Tag Archives: A.P.O. 43

New Tent Mate (Roscoe)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

Lieut R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San Fran Calif.
June 15, 1943

Dear Mother,

I did get a stamp for yesterday’s letter and was able to buy one dollars’ worth from a fellow so I’m pretty well set for a time.

The package of seeds came yesterday and the picture but the picture was pretty badly wrinkled. I thought you had sent the seeds in a regular air mail but coming as they did explains the delay. I’m going to make another try at gardening to see if something will grow in an

[page 2] eatable form.

My new tent mate – Dr. Thompson got several issues of Colliers, Sat. Eve Post and Esquire so our reading material has increased. All my old tent mates are scattered and now this Dr. and one of the dentists that used to be in Noumea are in the same tent. Funny how thinks keep changing from day to day. Geo is still in camp but his duties required that he live elsewhere and of course we have the medics off to themselves so that they can’t cause any harm.

[page 3] Several issues of the Newton Co. E. came also so I had to do some scanning to see if anything had been missed in the letters you and other people had written. I noticed in one issue that my address was now A.P.O. 43 and I also noted that this one and that one had been home on leave which sounds god and would be better if it would apply to other people I know. Patience will accomplish those things in time so why fret now.

I wonder if you listened

[page 4] to the radio news. We listened to KWID and heard ourselves mentioned. Sounds funny and also makes one feel he is going his duty by being a part of the thing. Wonder if the boys are still keeping newspaper headlines.

The moon is getting bright again and it sure does make things look pretty – shining on the ocean thru the palm trees but we like the dark nights better.

Well, hope we get some more mail today but I have a feeling 4 days in succession is the limit.

Love Daddy

Russell Islands Image by Kelisi at Wikipedia.com (Wikipedia Commons license)

Russell Islands
Image by Kelisi at Wikipedia.com (Wikipedia Commons license)

© 2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/08/12/new-tent-mate-roscoe/

Moving Day (Roscoe)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

Apr 2, 1943
Lieut R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
A.P.O. 43
% P.M. San Fran.

Dear Mother,

The postman told me he thought there was some mail but due to our changing our camp slightly he has been unable to sort out the mail so maybe tomorrow there will be letters we hope – V-mail is all that has been coming but some of the other fellows are getting mail – air mail some as late as Mar 10. And I wish you would address a few to Navy 224 again. Every other letter address Navy 224 % Fleet P.O. San Fran and the other A.P.O. 43. So maybe

[page 2] one or the other will get here. My latest letter from you was Mar 3 but you still used the address I used at the last station so you hadn’t gotten my new address as yet.

Our new tent has a deck and is all screened in – really it is as nice or nicer than at the last station. Maybe that’s a bad sign for as soon as things begin to be fixed up I move. There has been no indications of that but I’m a little suspicious.

You told me in the last letter

[page 3] to air my blues once in a while. Well I’m miles from them now and I’m not sure that Drs P & W sent them. I wrote them and asked them to store them rather than send them home and they wrote they would take care of them but didn’t say in what way so don’t worry if they don’t arrive because they may be stored there.

This is a little mixed up but you know how it is on moving day so solong.

Love Daddy

RussellIskandsmap

Russell Islands
Image by Kelisi at Wikipedia.com (Wikipedia Commons license)

© 2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/03/21/moving-day-roscoe/

Sorry to hear of the measles (Roscoe)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

Apr 1, 1943
Lieut R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
A.P.O. 43
% Postmaster, San Fran

Dear Mother,

Got more mail today – 6 v-mail letters from you one from Sykes, one from Schlegels and one from Mark. The last date was yours of Mar 3. Sorry to hear of the measles but guess one can’t escape those things always. The blood idea of Dr. M. is good and under the circumstances I think the thing to do. I would have however given Immune serum a preparation put out by Sharp & Dome I think but the blood idea is not bad

[page 2] and there isn’t any doubt in my mind that the boys probably all three have by now had the measles because they are very contagious. Hope they will get along swell with them.

On valentine day you told of it being so cold – I was on board a ship that day and was it hot I remember very well.

The tax figure of 200 sounds a little high and but of course that file has already been filed so that is the amount but I can’t be too certain because I did not have any figures. I mean deductible figures. Anyway

[page 3] we will have enough to pay them OK. And next year we won’t have to worry because the total taxable figure will be a little less than $2600⁰⁰ because as you know taxes are figured only on base pay and not what I sent to you. Except the victory tax which I don’t know much about yet. Anyway don’t worry about what I think because really at present I have other things to think of.

Well we are having a little April shower today which is the way Apr. should come in –

Lots of Love

Daddy

RussellIskandsmap

Russell Islands
Image by Kelisi at Wikipedia.com (Wikipedia Commons license)

© 2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/03/21/sorry-to-hear-…measles-roscoe/

A little trip in a jeep (Roscoe)

3 Replies

Wed Mar 31, 1943

Lieut R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
A.P.O. 43
% Postmaster
San Francisco Calif.

Dear Mother,

Just got back from a little trip in a jeep and those are always tiresome because of the rough riding but In time I guess we’ll get used to the beating and bumping.

We now have a table and I’m writing on it – the first in some time maybe you can tell the difference but I doubt it very much. I think in a few days we’ll have our quarters fixed

[page 2] so that they will be half way livable. For one thing we will have only 4 and that will be a relief as five is pretty crowded.

We are having another damp spell. In fact it’s wet but we are pretty well used to that also.

Well, there isn’t another thing that I can think of which is writable so solong

Lots of Love

Daddy

P.S. In yesterday’s letter I asked for lettuce & radish seed. Include also a package of carrot seed

RussellIskandsmap

Russell Islands
Image by Kelisi at Wikipedia.com (Wikipedia Commons license)

© 2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/03/20/a-little-trip-in-a-jeep-roscoe/

One Year Ago Today (Roscoe)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

Mar. 30, 1943
Lieut RS Yegerlehner USNR
A.P.O. 43
% Postmaster San Fran.

Dear Mother,

I remember well one year ago today when I steamed so quietly into Chicago to take my physical exam for this man’s navy – much has happened since then and as Deloris said in her letter I covered a lot of water since then. That is just in the way of retrospect.

This P.M. went swimming – went out where the big breakers roll in and almost got tossed several times but didn’t – Mr. Howell who was with me got his finger

[page 2] cut on a sharp piece of coral. Maybe my balance was better. Only things my feet are tender from the rough stuff.

I put a P.S. on yesterday’s letter and it seems to me I forgot to finish it. At present I really don’t remember what was it was I was saying but I really didn’t mean to be rude by stopping in the middle of the thing.

I wish you would send me a package of lettuce seed and a package of radish seed. Just drop them in an envelope and send them. I believe we could do pretty well if we had the seed. Surely things would grow in a hurry.

Well, I’ve exhausted myself for today – so solong

Love Daddy

RussellIskandsmap

Russell Islands
Image by Kelisi at Wikipedia.com (Wikipedia Commons license)

© 2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/03/13/one-year-ago-today-roscoe/

Hot sultry and rain (Roscoe)

5 Replies

Letter transcription:

Mar 27, 1943
Lieut RS Yegerlehner USNR
A.P.O. 43
% P.M. San Francisco Calif.

Dear Mother,

This is one of those afternoons when one struggles to keep from doing anything – Hot sultry and rain seems in the making. Seems as if I write about that same thing every day.

Yesterday I wrote Statons a letter in answer to theirs I received last Sunday. I told them to let you know when it arrived just checking to see how mail might go thru.

I haven’t been hearing the usual broadcast the past new nights so don’t

[page 2] [know] what stars were on. Nor have I heard any news for a few days. Just the local grapevine stuff – Here it doesn’t seem very important but at home if the papers and radio could put it out it would make pretty good reading.

Had a fresh orange today and those are much better than those at home but the outside instead of being nice orange color is very green. They lack the artificial coloring used in the States.

I hope this new address gets thru to you and back again for I believe it will help our mail, but it will never be good because almost all mail

[page 3] has to go thru the last station I was and I know how slow the whole affair was there.

It doesn’t seem that Apr. 1 is just around the corner but it won’t be long and with it your weather will be better I hope – Ours should get cooler by but in our location I can’t see that winter or summer makes much difference.

Well hope tomorrow will repeat in the way of mail that last Sun. did any we hope,
Love Daddy

RussellIskandsmap

Russell Islands
Image by Kelisi at Wikipedia.com (Wikipedia Commons license)

© 2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/03/13/hot-sultry-and-rain-roscoe/

In the Jungles Part II (Roscoe)

3 Replies

Letter transcription:

Mar 26, 1943
Lieut RS Yegerlehner USNR
A.P.O. 43
% Postmaster
San Fran Calif.

Dear Mother

We’ve had rain and clear spells today and you know that means a hot humid atmosphere. The humidity is with us all time so we are getting used to that. Each night about 3 A.M. there is a steady drip, drip from the trees on to the tent. That is one clear nights on rain nights it’s a run run.

The moisture in the jungles is most depressing – You have seen pictures of jungles but I’ll give you my impressions. As we entered – First there was a barbed wire fence. That I wasn’t sure whether it was

[page 2] intended to keep the animals out or in. At any rate on the jungle side there was pretty much of a wall of growth. I had a small had [hand] ax one of the others had a regular ax and the other fellow had a large corn knife like knife only it was a good three feet long. This was the best of all for he could swing it in both directions cutting vines and all vegetation as he came to them. Of course spiders, misquitoes toads flies and lizards were very much in evidence and the pay off was the large lizard about 3 feet long. The thing was had four legs which appeared to be a good 8 in. in length and

[page 3] about half of him was tail, the body being almost as big around as my wrist. The head was a miniature alligators. IT ran up a tree ahead of me and I was pretty glad at that.

Those long vines that Tarzan swings on aren’t fiction either. Some of them were as big around as an inch rope and also as plyable. We swung on one just to see if it would hold. It did. We were only in the jungles about one hour and during that time chopped some tall straight trees for tent poles but we were dripping with sweat and all petered out because of the hot and the high humidity. The ground with the leaves was very soft and

[page 4] even hard to walk in. There may have been fruits back in there but we only went in about as far as from our house to Foulkes. To [too] much work to get a road way, and I don’t mean for a car.

Some way some how some one butchered a cow last night and we got about 10 T bone steaks. We just picked them up with our fingers and ate them in a most primitive manner. They were very good. I can’t compare them with ours at home because its been to [too] long ago to make a comparison but they were indeed very good.

Well, I about exhausted the supply of paper and subject matter so solong
Love Daddy

RussellIskandsmap

Russell Islands
Image by Kelisi at Wikipedia.com (Wikipedia Commons license)

© 2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/03/09/in-the-jungles-part-ii-roscoe/

In the Jungles (Roscoe)

4 Replies

Letter transcription:

Mar 25, 1943
Lieut RS Yegerlehner USNR
A.P.O. 43
% P.M. San Fran

Dear Mother,

This again will have to be rapid due to another mess of fish and approaching darkness. This P.M. we were in the jungles getting native lumber (small trees) to build a better house to live in so that is why I didn’t get to this sooner. Sometime I’ll tell you more of the jungles but for the time being I’ll just say that I saw a lizard about 2 feet long – Looked just like an alligator but run along in the jungles and

[page 2] finally crawled a big tree. After the dirt and sweat of the jungle we had a swim in the Pacific – water nice and warm but the beach was rough.

Maybe I’ll be able to write more and better tomorrow after the fish dinner. So Solong
Love Daddy

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/03/08/in-the-jungles-roscoe/

Canned Goods Will Suffer (Roscoe)

6 Replies

Letter transcription:

Mar 24, 1943
Lieut R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
A.P.O. 43
% Postmaster
San Francisco, Calif.

Dear Mother,

Plenty of sunshine today after the wet rainy spell of yesterday. Just the way it should be plenty of water yesterday and a good day for laundry today. I put my clothes to soak and soap yesterday A.M. and later in the day put them in freshly caught rinse water and this morn put them out in the bright sunlight and believe it or not they came out nice and white. Three of my tent mates had the same idea this A.M. but they didn’t soak their clothes as I did and

[page 2] hush! They had tattle tail gray. I think you’d get a kick out of laundry day on the ——- ——-. The blanks are for the missing location. Some day I’ll let you know where the blanks refer to but at present it can’t be done for obvious reasons.

Instead of having tea this P.M. we had lime juice and pineapple juice. The only thing lacking was the tinkle of the ice cubes and don’t let me miss lead you. The pineapple juice was canned. However there are a few around here in the natural state.

The moon at present is about as bright as one will ever see – I mean at night – really

[page 3] I think I could write at night. Last night we had fish again and they weren’t brought in in time to prepare before dark so we ate them in moon light and they were sure swell. Fried in deep butter. That is one of the most pleasant experiences after eating spam, corned beef and canned hash. Really I believe the spam companies will go out of business after the war and I’m not so sure but what all canned goods will suffer. Maybe I’m in one of weak moments just now.

Our mail of course is slow as usual but when some does come we are spoiled and keep looking every day for a few days

[page 4] ant then when all hope is abou  abandoned here comes a big bunch. I surely hope mine is getting to you with some regularity.

There is a huge cocoanut just outside our tent door which fell with a resounding thump. It’s about one foot in diameter. That is with the outer covering over the nut. That outer covering is the nuts to get off. It resists cutting prying and sawing but after tedious hours of stabbing one gets a foothold and then the whole outer shell peals off rather easily. However I haven’t seen anyone eat any of the meat for days. It very easy to get filled and stay filled with the stuff.

Well, I feel like I’ve been very extravagant with paper today and said very little so solong
Love Daddy

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/03/07/canned-goods-w…-suffer-roscoe/

Just so much to write about (Roscoe)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

Mar 23, 1943
Lieut R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
A.P.O. 43
% P.M. San Fran.

Dear Mother,

A swell rainy P.M. and I’m reading a book. “A bullet thru a cap.” A very exciting drama but thought I’d better stop before darkness came on and get this letter written. Really though I can’t see that I do any better even if I am rushed because there is just so much to write about and the subjects are quickly exhausted.

Our trip yesterday was the most extensive I had taken on land and was quite interesting but there again I’m stopped because

[page 2] no description allowed. We did see a lot of cocoanuts trees and a lot of water and the water was fine swimming but shells are almost absent. We did see a small amphibious fish along the bank that when it was frightened it would scamper on land and run along then jump back into the water. Tropical fish are really a sight to behold. Almost all colors imaginable.

The rain is almost stopped and all our buckets are full of nice rain water so I can rinse those clothes I put to soak this A.M.

Well I’ll go back to my book for a while now.
Love Daddy

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/03/04/just-so-much-t…e-about-roscoe/