Tag Archives: Pacific Theatre

Dear David (Roscoe)

: December 3, 1943 envelope

: December 3, 1943, p. 1

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4 Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.

Dear David,

I just know you will get a big kick out of this little present I’m sending you. You will have to consult Mother about how to spend it but and I’m sure she won’t go too far wrong.

I’m sorry you can’t have too much candy but you can have an extra pull on your thumb unless Mother should decide to buy a guard to keep that from happening.

John & Mark probably will see to it that you have a good time and I know Mother will do likewise – Just between you & I she is a very capable woman – Don’t you think?

Love Daddy.
P.S. give Mother an extra kiss for me.

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/07/13/dear-david-roscoe/

Cigarettes and Chewing Gum (Roscoe)

2 Replies

: December 2, 1943 envelope

: December 2, 1943, p. 1

: December 2, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4 Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Dec. 2, 1943

Dear Mother,

Just by way of repeat – In yesterday’s letter I had a check for your Christmas and I’ll get some money orders for the boys tomorrow. Maybe I’m a little late with this Christmas business but with any kind of connections the letters should get there in good time.

Your V-mail letters of Nov. 16 – 19 & 20 came today – Those were the latest I’ve received here. It seems v-mail is faster than air mail but keep both coming. I don’t mind v-mail in the least but many of the fellows don’t like them – they do seem a little like canned mail but it keeps one up to date.

In case I didn’t mention it before – Ruth M. sent me some cigarettes and chewing gum. The latter was quite a treat since that stuff is really hard to get. I don’t like to mention things like that because I have a feeling gum is hard to get there and I wouldn’t like to deprive anyone from their supply. Mother sent some a few months ago and I had some of that until just lately.

Your greeting also came and the little insert where you inserted the word “one” for “folk” was

[page 2] really something. I’d say rather cute and with much meaning and of course the thing applies both ways.

I’m still feeling badly about not writing for such a long stretch of time because just about now you are in that period when you are reaping the benefits of me not writing. I surely hope you won’t think to me too terrible but it was an opportunity I hated to miss. I’d like to write you all about the trip but that isn’t al the way the censorship is here so things like that will have to keep until later. It was such a delitful delightful experience after the past few months that it’s hard for me to even describe or realize just how much it really did mean. Here I am writing you all this when you really haven’t had a vacation or a change for some time and no prospects of one so I’m more than somewhat ashamed of myself.

Other letters to the folk, the Ruths, etc., have to be written and if I stop now maybe I can write one or two tonight so

Solong –
Love Daddy

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/07/09/cigarettes-and-chewing-gum-roscoe/

Yesterday’s Letters (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: December 1, 1943 envelope

: December 1, 1943, p. 1

: December 1, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner
USN Base Hosp. #4 Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Dec. 1, 1943

Dear Mother,

In one of your letters yesterday you gave me the full details of the flowers arriving for your birthday. He (Palmer) had the exact date so maybe he planned the whole thing that way and there is also a possibility that he arrived just in time. Too bad something like that couldn’t happen so I could send you a real nice Christmas present but so far I see no hope of that.

This little check is for that purpose – (Christmas present) but it really isn’t like flowers, etc. One could buy some things presents here but I am a little afraid of sending things since that box I sent last year didn’t come thru and it was also late when I arrived here. So use the check for something you wouldn’t otherwise wouldn’t buy, like the Pjs you told me you bought for your birthday. I got more than somewhat of a kick out of your description of that affair.

When you wrote that I would have a good picture – better picture rather of D. growing up than some “Daddies” at home you were very correct because there has been very few letters in which he didn’t come in for his share from

[page 2] his proud Mother and of course I was as eager to hear read those things as you were to write them. I often as you can. What you write but send them as often as you can. What you write but send them as often as you can. What you write but send them as often as you can.

Tomorrow I’ll get some money orders for the boys so they can get a few things for themselves, as they did last year. Seems as if they got a big kick out of that last year. All this Christmas writing by me I suppose was brought on by the date for it just doesn’t seem that that time is around again and of course we know now that we won’t have snow but you have possibilities there. I know you will not be disappointed if snow doesn’t come but as I’ve often written a little bit of snow under my feet would sure feel fine especially if it were in certain parts of Indiana.

I do hope this gets to you by Christmas time but I have a feeling that the mail will be slow again this year because of the regular Christmas rush which is hard to control.

I’ve rambled lost lots but any way.
Lots of Love
Daddy

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/07/07/yesterdays-letters-roscoe/

Ten Days (Roscoe)

2 Replies

: November 30, 1943 envelope

: November 30, 1943, p. 1

: November 30, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4
Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Nov. 30, 1943

Dear Mother,

You mentioned in one of your letters I received today about forgetting to mail a letter for one day and was sorry – well, I haven’t written for 10 days as you probably know by now but I wasn’t supposed to say too much about a leave I was taking – So I’m sorry for not having written. It had to be that way – The only thing I did write was that my mail would be off schedule. There was 18 letters and a package from Ruth M. waiting when I got back.

About the vacation – I have a word picture of the whole thing but that can’t be written for reasons you already known by you. It was a chance I couldn’t afford to miss and maybe I had it coming because it has been some time since I’ve had a day off from duty. Not being able to write was the thing I hated the most.

There are so many things in your letters about which I’d like to write but three more just came so I’ll have to have some time to digest all of them. Most of the letters were old having gone to the old address the latest being Nov. 15, and the worry you had about leaving off the 133 was useless because it really isn’t too necessary although

[page 2] it does help.

The most vivid thing running thru all your letters was D. walking. I believe you stressed that the most. Maybe that was the thing that was most interesting to me. At least I enjoyed it lots, and I know he must enjoy walking from your word pictures of his actions while he is toddling along.

I hope Art Kenney was correct about the tour of duty. Of course one don’t expect things like that to happen on the exact day. What he told you about the contingent of Marines has proven correct in so far as I am concerned. He has been promoted rather rapidly to have reached the rate he has in such a short time but I think Art is a pretty bright boy.

So far the home town paper sent by Boonie hasn’t arrived but things like that are slow. I hope the pictures of D. are good you had taken under the sponsorship of the paper.

Maybe tomorrow I can write a little better letter after I’ve had a chance to think about yours and re read the ones I might have skipped over lightly –

Lots of Love
Daddy

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/07/05/ten-days-roscoe/

Lt. Palmer’s Flowers (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: November 18, 1943 envelope

: November 18, 1943, p. 1

: November 18, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4 Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Nov. 18, 1943

Dear Mother,

Yours of Nov. 4 (v-mail) came today. That really wasn’t so bad. In it you wrote of my Oct. 30 letter arriving in 5 days, and I also noted that you now have my corrected address. The telegram you sent when your Mother passed away also arrived today. So you see letters are much faster.

In this letter you mentioned the flowers Lt. Palmer sent but didn’t say what day they arrived. You had written that in a previous letter. I sure hope it hit your birthday as we intended. I sure wish I could get something like that to you for Christmas but I’m afraid there won’t even be flowers this year because we didn’t have the same service as last year.

I know you are disappointed in the letter from here now. I mean the length of time especially after those few came thru so fast. I’m writing just as often however.

The relief you eng experienced by you, which you wrote of in today’s letter, was mutual I can assure you.

I moved today into another room. There was a better

[page 2] one (I thought) vacated and so I moved in. It was just down the hall so there wasn’t much involved. You might put that in the class of furniture moving of which I wrote about a few days ago. This one gives me a better southern, northern, eastern, or western I’m not sure which anyway I can see more – Most of what I can see is mountains so in the new room I can see more mountains. That is very intelligent writing I’ll even admit myself.

More about Lt. Palmer – He is a-1 – was married a year or two ago – was very sick for ten days and I nursed him as a fellow tent mate and of course learned to know him very well. I was certain he would send you anything I asked. In fact he didn’t want to take any money said he would buy the flowers himself but I wouldn’t give him your address until he took the money. He is not a Doctor but his Dad is, so he knows a lot about the ins and outs of the medical profession.

Dear – please don’t worry if my mail is slow – It’s just one of those things that can’t be helped and it will be OK but one gets anxious waiting for letters. I know!

Lots of Love
Daddy

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/06/20/lt-palmers-flowers-roscoe/

Football Season (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: November 17, 1943 envelope

: November 17, 1943, p. 1

: November 17, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4 Navy 133
Nov. 17, 1943

Dear Mother,

Your V-mail of Oct. 19, came today. It was a little old but I read it just the same. When an old letter does come it doesn’t have the kick that a late one has but they are appreciated just the same. There are a few from Oct. 10 to Oct. 20 still missing but no doubt they will be dropping in sooner or later. Also got a letter from Lentz. I had a chance to see him not long ago and he dropped me a line just to let me know how he was making out at the present time. He never did work very hard and from what I gather from his letter he is still the same.

It’s hard to realize that its football season is here or I should say almost gone. I imagine Jim got as much kick out of the football game and the hot dogs as the boys did. Mark of course would get the biggest kick of all. So Jim’s appetite hasn’t slowed down? He should try Spam, etc., for some time. If he still goes good after that he really is something. I ate so little for so long that a big meal now makes me feel all stuffed up so I just don’t eat so much but I think I’ve gained back a

[page 2] little but I didn’t take off much to start with. Just a day or two ago I weighed exactly what I did when I joined the Navy so I’m not doing so badly but I had last year about this time, gained about 15 pounds.

My regular schedule of writing to you may be broken again in a day or two but the address will be the same so think nothing of it if the letters are slow in coming to you. I’ll write as often as possible.

Another Dr. & I took a long walk this p.m. just to see the countryside and it really is beautiful. It seems to me the green of the growing vegetation here is much more vivid than at home. Maybe there is more of it. I mean less cultivated spaces and the land is more hilly or I should say mountainous and possibly the point of view is what brings out the various shades. I wish I could describe things more minutely but that isn’t possible so it’s only general descriptive terms and those don’t help in painting a word picture.

It’s bed time and good nite time so
Lots of Love
Daddy

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/06/18/football-season-roscoe/

A Little Prejudice (Roscoe)

2 Replies

: November 16, 1943 envelope

: November 16, 1943, p. 1

: November 16, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4 Navy 133
F.P.O. San Fran Calif.
Nov. 16, 1943

Dear Mother,

Your v-mail of Oct. 28 came today and of course it was forwarded from the old place but that can be expected for some time to come.

I suppose the boys will write me all about their grades etc. You only mentioned John’s in your letters – were Mark’s too terrible? Possibly he hadn’t received his report card as of the date you wrote the letter. And I thought I was correct about the grade Mark was in but just wasn’t quite sure you see things get mixed up when a year passes by without contact. Your writing of D.’s popularity is rather consistent so he must be OK because you write about him, the folks write about him and Sis always puts in a good word for him so all those people can’t be wrong although they might be a little prejudice in his favor if you want to say it that way.

I also got a letter from one of my old buddies and he informs me that things are going about as usual at that place except some of my friends have also left

[page 2] so the changing process is still going on just like it was when I was there.

Don’t be disappointed if my mail to you is slowed down because it seems in these parts it takes mail longer than from where I was before – just one of those things which you probably have already found out and I’m sure your letters to me will also take longer. It seems v-mail is better this way and I might even try some that way but of course air-mail is still better if you can get it. It really doesn’t matter so much if mail is a little late just so it keeps coming regular.

The sun has been out most of the day and it sure does seem good to have that again even though we were very tired of the hot sun not so long ago. Some people say this is an unusual cold spell we are having at present for this time of the year at this place.

Well Dear it seems I’m at the end of the paper and you can tell I’m at the end of my subject matter so solong until tomorrow
Lots of Love
Daddy

Mail Call (Roscoe)

4 Replies

: November 15, 1943 envelope

: November 15, 1943, p. 1

: November 15, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4
Navy 133, F.P.O. San Fran Calif.
Nov. 15, 1943

Dear Mother,

It’s fun to be a foreigner and see people in their native surroundings. Of course, this isn’t the first time for we were also foreigners to those natives we used to treat and write about but I mean civilized people just like ourselves. Their expressions and manners are different and very noticeable, for example, while walking down the sidewalk – instinctively I want to pass to their right – results a few near head in smash up. It isn’t bad walking for a quick step and things are OK but I can see where driving a car might be dangerous. However, that is one thing which won’t bother because chances for driving around these parts are very few.

I can really see how much fun someone would have if they came from a foreign country and landed in the middle of one of our towns. Our peculiar habits and money would be a joke to them so it all adds up to the same thing and it’s still fun. Depending on which side you are on and the circumstances prevailing.

Some time later – I just had a hunch some mail might come in for me today and sure enough it did. Your v-mails of 16, 24 & 26 came as well as air mails of 21, 23 & 25 so now all your letters from Oct. 10 to 16

[page 2] are missing. You gave me a few details of your mother but most of them are missing and of course as yet no cablegram from the Red Cross.

What I’m interested in now is the finances. You probably have written that also and all will come in due time. I’m glad that you could spend a few days with the folks and see all the “kin” folk round about. You didn’t mention anything about Floyd being reclassified so I’ve wondered, since some time ago, I got the word that he thought he was going to be, and I suppose Paul & Earl are pretty well out of it by now.

Then there is another thing I’ve wondered about – and that is the amount of gasoline you are able to get. That car must be giving pretty good mileage or else you are getting more than I supposed. Perhaps you were able to get a little more due to illness or does it work that way? I’m really glad that you can use it because it would really be a handicap if you didn’t have it.

Well Dear do take care of yourself now that you have had your let down and keep your chin up as I know you have been doing in A-1 condition –

Lots of Love
Daddy

News and Shorts (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: November 14, 1943 envelope

: November 14, 1943, p. 1

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4 Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Nov. 14, 1943

Dear Mother,

Just to be different another Dr. and I went into town to see a show tonite and we just glanced at the name of the show and you guessed it I had seen the thing, as near as I can recall about 6 months ago. The news and the shorts were new so I wasn’t disappointed too much. After the show we had a hamburger and a cup of coffee and then home. That was the first time in a long time that approached anything like a show at home with the refreshment after, etc.

The dew today was pretty heavy – I mean of course the rain. It never seems to rain very hard but just keeps coming – Somehow it seems to be much wetter than the rain at home. I believe the drops are smaller and penetrate more – Just a crazy way of looking at it I suppose.

Well Dear it seems that writable news and stuff is really hard to think up and I promise to do better once your mail starts coming.

Love Daddy

Home from the Show (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: November 12, 1943 envelope

: November 12, 1943, p. 1

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4 Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Nov. 12, 1943

Dear Mother,

Just home from the show – The shows are all older here than previously but here we are in an enclosed building and of course the sound affects are much better. I really don’t care for shows now anymore than I did way back when but it is something to do to pass away the time – helps kill an evening as quickly as anything here.

Seems as if I’m stumped for want of something to write at the moment. There has been a little mail about each day but so far Ruth’s letter was the only one. It seems that v-mail is a little faster so you might try a few more. As I have it figure you didn’t get my corrected address until just a few days ago and all the mail in between times had to go either to my old home or to the incorrect address and then be sent on so it will probably be some time before mail gets to me.

Seems I’m repeating what I wrote a few days ago so solong
Love Daddy