New Caledonia

In case you didn’t read yesterday’s letter and the following replies, my dad broke the code. My grandfather was very definitely in New Caledonia. Of course, he spelled Caledonia wrong, but I think my grandmother figured out what he was trying to say despite the incorrect vowel.  As the war progressed, my grandfather served in several different locations while stationed in the South Pacific. He used the same method to convey to my grandmother his new location at various points in his travels.

We have also gotten to the point in the collection where both sides of the correspondence survive. In general, I will continue to post letters in sequence, but it will now take two days to read about one calendar day. Gladys’s letter will be posted one day and then Roscoe’s on the following day (or vice versa).  Since there was a definite lag in the mail service, topics will pop up and disappear only to reappear weeks later. It should be an interesting reading experience.

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
Sept 2, 1942

Dear Daddy,
I am still home. I called Dr. Cole this morning and he said he would try to come up tomorrow. I really don’t feel it is necessary to go to the hospital now. I just stay in bed and feel pretty good so long as I keep quiet. Dr. C. said to send a sample along with Bill when he goes down this evening.
Mrs. Zell called on me this afternoon. I had John go over last week and tell her

(page 2) I wasn’t able to come over. Mark goes over and talks to them and is very well acquainted. He walks home with the girl in his room but the younger get out earlier. Doesn’t seem to mind so much now as he thought he would.
John is taking basket ball practice. I suppose they all have to. He doesn’t say whether he likes it or not but took his swimming trunks & a towel to school. He seems to have grown up so much in the last year. I was comparing some pictures taken last summer and this. He was

(page 3) standing on the front step and we measured the difference in his height by the mailbox. He is a brick’s width taller this summer.
Mark is going to try and blow the trumpet. After talking to the bandmaster about an easier horn, possibly a flute-I decided 75.00 or 100.00 was a little steep an investment right now. Mark thinks he can learn to blow the old horn. He is very enthused right now, but have my doubts how long he will be. That is what I would be thinking about buying a new horn.
It isn’t quite as hot as it was Monday. Yesterday

(page 4) was very agreeable. Since I have to stay in bed upstairs I hope it stays cooler.
Had a long letter from Marie this morning. Just a long chatty letter about what she had been doing.
Haven’t heard from your mother this week but had a letter from Ruthie and Mom had written to her and was feeling well. We rec’d a circular about hay fever and the chart showed the rag weed pollen count highest Sept. 3. I think about Dad.
I am about to run out of space and haven’t much news either. (Tomorrow the weekly comes).
Love
Mother