Dec 1943 ~ These are the last 2 letters from Mom to Dad that were sent back to Mom to keep.
Thursday 1:10 AM December 2, 1943
Hello Honey: .
(White Christmas with Bing Crosby) There was a letter today written Saturday 11:00 PM. Honey, since you can’t get a diesel boat, does that mean you won’t be an engineer or Marine engineer? If you take a freighter or a Liberty ship, what will you do on it?
So you bake a cake huh, maybe you forgot the sugar. Do you know you could have come home and been back again since you signed up and been just as far along as you are now. When I think about that, it kind of makes me blue. I’ve been terribly lonesome of late anyway, if it wasn’t for Marian, I really don’t know what I would do. She is a real little chum, sure wish you could meet her. If I come out to Frisco next spring, she wants to come with me, wouldn’t that be swell.
It’s somewhat colder tonight and snow is forecasted for tomorrow, kind of hope it does. It would be nice to see some snow again. I’m writing on both sides now because writing paper is not only hard to get but is expensive too. I have to buy a license for the car next week, which will be $18.
Gee Darling, how I yearn for your arms. I miss you terribly, especially lately. Don’t know just why, but I would give five years of my life to see you right now, to feel your lips on mine, your head close to mine, your nice warm hands over mine, and your arms around me. I better close before I make you blue too. I love you so, so very much.
“Your” Darlin’ & F.W. Janie
Friday 1:00 AM December 3, 1943
Hello My Darling:
Another night night or day gone by and you’re till in the country, which is some consolation. There was a letter today written Monday and Tuesday. Am wondering if you have heard from Mary Jane or has she arrived yet?
About your letters, I will keep them with mine. O.K? But I’m not going to give any of your sweatshirts or boots to your Dad because you will need the sweatshirts for Sunday mornings (after the war & we have our little place) to wash the car in & rake the yard & clean out the basement, see and the boots too. Johnny, I have something to ask you about these bonds of ours. You have quite a few and they are made out to me in case anything happens to you. If we aren’t married, I shouldn’t have that money, do you think? Darling, if anything does happen, what should I do about the money and your Mom?
Where was the tooth that you had to have pulled, in front or back? I’m awfully sorry about it.
It’s much colder tonight, but no snow, even though it is cloudy. Sure wish it would.
We received a letter from Dick today and he said if we want to get married, we should. He was glad you’re in the Navy end instead of the Army. He sends you his best wishes and lots of luck and if you are anywhere near Guadalcanal to be sure and inquire around for him or the Russell Islands.
Well Sweets it’s getting late and much to my regret, better close now. (Hotel St. Francis in San Francisco is broadcasting now.) I’m very tired. I love you so very much, you will never know how much I miss you. Love & xxxxxs “Your” Darlin’ & F.W. Janie
10:00 PM December 1, 1943, Wednesday
Hello Darlin’:
Well here it is another month gone by and the Christmas month coming. Do you remember a year ago at this time we were both really going around in circles. I sure had a lot of fun when I came home. It has been 18 months we have been living 2000 miles away. With one month together, that is 17 really apart. That isn’t right. You always told me you only wanted to be engaged about a month before you got married. We have been together only a month since we’ve been engaged and the next time we get married. Oh boy! I’ll believe it when I see it. I have a letter to answer from you. You really had a busy day last Sunday. I didn’t think the show “Du Barry Was A Lady” was such a good show either.
I haven’t heard from Mary Jane yet so I don’t suppose she will be here until Friday. I don’t know whether to so Jr. or not. I don’t like to but I can get a good price out of him now and later he won’t be worth so much.
I have to be at the dentist’s at 8, so I must get up about 630. I will finish this in the morning. I love you so very very much. Good night Darling.
Good morning Honey it is still dark out but it should turn out to be a nice day. There isn’t any news so I don’t know what else to write about. I still haven’t heard from Mary Jane as yet. I will write again tonight. I love you very very much.
Love & xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx YFH Johnny
Dear Little Chum: While sitting here waiting for 1:00 to roll around I decided to write you a note, O.K? First please excuse the writing as I am writing on the floor and am finding it rather difficult and I’m also running out of ink I see. About the present, I only hope you like it half as much as I want you. Janie
10:00 PM Thursday, December 2, 1943
Hello Darlin’:
Well, here it is Thursday night. I will be all through with the dentist in the morning. I haven’t heard from Mary Jane as yet. I hope she didn’t forget to wire me.
I received a very nice letter from you today. I’m glad you finally got some mail from me. I’m glad you had a lot of fun with the girls. Did you tell them hello for me?
Shane is just fine. She was down here a little while ago. She wanted a picture of you and I together before I left so I gave her one. I know you did see the searchlight on the plane but this time there were a lot more planes (too many to count) and about 5 times as many searchlights.
This afternoon I had to fix Jr’s back tire. It was flat and had a nail in it about 2 inches long. I sure felt funny pulling it out of the tire. The nail looked about as big as the tire.
There isn’t any news so I don’t know just what I’m going to write about. I’m going to make this your Special as I want you to get it on Sunday. The weather was sure swell today. I hope it lasts a little while.
Before I forget it, I’m sending my wristwatch to you I can’t get any parts for it out here. Maybe you can get it fixed at home.
It sure gets tiresome just sitting and waiting, waiting, and hoping and waiting some more.
I just happen to think, I got another bill from the Collector of Internal Revenue. It seems that I owe them $117.14, by the 15th of December. When I pay that I will be all through with my income tax.
Darling I love you very very much but my eyes are getting tired so I had better get some sleep. I will continue in the morning. I love you. Good night Sweetheart.
Good morning Darling. I slept right through the alarm so I will have to leave very soon.
I have had breakfast. It’s going to be another beautiful day out. I haven’t heard from Mary yet but she must be on her way.
Well Darling, I will write again tonight, I love you so very very much.
Love & xxxxxs YFH Johnny
12:30 AM December 4, 1943, Saturday
Hello Darlin’:
Mary Jane sent a wire from LA at 1:45 PM today and said she should arrive in Frisco about 10:00 tonight. I have waited for her to call but so far she hasn’t. She had better call me no matter what time she gets here or I will be mad at her. I spent the evening cleaning up my room and got clean bed clothes and towels for her so she could have my room and I will stay up in the hall. So far she hasn’t called. That is enough of that.
How are you Darling? Fine I hope. I sure wish we were married tonight or even just together. I don’t know when I felt so much like smooching. It is a beautiful night out. The stars are big and bright. Just the right kind of night. I’m in just the right mood and no you. Why does this have to happen to us? It just isn’t right.
There isn’t any news. I didn’t get any mail today so there really isn’t very much talk or write about.
Well Darling, I think I’ll get a little shut eye. Maybe Mary will call pretty soon and I will go down and bring her out here. I love you so very very much. Good night Darlin’.
Good morning Darling” When I finished writing last night, I went upstairs got a Coke and a magazine and waited for Mary Jane to call. I waited until about 1:45 and decided that she must have gotten a room in a hotel and would probably call me in the morning. I came down and went to bed. I just dozed off to sleep and Mr. Drears came down and called me saying there was a girl on the phone waiting for me. I went right up. The time was 1:55. I had been in bed 10 minutes. She was at a drugstore on Market Street. I drove down and picked her up. (I took Jr. over to Johnny’s last night and got one of his cars). She sure looks good. She hasn’t had a bath for six days, so she didn’t feel very good. I drove out Van Ness Avenue to the Marina and up and drive by the Golden Gate Bridge and then home. That is where we rode Jr. that night. She took a shower and dressed again, and then we drove out to the Cigar box Restaurant to have something to eat. They were closed. Then we stopped at a place on Market and Van Ness and had some bacon and eggs. Then after that we came on home. It is very foggy out this morning, and the fog horns are blowing allover the place. Mary is in getting dressed while I finish writing this. We are going down to the big City of San Francisco in just a minute. I sure wish you were here with us.
Well Darling, Mary is coming so I must close for now. I will write again tonight.
I love you very very much.
Love & xxxxxxxxxx’s YFH Johnny
Hi Janie & Mom. This is the life! Johnny met me – drove around town til 4am & then ate – Will see the sights today1. Write later – Love Mary Jane
11:30 PM December 5, 1943, Sunday
Hello my Darlin’:
Well here it is another day closer to you, whenever that time comes.
I hope you don’t mind me not writing last night too much. Mary Jane was here and I have been trying to really show her the town. I got John’s car. Everything happens to me. I drove Mary all around San Francisco. We came over by the Golden Gate Bridge and she wanted to drive over it, I did. I turned around after we crossed it. I turned off the road onto the one to Sausalito and then just turned around and came back on the highway. The Highway Patrol stopped me and said I had turned back on the highway at the wrong place. They gave me a ticket, so I have to go over to Sausalito in the morning. I don’t know how much it will cost me. It was sure swell seeing Mary again I wish I had thought to ask you if I could use that tin grip of yours that I borrowed when I came out here. I can’t find any to use when I leave. I don’t want to buy a real good one.
Darling, your Special came last night just before Mary and I left for a show. It was wonderful. Thank you so much for saying those things you did. There were no questions to answer.
Like you, I also wish I could write on paper and how much I love you and adore you. It is hard for me to write the things I think. There is no doubt and never has been that you are the only girl for me. I wish that things were more certain than they are. I do know that there will come a day and I will come after you. I can only say now that I love you and like you too, more and more every hour. You will always be in my heart as long as I breathe.
It is getting late and I must go get some sleep. I will finish tomorrow. I love you. Good night Sweetheart.
Hello Darling: I’m back from Sausalito and like I told you before in this letter, everything happens to me. I just got on the bridge and the chain broke and I had to push Jr. clear over to Sausalito. I talked pretty fast to the judge and got by for $2.50. I had to leave Jr. there and have him brought over on a truck. It will cost me about $2 to bring it over here.
The mail is here and there is a letter from you. If I go out on a cargo ship, I can still work up to an engineer and my work will be just the same, except that I just won’t be on a diesel.
Well Sweets, I had better take this down to the post office. I will write again tonight. I love you very very much.
Love & xxxxxxxxxx’s YFSH Johnny
Johnny & Jane 