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July 14, 1945 (Letter 31/31)
July 13, 1945 (Letter 30/31)
July 12, 1945 (Letter 29/31)
July 11, 1945 (Letter 28/31)
July 10, 1945 (Letter 27/31)
July 9, 1945 (Letter 26/31)
July 8, 1945 (Letter 25/31)
July 6, 1945 (Letter 24/31)
July 5, 1945 (Letter 23/31)
July 4, 1945 (Letter 22/31)
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Main
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
I wrote to the chaplain of the Hdq. Co., 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine just now. This suspense is terrible. It will take a week at least for him to get my letter, another week before his answer can reach us. Allowing for a few extra days it will be at least August first before we will know. Oh Charles if you could just walk in as you used to do. If the telegram was true there is nothing but mere existence left for me. Mrs. Snyder sent the dearest vase of flowers to-day, small pink rose buds, with blue delphinium and baby's breath, all small dainty flowers. Mrs. Manson sent a vase of planted ivy yesterday. People are very kind but I want to crawl off by myself.
God please grant the telegram was a mistake and that you are in a hospital but will come home to us. For four terrible years this fear has been hanging over us but I hoped to pray it away. I will go out to Grandma's and Liz will take over my church prayers for three days until I come home. I know God hears prayers out at Grandma's as well as at Trinity. If only he will say "Yes" to mine.
We are all sitting around home to-night, Saturday night. Of course Aunt Florence and Connie are here.
Sweetheart I love you so.
The Letter Follow-up begins here.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
Still no news from the Pacific. Oh, Sweetheart I can't give up. God grant we will get good news soon. It's past two o'clock, I'm just home from Sylvania. How I wish the front door would open and you would walk in. Why must we have war? To-night's Sun had an article of how some Japs on an island just off Okinawa had refused to surrender but were neutralized and had knelt in prayer with some Marines sent to negotiate with them. Oh God please let us have good news. I don't know what else to write. I took Gran and Aunt Florence to Linden after lunch to see Eva about Aunt Maude's furniture. George and Carol went along and we stopped at Ruth's to see the new baby. I'll go out to Grandma's with Aunt Florence as my duty, only on condition that Liz takes over my job of going to church each day to pray for your safety. I pray almost all the time anyway, wherever I happen to be. Please God say "yes" to my prayers. With all my love,
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
I haven't given up yet. I just got home and someone had placed an article by Eddie Rickenbacker on the table here. It's entitled, " When a Man Faces Death." He didn't give up. I shall not either. I belonged to the class of thirteen at Bloomsburg and we always considered thirteen to be our lucky number. We will see what to-morrow brings us - Good news I hope. They told me to-night that I wouldn't work next week. I volunteered you know, but so many of the day shift are working that they will need only a few of the night shift.
Mrs. Davis was here this evening, Gran just told me. She was awake when I came in. Mrs. D. doesn't want to go out to Grandma's with Aunt Florence for a while yet - she wants to visit at home first. This is the first she has been up from Florida for several years.
Charles I don't want to moan to you too much. It isn't fair, but I feel fairly sick when I think of all you have been through and we so powerless to ease your burden. There is no use in asking why because we don't know the answer, but please, please, God will hear my prayers and say "yes" to them and bring you home to us. We love you so very much.
With all my love,
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
Past two o'clock and home from Sylvania. Next week was to have been vacation but they asked us to work. I said I would only I would like Monday off to take Elizabeth to Bucknell to find out what's what about her entering for the fall semester.
Aunt Florence and Connie came to-day. Connie is a big girl. Aunt Florence hopes that Mrs. Davis will go out to Grandmas with her. I won't go until I hear from you. I want to be here when the mail comes - that's why I said I would work.
The roses last night were from Jean Guibord, pink rose buds - very pretty.
Ida McClarin and Mrs. Teubroeck and Helen, from Newberry were here when I left for work. Jane Ranch was here for a bit also. Ed and Eleanor spent a lot of time again to-day reading your letters.
How we wish we could have spared you this. To-morrow morning we got to church for special Thursday morning communion and prayers for our boys.
"Faith as big as a grain of mustard seed will move mountains." Mustard seed is little. I hope my faith is bigger than that.
Good night sweetheart and happy dreams.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
Still no good news, but still I can hope. Sometimes my faith is very strong, sometimes it wavers. I don't know what is right. "Ask and ye shall receive," and I have asked and asked. I shall keep on asking. There is another lovely bouquet here to-night. I wonder who sent it. I'll have to wait until morning to find out. That is a short wait, some have been so long. God grant it won't be long until you come home. You have learned to wait too haven't you - much more so than the folks back home. This was a cool night to work and I didn't mind it. Work is a blessing. I can pray as I work, the work is so automatic. Ed and Eleanor were reading all of your letters to-day. I didn't. I'm not strong enough yet to do that. I go over to church to cry a bit and pray. I don't want to cry around here. This suspense is hard enough on your folks without me making it harder.
Charles, I love you so much. Please God to send you safely home.
Your Dad cut the grass to-day. I hope Mr. Guibord came in this evening with the offer of a job at the motors. He expected to.
Good night sweetheart and happy dreams.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
I have just come home from Sylvania, it's after two, but I don't want to go to bed without writing. I still won't accept Vandergift's telegram without more confirmation. Oh Charles I said I would never let you go alone - that I would join you. I know I am a coward. If God would take me I would go gladly but I know I won't take my own life - not now at least. God forgive me but I don't want to take "No" as an answer to my prayers. I hope we are notified of a mistake and that you will read this in some hospital - or a nice nurse will read it to you, and you can smile and know how happy we will be united some day. We don't care how many pieces you are in. Doctors are wonderful to-day but your spirit is more wonderful. We will be thankful to get a jigsaw puzzle if only you are there. We are so proud of you, so humble before you. We think of all the misery you have gone through and I marvel at how you could do it. I love you so very much, forever and ever. I want you so. I shall keep going to church and praying for your safe return home. Please God will say "Yes" this time. People are very kind. There must have been company here after I went to work. There are fresh flowers and a cake in the kitchen and lots of cards. I heard to-night of a veteran of the other war who has his death certificate - and remember what Mark Twain said "The report of his death was very much exaggerated." Please God it's so this time. Good night sweetheart.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
I didn't write last night. We were too crushed. We had a telegram from Vandergrift saying you were killed June 22. But to-night I am writing. Until God tells me instead of Vandergrift I shall not give up. Someday we will take this over to-gether. So many friends have been in, so many flowers. Beautiful flowers from church, from Levinsons, from Ernestine, from the Austin crowd, even from a family on south side by the name of Simpson who had a boy killed in an accident aboard ship. So many people have been kind, so many have called. Eleanor and the girls and I went to early church. Mr. Davis asked a simple but beautiful prayer for you. Sweetheart it may be true. When we were listening to the eleven o'clock broadcast rom Trinity you came through the hall and grinned at me and came back in the living room - cheerful, happy but sympathetic too - as tho' you said "Don't feel so bad". It gave me peace for a while. But to-night my spirit had rallied. Jacob wrestled with God - Darius daughter was raised from the dead - Lazarus - Government agencies have made mistakes. You may be terribly wounded and will come home to us. Just to touch you would be heaven. If you were well we would have had a letter I know. So until God stops me I shall have faith that you will come home to us. You can imagine what this means to Ed and Eleanor. To Gran and the girls. We love you very much.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
Something must have gone terribly wrong or we would have heard from you, June 11 to July 6 almost a month. There are pictures in to-days paper of boys on Okinawa surrounded by boxes from home. There is also reference to hard fighting for the First on June 12. We try to read between the lines and put news to-gether. We will still keep praying and hoping, wondering if you are lying terribly hurt in some hospital - or what has happened, but hoping for the best. I don't know how we will stand it, if it's the worst.
Your Dad had an appointment at Bethlehem Steel at one o'clock. They will pay more than Susquehanna Supply. I spent quite a time in the Prothonotary's office this morning, trying to find a copy of an agreement between Eva and Allie and Patty and Caroline about Grandma Gilmore's furniture but we couldn't find it. Perry wasn't in. Mrs. Houck died last night and he won't be in until Monday, when I will go down again. In the meantime I wrote Aunt Maude for more information especially the date when the paper was filed.
The folks told me that Liz was offered $0.70 an hour if she would take a night job. I wish I could have it - she doesn't want it. Maybe I can see her to-day when she goes off. I couldn't find her yesterday - she had been transferred to a nicer, cooler job. She evidently has what it takes for a job. I'm glad. You all have nice personalities. It makes me sick when I get to wondering about you. I can only hold on to my hope of God's mercy. I'm going over to church now - maybe a letter will come in the afternoon mail.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
No letter - we had so hoped that we would get good news to-day. Boy is this a schooling in patience. We got two other letters that will interest you. Aunt Maude wrote that they wouldn't be up now that Alvin had just got orders to report to some pool for shipping out - some place near Washington but I couldn't make it out - we are all poor writers. She says Bob is on Okinawa but they also haven't heard for a long time. The other letter was from Henrietta. They are coming next Wednesday if Carol doesn't have whooping cough. She has started coughing. They may be under quarentine by that time.
Eleanor and I went to church this morning. Wm. Berresford was there, just home from German prison camp. I never knew him. John Bricker was sweating under his heavy cassock. I went up to see Mrs. Israel after church. She is just home from the hospital after having a blood transfusion. You see she had cancer and just keeps going. However she hopes to teach next fall.
The kids are playing all of your old records this morning. It makes us homesick - but keep your chin up - it's a nice chin and can take it.
I brought a lot of old buttons home from Grandmas - the awfulest looking assortment. Mrs. Flock who lives with Guibord's asked for them. She has a daughter-in-law who is nuts on button collecting. She said even old pants and overall buttons were of value in collections. I would rather collect just one Marine. You know his number.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
No mail on the Fourth so of course no letter. I hope we get one to-morrow. Eleanor told me that a Stroup boy is on Okinawa. Their family live on the old Fessler place next to Fred Myers at the head of Queneshougheney. We took a picnic lunch out to Grandma's to-day. Eleanor, Bab and I walked up to Harry Fisher's to thank them for selling us a ham a few weeks ago. They were taking in hay - have a tricky new way of unloading with a rope and wood affair called a cradle which they lay on the wagon - pile on hay - lay on another cradle - pile on hay etc. until there are three cradles. Then with the tractor the cradles are hoisted to the mon and dumped. Three dumps and the load is in the mon. Ed and Ann went fishing and Liz, Mary and George tagged along. I put on old overalls and went down through the pasture to see about berries. There were lots down there last year but none this year. Dell Kline and Mrs. Ludwig live in the little house. He hasn't cut the grass except in front of his own place. Isn't that the way of all of them. The porches are nice and it's also nice to have solid steps. There is a square hole in the back porch and you can drop right down into the well. That will be fixed when they get the water pipes in. Clyde Wilmer plowed over the cut off and now they can't find it until he harvests his wheat - then they will have to dig for it.
We hear that part of the fleet has attacked Sakhalin. Probably that will help force Russia's hand before the conference between Stalin and Truman.
Tell us all you can - how you are - where - your food - rest (?) - scuttle butt etc. We are so anxious. Gran tells me a whole string of questions to ask you each time I write.
I hope we hear good news soon.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
Ed, Mary and I were on the porch at 12:30 waiting for the mail. I went down the steps to meet Mr. Gray. He said "None from Charles." So we wait another day. I didn't get to read Liz's letter from Anderson. The folks read it yesterday but couldn't find it this morning. He hasn't seen you for a long time. He is in a hospital in the Marianna's getting along all right now.
To-day is George's birthday. Eleanor and Ed got him swimming trunks and shorts to wear at choir camp. Bab gave him something on the order of a large pea shooter made of cardboard. It shoots a feathered stopper. I gave him a dollar for spending money at camp. He got that at noon.
To-night for supper he will get presents from the girls and have his cake. It's a store cake which he trimmed himself. Mary went up to the R&G this morning but couldn't start work until she got working papers from the school board. We didn't think she needed them having graduated from High but she has to have them. Eleanor went with her and got them. Now she is at Dr. Lehman's getting a health certificate - Red Tape.
Ed can have a job at Susquehanna Supply but at less money than at the Motors, but Mr. Lehman said that when restrictions are off then building will boom and they can pay more. I think he will be called back to the motors in the fall. An outdoor job would be nice for the summer. Aunt Maude didn't come yesterday. She may come to-day. It was cool working last night - the first cool night. Mrs. Shea and Doc asked about you this morning. We are all waiting to hear.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
Still no letter. Elizabeth got one from Anderson but of course we didn't open it. We hope he will say some good news about you. She will be home by five but I'll have to work until morning I suppose. Your Dad went over to Susquehanna Supply this morning and is sure he can get a job there but Mr. Lehman was out of town and Mr. Caldwell told him to come back Thursday. There are still lots of jobs to do around the here, for one thing there is a lot of junk in the cellar which ought to be disposed of, to some junk dealer. Gran sold a bunch of old eyeglass frames for $2.50 for old gold. Maybe they can find some pay dirt in the cellar. Eleanor and I cleaned this morning. Mary goes to work at R&G to-morrow morning.
Bill Levinson just arrived to have me help him with his history summer school. We are having quite a hard shower.
Everybody had a good time out at Grandma's yesterday. Lloyd took Dorothy and the children out but didn't stay - then came for them.
There is one thing that still needs fixing badly - the old outhouse. Ed said he heard Watson tell Mr. Greenaway to sit it straight but it needs a new cellar more than straightening.
We had a card from Aunt Maude saying they were leaving for Pennsylvania on Saturday and that she would come to Williamsport by train from Hbg. We look for her this afternoon.
The news is quiet about Okinawa - Burma, New Guinea and the Malay Penninsula are getting the headlines now - the oil fields of the Dutch East Indies. I hope you are having a quiet restful time. Maybe Russia will join after the next meeting of Truman, Churchill and Stalin. I hope so - then Japan ought to quit.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
No letter - I saw Mrs. Lloyd - she helps at the Drug Store. Hartley is home, on his way to the Pacific. I went out to Zella's to-night to visit, especially because Ruth Ann is in town. They have two boys over in the Pacific. They have been hearing regularly but she cried about it. War is terrible on you boys and pretty hard on the home folks. I won't give up - I'm hoping for a letter saying that the Seventh Marines are having a well deserved rest. The paper says that the Typhoon season is approaching Okinawa. Typhoons are terrible. I hope you won't be on shipboard during one, or on a low coral island. I've read about the sea washing right across those islands.
We are having very hot weather. Rolland and Elsie were here for supper. I went out to the hospital after supper with Rolland to see Ruth but didn't see the baby. They are both well. I took her two large boxes of Johnson's Baby Powder. Then our folks went up to Linden to a festival except Mary Louise. She is keeping the preacher's kids to-night. I saw her sitting in their living room all alone when I came back from Zella's. I'm going to mail this at the station and look in on her - only she came in just now as I was writing this. One of my co-workers told a joke the other night - she said it was an old one only it was new to me. A boy went off to college and earned a B.S. In a year or two he had an M.S. and soon a PHD. Phd. (Which spelling? I don't know.) His father showed the neighbors his name with the string of letters after it. The neighbors wanted to know what the letters stood for. Said Dad - "well everybody knows what B.S. stands for. I figure M.S. is More of the Same, PhD - Piled Higher and Deeper." I have a B.S. and an M.S. I don't want a PhD. They don't help with spelling or writing. Mamma is a better speller than I am and I'm a careless writer. I'm also not a flowery writer but I guess you know how we feel.
God keep you safe.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
No letter to-day. I know you would have written if you could - that's what makes this waiting so terrible. I hope the world never has to go through it again but I suppose we will. When will human kind learn.
Well here's the record for to-day. Your Dad and George went to Linden to-day. Yesterday he cemented the cellar way - nice job. This morning a load of coal came - his bins are full now I think. He has been doing a lot of odd jobs this week.
I stopped right here. Eucie Elder came by to take me out to Zella's. Philip Autes was operated on this morning for gall bladder trouble and Ruth Ann called Eucie yesterday and told her to tell me, and Eucie thought it would be nice to go out to call but no one was home. Both at the hospital I suppose. I stopped at church on the way back and Eucie looked at the roses in Way's Garden.
Last night Montoursville had a terrific storm. We at Sylvania were herded into the cafeteria, then down cellar. The wind was so strong - like storms one reads about but never sees. It broke windows and sheets of water blew across the plant. Montoursville lost a lot of big trees. The county farm barn was partly blown down, two cows killed. A woman walking on the street was killed by lightning. It struck her umbrella. A new house just being started in front of Sylvania was a tossed heap of lumber. A ford in the parking lot lay on its side. Wires were down, traffic blocked. The young woman who works beside me was crying, because she was afraid her children would be frightened alone with her sister. When she was permitted to call home they had been having a good time with two neighbor girls. The wind cut only a narrow path. Williamsport escaped. So that's that. We will hope fate is kind to us in other ways also.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
No letter yet - just so that we don't get one from the government saying you are a casualty. The radio announced to-day that there had been a landing on some new islands. I hope you don't have to do that. I hope they give you boys a rest. No news from Okinawa much over the radio except a revision (upward) of casualties.
The young woman who works besides me was almost in tears last night. She had received letters from her husband that day. The first three were not upsetting but the last one said he had unpleasant news but couldn't tell her and that his next letters would be censored, and she thinks that means the Pacific. She has a nine month old baby girl and a little boy nearly two and is working because her allotment hasn't been coming through on time and she is keeping up insurance on the children. The work won't hurt her, it's monotonous but not hard but she worries about her children left with her twelve year old sister. She plans to work only about two months to get caught up with insurance and such but she is so homesick for her husband. We are homesick too.
I went to church with Eleanor and Mary this morning. The Thomas' were there and asked about you - they knew where you were. Mr. Thomas led the service.
We had a letter today from Aunt Florence saying that Henrietta would like to spend a week or two at Grandmas and wondering when it would be convenient to the rest of us.
Your Dad was digging out the cellar way and some of the junk down cellar this morning. They are invited out to Verns' this evening. I can imagine what they will have - can't you? Just wait until you come home. I'm glad I'm missing it too - -since you aren't here.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
No letter yet - maybe one this afternoon. I hope so. Eleanor wrote this morning and I suppose she told you all the news. I'm writing out in the backyard, letting my hair dry. Mary put it up for me and it must dry before I go to work. I would like to be in the house. Seth and Mary Catherine, Betty and her husband and children are here. Seth leaves for the Phila. navy yard this afternoon and they are down to see him off. I stayed in as long as I dared then I sneaked out here to sit in the sun and write.
Your Dad worked at the coal bin into this morning - it had started to bulge. He is going to take a few days at such jobs before he hunts for other work. The clothes line needs to be put up also and screens fixed. There is plenty to do and sort of nice to work at his own speed around home too. Mary went up to the R&G this morning for a job. They couldn't tell right away but will call Mrs. Levinson if they can take her. Going to Central Oak Hieghts threw her off - all the High School kids grabbed off the jobs but she had a grand time - found a new boy - the last is always the best at her age. The week before she was having a grand time with Mrs. Baldwin's nephew. Mary likes them all but doesn't fall too hard for any of them. Liz elevates her nose at most. She's cute. They both comb their hair high in hot weather.
The kitten just arrived to sit in my lap and play with the pen. Are you having hot weather and rain, or is it nice now.
Please write as soon as you can. We are so worried.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
No letter and we are getting panicky again. This waiting to hear is a terrible strain but not as bad as what you have to go through I know. Last night we had a very hard electrical storm. In the one end of the plant the girls said a ball of lightning seemed to come in and explode. I say "seemed" because you can't always trust your eyes. One of our workers was acting nervous and I said - what about Jap shells on Okinawa? She shut up.
Mary called Sylvania this morning and was tuned down. She went down to Darling Valve and was also turned down. Both places would have taken her for night work had she been eighteen but her birth certificate doesn't lie. Now she is after a job at the post office sub-station at Kelchners.
Ed is cleaning the car real well now that he has an enforced vacation. He is going to do that before he looks for a job. They washed it last night. This morning he is polishing it and then he hopes that Lloyd will paint it. Vern came by this morning and talked a long time. I didn't go out, my hair looked like a Fuzz Wuzzy - its my new permanent not tamed down yet.
Encie Elder liked her job real well last night and is so proud to think she landed it. I rode home with her but she wants to get a ride - not drive. She was going to call Zella and a couple others this morning and tell them to try for a job. They will hire old girls over eighteen on the night shift.
I'm going over to church now. I hope God says "yes" to my prayers. Mrs. Shea says Mr. Thomas will celebrate communion on Thursday morning. I'll go with Eleanor.
Please write as soon as you can. You must have a lot of paper and envelopes stored up.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
No letters yet. To-days news report was awful. There are no traces of American prisoners on Oke. That's awful. You can imagine how worried we are. My but I hope we hear soon.
Your Dad was laid off at Motors on Friday. We went up this morning to see if he could do something else, but no, he hasn't any ideas yet but everything will turn out all right. Mary was at Sylvania this morning but wasn't put to work. She was told to call in about 7:30 to-morrow morning. I hope they give her a job since she wants one so. Eucie Elder came in at noon. She goes to work to-day on the night shift. It will be tough on her. She isn't used to hard work. I gave your mother a pair of nice stockings in your name, also one in mine. They are always acceptable for birthdays or any other time.
Harry Fisher had a ham for us yesterday just as he promised last summer. I hate to talk about food in my letters for fear yours is poor and it will make you homesick. But I thought you would like to hear about Harry. John Atkinson's mother is cook in the Sylvania cafeteria, and Mrs. Culver works in my department.
Eva has sold her house in Linden and wants to get Aunt Maude's furniture. I just wrote Aunt Maude to come up and tend to it. We don't want the responsibility. We haven't had a letter from them for a long time so we don't know where Alvin's brother is. He was on Guadalcanal. Time for me to get scrubbed and over to church or I'll be late for work.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
Sunday - and several things happened. We were just coming home from church when Rolland drove up - Ruth had a son born in the Williamsport hospital at eleven o'clock. He stayed with us for dinner and went back to the hospital and then home. Both were doing well. They have Kenneth chosen as a name.
After dinner Elizabeth and Babby went with Mary Jo to Mountain Beach. Gran wanted to go out to Fishers to see if they have a home for us, so Ed and George stopped off in Linden and Gran and Eleanor went on out. Mary stayed in bed all morning but is up now. She wants to go to Sylvania to-morrow. I went to early church - came home and washed out one dress and some underwear because I sweat so at Sylvania - went back to second church. Mr. Davis had six little boys, one being George, stand as he called their names and then a special prayer was offered for them because they have been promoted to the regular choir. George will go to choir camp for three days - all the little ones go to-gether at Beaver Lake - somewhere out in Eagles Mere territory. George says you can only go if you won't get homesick. There will be only about six of them. Mrs. Breary will go along to help care for them. We tell him he will have to eat regular meals because he can't run to the refrigerator at camp. Neil Davis will be worse. I guess if they get really hungry there will be no trouble about eating. How about your buys running to the refrigerator? I hope things are organized now so that you get plenty of good food. I'm going out to sit with Mary on the front porch. Things are rather slow here this afternoon. I hope you have a lazy peaceful Sunday.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
No news yet. The morning paper says there are still pockets fighting hard. I hope you are in a rest area, and safe, and out of it all.
There is very little interesting to tell you. I'm writing in the morning because after lunch I must report to Dr. Lehman to find out about the urinalysis. I think there is nothing much wrong or I wouldn't feel so fit. Physically I've had the best winter for years, no colds or sore throats.
I had a funny experience at the plant last night. I'm still green at their ways and terms. About twelve o'clock the boss stopped by and said, "you haven't had "relief" yet, have you?" I just looked dumb. He said, "you can take five minutes off now and then." I found that "relief" means going off the job - usually to the toilet, and everybody goes on company time - not as lunch or rest periods. Girls who are on machines must call the "relief operator" to take their places because the machines don't stop. I run mine at my own pace. Now I take "relief" when I get tired.
The news just came on - organized resistance has ended but pockets to be cleaned up. 90,000 Japs killed - over 40,000 casualties for our side. That's a high priced victory. Gen. Stillwell is on his way to take Buckner's place. Now maybe you will have time to write. I hope so. I'll take a bath now and go over t church and to Dr. Lehman. I'll bet you would would like a bath and clean clothes. Just wait and keep your chin up. Some day you can take a good soak in Larry's Creek - Oh Boy.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
Still no letter and the news is that the fighting is heavy. We can only hope and pray. Anyway a new division went in - maybe that means rest for you.
I'm afraid I'll make you homesick if I tell you what Ed found last evening. He went out to Grandmas to show Watson where to shut off the water and he said the kitchen had a new ceiling of plaster board. All the plaster on the walls had been repaired and Mrs. Dell Kline had the place all swept and dusted - the porches are repaired and now a pump trough is to be built - well-well all ready for a honeymoon - or a rest cure - or anything you name. It will wait for you.
George brought Neil Davis home from choir practice this morning and he stayed for lunch. Now Adam came to play, and we said we had Adam and Eve and Pinch me. I took their pictures. You will get one if they turn out right.
My second night at Sylvania went much better. I have a ride with a woman who comes right by here and goes out Fifth to High. Easy for me.
Eleanor is cleaning the boys rooms this morning. Gran washed. I did some cleaning and got lunch. Now I must get scrubbed and ready for work. We had a letter from Aunt Florence asking about you and mourning that no one wrote anymore. I did write. The letters must have passed but I was waiting to hear from Okinawa. All our life is built around waiting to hear, waiting for mail, hoping, praying.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
We feel frantic. To-days paper said Gen Buckner had been killed. Its no worse for him or his family than for anyone else but it sounds as tho' almost all of you would be killed. I hope not, I pray and pray for you. No letter to-day. Now I'm going to take Gran up to Dr. Rouse. I worked my first night, last night, got a ride home, otherwise I would have had to walk up from the square. One of the girls I taught my first year at Limber Bridge found the ride for me - eight in the car. The personnel dept. will arrange one for me to-day - I hope. She thought I couldn't walk up Third after two in the morning but I told her Third St. had no machine guns or knee mortars and no snipers behind the trees. My but I hope you are getting a rest.
I stopped here and took Gran to Dr. Rouse, stopped at Hivelys to buy some light bulbs and read two beautiful letters from Otto. He goes literary in his letters. Way behind the lines as he is he can sit down and pound out flowery epistles on his typewriter.
My work is to stick tiny wires in tiny holes. There is a little glass doughnut shaped gadget with five tiny wires at intervals through the glass about so large - wires about as large as this pen writes. If I poke them in right the machine barks - if wrong I bend the wire and ruin the gadget. There are two holes and two wires that fit, the other three go in slots. More monotonous than poking history in kids heads. I'm going over to church now and ask God to keep you safe.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
The news from Okinawa is bad for our boys. There are a lot of casualties in closing out the Japs on the southern tip of the island. To-days' noon report said the Second Marine Division was in the fight now. I'm sorry for them but I hope it means a rest for you.
I'm ready to go to work. My letter writing time will be changed now from evening to morning or early afternoon. I cleaned the third floor this morning and fixed a dress, then took a bath to be ready for work. I'm going over to church when I finish this letter, then from church to Montoursville. I go in an hour early to-day to get acquainted I suppose.
I won't see much of the daylight workers now from Sunday to Sunday.
The folks got home around ten o'clock last night. Liz stayed at the Heights while they drove on to Sunbury to see the furnace man. The furnace needs some repairs this summer. Then they called on Chet Herman, had a supper of hamburgers and picked up Liz and then called on Jack and Mary Louise. A little gas goes a long way.
Charles I could moan and moan but I guess I better get over to church and pray and pray, not that I don't pray at home. I do.
I'll not write more because I'm not just sure about busses and I have to stop at the doctors and then walk on to Sylvania which is at the other end of town and I mustn't be late my first day. God keep you safe.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
Sunday evening - Monday morning or Sunday morning for you. I always get mixed until I figure it out. I have to haul out a map and look for the international date line. We heard a broadcast direct from Okinawa this afternoon - army and air - not marine - tho' it was very hard to understand and there might have been a Marine talking too, but I think not. I wish it were over, but so do you and you boys are the ones that have to take it.
Eleanor and Ed and Liz and George took Bab and Virginia Johnson to Central Oak Heights this afternoon. Mary went with the preacher and Coney and Bricker and some other boys. They aren't back yet so I suppose they stopped to visit west Milton.
Watson stopped this evening to ask where to shut off the water out at Grandmas. Harry Fisher is working on the porch. I haven't been out since last fall. Ed will ave to call him when he gets home and maybe go out with him to show where it is, to-morrow evening.
I start my job to-morrow afternoon. I'm sort of anxious to see what I get. My permanent is pretty frizzy, make em sit up and look.
I spent the afternoon bringing your scrap book up to date. I hope you enjoy it when you are an old man and sit around telling your grandchildren what grandpap did when he was young.
I'll mail this over at the station to-night. We are having very warm weather. Yesterdays paper said Buckner had thrown every battalion into the final fight. We aren't very happy sitting here wondering how its going with you. God grant you are safe and well and that your guardian angels are alert.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
Did you ever hear that song, "Saturday night is the loneliest night in the Week?" Well thats the way I feel to-night - tho' I shouldn't mention how I feel - its how do you feel? But I feel like crying, tho' I won't. We haven't heard from you, the reports are that the fighting is so hard and the casualties so high and we are so worried. I feel most at peace when I'm in the chapel at church.
This morning I went to Montoursville to the Sylvania doctor, Currant. He pass me for the summer, though he hesitated on the kidney test and told me to see Dr. Lehman and bring in another specimen. You had sugar, I have albumin, and always will have because of scarlet fever. Some times I wonder if it would have been better for you to have had enough sugar to keep you out of this.
This afternoon Gran and Encie Elder and I went to Jersey Shore. Encie's brother Henry Elder, one of the restaurant men, is assembly man from our district and he will get papers for us from Harrisburg that will be equivalent to birth certificates.
On the way down we went up to Homer Smiths, turned left for about three farms to see Mrs Reider. Ezra bought a place up on a hill. When we got home at five o'clock the family had left. Ed and Eleanor and George went down town to eat as a treat and went to the movies before six. The girls also were down shopping. Liz got her first whole check yesterday and she bought herself two cool dresses for work. They are all home now, before eight o'clock. Mary and Bab go to Central Oak heights to-morrow. I suppose Ed will take them. Gran got three gas tickets from the OPA for going out to the farm. We used one of them today and there is enough in the tank for to-morrow. To-morrow is fathers day and we will be thinking of you.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
The radio and newspapers aren't very reassuring to folks who have some one they love on Okinawa. The fighting must be terrible. We pray you come through it safely. The morning paper says the First is executing a pincers movement around the Japs. I wish they would quit.
This morning there was a bad train wreak between Montanden and Milton. The Washington-Buffalo flyer was derailed by striking some freight cars carrying ore that buckled just as the two trains were passing. The known dead were 18, I think, on to-nights radio. Not many compared to war but bad for railroading.
I had my permanent this afternoon, ready for work now on Monday night. I asked Mrs. Greensweight to scout around for a ride for me.
I just stopped writing here to listen to Lowell Thomas broadcasting from Iwo Jima. Its morning over there and evening over here. I always remember that when I say my prayers for you. Dr. Roy Chapman Andrews broadcasts for Lowell Thomas now while Lowell is travelling around and he, Andrews, quoted Maj. Gen. Pedro del Valle as saying that the Japs were broken now on Okinawa. That suits me if you are safe.
Ralph Clinger is entertaining the Sunday School teachers at his cabin to-night. Liz got home from work just in time to go with them.
I'm going down to McCoys now and ask them to go with me to a Justice of the Peace and swear to my being born in the U.S.A. I need that until I can get a regular birth certificate.
My but we have been having hot weather. I bet it is hotter where you are. We can stand the hot weather if you come safely home.
Yesterdays paper mentioned the Seventh Marines specially as having taken Kunishi Ridge, from which point they will be the right arm of the pincers movement.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
Thursday, Flag Day, June 14 and no word from you only terrible news from papers and radio. Is it so hot on Okinawa? I reckon you have no time or spirit to think of weather. Charles I'm so sorry you have to go through this. But remember you will be through some day and back home to stay. Mary Catherine just came in. She is going to meet Seth here. He took some boy to the train. They had a sale on Tuesday and sold all household furnishings. Now they want to sell the house. They are living with neighbors next door. Seth has until the 22 or 28 of June, I forget which.
Our folks drove down to the airport to see some navy planes that have been flying over Town real low, all day. This morning Watson filled a tooth for me, Adamy's went home, Eleanor, Gran, Mary, Bab and George drove out to the farm to look for wild strawberries but didn't find any. This afternoon Eucie Elder and I went down to Sylvania to see about jobs. They wouldn't take me for day shift but they did take me for night shift 4:30 till 2:15. I took it gladly. They hesitated because of my age. Mary can't have a day shift job - they are all filled and can't have a night shift because she is too young. She will have to hunt around. Darling Valve might hire her, some H.S. girls are working there. She is disappointed because they had promised her. I'm disappointed too but glad to get a job. Nothing much matters until you come home. A woman just brought a kitten to the front door and shoved it on me. She said it was out in the street and would get killed. George didn't go to the airport and was real glad to get the kitten. Kittens and sparrows count over here. Something isn't logical. You boys are worth more than kittens - but I'm not the boss. Who is?
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
This morning's paper had a picture of First Marines counting Jap dead but we couldn't see you. To-days news said that Buckner had called on the Jap commander to surrender. I hope he does and saves a lot of misery.
Baldwins left right after lunch. I got home in time to see them off. We were excused as soon as we got our mornings work done, then we go back To-night. Mary and Bob spent all morning at High. Bob isn't home yet and its four o'clock. I suppose he is orating.
Eleanor, Ed and George went to Linden this afternoon. Ed didn't work To-day but so far he expects to work the rest of the week. Some parts of the Motors are slowing up considerably.
One of my little girls went to the hospital Saturday night for an appendicitis operation. I walked out this afternoon with her diploma and some of our white roses. She graduated ahead of the rest of the class. They get theirs To-night.
The news says the Japs are using phosphorous shells - wicked things. I hope they don't come near you. We haven't heard for quite a few days now. All we can do is hope and pray.
I won't see Bab graduate since I have a class of my own to tend to. Anyway she got only three admission cards. I don't know whether Mary got enough for me to go To-morrow night to High School or not.
Thursday morning I get my teeth gone over for their spring over hauling. Ed washed the car this morning. It needed it. Mary is over at church helping Mrs. Shea. To-night is the Auxiliary picnic which I will miss. Eleanor will wash the Baldwin's beds in the morning and the Adamys will occupy them to-morrow night. Write as soon and as often as you can if its only one line.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
To-night I will mail your letter from the R. R. Station. Watson, Marian and Bonnie came to call just as we finished supper and after they left I took the Baldwin ladies to call on Mrs. Baldwin’s niece, Mrs. Wilmarth, who was Helen Simon. Mrs. Wilmarth teaches at High but is leaving High to take the position of Principal at Duke Center. We stayed there too late for me to get this in the 9:30 pick up. Adamy’s stopped by to-day on their way to Binghampton but Bob didn’t go with them. He has to practice his speech. Mary, Liz, Mary Jo, Bab and the two Bobs (Wink & Adamy) took a picnic supper to Memorial Park to-night. George cried because he couldn’t go with them. I felt sorry for the little duffer.
Liz is home now and in bed. She is extra good about getting her rest. The others went over to Mountain Beach to ride the horses. I bet Mary doesn’t get on. Also I bet a steady job will set hard on her. She hates to go to bed and she hates to get up but does she have a good time.
The morning paper says the First Division is standing the brunt of the fight. I hope you are safe. We didn’t get an extra Grit yet to send you a clipping. Mrs. Armsby asked about you last night at Baccalaureate. She says George has been flying over Okinawa but is to come home now. She says she remembers you in her prayers. Lots of other people do. I hope your Guardian angels are constantly on the alert.
I heard about my cake to-day. Mr. & Mrs. Miller put it in the trunk of their car expecting to deliver it but forgot. They went to Sunbury to visit Mrs. Miller’s sister and didn’t open the trunk until Sunday afternoon. She was very apologetic. I get the sugar back. God keep you safe and bring you home soon.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
I didn’t write to you last night, Saturday evening. It’s the first I’ve missed for a long time. We had about twenty guests besides the Baldwin crowd. I was pretty well flustered. Here’s the story, the trials of a civilian. No one will sell ice cream for parties. Some places won’t allow you to carry it out, some will sell a quart to a person - so ice cream was out. We are short of sugar so I called the 20th Century Bake Shop, Home Dairy and others to ask about one of those sheet cakes that can be cut in so many pieces. They weren’t taking orders because of sugar scarcity. So I told Miss McGraw, our Home Ec. Teacher about my troubles. The Do-nut Shop in Newberry baked such a cake for our last P. T. meeting. They also said "no" but would do it if I furnished 4 lbs. of sugar. I said I couldn’t, but Miss McGraw offered to help me out from the Cafeteria. I paid her for it but didn’t give points. Well last night after supper the cake hadn’t arrived so I called the shop. The girl said Mr. Miller had left and had taken the cake with him. I called again twice, also called his home. He never did show up. At 10:30 Ed & George went over to the Pastry Shop in the block and bought some cookies and we sat our guests down to coffee and cookies to drink. The Pastry Shop man is his brother and he said Miller drinks and there was no telling what would happen to my cake.
Your Regiment was mentioned in to-days Grit. It said the Seventh Regiment led by Col. Edward W. Snedeker (Swedeken - not sure) reached the sea on a broad front. We will send you the clipping when we get another Grit. Our last letter was written May 28 and we are so anxious to hear from you. You know what we hope.
Mrs. Baldwin went to eleven o’clock with us. The preacher came over for dinner. He is alone while the Rectory is being finished.
I went down to Reno Post Thursday night to help fix rummage for Friday’s sale and came home with a dress, one of Mrs. Manson’s, paid sixty cents for it. Ed & Eleanor took the older folks out to Grandmas for a drive after dinner - the young folks went to a ball game - all but Bab. She helped me with the dishes. I was sorry for her. She thinks the girls don’t want her tagging along. They asked her real nice. She and Ann are cutting out pictures of movie stars now. Baccalaureate at High to-night. God keep you safe.
This will be a little confusing if you haven't read this intro here.
No letter to-day. Mr. Levinson asked me this morning what we had heard. I was standing over on the corner waiting for Lena. I hope you are still safe and well. I hope the campaign is soon over. We had two letters about company to-day. Baldwin’s are coming Thursday, for the week end I suppose. It means we will have to ask some of the Austin folks in. Then Adamy’s wrote that they were going to Binghampton to visit and would come here on Wed. to see Bob graduate Wed night. Evidently they will be here just the one night. They haven’t a house yet and their things are still stored in Williamsport. They are in the third place since they went to Richmond. This new place belongs to some one who runs a hotel at Virginia Beach during the summer time, and Adamy’s got in furnished, 30 acres, 3 baths, quite the country estate. We have been razzing Bob. He has been working instead of going to High as often as the teachers think he should. Four of them have been down to see about him. Clara Casner was here last night. He has written his speech three times, then they tear it up and he rewrites it - a tricky subject - juvenile delinquency - and the teachers don’t all agree.
Do you remember Virginia Beach? Those were the good old days. I hope we can take a trip again in the not too distant future. I bet you have a sufficiency of Okinawa Beach. Alice Pennington was telling us to-day about a letter she had from her nephew. He told her to guess what every Yank did when they crossed the Rhine. Your guess is as good as any. She didn’t tell us her guess. I’m going down to Elsie Williams to-night to an Auxiliary meeting. I hope the sun is shining for you. We are having rain.
When I was much younger and wore white socks I was a voracious reader. I even knew what voracious meant, because I read a lot and you can sometimes figure out what words like voracious mean from the context in which they're used. One genre I particularly enjoyed was the "Boy Detective." King of the "Boy Detective" stories would have to be the Hardy Boys.
I read every Hardy Boys book I could get my hands on, from the The Tower Treasure to somewhere around The Swamp Monster. Thanks to Frank and Joe I learned all about finger printing, secret doors, stolen loot, buried treasure, fast cars and Chet. I also learned that "voracious" meant "containing an unusual amount of grease or oil."
Or was that sebaceous?
Years later as a worldly teenager I was cleaning our basement one day and came across an old WWII era lap desk my father had bought. It was a heavy, wooden box a little larger than a milk crate. I had looked it over at least a dozen times before. It held a certain fascination for me. It was old, beat up and had been purchased by my father at an estate auction.
Even though I had looked through it before (it was empty) I paused and decided to open it up and look it over again.
I gave it a thorough study - worthy of either Hardy, I'm sure - and noticed with some surprise something I had missed before: The outside was much bigger than the inside.
Well, obviously, there was some compartment or something inside. After looking it over I found a loose panel inside that lifted up and out. I retrieved some pliers and managed to remove the panel. Apparently at one time it had a small knob on top for easy removal, but that had been lost. Behind the panel were three small drawers.
Now what were the odds of finding anything in here? After all, the owner and auctioneer had surely gone through this thing very carefully. Not terribly optimistic, I began opening the drawers, hoping to find a Michelangelo sketch or an uncut ruby the size of a large yam, but not really expecting much.
Pay dirt! The first drawer had an eraser and a pencil. Not quite the yam-sized ruby I was hoping for though.
The second drawer was empty.
The third drawer...well, what do you know? I pulled out a stack of letters. They were all sealed, wrapped with a red ribbon, and postmarked 1945. They all had the same purple stamp on them, too:
"USMC Reports Undeliverable Return to Sender."
I showed my mom and we quickly - but carefully - opened them. We sat there and read every single one.
The story the letters tell is fascinating. I'm going to post them here, one at a time, and add a category called "Dearest Charles" so that they're easy to reference. The "Dearest Charles" comes from the salutation used in almost every one. After I've shared the letters I'll try to answer some of the questions you'll no doubt have. Who wrote the letters? (They're signed "Margaret.") Why were they in the desk, returned and unopened? What happened to Margaret, and what happened to Charles? I have some of the answers, because I actually did some research and tried to find the people mentioned in the letters. For now I'll leave you in suspense.
Not unlike a Hardy Boys book.
Update:There are a total of 31 letters, dated June 05 - July 14. I've transcribed them exactly as written, although there are one or two places where writing is difficult to read. As I post them, I'll be titling the entries using the dates of each letter.
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