"1 June 1947
My very dearest darling Ellen,
Another month is upon us at last and I'm hoping so very much that it rolls along as fast as the past few have done. Only 27 days remain until I get home so our wait is diminishing little by little. It won't be long now and I'm only hoping that I can hold out without turning into a nervous wreck. Nothing has happened down here as usual although Tuesday we get a new skipper - who hails from Massachusetts. I don't figure that will make him any better but maybe the change will do the station some good. Rumors are still roaming around that the station will eventually close up but seeing will be believing. I am beginning to be able to bear it but a change and new environment will make the time speed by more quickly for me.
Tomorrow starts a new week and with pay day an impending event I'll have something to look forward to. I should have some mail from you also as the holiday Friday caused me to miss out over the weekend. I'll be looking forward to your letters tomorrow. I went to the show tonight and saw 'New Orleans' with Arturo de Cordova and a couple of jerks whose names I didn't bother to remember. Louis Armstrong and the Dixieland Jazz Band were also in it and they were the only ones that made any sort of entertainment as far as I was concerned. I've always had a terrific liking for jazz and Dixieland music and while they played it in the movies tonight about half way thru the time the scene would shift to some nondescript nonsense by some bore of the boredom cast. I almost pulled my hair out every time that it happened. I guess I'll have to wait until I get home to hear some old jazz numbers. I had quite a few once upon a time but I don't know what or how many are left whole after these past few years away from home. After hearing hill billy music all this time even some screaming soloist at an opera would sound heavenly. I wonder if they will have those concerts on the Esplanade while I am home on leave? If they are in season I'd like to take one in if it's all right with you. To get back to my coming home don't let your being in a 'delicate' condition bother you as I want to be with you more than anything whether you're in a bad way or as frisky as a kitten. I had been expecting it so it didn't come as a surprise when you told me Saturday. I figured anywhere from the first to the Fourth of July but not being an old married man as yet and still a novice I haven't got your schedule down pat. You should be in a 'bad' way-out now if I have inkling as to your schedule. Correct me if I'm wrong! I miss you an awful lot honey and I wish that I could be with you now and always. It will be so wonderful when it does come true and I hope that time will rush by so that it will be realized soon. I love you with all of my heart and soul. I have to close out for now and hit the hay.
All of my love to you
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
"2 June 1947
My very dearest darling Ellen,
A great big wonderful 'Hello" to you my pet. You are wonderful, grand, luscious and simply out of the world. The reason for my joy and display of so many adjectives is due to your mail arriving today in a great big batch. I got three letters and an anniversary card from you and also a letter from my mother. You are wonderful and you have built my morale sky high. With all of your mail and also hearing Al Jolson tonight on Lux Radio I am as happy as a lark. When I get home I'll kiss you a scillion times. Too bad that you aren't here now so that I get an early start. It would complete everything if only you were here with me or I with you. It won't be long though before we are together once again and then I will be completely happy. As I said before in my past few letters I'm beginning to count the hours but I'm going to stop and concentrate on the days. I began my hourly watch today and with the heat so terrific and the clock so reluctant to move I almost went out of my mind. After I got your mail this afternoon though everything went blank and nothing else mattered only your letters. Thanks a million honey as you can't realize how much they mean to me. Without your letters it would be a really and truly drab and uneventful world and I hope that my letters help you out as much as yours help me. I love you with my whole heart and soul honey and honestly and truthfully nothing or no one will ever mean anything to me. From my own point of view I'm no prize package but I'll love you and want you and do anything of which I'm capable to make you happy until the day that I die. I love you so very much. I liked your anniversary card very much and as usual your verse is so appropriate. I hope that you will always think I'm the best husband in the world and I promise you that I will try to do my very very best to meet your approval. Being so far away now there isn't much that I can do about it but give me time and all will work out well. In a few years we will be celebrating our sixth wedding anniversary and then we will see what we shall see. It will be just wonderful I know right now because it can't be any other way. I'm reading over one of your 'blue' letters now for inspiration and you are missing me just as much as I miss you. I honestly and truthfully wish that I could be with you to make you happy and contented because I know deep down in my heart that we would both be very very happy and contented. It would be wonderful and when I get home on leave my hopes and dreams will have come true. It won't be long now.
The rain seems to have stopped down here for awhile anyway but we are still getting some very deceiving cloudy and overcast days that raise the humidity sky high and makes the days hot and muggy. Today I thought I was going to have a sunstroke it was so hot and I must have fallen away to a tin due to perspiration just pouring out of me. I'm getting a mild case of prickly heat on my chest and stomach but it should go away if I keep powdering them after each shower. I hope that the weather isn't too hot when I get home but that it's comfortable and pleasingly cool. I'm hoping for that but any kind of weather will do just as long as I can be with you, that's all.
I see that you are still getting my bonds and they will continue to come to you. I don't know who this Ellen Keohane can be but every now and then I get a letter from her. She lives at 6 Green St somewhere. You should meet her sometime as she says she loves me very much too. As far as my boost in allotments to you is concerned please don't worry about me running short. I have no use for the money down here and since it's coming so steadily and easily it will be of more use in the bank where we can get to use it later when we may need it for something more important than my vanity and wastefulness. Money isn't everything I agree, but it helps ease the falls and tumbles of life in the time to come and that's what I'm preparing for. We have a long life ahead of us and a good sized bank account won't hurt us any. After the allotment is deducted I can make out very well on what is left. There is no place to go and very little if anything to do so all I can do is waste it all. Next year I'll have finished six years in this Navy there as chief and I want to have something to show for it besides memories and a lot of tall stories. I've seen quite a few chiefs down here with ten and twelve years in service who had more money in their pockets coming into the navy than they have right now. They are drawing good money but they are continually broke and forever borrowing. It doesn't make sense. They haven't a blessed thing to show for ten or twelve years work. Other chiefs although they didn't get big pay they saved as much as they could, had a wife and family, a home, car and a good sized bank account and they are happy and content with life as it is. It's got to be one way or the other and I'm in favor of saving for a rainy day.
All of my aches and pains are gone and I will be in A-1 shape when I get home on leave so I'll enjoy myself to the fullest. As long as I can be with you I'll be happy and I'll be enjoying myself very much. Don't let anything happen to you now that will interfere with my vacation. I'll have to close out for now until tomorrow. In four pages I've only answered one letter and your card. I'm slipping I guess but I'll try again tomorrow. Please take care of yourself because I love you very very much and I miss you terribly.
All of my love to you
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
"3 June 1947
My dearest darling Ellen,
It is terribly late so I'm going to have to make this a 'quickie.' I went to a ball game tonight and didn't realize how late it was. When I returned to my room two guys were asleep so I'm writing this under pretty rough conditions. I received two letters from you today which made me very happy as usual. I just wanted to tell you that I am thinking of you all of the time and I miss you with all of my heart. I love you very very much. If I get a chance tomorrow noon I'll get to answering the flood of mail that I received yesterday. I'll close out for now until tomorrow.
All of my love to you
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
"5 June 1947
My very dearest darling Ellen,
This week is pretty near over this being Thursday so I'm in a pretty good frame of mind. I received two letters from you today plus a notice from the library that the book that I borrowed was overdue. It was wonderful to hear from you once again. I must truthfully say that you are doing a wonderful job as far as writing goes and I know after all this time you must be getting tired of it. Please don't give up now as we only have a short while to go and our letter writing days will be over for good. If we ever put all our letters in book form I guess they would be as big and bulky as a set of encyclopedias. I've been saving all of the letters that you have written to me since I left last March and I'm storing them in a shoe box in my closet. They really pile up and in another couple of months I'm afraid I'll have to buy some more shoes so that I can use the box for the overflow that is sure to result. You have really been swell and if I complain over a shortage in mail it's just an anxiety on my part or possibly a disappointment after receiving mail so regularly. When I go home on leave you will have almost a month's rest as far as writing goes so that should help you out some.
My leave is only 23 days away now honey so it really isn't too far off. As much as I try not to I'm still counting the hours in the day but that cursed clock is stubbornly holding itself to its own steady and monotonous pace. Sometimes it gets down right disheartening but I don't crack up but get up and go for a walk. The only time that really seems to fly by is the time that I'm asleep and as has been the case as long as I can remember I've never quite had enough sleep no matter how many hours I seem to get. Maybe I should sleep all day and the time would slide by. I'll try it one of these days.
Getting back to the mail situation once again I have all your mail up to Tuesday so the Post Office and I am once again on good terms. I have to answer your letters of Sunday Monday and Tuesday plus one from my mother which I haven't answered as yet. I've been reading over your letters and I have come to the firm conclusion that Hannie and Mary have trapped a couple of prospects. I hope that it doesn't come to the usual ending like the rest of their affairs. Maybe their luck is changing who knows!
As far as being married and continually thinking about a wife, it is wonderful, honest. My only regret is that I can't work at this marriage game as I would like to. I'm proud and happy to be married to you and will acclaim it always. My mother told me that Rita O'Hara is now latched onto some flyer she met. I guess he met his match as she is up in the air 95% of the time anyway. I'll never forgive her for not coming to our wedding although it doesn't really bother me any. It must have been an awful snub to you though after growing up with her and being a friend for all these years. I'll meet her some day I'll give her the word. I had better get off the subject before I work myself into a rage.
I'm sorry these kids from St Pat's all wound up in the hospital after that automobile wreck. Were any of Rita's crew involved? I hope not. They must have been tapping the devil's brew. I guess I'll close out for now and answer your other letter tomorrow. I love you and miss you with all my heart & soul
All of my love to you
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
,
" 6 June 1947
My very dearest darling Ellen,
Another week is over and when I get your phone call tomorrow my week will be complete indeed. As usual I'm hoping that you can get thru all right. I'll never be able to thank Hannie enough for all she has done for us, she has been really swell. Only three weeks remain until I get home to you on my leave. I'm looking forward to it so very very much. My only setback now is the heat and I'm trying very hard to overcome it all. The heat is very rough down here and it isn't even summer yet. When I get thru work every night I'm almost dead and I flop on my sack all worn out. When I go to sleep nights I wake up more tired than when I went. These weekends will come in real handy as I can really catch up on my sleep and relax. I've been wondering if I was losing weight as my clothes seem to indicate it, so I took my poor degraded hulk over to a scale and checked. I have lost the tremendous sum of one pound since I left home. I am down to a mere 171 pounds. I don't know where my waistline has gone but it's down to a loose 31 inches. I guess I'm getting back to my school boyish figure, at least I'm making myself believe it anyway. It must be due to my lack of consumption of this Texas beer, one of the main reasons for my expansion before. I guess this is the lightest I've been since I joined the Navy. I only weighed 154 then so I still owe the Navy twenty pounds.
I didn't get any mail from you today but I guess it was held up in the mail somewhere. I still have two letters that I received from you yesterday and I'll answer them as soon as possible. I got a haircut this week and I'm afraid that I've been scalped indeed. It will be all grown out by the time I get home so that will be a consolation at least. Have you done your hair up as you said you were going to? I'm just waiting to get a squint at it and I think personally that it becomes you. If I remember correctly I wanted you to show your ears a long time ago but being set in your ways it never materialized. Now at long last maybe I shall see your ears without you taking a bath and doing up your hair. I'll have to wait and see what turns up. I went to the show tonight and saw a cowpoke show 'Cheyenne' with Jane Wyman and Dennis Morgan. It stunk as usual being a typical shot-em-up affair and the cast didn't seem to make any difference in it.
I guess I had better answer one of your letters as I'm running out of inspiration just about now. I'll answer your letter of 2 June and save the other for the weekend. Okay? I'm sorry I didn't mention our anniversary when I wrote to you that night but it was on my mind I know. I have a terrible time trying to coordinate my writing and thinking. I'm usually thinking a paragraph ahead of myself and I wind up forgetting what I was going to write about. Such is life, a mess of confusion.
I guess we must have been listening to Al Jolson together. I was going to the ball game that night but decided to listen to the 'Jazz singer' instead. I heard 'All my Love' and thought it was pretty good. The words are new but I've heard that melody before or a good portion of it. I heard the title and I'd swear he stole it from the endings of one of my letters. His songs seem to follow us and relate to us in so many ways. Every one has a special song or set of songs that mean very much to them just as Jolson's music means so very much to us. I guess we shall always think of his music when we think of our marriage and honeymoon. I shall never forget him or his songs as they mean so very much to me and you. I think that any minstrel or old time show tune has always meant a lot to me and since the Jolson Story they are all connected to you now. They are all coming back once again and an old time revival seems to be in full swing. I hope that it keeps up for quite a while as there are a million songs that could be sung and billions of memories would be recalled and relived. Memories are such beautiful things when one takes time to recall all the pleasant ones. I think I'll close out for now honey as it's getting pretty late. I miss you so very very much honey and I only hope that the remaining weeks rush by for us. I'm sure that they will. I love you with all of my heart and soul. Please take care of yourself and keep your chin up.
All my love to you
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
"7 June 1947
My very dearest darling Ellen,
We finally managed to get our phone call thru although at times I feared that it would never get thru. One of the chiefs put in a call to Norfolk Va. and it took him about a half hour to get it thru as the lines were very busy. I began to think that your call would be held up due to heavy traffic but you did get thru all right and that's all that counts. It was wonderful to hear your voice again and I'm very happy indeed after talking to you. Since Hannie is going on leave I guess we will have to forego our calls for a couple of weeks until I get home and since I won't be hearing you I'll want to get home as rapidly as is possible. Only 21 days remain so the time is really moving along although the heat is becoming unbearable just about now. If it gets hotter I don't know what I will do. Now I realize why the Mexicans took siesta during the day when the sun was high. All it is is a muggy sticky heat that draws out all the energy and strength in your body and leaves you wilted and tired out. This is the place to really complain about heat as there is plenty to complain about. It's almost too hot to move so I haven't done anything today only sleep and read. I guess I read too much as my eyes are sore and I have a slight headache too but such is life I guess.
I'll be glad when Monday rolls around though, heat or no heat so that I'll be able to start in on these three weeks remaining until I get home on leave. That's the way I feel every week after I hear your voice on the phone. I'm looking forward to the next time. I'm glad that you are getting my mail and I hope yours continues as it has this past week. Keep it up as you are doing wonderful in your letter writing.
As I told you over the phone I hope the weather man changes things a bit but if it remains cool it will be a relief after this past week. I'm hoping for the best as usual and the worst won't be a total disappointment after hearing about it as it is now.
About that party that Mary B is going to have, I don't know if I'll be able to stand up under one after my quiet life here in Texas. I'm afraid that after a couple of beers I'll be watching events from under a table or maybe even a chair. I guess I've slowed down to a mere walk but I don't regret it as I feel a lot better than when I was drinking. I don't feel soggy and worn out with a hazy outlook on life. Maybe I've reformed.
As far as Hannie's remarks to Paul's 'impotence' to produce an heir I'm remaining non-committal. If Paul doesn't want any kids just yet I guess nothing can be done about it. Our case is understandable for the time being but when I get out of service I hope that you have a different point of view on the subject. I have no intention of having a childless marriage and I believe we should have as many kids as we can afford once we get settled. You must have some reason for not wanting kids but we'll discuss that when I get home on leave. I don't wish to have any while I'm on duty but once I get out it will be different. Oh well I can't really get your reactions by writing to you about it so we will postpone it until I get home and then we will argue it out and settle it so that we will both understand everything. Being in service is a handicap on such matters and if things were different everything would be fine.
After seeing Sally Keith, the blimp who wears tassels as an evening, I hope I'm not getting another 'masterpiece.' Where is she appearing these days? As long as you had a good time I'm satisfied but stay out of joints that's all. Well honey I'm going to close out for now as my head is beginning to throb all over and I'm going to hit the sack and sleep it off. I miss you like mad and I love you with all my heart and soul
All of my love to you
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
"8 June 1947
My very dearest darling Ellen
A very pleasant Sunday evening to you. I feel really good tonight although I can't imagine why. All I've been doing is scrubbing and scrubbing and then filling the evening with the task of ironing. It's been hot and muggy and I've changed my clothes three times but I've managed to accomplish quite a bit if I do say so. When I get home to stay I'm going to do the housework and you can be the breadwinner. How does that sound? All my washing was muscle work as our washing machine broke down. It almost ruined me but all I need really is a good days work to get me back in shape. I keep saying that but I never do anything about it so I'll return just as I left you.
Only twenty days remain until I'll be home honey and with work again tomorrow it really won't be too long in passing. It makes me feel just swell to realize that it's so near and that I'll actually see you again before the month is out. I know that I won't be able to take my mind and eyes off the clock in work just watching it jump ahead a minute at a time driving me frantic and filling me to overflowing with anxiety. I guess to avoid it all I'll just keep walking around and around killing time and trying quite desperately I know to forget time completely. Who knows maybe I'll succeed? I had better or else I'll be a nervous wreck. I'll keep you posted so if in a few days you receive a couple of letters that positively don't make sense, I've blown my top for sure.
I went to the show tonight but I walked out after sitting boringly thru the first ten or fifteen minutes. It was Cornell Wilde & Maureen O'Hara in 'Homestretch.' The only thing any good was the color and the poor horses. Maureen O'Hara although a nice looker just couldn't hold me in my seat with a lousy story and an idiotic plot that added up to zero. They should have left the human element out and in their place substituted a few cartoon characters a la Disney. I guess I'm seeing too many pictures and as a result I'm getting too critical of the efforts of our Hollywood 'geniuses' such as they are. To sum it all up the Technicolor was swell as usual.
I forgot to ask you over the phone yesterday if you have made any arrangements as to where we will go on our second honeymoon to which I am looking forward so longingly. It really doesn't make much difference to me just as long as we are together and comfortable and happy. Being together I can't see how it could be otherwise but if you have settled on anything let me know. Okay?
I think I'll close out this weary day by telling you that I miss you very much and that I love you with all my heart and soul. Keep your chin up and take care of yourself.
All of my love to you
God Bless & keep you
Always & always
John x"
My very dearest darling Ellen,
Only nineteen days remain until I get home and with this week already one day old it shouldn't be too long until I'll be with you once again. Oh happy day. As I told you in my letter yesterday I watched the clock click its stubborn monotonous way along until I was about set to scream at it and then I went for a walk. That kept up all day long and with all of my roaming around I am now pretty weary from it all. I'll undoubtedly sleep well tonight as a result but I hope I don't have another night more like I did last night. I woke up this morning with my arms stiff and sore and my forehead all broke out in a sweat. I didn't recall what caused it all but it was really something. If it was a fight I must have lost as I have all of the aches. I am listening to 'Danube Waves' by someone or the other which is the source of the score for the 'Anniversary Song' our special number. It even sounds swell as 'Danube Waves.' I was expecting to hear Christopher Lynch but I guess he must be on vacation as I've been listening for the past few weeks but no shrilling bell tone tenor do I hear. I'll keep waiting I guess as I have nothing else to do. I'll say one thing about this duty down here it's giving me the stubbornness of a mule and the patience of an angel. It must be will power or the good graces of God that have taken me over and kept me on the straight and narrow. No ambition to do anything I guess could be another factor in the matter.
I got a letter from you today and as you know by now my day was brightened up considerably as it is always when I get a letter from you. It did my heart good to hear from you again after the weekend and I'm back in the groove once again. My sunburn seems to be a thing of the past as I burnt myself so bad that it peeled and all that's left now is a memory. My arms are a color that I can't describe from the weather. They aren't red nor are they brown just an in-between. I'll keep trying though as something is likely to add a little color even if I have to douse myself with ink. I guess I'm a poor unfortunate without pigment to make me healthy looking so I shall be like a lobster for always as long as the sun and I remain on friendly terms. I hope you can get to the beach and get a tan one of these remaining Sundays. You must be having an annual curse of rain every Sunday as I see they postponed the ball game yesterday.
Speaking of Mae & Hannie and their dates with the kids from Charlestown, the guy that I knew down here from Charlestown flunked out of flight school and is no longer here. His name is Keene and from what I hear his old man owns a couple of restaurants in Boston and vicinity. He also has a couple of uncles in Washington who don't do him any harm either in fact they helped get him into flight training. I guess it doesn't hurt to have a few influential relatives here and there to help you out once in a while. I guess I'll have to look up some of mine one of these days. First I'll have to find out who they are.
I figured Sally Keith was still at the Crawford House in Scollay Square when you mentioned it Saturday so it really doesn't matter. If you had a good time it's okay by me but stay out of trouble and take care of yourself. I'm not mad at you for going in there Ellen, as you should know what you are doing at this stage of the game. I don't relish the thought of you floating around those joints and there is nothing I can do to prevent it, it is all up to you, all I can do is think about it. I've asked you to stay out of joints but if you went to kick loose okay but take care of yourself and stay out of trouble. I seem to be talking to you like a son instead of a wife but nevertheless have fun and think of me once in a while. I guess I'll wait 'till I get home to straighten you out. I'll close out for now until tomorrow night when I will write again. I love you with all of my heart and soul and I miss you madly as I do always.
All of my love
God Bless & keep you
Always & always
John x"
"10 June 1947
My very dearest darling Ellen,
How are you tonight? I hope that you are happy and that everything is going all right. I put in my leave papers today, a little early to be true but I have to make sure of everything. I also received a letter from you today so all in all the day went real well. I continued to watch the clock but dragged myself away and walked around for the rest of the day. It went by pretty well and with tomorrow splitting the week I won't have much left to do this week. I went to the show tonight and saw the 'Great Waltz' the story of Johann Strauss. the music was swell and I enjoyed it immensely but the story and the acting were lousy. The female singer, some opera soloist, screeched and raved all thru the whole show. I was tempted to get up and leave a number of times but some musical score would come up to keep me seated. I've always liked Strauss as do millions of others but when they put on a show like that I begin to think twice. I guess I'll have to stick to Strauss in records and concerts.
Well how have you been behaving so far this week, anything to report that is out of the ordinary? I hope not so I'll wait and see. I'm running out of paper so I had better get around to answering your letter before I run out completely. I thought that you only missed one day, Wednesday but now I see that you missed Friday also. It's all right though as the weekend took up the slack and although I missed it I really don't mind as I got a letter anyway. Your phone call made up for it Saturday but with Hannie going on vacation you had better not miss any this week or I will be disappointed. Incidentally that was my buddy who answered the phone Saturday. I kept delaying him in case you should call but he grew impatient. Your call came just in time or else you would have wound up with a busy signal.
I'm glad our sleeping arrangements have been worked out satisfactorily. We shall try it out soon and see how it works. I'm really waiting and waiting to see how it works out and I'm glad that it isn't too far off. Only 18 days remain now, two and one half weeks. Make the days roll by rapidly, is all I hope and pray for so it will come true and come to be. I'll have to close out for now as my paper and time are drawing to a close. I love you with all my heart and my soul and I miss you desperately and I always will, always. I have to say so long for tonight and I'll write again tomorrow.
All my love
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
"11 June 1947
My dearest darling Ellen,
Hello again my dear, how goes the battle? I ran out of paper once again so I'm going to make this a quickie. I received two letters from you today so I'm very happy indeed. They were your letters of Sunday and Monday and tomorrow when I get some writing paper I'll write you a nice long letter. It still continues to be hot and I'm afraid that by the time I get home I'll be well cooked from all the heat. As I told you before I think I'm losing weight but the scale says no so I really don't know where I'm at. When I get home I'll let you be the judge of it. Seventeen days remain until I get home and I'm still going strong although my nerves are slowly and surely getting quite unravelled. I'll manage somehow though.
I'll close out for now until tomorrow when I'll write again to you. I love you with all of my heart & soul and I miss you with all of my heart.
All of my love
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
"12 June 1947
My very dearest darling Ellen,
I don't know how to write to you today as I know what I'm going to tell you will hurt you so very much. I've been in misery and the doldrums for so long today trying to find a way out but I've come to the conclusion that I must tell you. They have cancelled all leaves until further notice beginning today. If I had a gun I would have killed every single officer that I saw and without a minutes hesitation. Since they told me I've been sad and blue and almost desperate all day long. I know that it is going to hurt and disappoint you terribly but I've tried a million ways to get around it. The powers that be made a mistake and we have to suffer until the mistake is rectified. They let too many men go on leave and the Bureau in Washington sent them orders to grant leave to all men who have over 60 days due them prior to July or else these men will lose their leave. This order sent another batch out on leave so now there seems to be more men on leave than on duty. I won't be able to go until these guys come back which will be some day next month. I've been counting on getting home so very much and I'm desperate from disappointment over the cancellation. It will drive me into insanity soon. Ever since I got here I've been faced with one disappointment after another and the tough part of it is that it hurts us both. After these years in service I've been cushioned by experience for these disappointments but you are new to this Navy routine and I'm afraid that it will break your poor heart before I get out.
All you can do is postpone your vacation until I find out when I'll be able to go on leave. I'll let you know as soon as possible. Things like this is what makes me hate the Navy and officers who cause so much heartache and pain and disappointment due to a blunder on their part. They will find some way to wind up putting the blame on some poor enlisted man. The boys with gold on their caps can't blame themselves for their own errors, they never make mistakes. I probably sound bitter but I have reason to be and that's the way that I am, bitter and disappointed. It seems as though the powers are attempting to keep us apart by one devious means or the other. I'll get home eventually and I hope it will be soon. I'll let you know as soon as I find out when it will be possible for me to get home.
It's at times like this that I miss you more than you will ever possibly know. I want to be with you more than anything else in the world and the sooner that I can get home to you and stay there I'll be very happy, so very, very happy. I'll settle this leave situation tomorrow and try to find out something definite. As I said before try to postpone your vacation until I can let you know when I can get home. It will take probably a week or two until the guys get back, sometime after the first of the month I should know. Why does this always happen to me? I can't understand it. I hope that it won't disappoint you too much as it would make me feel terrible to know that I hurt you as that's something that I never want to do, ever. If it causes you any grief and I know that it will I'm terribly terribly sorry because of it.
I received a letter from you today which was the only bright spot in this black day. I hope that I don't feel as bad tomorrow or I'll go out of my mind, honest I will. I've never looked forward to a leave so much in my whole life and this setback is hurting me very, very much. Why can't we get one little break just once? We can do nothing but wait.
I had planned to write you a nice long letter tonight but all I can think of is my cancelled leave so I better close out tonight and wait until tomorrow night to write the long letter. I love you so very, very much honey and I'm almost frantic because they are delaying my privilege of being with you. I miss you so very very much.
All my love
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
"Friday 13 June 1947
My very dearest Ellen,
I am writing to you during my chow hour to let you know that I checked up on my leave situation this morning. My division has 7 men on leave as of today and when they return which will be on or about 31 June I'll have an opportunity to get home. So I should be getting home the first week in July. If you can postpone your vacation for one week I think that all will be well. I'll try to get out of here as soon as possible when all of this uncertainty lifts. No one is putting out any real definite information but the tentative word at present is that I should be able to clear out around the first of the month. I'm afraid if they cause me any more delay and disappointment I'll go home and never return. I've changed my mind already. If I go AWOL I'll wind up in Portsmouth prison for a couple of years and that would never do since one year to go seems like eternity already. I'll close out for now until tonight. Try to postpone your vacation one week. Okay? I'll keep you posted.
All my love to you my darling
Love always
John x"
"June Friday 13 1947
My very dearest darling Ellen,
Well here I am once again the same day with nothing definite about my leave as of yet. As I told you in my letter of this noon I think if you can postpone your vacation for one week it will turn out all right. Let me know how you make out and I'll see what can be done at this end to make things coincide. It's tough I know but that's Navy and it's something that I want to get away from. My time can't roll around fast enough 'til I can sign the paper and say so long to all that is navy. It brings nothing but grief, heart ache and disappointment to all concerned and after all this time we need a break as we have had more than our share of all of them. It's simply got to cease.
This is the most difficult leave that I've ever had the displeasure to corner. It keeps evading me like a ghost in a dream. When it does roll around I intend to enjoy it to the utmost. If I had nothing to do nor anyone to go home to I would probably yes undoubtedly be sailing on Easy Street with out a hindrance in the world but just when we plan and arrange things every thing goes to pot. I'll keep you informed as things go along. There are rumors floating around of a gigantic draft of men being sent to Pensacola and Jacksonville from here. I don't know how true it is so I shall have to wait and see. I'm not going to give it more than a thought as I'm liable to start thinking and planning and wind up disappointed again. That would be the last straw and I'd really give up for sure. It continues to be very very hot down here and it's almost impossible to do anything. You perspire from breathing. If these Texans ever go to Hell I think they('ll) feel cool after all this humidity. I'm in favor of siestas each morning and afternoon to sort of help along. Production has slackened off and all the civilians can do is dodge the heat when and where it's possible. This week is all over and if things went well we would have had only two weeks to go now it will probably be two and one half or three weeks before I get home. Maybe it will be for the best but right now I can't see or understand it one bit. I'll get home pretty soon and with time rolling right along it shouldn't be too long. Time is moving and now with a few rumors to take time off my mind it will seem to go by much faster. I went playing bingo Wednesday nite and as usual my luck was bad. I say though that one way or the other my luck is consistent good or bad. It should change for the better soon. It was the first time that I had played bingo in quite awhile and enjoyed it for a change. The prizes were cash ranging from $5 to $10 a game so it was worth while if you hit. All I ever got was a near miss on a few occasions. I sweated out one number for bingo for about an hour while they called 17 numbers but not mine. Such is my luck!
I have a number of letters to answer that my leave situation would not allow me to for the past few days. I'll answer one or two tonight and the others I'll answer over the weekend. I didn't get any mail from you today so I'll need the inspiration. They are your letters of June 7 thru 10 so I have four to answer. I don't think the weather will ever change up there so maybe the delay in my leave will give my luck a turn and give the New England weather a chance to change. Rain or shine I don't care as long as you and I are together nothing else will matter. That's all I'm looking forward to, our being together.
I saw that picture 'Blaze of Noon' and I guess you could call those guys hubba or whatever you want to call it. Women usually have the word for it. I'll have to take you to a show and see how you drool over these guys. My inquisitiveness I guess or maybe my jealousy is rekindling. I'm only fooling.
I hope Hannie has a good time on her vacation as I know she will. She must be in love with those guys from Salem as they seem to (be) fixtures now as far as her dates are concerned. Who know, maybe something will develop after all? While putting thru our calls I was always afraid that Hannie might get caught so maybe it's best that we cease. I'll call you next Saturday, not tomorrow, and I'll probably have some dope to pass along. I hope so. I intended to make reservations this coming week but I'm going to hold back until something definite comes up. I'm going to have to close out for now until tomorrow when I shall write again. I love you with all my heart and soul and I miss you so very, very much that it hurts.
All of my love honey
God Bless & keep you
Always & always
John x"
"14 June 1947
My very dearest darling Ellen,
I've been down in the dumps all day but I'm slowly but surely pulling myself out by degrees. The leave set back knocked me for a loop but after realizing that it won't delay me too long I'm beginning to get back to normal once again. I hope that you can arrange things back home satisfactorily because if you can't I'll never forgive these people down here for causing us this delay and inconvenience. I think I had best forget it for the time being because if I keep brooding I'll drive myself nuts. If you can arrange your vacation for the 7 July I'll try to leave here the second or third. How will that be? I'll do the best that I can. I was going to call you up today about the leave situation but I couldn't give you any dope so rather than get you all worked up I decided to wait until something definite develops. I hope that you understand. I had a watch here in the barracks all thru the morning and thru a force of habit I kept waiting and listening for the phone to ring in the pay phone. It only rang once and that was a local call for one of the chiefs. I certainly will be glad when we will be together again so that we can do away with this phone and letter writing business. It won't be long.
They are winding up their celebration downtown this evening after knocking themselves out for three days. From all reports and indications it was like an average Saturday night at Nantucket but with very high prices. They have Ted Weems and his band down here to run the dancing end and they are asking ten bucks a couple just to dance. Legal robbery. He will probably be out on the base so we will see him for zero. They are trying to make Corpus Christi the Miami of Texas but they have about as much chance as I have to be admiral. There are too many mad people floating around trying to make a fast buck and give nothing back in return. They still expect this base to fold and the civilians are running around pulling their hair out attempting to learn something definite. If and when it does close down it will really knock this town for a loop as it provides an awful lot of spending money for these people.
Speaking of money, Monday is pay day so I'll have at least something to look forward to. Monday afternoon if all goes well I'm going to boost my allotment $100 so instead of $40 a month you will be getting $140 per month beginning the first of July. Please don't worry about me running short because I won't. The less money that I have the lest trouble I'll get into down here. I'll save all the money that I would otherwise waste and we will have a good time together when I get out of here. All of my hopes, future and happiness are wrapped up in you and without you things are pretty dull but with the realization that I'll be home soon I can make out all right and when we are together to stay everything will be perfect. Please don't worry about my finances as I'll make out all right, I have so far and I will in the future. I'm buying another uniform before I go home on leave and then I'll have everything that I need to be regulation. I'll take home my greens and tropical worsted khakis so I hope I'll look sharp enough for you when I arrive. I've been looking for a good camera but all they have is candid cameras and you would have to be a genius to manipulate one of them. I'll keep looking and trying and see what turns up. I still have two letters that I have to answer yet so I think I had better get to them right away. For once I slipped up on an anniversary. Worrying and thinking about my leave was responsible for it I guess. We shall have to take in a wedding ceremony at some convenient date just to see what it is like. I didn't see much of ours seeing that we were the main attraction so I'll have to see one up close to see what I missed. See if you can get someone married while I'm home on leave. If you keep getting sick from smoking you had better give it a rest or take up cigars or a pipe. What in the name of God were you doing smoking five cigarettes in an hour. You must have eaten them. I figure that I'm a fiend when I smoke over one an hour and if I chain smoke I get a heart burn headache and a terrible burning feeling in my mouth and throat. Someday you will learn, but I guess it will have to be the hard way as you never forget it then. I guess your Aunt Nellie is all settled down in Falmouth by now. We shall have to pay her a visit when we go down there as I would like to see her again. She and Fred are swell people and besides she is a wonderful cook and there is nothing that I enjoy better than your good cooking. (Hint No 1). I guess you must have your mother going around in circles. Give her a break! She is a wonderful and swell person and she isn't getting any younger with a young brood of girls driving her frantic so take it easy and give her a few hours of peace and consolation she has earned them and God knows she deserves them if anyone does.
If you wish I'll forget the Rita O'Hara incident but she had better never ever cross my path because I'll blast her with both barrels. My mother told me that she has some flyer on the line now but all I can say is God Save him. She is deceit and folly at its highest and I doubt if it will ever change.
You must be as big as a mountain at 135. What have you been eating? I don't think it's too much weight really provided it's in the right places if you know what I mean, and I think that you do. If it isn't I guess I'll have to send you an extra girdle to pack some of it away. I guess I had better get home in a real hurry to give you a workout and one of the scales will balance you out at about 125 or so. Please don't (gain) any more weight or you will be as big as Mae and that would never ever do. I like you built for comfort and a fast walk not overstuffed and wobbly. Trim down a little.
It's getting a little late, about mid nite to be exact so I had better close out for now. I love you with all my heart and soul and I miss you terribly as I always do.
All my love to you
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
My very dearest darling Ellen,
Another uneventful day has passed away, almost, and I'm looking forward to the work week now. Maybe I'll be able to get some definite dope about my leave, I'm counting on it so that's why I'm in a hurry to get back to work. It's been hot and threatening around here all day and it hasn't decided yet whether to rain or not. I spent my usual Sunday just sleeping reading and listening to the radio so I haven't anything at all to report. I guess my letter of last night used up all of my inspiration. I've been thinking of you all day which isn't strange but today I wasn't disturbed or interrupted by the toils and worries of the day. I wanted you very very much. My leave had better come around very soon or I'll be forced to do something drastic. It's that bad. I can't possibly tell you how much I love and miss you as words can't express it, honest. When the days go by fast I don't feel so bad as I can see the end in sight and when that day comes I think that I'll get dead drunk as a celebration. After six years I think it will be the people and about the only thing to do. I liked this outfit but now I hate and detest it and they won't get rid of me fast enough. I think I'll close out for now as I can't think of anything cheerful. I love you with all of my heart and soul and I miss you so much.
All of my love to you
God Bless & keep you
Always
John x"
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