Tag Archives: Navy 60

Mow You Down (Roscoe)

: August 18, 1943 envelope

: August 18, 1943, p. 1

: August 18, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Aug. 18, 1943

Dear Mother,

You mentioned in several of your letters about people asking you if you had written me relative to D. accident and some had advised against such. I think you did exactly right because after all I’m not a weakling and can take those things. In fact I’d feel terrible if I didn’t know and I’d be disappointed in you. Sure I’d feel badly about anything that might happen but hypocrisy is the worst thing imaginable and it’s something you and I have never participated so why start such at a time like this. This is war and as I mentioned before it’s bigger than families so we have to take things and bear them. I’m certain you have always well written me things as they are at home and this is best. I can’t always write you things that happen here for various reasons which you understand. I haven’t felt so sorry for D. as for you because I know how he will get along – but the extra work, worry and self accusing, which I hope you haven’t done to[o] much of, will have a tendency to “mow you down,” but you know

[page 2] dear I’m for you and know that you have executed the best judgment at all times – so what do we care about what other people say. I say we because any criticism against you is equally shared by me.

Your letters of July 28 and 30 came yesterday and in them you told of receiving the check etc. Also got letters from Ruth M. and Mom. So now I’ve been well told about the family’s visit of course it was from different angles but and none repeated to me monotonous. The folks and Ruth M. were all very much impressed by the way you are carrying along and nothing but praises came from them so that makes me feel swell also. They were very much awed by D.’s behavior in the cast and his personality – I wonder – mothers or fathers!! Could it be both. I’ll vote for the maternal. Of course my ego is a li enters a little into the picture – self imposed ego of course.

I hope I haven’t made you feel badly by this letter. I really meant to make you feel better – Not by so many words but I’m all for you and you know it and I wouldn’t have any changes in you even if it were possible –
Lots of Love Daddy

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/2014/12/17/mow-you-down-roscoe/

An Officer’s Salary (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 17, 1943 envelope

: August 17. 1943, p. 1

: August 17, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San Fran Calif.
Aug. 17, 1943

Dear Mother,

Yours of Aug. 2, 4 and 6^th came yesterday – The one with the financial statement was missing but you repeated a little so I have a fair idea. I don’t believe I would pay Ruth & Earl anything now that you have bought the bonds, etc. better keep a small reserve on hand – buying a bond once per month if you can. That was a false rumor about our pay so I couldn’t send any if I wanted to. If I were you I’d pay off the piano and then buy one bond per month unless of course it cuts you too short. We can always turn the bonds in and pay Mutch provided the our tax isn’t more than the bonds. So it’s just what you might call dealer’s choice.

I got a letter from Wayne W. and he was complaining about the amount of work he had to do and also said he hadn’t gotten away for a vacation as yet. Poor boy. No doubt people are working harder and trying to do more but they just can not forego the pleasures and vacations they once had with out some amount of complaining. I’m not feeling

[page 2] sorry for myself because an officer’s life isn’t so bad but it’s a 24 hour job seven days per week and it’s really tough on the boys that have to work hard. Of course that is true not only in this area but on all fronts – so it is a little “vexing” to hear one complain about not having a vacation.

Sacky has been was on the verge of being drafted when I left according to him and probably is still a little alarmed but maybe the hot breath of the draft board is finally blowing on the back of his neck. Officer’s salary does sound pretty good but I just have a $130 board bill to pay and what board especially in the beginning. Of course in the States there is also room & board – an enlisted man has none of that to worry about so there isn’t so much difference in the pay as one would expect.

My total salary now runs around 4000 but that is not all taxable and as I said above there is a deduction for food.

Well this letter has been more or less on the complaining side but I’m not that way all the time. I’ll try to be different next time.
Love Daddy

©2014 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2014/12/15/an-officers-salary-roscoe/

Short Wave Band (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 16, 1943 envelope

: August 16, 1943, p. 1

: August 16, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F. P. O. San Fran. Calif.
Aug. 16, 1943

Dear Mother,

I’m a little late this A.M. due to just plain conversation, but in plenty of time to catch the outgoing mail because it doesn’t go out until P.M. I think.

Wash day and a fine day if the clothes come back in time. Sometimes the boys get a little lax in taking them to the laundry and in returning them so even if the day is sunny they don’t get dry.

I think we will be paid again today but I’m not going to draw any because it might cut me too low in that reserve but will try to get some off to you at the next pay day. Now As I have it figured with the excess of the 500 and your regular 200 you should be OK for the time being. So I’ll try to help you out with some extra next month.

[page 2] In the last letter I got from Harry Storm he said Christmas packages could be sent without request between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15 but my suggestions is to send nothing. Take the money you would ordinarily spend and buy the boys stamps and just write me about it. It’s too uncertain to try to send anything. Seems funny to be talking of Christmas in Aug. but it’s only one month now before that Sept. 15 rools [sic rolls] around. So rather than have you send something or be writing about it I’ll get the order in early –

We had Red Skelton on the radio last night but it wasn’t very clear from that station. If you are ever up until midnight 2:00 A.M. and turn the radio on to 9.7 megacycles, That would be on the short wave band you could get the same programs we get. I’m sure our set would pick them up – because this little old battery set we have here does a very good job of getting K.W.I.D. and also Tokyo at 8:00 PM which would be 4:00 AM. There – don’t stay up to[o] late to listen to them because the[y] over state things – we know.

Lots of Love Mother [yes, he actually signed it Mother!]

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/2014/12/13/short-wave-band-roscoe/

I Like Mail (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 15, 1943 envelope

: August 15, 1943, p. 1

: August 15, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

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

Dear Mother,

I reread your letters again yesterday and find that I commented on most of the things you asked about or wrote about. The address you use is OK but the USNR should follow my name – putting it after the Navy 60 might be a little confusing. It’s a small matter but anything that might be confusing should be done away with because you know how I like mail.

You asked if we had heard Fibber in a certain radio program – we didn’t some how we haven’t been able to get any of those programs since getting our radio. I think we just haven’t had it on at the right time. We do get the news pretty good and some music – if you want to call it that. The best station has a recording of a

[page 2] base ball game which lasts about ¾ hour. That is really the height of something of other. We want entertainment and they put on a ball game which has been played hours before and they would give the final score and be done with it. One listens to a ball game to see what the final score will be – anyway I don’t like it.

I was very glad to hear that the folks could spend a few days with you. I imagine they got a big kick out of the trip and the visit. I’m sure John will enjoy himself on his own for the week or rather I mean traveling alone. I think things like that are good for them – Lets them know how to get along for themselves.

Well, I’ve got to write the folks today so will get started on that right now –
Love Daddy

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

Music Or Furniture? (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 14, 1943 envelope

: August 14, 1943, p. 1

: August 14, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut R. S. Yegerlehner USRN
Navy 60 F. P.O. San Fran Calif.
Aug. 14, 1943

Dear Mother,

Received several letters yesterday. Yours along about the 17^th & 18^th of July and also of July 30 & 31. That one Those came or rather were written after the folks were there and after you had bought the piano and also after you had received the big check. So they really brought things up to date pretty well. This is catty – did you get the piano for music or furniture? Both I hope – what I mean is I hope the musical side is good. Really I’m glad you got it because that old one was so heavy and cumbersome and I’m sure this one must be much easier to handle and nicer to look at.

[page 2] I didn’t make any specifications on what you spend that money for only that you pay the insurance loan which as I remember was around $170 plus, of course, interest. Glad you bought the bonds but don’t cut yourself to low – Maybe I can send some more in a month or two.

The tent is filled with conversation so concentration is a little difficult so will have to reread your letters and see if there is anything else that I should or want to comment upon.

Well, I’ve got to close this before I get something here that shouldn’t be for your ears because the convo is still going –

Lots of Love Daddy

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/2014/12/09/music-or-furniture-roscoe/

The Romantic Type (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 13, 1943 envelope

: August 13, 1943, p. 1

: August 13, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San Fran. Calif.
Aug. 13, 1943

Dear Mother,

The picture would not be complete unless I told you the laundry got dry yesterday. So that is that for another few days.

You remember I wrote you one day about the topics to write about – Laundry was one, weather was one – mail was one – well I’ve hit laundry pretty hard in the past few days – weather hasn’t come in for much only in an indirect way relative to laundry – at that time I said the mail topic was always good. The topic might be good but the mail is again slow. I believe I forgot to tell you a letter came day before yesterday from E. Towers, Sr. It was written on Jan. 5. Seven months – I haven’t answered it yet. If you see he or the girls you might mention that I received such. I’ll try to answer it someday but writing is really a problem as I’ve so often told you.

If I were the romantic type I guess I’d have no trouble writing to you but you know

[page 2] how that is with me. I’ve read pages of stuff like that there! from boys to wives and girlfriends. Really it’s peculiar how many words there are that, shall I say possibly, sound well that have so little meaning to anyone else except the receiver of the letter – and in some instances I wonder! Some of those letters are fun – shame on me! I think someday I’ll fill a letter to you with the different ways a letter might start. There a lot which I hadn’t thought of, or rather a combination of words that are fitted together to express greetings which are I won’t say sensible but usable.

Now to criticize my own letter – most of it is just plain fitting words together in order to fill up space so that I can say I keep up the habit of writing every day maybe that is being a hypocrite but if we understand each other the hypocrisies (awful big word) are meaningless – anyway il I’ll close and let a lot of meaning be conveyed in

Lots of Love Daddy

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/2014/12/07/the-romantic-type-roscoe/

Clothes Line Broke (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 11, 1943 envelope

: August 11, 1943, p. 1

: August 11, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Aug. 11, 1943

Dear Mother,

As I stated in yesterday’s letter, there wasn’t any mail. It wasn’t too disappointing because after three straight days one hardly expects mail on the fourth day.

One thing you mentioned and I didn’t comment upon was the bill you were going to send Lloyd Tilton. I think that is OK provided you paid Geo. The bill we owed him. You wrote as if you had paid it but you never did say for sure. It would be swell if those things could be collected but I’ve given up hope long ago. I just want you to keep the records so those people can be remembered later on, but why worry about such things now.

This is getting well on with the time of the cast for D. I’ll bet you have a time keeping him off that foot and I doubt if a little weight on it will bother too much. This will of course get there too late for you

[page 2] to get much relief and I suppose you have almost worried yourself sick trying to keep him quiet – but Mother must not worry too much less her features be spoiled – beauty I mean. I’ve had many comments on your pictures. However as you said in most of the snap shots the camera was moved and the pictures weren’t clear, but I can still see you haven’t lost your beauty. I’m not try to be funny – I’m very much in earnest so don’t get me in the dog house with the Mother of my sons.

There is one little wee suggestion I might make for your mother – Ten drops of HCL in water with or after meals – yes, the same that you take for your eczema. Don’t however do it if she is getting better but if her stomach still bothers you might try a dose or two.

This is Wed. and the rain has kept our clothes wet so I’m going dirty because of lack of dry clean clothes – one fellow’s clothes line broke and you should see his sheets & other white clothes –

Space all gone – Lots of love Daddy

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/2014/12/03/clothes-line-broke-roscoe/

A Favorable Answer (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 10, 1943 envelope

: August 10, 1943, p. 1

: August 10, 1943, p. 2

: August 10, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Aug 10, 1943

Dear Mother,

Your letter of July 27 came yesterday – That makes 3 days in succession that I’ve received mail from you so I hardly expect any further mail for several days. I hope I’ll be agreeably surprised but I’m afraid not. Yes the one letter that was most important – July 17 with the check was missing. I suppose it will be a month or more in getting there and you seem to need it rather badly but your regular checks will be there Aug. 1^st so maybe that will help until this other comes tagging along.

You said D. was getting along swell in the cast – moving around

[page 2] etc. That cast probably won’t slow him down one bit. And about the criticism I think I expressed myself in yesterday’s letter so you know how I feel and further more I’ve repeated it several time – I think the boys have a wonderful mother who is really trying and getting results – more than she can see right now but results which will show themselves in years to come. So don’t criticize yourself for things that happen.

I know Commander Frerricks Frericks Frerricks (That is the correct spelling) had written the boys but I did not know what he was going to say. Really I think that is one person I was able to pull the wool over – because I believe he did think I was OK, and still does I hope. I wrote to his daughter (21 years old). She is a collector of Hotel Letter Heads and a fellow gave me a letter head of a hotel

[page 3] in Hawaii, and I wrote a little note on it and sent it to her for her collection. He told me when I was down to see him she was engaged – The boy in question had written him asking him the fatal question and he had given a favorable answer.

Well, there is a fellow waiting to do some work so will have to stop right now but maybe can fill up the space a little later –

Lots of Love (in case I don’t get to add more)
Daddy

Got thru sooner than I expected but now I can’t think of anything to say –
Hope you mother is improving. I feel so helpless about making suggestions
Again lots of Love
Daddy

Frerricks address is Navy 152 F.P.O. San Fran Calif

Lt. Roscoe S. Yegerlehner, mostly likely in the Solomon Islands

Lt. Roscoe S. Yegerlehner, New Caledonia, 1942

David’s Accident (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 9, 1943 envelope

: August 9, 1943, p. 1

: August 9, 1943, p. 2

: August 9, 1943, p. 3

: August 9, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60
F.P.O. San Francisco, Calif.
Aug. 9, 1943

Dear Mother,

Your letters of 24, 25 & 26 came – The one you wrote while in the Hospital with D. and the latest after you had taken him home – It’s too bad a thing like that had to happen but from what you say I can’t see but what it was an accident and no one to blame. It’s just one of those things. You remember the time Red Brewer fell – no one would call that carelessness and I can see no reason why that could be called carelessness just because an adult was not carrying him – anyone can stumble – You will not the person who criticized first was the person who probably needed the most criticism about her children – So pay no attention “by them.” No doubt it is a little hard for you to take however because of the pressure you are under from your mother being sick, the responsibility of the home and boys and then the added pressure of the accident. Don’t feel too badly because I’m sure from the

[page 2] way you described the break it really isn’t serious. The most disheartening thing of the whole business will be seeing D. in the cast but don’t feel too badly about that because kiddies get used to casts much more readily than grown ups. The worst thing I see about the thing is the extra work it will make you in keeping him bathed and in the handling you have to do for him. It will no doubt slow his walking and don’t be alarmed when the cast is taken off because you will probably be able [to] see a marked difference in the size of that leg – due to a lack of exercise, but in a few months times hat should right itself completely – as I figure it he has been in the case now a little over two weeks and by the time you get this the cast will be removed. The boys won’t be in school as yet and they will be a help thru it all. As I see the whole thing it isn’t serious and probably won’t slow D. down to any appreciable extent so the thing to do is be thankful it isn’t any more serious. I know you have taken this attitude, and I’m certain the boys have a mother capable of meeting those situations but and

[page 3] I’m just sorry I can’t share the troubles more fully with you but this war is a little bigger than families. So much for that.

You will find a m.o. enclosed – It’s made out to you but – here is the story – while Commander Frericks was here he bought beer on numerous occasions and I always helped him drink it and offered to pay my share but he never would take it – he insisted I send the money home to the boys. I had never been able to purchase a m.o. until this a.m. so that’s that. It’s to be equally divided between the boys – when they receive it I think it would be nice if they (J & M) dropped him a line thanking him – Maybe that is asking too much for possibly you will have to do the writing. I’ll send his address in a day or two and you can do as you like about having them write.

I hope I’ve made myself clear about D.’s accident – please feel that I don’t blame anyone and I know things will come out OK. I know the boys have a wonderful mother and I know now she didn’t mean she wouldn’t send anymore pictures for there was on in yesterday’s mail of her and several

[page 4] of the boys – and one of Virginia Z. Thank a lot for them and Lots of Love from Daddy

Virginia Zell holding David

Anxious (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: August 8, 1943 envelope

: August 8, 1943, p. 1

: August 8, 1943, p. 2

: August 8, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. San Fran. Calif.

Aug. 8, 1943

Dear Mother,

As you will note this is Aug. 8 and that really is some date for a few of us to remember. I wrote you a letter about 8 days ago of more or less retrospect of the year’s happenings to date – That letter could just as well have been written today but it seemed to be more appropriate at that time. In a big general way it has been a good year as far as the war is concerned. The enemy has been pushed back on all fronts in the Pacific and of course the European phase is also going good as far as news reports go. If things can just keep going during the next year

[page 2] maybe this thing won’t last too long.

Your letter of July 23 came yesterday. It was good that you could get a leave for Jim. I’m sure it will help your mother as well as anything. Jim must be pretty tired just staying in one place for over a year. Of course, he switched to Camp Peary but it has been more or less the same, I guess it hasn’t been too bad for him however, because Thelma has been near by and he was is also able to enjoy some of the benefits of modern civilization and these things are of value but maybe we don’t appreciate them until after being deprived of them for a period of time. He no doubt is anxious to get out of the country and after being out

[page 3] for a time will be just as anxious to get back. You see I can talk from experience. I was anxious to get going and I’m just as anxious to get back and swab jobs with someone else who would like to see what he can see.

Let me again remind you not to work too hard nor worry to[o] much about things because that is hard on your health and that is the biggest worry I have out here – The health of you and the boys – I’m of course concerned with your mother’s health the same as I would be of my Mother & Dad, but it’s very much different when it comes to you and the boys. Well I’ve said my say.

Love Daddy