11:30 PM. December 6, 1943
Hello Darlin’:
Well here it is, another day closer to the sweetest little angel this side of heaven.
I have a letter to answer so I will do that now. No, I didn’t forget to put the sugar in the cake. Yes, I know I could have been home and back by now. I wish I was sometimes. I’m glad that Marian is such a swell girl, I’m looking forward to meeting her.
I have a lot to do in the morning, so I had better get some sleep. I love you very very much. (I’m getting tired so I can sleep is playing). I want to sleep so I can dream. That is the only way I can be with you. Good night Darling.
Good morning Sweets: I have all of my packing done and called the express company.
The mail is here and there is a letter from you. About the sweet shirts and the boots, if you like the looks of the sweatshirts, you can keep them for me, if not you can give them to Dad. I do want you to take the leather jacket over to him. It will fit him much better than it does me. I will remember the Russell Islands. If anything should happen to me, I’m going to leave you to decide what to do with the bonds. You will know better than I.
Well Darling, I have to drop Mary a line, so I had better close for now. I love you and miss you very very much.
Love & xxxxxxxxxx’s YFH Johnny
December 8, 1943, Wednesday 1:00 AM
Hello My Darling:
Here I am again with my little old pencil. I bought a cheap pen today and stuck it in the top pocket of my jacket and I must have lost that some place as I can’t find it any place now. In the last letter I wrote, I told you I was all through packing. Well, I was mistaken. I packed all afternoon and then I was to meet Syd downtown and we were going to get me a sea bag. Well, I found a trunk and a suitcase. So I had to unpack and repack. That is what I had have been doing tonight. The express man is coming tomorrow and beings they are going to be picked up, I can only send them collect. I will pay my income tax tomorrow and send you what I have left, which by the way it will be as much as I had planned. I want you to take it and buy a watch and something for our Moms and Dad and for Sis. I have a present for Donna Neal that I bought at the Emporium. I will send it to you and you can give it to her from us.
Well Darling, I’m getting very tired and must get some sleep. I will finish in the morning. I love you very very much. Good night Sweetheart.
Good morning Darling: Well the express man has just left, it will cost approximately $12 to get the things. There it is a one small trunk, one cardboard box and my golf clubs. In the cardboard box is my radio, letters, jacket etc. In the trunk, good sweaters, shirts, topcoat, boots and your school pin, my wristwatch, keychain, collar buttons and cuff links. They are in a small box on the top of the first section. There are much safer in the trunk then they would be in the parcel post, no matter how much insurance I had on. It should be about six days before they get there. Darling, will you take my golf clubs covers out of my shoes and put them on the clubs. One good idea would be to put something in the trunk to keep the moths away from my topcoat. I guess that’s all for now. (PS Don’t drop the radio) Just kidding.
Excuse me for a minute, I will see if the mail is here yet. (Oh, the pen and ink? I found a pen like we used is penmanship in school). No mail.
Well My Darling, I’m afraid I must close for now. I will see you at 8 as always. I love you and miss you so very very much.
Love & xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx YFH Johnny
9:45 PM December 9, 1943, Thursday.
Hello Darlin’:
Well here it is another day. I almost got my ship this morning but I was about 15 minutes too late. I stopped to see if Jr. was ready yet. He wasn’t, so I went to the Union. I asked about a job and was told that they had just had one but a fellow was there and got it! I waited there all day but no more came in. Maybe tomorrow. I went out at noon and took your letter to the post office and had a bit bite to eat. I look for a while for the bracelet but couldn’t find one.
There was a letter waiting for me when I got home. You can tell by the letters you got from me that was meant for Mom and Dad, how much you are on my mind. Yes, if you like I will grow another mustache while at sea, maybe a beard if I’m gone long enough. Yes, when I come home we will make up for a lot of lost time. I’m sorry my letters have been rather quiet and quite short and sort of cold. I’m a little discouraged because it seems that everything but you is running against me. I thought I would be able to send you a little money when I leave but I will be glad or rather lucky if I can send any more than about $50. If I can sell Jr, I’ll be able to send all of that. I have my dentist bill all paid up, so the only money I have left to pay is my income tax. Out here it seems that people have money for a God. That is all they care about. When I took my scooter into have it overhauled right after you, left the owner of the shop said he thought it was worth about $125 then. Well, I spent $50 to have it fixed and some money for paint and brushes. I spent about two weeks on it painting it. Today I told him I was going to ship out and I asked him how much he thought Jr. was worth. He said $50 or $60. He wants to buy it. I told him I would rather take it and store it and just let it rot before I would sell it to him for $60. If that is all I could get out of it, it would be worth shipping home to you.
I love you so very very much Jane. There never has been and never there never will be another girl like you. I wish there was some other way I can tell you what I think of you and the way I felt feel but I guess I can’t say anything except for that I love you, I adore you, and I miss you and I want you.
Well Darling, I guess I had better get some sleep. I will finish this in the morning. Good night Sweetheart.
Good morning Darling. I think it’s going to be a beautiful day day out. I wish you were here with me. I don’t have much time, I will have to leave for for now. I will write some more tonight. I love you very very much.
Love & xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx YFH Johnny
10:30 PM December 10, 1943, Friday
Hello Darlin’:
Well, this is an entirely new experience for me. That is writing from aboard a ship. I will start at the beginning of the day and describe or try to describe everything. I got up and I fixed breakfast. After breakfast, I finish your last letter. Then I went down to the Union. I met another fellow there by the name of James O’Neill, from Minnesota. We talked for quite a while. Nothing came up there, so we walked over to another union called the N.M.U. That is the National Maritime Union. Well, they had jobs for us. There we met two other fellows who were going on the same ship. We all came aboard together. We met our bosses and then we had to come back ashore and get our gear. (clothes). Then we had to come right back and stand watch until 5:00. Then we got off at 5. The ships name is The S.S. Santa Ana. It is a little larger than a Liberty ship and is about 5 years old. It has quite a few guns on her. We ate dinner at 12. We had beef stew, salad, apple pie, all the milk you can drink, bread and all the butter you want (no points..ha-ha). For supper we had steaks (all you can eat), milk, salad pumpkin pie, ice cream. They really feed you good. Today we have been loading supplies, including all kinds of food, potatoes, etc., etc., some machinery and parts. I can’t tell much about the work yet, but so far I like it swell.
I don’t know when we will leave.
I got off at 5 and had my supper. I washed and had to wait quite a while for our clean linens. Then Jim went with me and we went up to the old homestead. I had to pay my board and room, garage, and telephone bills. $51.18. My telephone bills were $36.00. Darling, after I pay my income tax, I will only have $27.00 left in the bank. I will try to sell Jr. and send you the money I get for him.
I will have to call you ‘collect’ on Sunday. After I sell Jr., you can take out the money for the calls.
Well Darling, I have to be up at 6:30, so I had better get some sleep. I will tell you all about my cabin in the morning. Right now, I can look out the port hole and almost see the moon. If I stick me head out, I can see it and its reflection on the water. Darling, I love you very, very much. Goodnight, sleep tight, I’ll dream of you.
Good morning Darling: By the time you get this, you will know that we pulled out at 6:00 Sunday morning. We are not sailing out of port, but we are moving to some other dock to load up. The time is 12:30 PM. I just got off watch. I have to be back at 6 in the morning. I don’t have much time, I will have to leave foe now. I am going to call you tonight. I will write again tonight. I lover you very, very much.
Love & xxxxxs YFH Johnny
Johnny & Jane 