling Ellen.
Hello again! The work week has started once again thank the Lord and I'm no longer nervous and down in the dumps as I was over the weekend. I've been attempting and trying very hard to get some definite word on this leave business but no matter how many questions I ask about (it) no one seems to know anything. It's the most confused and mixed up situation that I have ever run across. I only hope that this place does close down as it's driving me nuts. The closer I get to going home the greater the opposition becomes to keep me here. I can't understand it at all and I'm sure that you are about ready to give up. I can't blame you at all as I'm about ready to give up my chips and get up and go. If they don't put out some real honest information I'm going to raise merry hell around here if for no other reason than to make a lot of noise. Something should break soon, I hope for my sake your sake and everyones sake. So much for that, now for something in a happier frame of mind. I went to the show tonight and saw Copacabana with Carmen Miranda and Groucho Marx. It was real good and Groucho Marx was a scream. He stole the whole show. Miranda played a Latin rhumba queen and also a French chantreause and she was really all right. If you want a laugh give it a whirl. It also has a few songs by Andy Russell if that is any attraction. Personally I can't see him go at all, maybe it's professional jealousy. I don't know but he doesn't appeal to me at all. I received a letter from you today so I had a successful day anyway. One of the guys had a birthday so we ate his cake a great big angel food cake. It really filled me up after I just returned from noon chow. It's too bad someone doesn't have a birthday every day then I wouldn't bother going to chow at all. I think I had better get to your letter now before I run out of paper. It is your letter of Thursday 12 June. I am really surprised that you were mad at me for my careless remarks about your masterpiece. I'm sorry and I hope that you are over it all right. I guess I spoke out of turn but I hope that I never do receive another masterpiece and I want you to write to me under all conditions. I'm sorry if it provoked you, really I am.
As far as sunshine goes I guess I'll have to get back to my sun bathing once again. I'm losing my reddish hue and getting back my imitation Palmolive complexion. About the only thing that gets dark on me is my beard and then only between shaves. I'll keep you posted as to developments. If I can't get a tan down here I'll wait until I get home and you can massage my back with vinegar or something and we can both note the results.
I got paid today so I have a pocket full of money and if they give me a leave I'll plank it down on an airline ticket. I'll have to close out for now honey until tomorrow night. I love you with all of my heart and soul and I miss you something terrible. I'll try to get home as fast as I possibly can. Please take care.
All of my love to you
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
"17 June 1947
My very dearest darling Ellen,
Hello again. Well tonight I have good news for a change concerning my leave. I'm going to send you a telegram tomorrow and in this letter I'll explain if I can. My leave will begin July the first so my regular leave has only been delayed three days which is wonderful considering conditions that exist down here at present. Confusion still reigns supreme but maybe my luck has taken a change for the better, regardless my leave is gone thru. I'm keeping my fingers crossed as down here no one seems to really know what is going to happen from one day to the next. Keep hoping and praying and everything is bound to turn out all right.
I also put through my one hundred dollar boost on my allotment to you. Your check for August should be for $140. I boosted it up with the hopes and good intentions of buying a car when I get out so that we won't have to rely on anyone for transportation. With the allotment checks from now until next September we should have almost $2000 bucks so we should be able to get a pretty fair jalopy for that price. Agreed.
I didn't get the news of my leave until late tonight and the telegraph office was closed so in the morning first thing I'l send one off to you. I know that by now you are anxiously awaiting some word about my leave and I don't want you to be in a sorry frame of mind. I'll call you up this coming Saturday at about 2:00 pm and you can let me know all about everything. By Saturday everything should be pretty definite. My thoughts have been hanging on every word that comes out of the personnel office and if this backfires I'll kill someone for sure. It's an almost positive thing so I'll let it stew a couple of days to make sure. I know that you would want me to call you as soon as anything positive came up but rather than build you up for a big let down I'll wait until Saturday when I should be positively positive. After reading this last paragraph over it sounds foolish but anyway I hope you understand, I received two letters from you today and they were really a terrific boost. After your letters and news of my leave I'm in a pretty fair mood. If everything keeps up like this who knows I may even get to be happy about it all. They were your letters of Friday & Saturday and they really hit the spot. Keep up your good work honey, you are doing wonderful. What pray tell were your experiences on Friday the thirteenth, I'm all ears? Good or bad? I guess if Hannie's preparation for a dance is any indication her preparations for a vacation must have had the house rocking. With all that liquor she must be going on quite a brawl. You keep telling me about your weight and I'm afraid that you must be getting gigantic. Please don't lose your school girl figure yet. Most girls when they are married for two or three years get sloppy and careless and after a while they look terrible, please don't ever get that way. Stay just as you are or were or something. I'll let you know when I get home. I should be home in two weeks, so it won't be too long. I hope that you can arrange your vacation accordingly if not we shall figure out something when I get home. I'm waiting patiently but still very anxiously for the day to roll around when I can be with you once again. It will be my first return to you as your husband and I know that I'll love it. I've been marking the days off on a calendar and the guys figure I'm cracking up. They keep giving me advice, they are old married men but I don't pay any attention to them, much. Their constant advice is not to stay in the sack too long and when I go to bed at night to sleep instead of catching up on extracurricular activities. I wonder what they mean? I'll have to ask them when I go home it should prove to be quite enlightening. I'll answer your other letter tomorrow night as it's getting quite late. I love you and I miss you terribly honey and pray that there will be no more delays until I see you once again.
All of my love to you
God Bless & keep you
Always & Always
John x"
"Western
Union
.AB09 A.HSA154 PD=NA CORPUSCHRISTI TEX 18 840A
1947 JUN 18 AM 10 40
MRS ELLEN MANNING
6 GREEN ST WATERTOWN MASS
LEAVE BEGINS FIRST OF JULY
J J MANNING ACM
WAT, 2856 MC
(?) 1105A MAILED"
"18 June 1947My very dearest darling Ellen,
This week is half over so as of today and two weeks hence I'll be home doing just what I don't know what as yet but we shall see. I just got two letters from you today which raised my morale sky high. I also sent you a telegram as I told you I would last night and I also bought a suit of tan tropical worsteds. They are as sharp as a tack and if I get everything set I'll wear them home and I'll carry my greens as a change. I don't intend to wear my uniforms very often so they shouldn't get too much use. Buying the tans filled up my wardrobe so I can sit back and take it easy for a while and try to get so much use out of what I got as I can. I don't figure on buying many clothes when I get out as what I have should last me for some time. I sent you a telegram this morning and you can let me know when you get it. I can check on Western Union speed after I get your time. It's almost as cheap to phone as it is to telegraph as it cost me 1:35 for five words. I got your - exhibit A - the phone bill in your letter and I didn't realize our calls were running that expensive. We must be paying three dollars a minute as we didn't talk over a couple of minutes that Saturday you called me. Things are really rough. I'll call you this Sunday afternoon about 2 pm. Last night I said that I was going to call you Saturday but since you prefer Sunday and since I also don't want NE Tel & Tel to get rich at my expense I'll delay my call one day. It will be wonderful to talk to you once again and I'll fill up every minute of our time yapping instead of thinking about it.
Your letters were for Sunday and Monday. Now that my leave is all straightened out I guess we can both relax. This Saturday we are having inspection again and I'll make my reservations Saturday afternoon and then I'l be able to give you the word Sunday when I call. Thanks for your tie. I haven't seen it yet but I'll bet it's a beaut. No ones taste in ties could be any worse than my own so yours should be most satisfactory. If it is I'll let you buy all of my ties. How's that? I see that you finally made the beach after all of this time. I guess since you are healthier looking every one will leave you alone. I guess you wound up with more color in one day than I have in the past three months. I only have two colors I guess red and white and possibly blue when I'm cold. It's too bad the water was so cold and that you couldn't go swimming as it's supposed to be a great reducing agent and you seem to be striving along the reducing line. Don't overdo it as I do want you built for comfort but not overstuffed. I'll be so very glad to get home to you and get a taste of real married life once again. It will do me a world of good as I miss you so very terribly. It won't be too long now and since t's been postponed until 1 July you will have an additional week to try to change color at the beach. Please don't burn up by over exposure as that would indeed be a catastrophe. Take the sun easy and by degrees.
My leave being cancelled temporarily disappointed you I know and in a way I'm glad although I'm not really(???) Now you have a very faint idea of what I've been putting up with for the past few years. I want you to get so mad at the Navy that any time I mention it you will hit me over the head with a poker. I mean it. It's just like my buddies wife. She was raving mad at the Navy for a while but after she saw the checks roll in each month she changed her mind and had the poor guy ship over. I don't want you to change your mind just stay mad at this lash up for once and always.
I'm sorry that Mae had her unfortunate accident. It's embarrassing and disheartening for her I know and I hope that her dentist can straighten her out before too long. She undoubtedly feels very very self conscious about it all but such is life.
I'm going to close out for now honey and I'll write again tomorrow. Please take care of yourself. I'll hurry home just as soon as time will allow and if they attempt to postpone it I'll kill about a million people so help me I will. I love you with all of my heart and soul and I miss you.
All my love to you
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
"19 June 1947
My very dearest darling Ellen,
Tomorrow will end this week and I'll be that much nearer to being home with you once more. It seems wonderful and though the days seem to be rolling by in great shape I'm still very discontent because they are not rolling by faster. I'm just overly impatient I guess but I can't help it a bit. I've been looking forward to this leave so very very much that now when it's so close I can hardly believe it. By the time you receive this letter you should have about a week longer to wait. It will really be swell.
It continues to be boiling hot down here and I thought that I was going to pass out this afternoon. I didn't. I removed myself from it all by taking the afternoon off. I had to go downtown and get some stuff for my uniform and while so doing I dropped in at the airline office. This time they gave me a trip that should get me in Boston at 6 am Wednesday morning. It gets better all of the time. I'll have to try to get out of here before eight o'clock the morning my leave starts and I'll make it home Tuesday nite. If I don't succeed I'll be home Wednesday morning for sure. How does that suit you? Good I hope? I'll keep you posted on all developments.
I almost got drowned in a rainstorm this afternoon while downtown. It came down in a deluge. After a rain storm this section of the country takes on the appearance of a lake as the greater percentage of it is underwater. We will be slogging through mud now for a few days until the sun dries it out. I really don't know which is the muddiest Texas or Okinawa, there really isn't too much difference, but with Texas within hailing distance of home I'll take Texas. Wonderful Texas where men are men - they keep telling themselves.
I didn't get any mail from you today but the two that I got yesterday came in on the late mail so they made up for it. I hope I don't miss out tomorrow as I have a long weekend ahead with nothing but an inspection to look forward to to keep me busy. Oh yes I have a phone call to make also, I haven't forgotten. I'm looking forward to it very much indeed.
I'm going to have a busy weekend I have found out just now. I have a closet full of clothes that need some washing and since the washing machine is now operating satisfactorily once again I'm due for at least a few hours of toil. The washer here has been out of commission for a couple of weeks and if everyone has been holding out as I have I'm afraid we will be all lined up waiting our turn. Such is life in this man's Navy up until now. I'll close out for now until tomorrow night. I love you and miss you very very much and I'll get home to you as quickly as I possibly can.
All of my love to you
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
" 20 June 1947
My very dearest darling Ellen,
My work week is over and I am a day nearer to being home. My anxiety is mounting rapidly and I don't know how I'll be able to control myself for the next ten days. I filled out new leave papers today so I am all set once again. Now all I have to do is wait for the first of July to roll around. With time rolling along swiftly as it is now it will be here before too long. This heat down here continues to be intense and I'm afraid that when I get home I'll be kind of parboiled. All day long perspiration rolls off me like rain and if it wasn't for all of the water that I drink I'm afraid that I would be just a bag of bones by now. It's been threatening to rain for the past few days but it passes over leaving the humidity high. It rained like mad yesterday but the effects were nil causing only a lot of mud. I hope that it is reasonably cool when I get home as the change will do me a world of good and it will probably give me back a little of my ambition which this heat has sapped out of me. Honestly it is the hottest place this side of Hell itself. I can imagine what it will be like when I return here from leave with August about to go into force. I'll probably wind up completely cooked. I have only the rumor that this place is closing to sort of comfort me. The rumor seems to be pretty good as things are taking shape around here slowly but surely that indicates a close down. All we really need is the official word. I personally feel that this place will close by September and some word or other should arrive while I'm on leave if not before. I most certainly hope so. If and when it does close I'm hoping and praying that Quonset or Norfolk will beckon me and that the powers that be will oblige. It would indeed be wonderful to get to be near to you for a change after being so far away all these years. Say a prayer or two to sort of help me along and maybe we will see our hopes materialize.
I received a letter from you today but I'll let it go until tomorrow. We have to stand out in the hot sun tomorrow so 'his nibs' can give us the once over. I hope that he is considerate and makes it fast as that sun and heat plus the glare off the concrete and white uniforms becomes unbearable after the first half hour. Here's hoping.
I'm going to close out for now until tomorrow when I'll write again. I love you and miss you with all of my heart and soul. I'm hurrying home as fast as I possibly can so please take care.
"Saturday - 21 June 1947
My very dearest darling Ellen,
This week has come to a close at last and only one week and a couple of days remain until I get home to you. It makes me feel wonderful just thinking about it and I can't seem to think of anything else. We will have a wonderful time together and I'm all set for it. I got my uniform from the tailor today, the tropical worsted khaki, and it's as sharp as a tack. I'm going to wear it home so you can tell me how you like it when I arrive. I was going to answer your letter, the one you wrote bass-ackwards but I'll let it go until tomorrow night. After your phone call tomorrow I won't have much to write about so the letter will give me a little inspiration. I hope that you can change your vacation dates all right because about now that's all that worries me. I'll know tomorrow I guess if you have found out anything about it. My air reservations have me coming into Boston at 6:30 AM Wednesday but that is only a tentative date. Monday I'm going to see the Personel Office and see if I can check out of here midnite Tuesday. If do I'll be home Tuesday night about eight or nine o'clock. I'm hoping & praying for the best.
This is my last sheet of paper so I"ll close out until tomorrow when I shall beg borrow or steal some. I love you with all of my heart and soul honey and I miss you so very very much. I can hardly wait until I see you again. So long for tonight and take good care of yourself.
All of my love to you
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
"Sunday 22 June 1947
My very dearest darling Ellen,
It was simply wonderful to hear your voice once again and I guess I ran out of air before I could really say anything. I feel like a million after hearing you once again and I can hardly wait until I get home to see you once again. I told you how much I love you and that was the most important thing I had to say. Nothing else really mattered. You sounded swell and it seemed ages since I had talked to you before. I've simply got to get home soon as I miss you so very much. It won't be too long now and just as you say I can hardly realize that it's true. I had better not say that or my jinx will pop back at me. Something has happened to my usual good luck but maybe after a few weeks of rest and quiet at home with you will provide the change that is needed. I certainly hope so anyway. We shall have to wait and see. I am really glad that you could arrange your vacation all right as I know the change caused an awful of inconvenience for all concerned. Now that it is straightened out I will rest an awful lot easier and sleep again in peace. I guess the postponement in my leave was your first set back as far as my Navy connections are concerned and I hope that it will be your last. As I've told you before I'm all prepared for any eventuality that comes up during the course of any event. After being disappointed so often and for so long my skin is an inch thick and nothing they say or do can hurt or offend it.
I knew that it would disappoint you and stir you up and that is really what got me down. After you get tangled up with this Navy for a few years you being to realize that nothing, no matter how certain, is impossible. They can make you feel like a million and yet break your heart and spirit all in the little twinkling of an eye. I guess that is why it's a single man's life as a single guy as I once was myself has no feelings or plans or anything tangible to look forward to except himself. I often wonder sometimes how I ever did put up with it all. My only excuse I guess is the war and I had no other choice but to obey. As long as they pay me and feed me and treat me half way decent I'll not complain too loudly and I'll be able to hold out until they discharge me which from my point of view should be quite a day in my life and your life too. I remember vividly the night I told you I joined for six years and I want to see the look on your face when I tell you I'm all through with the Navy. It should reveal quite a contrast. Well honey I'm going to close out for tonight and I'll write again tomorrow. I love you with all of my heart and sole and I miss you so terribly much.
All of my love to you
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
"Monday - 23 June 1947
My very dearest darling Ellen,
One week from tonight and I'll be on my way. I went to Personnel today and found out about getting out of here on Midnite Monday. It is all set. Now tomorrow afternoon I'm going downtown and book reservations on the early plane out of here and I should be home early Tuesday night. It seems very very wonderful because with my early departure I'll have that much more time at home. I'll telegraph you as soon as I get a decent arrival hour. It should be around six or seven o'clock at night, Tuesday night that is. Outside of this news there isn't too much to say. I received two letters from (you) today, one this morning and one this afternoon. As you know they build up my morale to an unprecedented high. With my leave only a week away I'm sitting on top of the world with only one care and thought and that is for time to hurry by and for this weekend to arrive swiftly so that I can be getting on my way. My buddy leaves Saturday on 25 days and he has been going through the same difficulties that I've been going through. Now we are both straightened out and everything is running smoothly. It's about time and if everything continues I'll have no complaints to offer. I'm only sitting by waiting to get home to you and time is the only obstacle right now. That isn't too bad an obstacle as time passing is the most certain and positive thing on earth. I only wish that someone or maybe something will jazz it along so it will roll faster. My impatience I guess is getting the best of me but nevertheless I'll keep hoping and praying for it to roll along. I'm going to get to your letters as they can't remain unanswered. I see you celebrated my telegram and I can't blame you as you were running around in circles for few days. As long as you enjoyed yourself. Your writing has a hazy start to it but it's all right. I'll look up a camera of some description before I come home. I've been looking for a good one but outside of complicated candid cameras very few are available. I hear rumors that they have some good ones at the base hospital so I'll give it a look see tomorrow or the next day. I guess my telegram caused a lot of confusion at work but as long as everyone was happy and had a thing or two to take their minds off the days drudgery. As for disappointing them in the twin department you seem to want reassurance. What's wrong with twins? I'm only kidding! You can call the shots as far as kids are concerned. How's that? If Hannie's parties are as wild as you say I doubt if they will remember any thing about the week when they get home. As long as they are having a good time I guess that's all that really counts. Now if time will give us a break we will be enjoying ourselves real soon. I'm going to close out for now. I miss you terribly hon and I love you very very much.
All of my love to you
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
"My dearest darling Ellen, Tuesday 24 June 1947
About this time next Tuesday night I should be flying over your house on my way to East Boston. I took this afternoon off and went down town to make my plane reservations. I contemplated being home at six or seven o'clock, but that flight has been canceled. Now I'll get home at 10:45 PM Tuesday which isn't so bad at all. My luck isn't too bad at all but it isn't really good. As long as I get out of here it will be okay. I'm flying from Corpus to Houston and then to Chicago. At Chicago I pick up T.W.A. and fly to Albany and Boston. I've made my reservations and I'll pick up my tickets Saturday. I hope that I don't wind up like the last flight I took to California running around like mad figuring out which plane I should really get. There is only one flight out of here early in the morning so they can't very well change it. I may experience a little difficulty at Chicago as I'll have only twenty minutes to change planes. Every thing will work out fine I know so I'm not going to worry about it. I love you very very very much and I can hardly wait to get home to see you again. I hope that you can meet me. if not I'll call you up and get home as rapidly as possible. Since I took the afternoon off I didn't get any mail so my inspirations are few. I miss you terribly honey and please take it easy. I'm as excited as a young kid at Christmas. I'll close out for tonight and I'll write again tomorrow.
All of my love to you
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
I'm always surprised that my mother left her mail out where others could read it. The back of this envelope says: "Ma, I have to be at work early tomorrow. Call me at six o'clock. Hannie." I wonder what time Ma used to get up?
"Wednesday - 25 June 1947
My very dearest darling Ellen.
Six days from today and I'll be with you again. This week is moving right along but quick and the half way point has already passed us by. If the next six day will hurry by just as fast I'll indeed be very happy. I'm so excited and anxious that I'm turning into a nervous wreck I'm afraid. I won't be for long though because when I get home I'll be able to rest and take it easy. I was going to go to Beano tonight but decided against it at the last moment. No ambition I guess. I never win anyway so what's the use. I got two letters from you today and they eased my anxious moments for a while. Your correspondence has been wonderful and I can't tell you how much they mean to me and how they help out when things aren't going just right down here. They are like a shot in the arm and they take my mind and attention off the monotonous cares and worries of the usual hum drum day. Thank you honey a million million times you are wonderful and a real swell pal besides being a swell wife. Nothing at all happened around here today except the usual lazy daily routine of eating and sleeping and walking. It's a racket but the heat and boredom make it very very uncomfortable. I'll survive it though and since I can almost see my goal nothing much matters down here. I've resigned myself to just waste time and let the days roll by until my time is up. It will indeed be a great great day. I took a sun bath tonight and got a sort of a blushing red tint on my back. I'll keep it up until I get home and maybe I won't be all white.
I've decided to bring all of my uniforms home with me and I'll leave my blues and greens there until I need them. We will be wearing khaki and whites down here until October sometime and if I leave my blues and greens hanging around the dampness will ruin them. You can send them to me when I need them. Okay? I guess I had better answer your letters about now before I start day-dreaming and forget all about them. They were your letters of Saturday and Sunday. You seem to be reading an awful lot but I guess it passes the time away. I guess you will turn out to be the intellectual of our family. I haven't read a book for ages. No patience I guess. Magazines and newspapers I devour but books don't appeal to me for some reason or the other. Maybe when I get settled down to stay I'll turn to heavier reading. We shall see. Don't women ever stop buying clothes? I'll have to perform the husbandly duty of looking over your new purchases to see how they look. You have good taste for clothes so I don't think I'll have any adverse comments. As for the baseball games they must be a must as I haven't seen the Boston organization in action in years. I'm glad that you want to go as I was thinking how we could squeeze in a couple of games when I was home. It's too bad that they haven't some organized baseball down here as I'd be a night and weekend fan but since the game doesn't exist I'll have to wait until I get home. Sandlot ball is all that they have down here and it isn't so hot. Your weight won't be a concern of mine until you commence to spread out at the wrong places or shrink too much where it will be noticed. Stay just as you are or I should say as you were when I left you. You were just about right. I don't want you to be worrying too much about your weight as you will lose the weight eventually one way to the other. If you keep chasing Cynthia around for a few weeks your weight problem will be all over. Is she as smart as ever? I guess Jim has a Quiz Kid on his hands and doesn't know it. I'll have to give Kathleen a look see when I get home. If Jim doesn't slow down we will never be able to catch up with him or do you think so? Jim seems to be taking his accomplishments in stride from what you say but what do you expect. When we have our dozen or two I guess I'll be taking everything in stride too. I guess I'll have to ask Jim for his secrets of success. Do you suppose he would give me the formula? We shall see.
Sure we will take them to the beach. Any time. The kids would love it. No one enjoys the beach more than a child and it's a pleasure just watching them enjoy themselves.
I bought you and Hannie a couple of presents down here. They looked nice to me and my lack of sales resistance made me buy them. They are wallet and cigarette cases made of leather with the fur or whatever it is still intact. They are swell looking. You can pass your opinion when I show them to you.
With my new airline schedule I hope that you can meet me. It would be wonderful to see you as soon as I stepped out of the plane. Try and make it please. If your freckles make you look fifteen years younger you must be like a little school girl as you look to be about eighteen years old anyway. I hope I recognize you when I see you. Never fear, I will. I'm going to close out for now until tomorrow. I miss you terribly and I love you so much.
All my love
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
