Yesterday I got inspired and pulled out the box with all the letters that my grandparents wrote.  Since I am going to try to post and write about them, I figured I needed to get them in order.  At some point, they were neatly tied together and labeled, most likely by my grandmother.  The bundles generally contained the letters for one month with the month, year and author written on a slip of paper.  Since the letters came into my possession, I have mostly left the bundles alone.  Occasionally I have gone hunting for some detail or another.

During the war, soldiers were not allowed to divulge to their loved ones where they were stationed in case their mail was captured by the enemy.  This practice still continues today for obvious security reasons. My grandparents knew this so they developed a code. I haven’t actually cracked the code, but I know when to spot it.  Whenever my grandparents started talking about the yard and lawn care, this was an indication of where my grandfather was currently stationed. One of the family stories that has survived over the years is about the letter that arrived the third week of September 1942.  This is the week my father was born.  My grandfather had recently arrived at his destination in the Pacific and wanted to let my grandmother know where he was. There was a mail delay of one to two weeks depending on how far out a soldier was stationed. My grandmother had been waiting for such a letter for weeks.  When my grandmother finally received the letter indicating when my grandfather was stationed, she went into labor.

When I first received the letters, one of the first things I did was to try and track down this infamous letter that sent my grandmother into labor.  I found several letters that alluded to yard care and shrubbery, but sadly I don’t know the rest of the code. Since there were also two or three letters which referenced the lawn, I can’t be sure which one it actually was.

Another instance of my digging through the letters was to follow the death of my great grandmother, Emma Foster.  I knew that she died in November 1943.  I also knew that she came to live with my grandmother near the end. By reading through the letters, I was able to see the tragedy of my great grandmother’s death unfold over the months leading up to her death.

So yesterday, I unwrapped the remainder of the letters from their little strings and neat labels.  I organized them in the box, chronologically and by author. I had already put some of the letters in sheet protectors and had previously attempted to scan them. At this point, the story begins from my grandfather’s point of view.  I’m not sure if he kept her early letters with all the moving around he did that first summer of 1942 but her narrative does not really begin until September 1942.

I also wanted to note that the letter I posted yesterday was not my grandfather’s first letter.  It was actually his second.  He wrote two letters that were postmarked May 21, 1942. Somehow the first letter received the later postmark at 5:30 PM.

Letter Transcription:

Wed. Eve
Dear Mother,

Haven’t much in the way of encouragement or discouragement as far as your coming down. Because there hasn’t been much time to think of that.
It was after 12:00 when the boat arrived. The last ¾ hour is made by boat. The train comes to one side of the bay and then all the passengers take a large steam ferry. The Y M
The Navy Y.M.C.A. is only about 2 blocks from the lang landing of the boat. So when I saw it I thought I might as well try to get a room but they wouldn’t let me have it until I showed them my orders. It cost $1.00 per day for room. The naval base is so far from town, however, that the biggest drawback – It takes about ¾ hour to get there by street car.
This first day has been somewhat like registering day at college – first here then there. I got plenty of walking and really wanted the car. A fellow in the personnel Dept. gave me the names of some people having rooms

[page 2] but I haven’t called yet. I’d sorta like to find the location of them with respect to base. The commanding Dr. seemed to be rather nice but don’t know what he will say in the A.M. When I go back without uniform. Because I just didn’t get in early enough to have them made today.
They don’t wear blue in summer. Just white and Kakai. I’m getting a white Kakai by tomorrow P.M. Each suit costs around $18.00 complete. That is the Dakin – (how do you spell that word?) Only one cap is necessary – Just change the cover. It with the white cover is $12.00 or $15.00. I’ve forgotten which. I’ll have to buy all new shirts for this summer.
I’m only about half here – That trip is a killer – only slept 2-3 hours and that not good. I’ll try to write more tomorrow. Maybe I can tell you something of a room.

Love Daddy

You may write me at the Y and if I move out I’ll come back to see if there is mail.

©2012, copyrighted & written by Deborah Sweeney