1:00 AM Thursday, July 1, 1943
Hello Darling:
Well here it is another month closer to July 14 and the sweetest little girl the side of heaven. I’ll bet you that 3 weeks from tonight I won’t be sitting here writing a letter to you. I’m tired as the devil tonight but I sure feel good. Just think, 1 week and 6 days and you will be here.
I made out again tonight. I got my make out slips for last week. I only made about $13.
Darling, if my letters seem pretty short lately, I hope you will forgive me but I really have quite a lot to do getting ready for you. I love you very very much.
Good night Sweetheart.
Good morning Darling:
I have been up since 8:30. I had breakfast and also fixed the brakes on Herman. The mail came but there was no mail at all except from the bank, I received my monthly statement. It was $550. But my income tax check wasn’t cashed yet. Glenn Miller is playing “At Last”. It sure is good. One week and 6 days and you will be here. I’m just sitting on pins and needles.
The weather is cloudy and damp today. There is a pretty heavy fog coming in.
It is almost time to leave for work, so I guess I had better close. I have to drop a line to the folks. I haven’t said anything about you coming out as yet. Have you told them? I love you very very much.
Love & xxxxxxxxxx’s YFH Harlan
Friday 1:15 AM July 2, 1943
Hello Honey:
Well I’ve been out and I’m home again. To start with, I picked up Yodie and Eleanor at 2:00 and we went to see “Coney Island”. It is a must Honey. Then we picked up Joyce at 6:00 and went out to the Tally Ho for meatballs and spaghetti and was it ever good, you bet! Then we went to the Chesterfield Club, from there we went to the Jungle Room at Babe’s, by that time it was time for Eleanor and Joyce to go to work as they are on the graveyard. We took them work and have here I am. Home again. The girls paid my way and bought me a fingernail set and a set of beads. Altogether they spent about $7.00 on me. It sure was well of them and I sure did have a swell time.
There was a letter today marked Special Delivery but no special delivery stamps. However it contained two bonds and a $10 bill. Thanks a million Harlan, hope it didn’t hit you too hard. We have $600 in the bank now. I’m awfully sorry you were sick the other night, in fact I’m terribly sorry. That was quite an ironing but pretty soon you can take a vacation, maybe I’ll do some for you while I’m there. O.K???? Say that deal about the pork chops sounds O.K. We will try it when I get there.
Daddy is getting along pretty good. Thanks.
Jeepers Honey, I miss you. Every time I go out, I realize it more. I love you so much and to think that in two weeks, in fact two weeks from tonight, I’ll be in your arms again, seems impossible. I love you, I love you, I love you, so very very much, soon I’ll show you. You’re wonderful, you’re sweet, you’re super, in fact I think your tops. Did I mention that I love you? Darn it so hard to make love on paper but pretty soon I won’t have to.
Gotta go to bed now. Goodnight Darling.
Love & xxxxxxxxs “Your” Darlin FW Janie
PS I love you.
PSS It seems a shame to let all this paper go to waste. I love you
1:00 PM July 2, 1943 Friday
Hello Darlin:
Well here it is another day closer to July 14 and you. I didn’t write last night because I was just about dead. This morning I cleaned the garage out and it was really a job. Sunday I’m going to spend the day cleaning the car up.
The mail is here and there are two letters from you. If you really want to hurt your eyes, a good way to do it is to just watch the welding without a hood. I don’t weld in just a little room like that. Where we weld is miles and miles of welding.
Now here we go again. Would you please look on some of your letters to see if the number 10 isn’t on some of them. I know I missed some but this is something new and it is pretty easy to forget once in a while when you are in a habit of writing it a certain way for almost a year. Of course I didn’t mind sending you the $10. If I did, I wouldn’t have sent it. You see I changed quite a bit, as you will soon see. Yes, “All or Nothing At All” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAN_jLnD_Q8) is kind of sad. That is too bad about Marian. I know how she must feel. Yes, you could get a job in the yard, but we will see. Yes, there is a song called “Good Night Little Angel” (Russ Morganchestra Album Music in the Morgan Manner 1941-1954 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEqY0FJIno8).
Well Darling, I think I had better close for now and finish this when I get home from work. Thus making it your Special. The radio is playing “Sleepy Lagoon” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1r6PCa6II0 Harry James). Do you remember that one?
I love you very very much. I will see you in my thoughts at 8 and in person the 14th.
1:00 AM Saturday, July 3, 1943
Hello Darlin’:
Well here it is another day closer to that day. There isn’t any news so I didn’t know what I’m going to write about.
The weather is rotten foggy and damp. It would be a nice night to go out and park in Herman for a while with you in my arms. I still have 6 gas stamps left. I may have to use another one tomorrow, rather in the morning.
Work is just about the same as usual tonight. It didn’t make out though. The ship I’m on now will be launched when you are here, I think. I hope they launch it on Sunday, we could get it get into see it then. It’s going to be a beautiful ship.
(Could be USS Twining (DD-540), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Rear Admiral Nathan C. Twining (1869–1924).
Twining was laid down on 20 November 1942 at San Francisco, California, by the Bethlehem Steel Co.; launched on 11 July 1943, sponsored by Mrs. S.B.D. Wood; and commissioned on 1 December 1943, Commander Ellis Kerr Wakefield in command
Or
USS Yarnall (DD-541), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Lieutenant John Yarnall (1786–1815).
Yarnall was laid down on 5 December 1942 at San Francisco, Calif., by the Bethlehem Steel Co.; launched on 25 July 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Earl Groves; and commissioned on 30 December 1943, Commander Benjamin F. Tompkins in command.
The destroyer spent the first two months of 1944 conducting her shakedown cruise and other training exercises in the San Diego operating area. She departed the west coast early in March and arrived at Oahu on the 19th. For the next 10 weeks, Yarnall carried out additional tactical exercises in the Hawaiian Islands.)
I’m going to get up about 7:30 tomorrow morning, so I had better go get some sleep. I love you very very much.
Good night Sweetheart.
Good morning Darlin:
The weather is terrible this morning it is foggy and damp out. I hope it is better weather than this when you get here. There is one thing for sure and that is that any kind of weather is good weather as long as you are near me.
I’m going downtown this morning and get some things for Herman. Next week I’m going down to get something for myself.
Well Darling, I guess I had better get be going. I love you more than you will ever know. Pretty soon, I’ll will try, in my meager way, to show you how much that is.
Love & xxxxxxxxxx’s YFH Harlan
11 more days here
13 more days until I see you.
Saturday 1:15 AM July 3, 1943
Hello Honey:
Well here it is another week closer to you, and Frisco, and Herman and living at again.
To start with that man called this afternoon and I absolutely cannot get a ticket until the 14th so I’m going down tomorrow morning to plump down the cash for it. Yes, I know Darling, that is two days later than we expected but it just wouldn’t be right for our plans to go as they should. So I’ll arrive Friday morning the 16th at 9:00 AM. I leave here at 3:00 in the morning. I’m going to work tomorrow, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and then next Friday is my day off, back to work Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Then Tuesday the 11th, I’ll go out to in the morning, get my release, come home, pack, and leave that night. Dad and Momie are going to drive me up to Ames, so I will leave from there. Now that the date is set I can hardly wait and please pray with me that nothing happens with in the next 11 days. Two weeks from tonight I’ll be in your arms. Oh jeepers, time has to fly.
Harlan, I’m still your little girl, you said you better wait until I get out to see for yourself if I was little angel you left behind. I never was an angel Honey, but I haven’t done anything in the last year that you would be ashamed of. Oh yes, I’ve been out with the girls and had a few drinks but I’ve never been tight and hope never to be, unless you are here or there to take care of me. I’ve changed, I know I have because people say I have but not for the worse. I’ve seen an awful lot of the last year working where I do. That’s only natural, but I tried not to get hard and to let it get me down. Someday I’ll tell you about some of the things, but I also learned a lot about people. I love you Harlan and appreciate you more than I did a year ago because of these things, so you see it hasn’t hurt me anyway. There is one thing for sure that I have gained from the plant and that is a very good friend that’s Marian. You would like her I’m sure. There are times I knew if it hadn’t been for her, I would have chucked the whole thing. But if you want, you can wait and see for yourself about me.
Gosh, you should see my shoulders, they are pealing, darn it. I hope it’s all gone by the time I get there.
Well Hon there are no questions in your letter today so I guess I better close now as I am getting up early, going to the bank and then after that ticket. I love you more than you know and hope that your love for me won’t be changed. Bye for now Honey, hope you have a nice time Sunday. Be good and above all be careful.
Love & xxxxxxxxs “Your” Darlin FW Janie
PS I haven’t had a love letter for some time, I need one more before I come
and don’t forget to write the folks about Wednesday, then they will get it either Saturday or Monday before I leave.
Love as always Jane
10 more days here
12 more days until I see you
12:45 July 4, 1943
Hello Honey:
Happy 4th of July. Remember last 4th? Everyone was here for dinner and then later I took great picture of you, one of which I have in my billfold right now. It was very warm out and you had a white shirt with a collar open and those tan summer pants, and you‘re two tone shoes.
Oh yes, in the morning I took one of you with work clothes on standing beside Herman. Remember? I do. This 4th will be mighty different, I’m going to celebrate it by getting I and a half for working.
There was a letter this morning, short but sweet and yes, I understand about them being short.
I went downtown this morning and pay for my ticket became $116, which included everything but my birth coming back. Now that I have my ticket I can hardly wait. I called your Mom the minute I arrived home and told her I had my ticket. She said something about Opal and Max wanting you to come down to L.A., are you going? I also want went to the post office and bought nine airmail envelopes and two special delivery stamps and that is that because I won’t be buying any more of these until I get back from Frisco.
Well Hon, it’s 1:10 and I have to rise early in the morning. I love you very much. Will write again tomorrow night.
Love & xxxxxxxxxs “Your” Darlin Janie
PS I talked to Lucille, Elmer’s wife the morning. She said Elmer was home two weeks ago for five days. They tried several times to get me on the phone but no answer, Elmer is in Seattle Washington waiting for his ship to be repaired. He said that it they might stop at Frisco and refuel and it, so he has your address and is going to look you up. That’s all.
Good night Honey
11:30 PM Sunday, July 4, 1943
Hello Darlin’:
Well, here it is another day closer to July and you. I didn’t write Saturday night when I came home because I was pretty sick. I welded about 160 feet and I got galvanized. I didn’t sleep very well that night.
I got up this morning about 10:00, fixed waffles for breakfast and started working on Herman. I worked on Herman until 8:00 PM tonight. What I did to it I won’t tell you until you get here. Then when you get here you can see him. He really looks good. After I finished, I came in and took a shower and shaved and then took a nap for about 45 minutes. I put on some clean clothes and decided I’d take a little ride in Herman. I had the top down. I drove down to see Hook. He got a flash last night at work, so wasn’t feeling very good.
The way home I imagined you sitting there beside me like we used to do. Need trying to hold my hand on your knee and you always to find brush it off. I would want to park and you would say ‘we parked last night’, then you would set a time limit of maybe 10 or 15 minutes. I could easily squeeze about half an hour in at least. It is going to be wonderful holding you in my arms again.
I have a letter that came yesterday to answer before I go to bed. I sure hope you get a reservation for the 11th. I have one letter from Sis, I answered it but haven’t heard from her the second time. That is all the questions. NOW = would you please do me a big favor. Please send your Special just a little earlier. Your Special for this week isn’t here yet. They never get here until real late. This is about the third or fourth time that they haven’t come until Monday. Mail delivery isn’t so good so just send it a little earlier.
Well Darling, I guess I had better get some sleep. I can hardly keep my eyes open. I love you so very very much.
Good night Sweetheart.
Good morning Darlin:
It is a beautiful morning out, I just got up about 10:00 and had breakfast. I just came down and am writing to my one and only. Your Special came this morning. Two more days won’t make so much difference as long as nothing goes wrong now. There were no questions in your Special, so I have nothing to answer there. You didn’t tell me whether or not you got the $10 or not. Now I won’t know until tomorrow as there is no mail deliveries until tomorrow. I’ll sure be glad when you get here. If you get here Friday, I won’t work either Friday or Saturday. Saturday night we will go to a dance.
Well Darling, I guess I had better fix my dinner and my lunch to take to work. I love you very very much. I will see you in thoughts at 8 and in person the 16th.
Love & xxxxxxxxxx’s YFH Harlan
9 more days here,
11 more days until I see you
Monday 1:00 AM July 5, 1943
Hello Honey:
Well here it is another day closer to you and everything. Your Special came about 11:00 this morning and a nice one too. Wait until I see if there are any questions. I can hardly wait for my first ride in Herman, dear Herman. You and I am Herman. No Honey, I don’t see that you have changed, you would’ve lent me $10 last year if I had needed. Do I ever remember ‘Sleepy Lagoon”, we have danced to it many times and smooch to it too. What do you mean ‘your meager way’. Darling, your way is anything but meager and I love you. That was a nice Special Hon. Nothing exciting has happened. We had a terrible storm while at work. The lights went out and I was alone in the primer room and Marian was up front and I couldn’t find her, so I was more skeared but I just sat down on the floor and tried to think about my trip to Frisco and pretty soon the lights went on like. And come to find out, Marian was on the other side of the wall. So we laughed and I wasn’t skeared anymore. Other than that, everything is fine.
Rosie and Dickie are with me this week as the couple where they are staying went on a weeks vacation. So we have quite a household full
Let’s see, anything else? Nope, guess not. What did you buy for Herman and what are you going to buy for yourself?? Better go now as Dickie is going to call me at 9:30. I love you, I love you, I love you.
Love as Always “Your” Darlin FW Janie
PS saw the Big Dipper tonight and there is a new moon
Jane
8 more days here
10 more days until I see you
Tuesday 12:45 AM July 6, 1943
Dear Harlan What am I doing?
Hi Honey:
One more day gone. They sure are going slow aren’t they. How are you? As today was a holiday, I didn’t get a letter but there should be two tomorrow.
There isn’t any news, so I don’t know what I’m going to write about. It’s warm again tonight and the moon is new. It should be big and round when I’m out there. Jeepers, the moon, Herman, and you, what more could a girl ask for? Saw the Big Dipper at 10:00.
Well Hon, I have bad news. Momie and I are taking Daddy to the hospital tomorrow. He seems to be okay until he lays down, then he starts coughing and gets those pains, sooo the Doc says he has to go to the hospital for observation. There he can get complete rest and the night care. The doctor said it shouldn’t be for more than four or five days. If he isn’t better by then – well – Oh Harlan, say a little prayer that he gets well with me. I probably shouldn’t tell you, but if anything does happen that I can’t come, then it wouldn’t be such a shock you. I’ll let you know as soon as we find out if he is going to get better.
Better go now Harlan as I have to get up early. I love you very much and am hoping and praying that it won’t be long now. Good night Honey
“Your” Darlin FW Janie
PS I saw Lord at work today and told him I was going out. He thought it was swell.
1:30 AM July 6, 1943
Hello Darlin’:
Just 10 days from tonight and you will be in my arms. I just got home from work and am I’m kind of tired. I went to work today and forgot my badge and my cap and, above all, the letter I wrote to you last night. I was sitting listening to the radio just after I finished eating dinner and I got to thinking the sooner I get to work the sooner the day will be over with and the sooner I get home and in bed and the sooner tomorrow will be here and the sooner tomorrow gets here the closer the 16th will be here and the sooner the 16th gets here the happier I will be. I want to be happy. So the fact remains that I left your letter here and I’d probably forget my head is it wasn’t fastened to my shoulders.
Well Darling, I think I will take a shower and get to bed. I love you very very much.
Good night Sweetheart.
Good morning Darlin:
The time is 11:45. I got up about 9:00 and fixed breakfast. And then I went out and started to wax and polish Herman. I’m not even halfway through now. I fixed my lunch to take to work and now I have two pork chops in the grill while I’m writing. I put diced onions on top of them with a little butter. The butter melts and puts a delicious flavor clear through them.
My porkchops got finished and I have finished eating them. I am back in my room listening to the radio and writing to you. The mail came and there was a letter from you. I’m glad you received the bonds and the $10. The radio is playing ‘Do You Care?”( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0wMR2q9YLw Bing Crosby). That is a coincidence. Reading your letter, I find that you must love me almost as much as I love you.
I didn’t get to see ‘Coney Island’ when it was here. I heard it was a good picture though. It was here about a month ago.
We’ll see how good you can iron when you get here then we will see whether you can iron my clothes (just kidding).
Well Darling, I guess I had better get on to work. I will see you in thoughts at 8 and in person in the 16th. I love you, I love you, I love you, so very very much more than I ever thought was possible to love anyone
Love & xxxxxxxxxx’s YFH Harlan
Harry James is playing “All of Nothing At All” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7klm1GS3v8)
7 more days here
9 more days until I see you
Wednesday 1:00 AM July 7, 1943
Hi Honey:
No letter today, gosh this is like writing to a stone wall. This morning is Wednesday and I haven’t heard since Sunday, which was written Saturday. It kind of worries me, I guess I’m so afraid something will go wrong, and I won’t be able to come out that’s why. Are you sick or were you too tired to write?
Daddie was too weak to go to the hospital this morning, so Momie took him after I went to work. I have been home since 12:30 but was so hungry that I fixed myself a bacon and tomato sandwich, now I’m kind of sorry because I won’t be able to go to sleep for about half an hour.
There isn’t any news. All I can think about is my trip, just a week from now I’ll be leaving for Ames. Jeepers.
There isn’t any thing to write about with no letter and all, so maybe I had better close. O.K? O.K! I sure hope I get a letter tomorrow. If I don’t, you can expect a wire from me inquiring why. You really got me worried, I’ll bet I’ve read your Special that came Sunday a dozen times. Well gotta go. See you soon.
Love & xxxxxxxxs “Your” Darlin FW Janie
1:00 AM July 7, 1943 Wednesday
Hello Darling,
Well, well. Just one week from right now, you will be leaving on the train. Oh boy and then two more days and you will be here. Just think, one week and two days. I can hardly wait. I had a very busy night and I’m pretty tired. I don’t think I made out though.
I have to get up early and wash my clothes and also I have to go to the ration board to see above getting another tire. If you don’t mind, I think I will go to bed. Okay? Oh please. Yes, I wish we were married too. Okay? Okay! I love you more and more every day. Good night Sweetheart.
Good morning Darlin:
I got up about 9 AM. When I got up stairs to wash clothes, I found them already washed and ready to hang out. The landlady had washed them. That was sure nice of her. I then went to the ration board to see about getting another tire. Now that I’m here at this place I find that I have to change ration boards. So now I have to start all over again.
The mail is here and there was a letter from you. Short but sweet. Yes, I remember last 4th of July. That was a swell day. Mom told me that Sis and Max wants me to come down and see them but I haven’t heard from them as yet. I’m glad you got your letter. There were no questions to answer so now I don’t know what I’m going to write about.
I wrote your folks a letter this morning. It was kind of short but I hope it serves the purpose. Syd called me again this morning. He wanted me to go on the picnic with him again this Sunday. He says he will get me a date. I told him I have a date with an Angel next week and I’m was going to be busy getting ready for that.
Well Sweets, I guess I had better close for now and fix my lunch to. I love you very very much I will see you in my thoughts at 8 and in person the 16th.
Love & xxxxxxxxxx’s YFH Harlan
I love you I love you and I love you
July 7, 1943
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Hare,
I thought I’d better write you a letter before Jane comes out. She will stay here at the same place as I am. The landlady said she would find room for Jane. If there are no rooms vacant when she gets here, she will take my room and I will either sleep on the top floor with another fellow or in the garage with Herman. Probably the first though. This fellow has a large room with twin beds and I don’t think he will be sleeping in both of them.
I still have five gas stamps left and I plan on using them when she gets here. I have been working on Herman for quite some time. He looks like a million and runs like 2 million. I’m getting another tire for him. I hope I get it by the time Janie gets here. I have almost enough hours for a vacation with pay. I need 1200 hours.
The ship I’m working on it will be launched the latter part of July, so Jane will probably get to see it. There are millions of things to do and see in San Francisco, so we will probably be pretty busy.
This letter is for the purpose of telling you not to worry about Jane while she is here. I love her very much and I think more of you folks than I can ever hope to show. I will take very good care of her.
Love as always YFSIL Harlan
Wednesday 12:00 Noon July 7, 1943
Dear Harlan,
Say, what may I ask goes on there. There wasn’t that much hope for letter this morning. If you are trying to get me worried you are doing very nicely. Here it is six days before I leave and I haven’t heard from you since Saturday, three days without a letter, and I want to know why. Are you sick, if you are it seems to me you could get a note off somehow. I can’t believe that you are hurt or I would have heard through a wire or your landlady. Or did you go to LA over the weekend and forget to write or now that I’m coming so soon do you think it wasn’t necessary to write me for a couple of days??? It’s enough to have Daddie in the hospital and Momie a nervous wreck, over him and me trying to get my clothes ready, take care of Dickie Jr. in the mornings and work too – no – I have to go three days without any word from you. Harlan what is wrong? I was going to call you about an hour ago but decided you probably wouldn’t be home and I’m really can’t afford it right now. If I don’t get a letter tomorrow, I’m apt to do anything. I have to go to the hospital now, so better get dressed.
Love & xxxxxs Yours Jane
PS I’m going to send you a night letter tonight and I’ll expect an answer immediately.
Johnny & Jane 