Tag Archives: World War II

Cold Beer (Roscoe)

: September 22, 1943 envelope

: September 22, 1943, p. 1

: September 22, 1943, p. 2

Sept. 22, 1943

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

Dear Mother,

Your letter written Sept. 7 came yesterday. In it you told of Funk’s return and the difficulty you had of buying meat at Bair’s grocery with Fords’ being closed. It must be a problem to buy all those things with ration cards, etc. We often see gags in the magazine relative to rationing but we just can’t appreciate the jokes but maybe you can’t either but we don’t have the basis for understanding them.

Yesterday P.M. when everything was hot and I was as dry as powder one of my tent mates came in with a case of cold beer. I can tell you it was the biggest treat we have had in ages. Even turkey or fried chicken would not have been more appreciated. That is best understood if you can imagine drinking

[page 2] only warm water with ice water or cold water at a premium. So you see what the cold beer meant.

I have to go out and do a little inspecting again this A.M. It seems that job keeps me on the run most of the time and it does help pass the time rather rapid but it’s a little hard on the rear system since these jeeps don’t ride to easy. They may go places OK but one is bruised in places often getting there.

The trip is over and I’m not too bruised, and while at the General’s place another beer (cold) was offered and received.

Seems as if beer is about all I’ve written about but I do do other things as well as thing of other things.

Space is all used up so solong until tomorrow –
Love Daddy

P.S. Here is one more picture I forgot to mail.

Office of Emergency Management. c1943-1945. National Archives.

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/02/26/cold-beer-roscoe/

A Little Party (Gladys)

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

MRS. R.S. YEGERLEHNER
KENTLAND
INDIANA
9-22-43

Dear Daddy – It was warm again today so we had David & James L. out in the yard quite a lot. I tried to get a picture of David’s curls but won’t know how they show up until I get the film developed. We didn’t go to the hospital today but Glen plans to go tomorrow. I want to have a little party of neighborhood children tomorrow after school so am not planning to go down. Dorothy has a movie film she is going to take. I have just one roll of film and can’t get any more so I am saving the rest of the roll (took one today) for later. David didn’t have a bottle today. Drinks his milk out of a cup now. I thought I would try him one day to see how he would get along and he didn’t seem to miss anything. I saw Irene this evening and said Mrs. J. has the flu. There seem to be a lot of colds, sore throats, etc., around now, but I believe it is due to the early cool weather. My throat feels good today but I am hoarse. After Dr. Ade treated me yesterday my throat hurt but I knew it would feel better today (I hoped it would). Your Mother sent David a dollar for his birthday. He should fare pretty well from all indications. I will bake him a cake for the rest of us to eat with ice cream. A new Reader’s Digest came and John is devouring it as usual. Mark is not doing much of anything. Glen has been painting the Taylor Tot & he is looking on. Glens are planning to go home the last of the week. I hate to see them go, but they must.

Love Mother

© 2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/02/25/a-little-party-gladys/

Native Patients (Roscoe)

3 Replies

: September 21, 1943 envelope

: September 21, 1943, p. 1

: September 21, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60
F.P.O. San Fran. Cal.
Sept. 21, 1943

Dear Mother,

8:30 A.M. and good and hot. We can noticeably tell that summer is arriving for the past 2 weeks have been definitely warmer and with much less rain than a month or two ago but I imagine the rain will begin again before long but that is only imagination.

Our native patients are responding real well to treatment and they seem to appreciate what we are doing for them but they are never in a hurry when we go there. We ask them to be there so it won’t take so long but each time it is the same. We treat one or two then have to wait for the others to appear. Many of the officers buy grass skirts and other articles of junk paying from 25¢ to $1.00 but to me it is all junk and dirty at that. I don’t think I’d want to send any of that stuff home after it had been fly specked from the sores and dirt of the villager. I guess you know me well enough

[page 2] to appreciate what I’ve been saying. In one of the pictures I sent you, you will note one white baby – It isn’t as bad as you are thinking. I know the story back of that but can’t reveal it at present.

So much for the natives – I mentioned something about imagination earlier in this letter and mine has been over worked in the past few weeks or months as to how you are getting along with your mother’s illness and with all the worry of the boys. I do feel that you are doing a good job as only you can do, and I look forward to getting the pictures of you as much as those of the boys because I want to keep check on how you are retaining your appearance and up to now I’ll say according to the pictures it has been pleasing. Keep it up Dear.

It’s considerable later now than when I started this letter so must get going
Love Daddy

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

© 2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/02/24/native-patients-roscoe/

Soup & Ice Cream (Gladys)

2 Replies

: September 21, 1943 envelope

: September 21, 1943, p. 1

: September 21, 1943, p. 2

: September 21, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
Sept. 21 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Back from Laf. today. I talked to Dr. Cole. He said he quite giving Mother the Betalin shots because she wasn’t responding any. He talked to Baylee and B thought the ammonium nitrate would take that fluid down in her abdomen but Cole said he didn’t think it would help much. Baylee said to give insulin to make her eat so they are going that now. She gets weaker every day. So weak she can hardly feed herself, and today complained of pain in her bowels. The Dietitian came up to her room and asked her what she would like to eat – she had a nice supper tray and did eat some soup & ice cream but as soon as she started to eat complained of the gas bothering her. Glen & Pauline are talking of going home the end of the week. He has to get back to work and hates to leave here with Mother so bad. He got all the storm windows hung. There was a pane broken in the French doors & a basement window & he is going to fix them tomorrow. Also going to paint the

[page 2] Taylor Tot for David and do a few other odd jobs around. Pauline has cleaned all the upstairs, stairway & Nursery. She really cleans & never seems to know when to quit working. We have to wash at least one tub of clothes everyday and she hangs the thing out if it’s chilly because of my hands. I told them to take that old washing machine & the rug I had rolled up in the attic. Glen is going to see about shipping the washing machine & if the freight isn’t too much will send it. I think Bun Loughridge has forgotten he was supposed to take it because it has been here almost two years now or is it three? No guess two is correct. Bun hasn’t changed. I took the sweeper down and after two weeks or more went down and got it still not fixed. The band broke but I can still use it for suction.

My throat has been sore so went in to Dr. Ade today & had a treatment. I have been hacking & spitting all evening. Will go in for another treatment the next time I go down if it persists in being sore. I told him I didn’t like starting in the fall with a sore throat but I believe the strep I had last winter left my throat in a weakened condition. Dr. Ade wanted me to take sulfa but I told him I am allergic to it and having had such a severe attack of allergy so recently am afraid to try sulfa now. Maybe when you come home & if necessary I can have tonsils out but

[page 3] will try to get by without that little “ectomy.”

I mailed a letter in Laf. today I wrote last night, with two pictures. I am enclosing two more in this letter.

Dorothy couldn’t go shopping for David’s birthday gift so had me buy something for him. I got him a pr. of red corduroy overalls and a red & white t-shirt. He has his red snow suit jacket so will be a red bird with all those things on. He trys to say John. He really attracts attention wherever I take him. He turns on the personality and has everyone looking at him – or is his Mother just imagining things? Yesterday Glen went to town with me & we took D. along. We went into Nick’s and David got a lot of attention. Glen said something about the fuss everyone made over David.

John & Mark went to a football game tonite & Mt. Ayre won. John is still having headaches & Van Buskirk says his glasses are correct. I wonder if his age hasn’t something to do with his headaches. His face is a sight – worse with pimples & blackheads than ever.

It’s past 10:30 so I must get to bed. David has a habit of waking around 7 so if I don’t get to bed in time to get my sleep out by 7 a.m. I just miss it.

Love Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/02/23/soup-ice-cream-gladys/

Flower Blossoms (Roscoe)

2 Replies

: September 20, 1043 envelope

: September 20, 1943, p. 1

: September 20, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Sept. 20, 1943
Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60, F.P.O. S.F.C.

Dear Mother,

This is our regular native day so the practice is what you might say black.

Yesterday being Sunday we took a little trip and a swim. When we returned we stopped at an old orchard and collected some limes, mango and some flowers. I’m sending one of the flowers. I know it will be all crushed, etc. but the perfume may still be present. These flowers sell for $1.00 per blossom in New Zealand and Australia, and they can’t be bought in the U.S.A. I know when it arrives you won’t be able to tell anything about it but I’m going to send it anyway. The Island has lots of them and when you are near one of those brushes the perfume in the air is really wonderful. I’ve tried to press flowers to send but the colors seem to fade in the pressing procedure.

There hasn’t been any mail now for

[page 2] two days and of course we get impatient but we used to wait weeks on end.

If I remember correctly I got the news of D. arrival on Sept. 23 the day he was one month old. Of course I could be incorrect – you said Oct. 20 and that may be right.

A Dr. just came in the other day who had left the States Aug. 23. I’m really glad I came out when I did because I feel that I have a good chance of returning in the not too distant future. By that I mean months yet, but months don’t seems so long when one has been out years already. I say years and it is now going on two –

Loves of Love
Daddy

Pressed blossom from the Russell Islands, 1943

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/02/22/flower-blossoms-roscoe/

Holy Terror (Gladys)

1 Reply

: September 20, 1943 envelope

: September 20, 1943, p. 1

: September 20, 1943, p. 2

: September 20, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
Sept. 20 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

Just returned from a Rotary meeting at the Nu-Joy – Rev. Sudah was the main speaker – also a State fire prevention man was present and gave a short talk. Rev. Sudah shook hands with me and said to remember him to you when writing. He said he was going to re-Christen his little boy (born while you were intern) Holy terror. Uncle Wes & Aunt Jessie stopped this noon enroute home & left some things your mother sent. I wanted them to stay and attend the meeting tonight but Uncle has a bad cough and when he gets in crowds coughs a lot. He would have enjoyed the meeting tonight because Sudah spoke about Rotary International. On the other hand the ventilating system didn’t work and the smoke got in my eyes and my sinus got stopped up so I know it would have bothered Uncle Wes. I told Ira Dixon who was sitting across from me at the table about Uncle Wes. He said it would have been something special to have him present. Bart had Helen along tonight and someone asked him who he went with before – he went stag last time and had a hilarious time (I mean the Country Club party). Bart just

[page 2] ignored the inquiry and pretended not to hear. Two new members received pins tonight – Bob Schurtter (ag teacher) and a Jean Lyons – I haven’t been around enough lately to know whose who in the new people.

You have mentioned twice sending messages by men coming back – To date I have not heard from anyone or received any flowers. So after this I suggest you either save your money or send it directly – I don’t want to sound mercenary but – well I think you understand what I mean. But remember if anyone asks a similar favor from you, keep your promise – I am – sure will.

I didn’t go to the hospital today. Glenn & I plan to go tomorrow. Glenn got the storm windows all hung and is going to clean the furnace. Pauline has cleaned (and I mean clean) the upstairs and cleaned the stairway with steel wool. She wants to work on the nursery tomorrow. I think I’ll take David with us. He was so fussy today I hate to leave him. – He must be cutting more teeth. He drools so much. I fed him before I left for the Rotary dinner but didn’t get him to bed but John puts him to bed. He was sound asleep when I came home. After his 7 P.M. meal he gets tucked in for the night. However he woke me up about – I would say 5:am and was wet & cold – I changed him & put him

[page 3] in bed with me. He woke me again abut 7: I can’t leave him in bed with me anymore and go back to sleep after his bottle (which habit is about over) because he crawls right off. He was so restless today about the only place he would be satisfied was to play in the stove drawers with the pans. I used to allow J. & M. to do the same thing so why not D. Mary P. came for the meat points today & I gave her 988. She says they are going to butcher a hog soon & we can have half of it. Mary said Ruthie isn’t getting along so well. Her ankles swell when she trys to walk & seems she doesn’t walk naturally now – Mary has to have some gall-bladder work done. She went with me to see Cole one time when I took David & Cole ordered her to have X-Ray done. She isn’t feeling so good but says she wants to get Ruthie on her feet before having anything done.

John Krull is home again & he & Gladys were at the meeting tonight. I didn’t ask them anything about where he is stationed or when he is going back.

I am enclosing pictures of Jim, Glen, Pauline, babies & I taken the day Jim & Glenn started back to Norfolk. You can compare babies in the pictures and see our boy is tops.

There is a light frost predicted for tonight. There isn’t much left in our garden it can hurt. I must close so this can be dropped in the mail box.

“Love Mother”

Yours of Sept. 4-7-9 & 11 came today.

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/02/21/holy-terror-gladys/

Meat Points (Roscoe)

2 Replies

: September 19, 1943 envelope

: September 19, 1943, p. 1

: September 19, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Sept. 19, 1943
Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60 F.P.O. S.F.C.

Dear Mother,

Your letter written Sept. 5 just two weeks ago today came yesterday. You had been to the hospital and have given a report about your mother and I must say the report was not good but you were doing the best things you knew how and after all that is the only thing one can do.

You said you were in a spot with company and meat points. I should think you wouldn’t hesitate to collect meat points from your company and I would think they wouldn’t think hard of it if you did ask for them because that is a nationwide program and everyone should understand.

It’s hard to imagine the cool weather back there. We just take hot for granted and that is that. All our tents, buildings, etc., are just a top with sides screened in. Storage places for foods are the same way. Never expecting of course freezing weather nor not much wind. In fact not enough wind to blow rain into the sides of the huts. I guess I’ve said all that before but I just happened to think as I was writing – how different we live from what we used to – but I think

[page 2] we can easily get back to the good old fashioned way – weather included.

Once in a while I see Josserand’s name in the paper. I just wonder if the old fight is still going on among the three as it was when I left.

I’m having a little competition from conversation so don’t be alarmed I’ll try my best to keep this on the upper level. I wish I could put some of those things down but that wouldn’t be cricket.

Glad to hear your hands cleared as soon as they did and I think you should be exceptionally careful in the next few months of what you eat because of the nervous tension you are under.

It sure would be fine if a locker could be established at Kentland. It would save gas, tires, etc. Brook would be worse but we can still use the one at Sheldon.

Well, I must get on with a letter to the Folks –
So Solong until tomorrow
Love Daddy

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

Book Update – Book Giveaway!

1 Reply

The book will officially be published on March 3rd so I am counting down the days until it’s release.

What I’m doing:
Now that the proof has arrived I have to go over it to make sure the manuscript printed correctly. I’ve already noticed that some of my page numbers are not the right font. I’ve noticed a couple errors on the cover and have submitted those to my cover artist.

What you can do:
Enter the giveaway contest! Here are the rules:
1. Go to the Dear Mother, Love Daddy Event page (on Facebook see link below) and check off that you are “attending.”
2. Leave a comment on the Event page. You can say hi, or you can tell me why you think you should get a free, autographed copy of the book.
3. Share the Event page on your Facebook page! (This is the most important step!)

On March 3rd, I will chose three random people to win an autographed copy of the book. I will announce the winners throughout the day on March 3rd! Disclosure: It will take a few weeks for your copy to arrive so be patient!

These Prairie Winds (Gladys)

2 Replies

: September 19, 1943 envelope

: September 19, 1943, p. 1

: September 19, 1943, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
Sept. 19-1943

Dear Daddy –

Sun. evening & bedtime. Glen, Pauline, the babies & I went to Laf. today. John & Mark stayed home. David was so full of pep he wore us all down. Slept all the way home. He is tucked in now but was so tired from the trip he was a little cross before going to bed. James is a much quieter baby than D. Glen doesn’t know what to do about going back home yet. He hates to leave with Mother so low and feels he should get back to work. Mother looked much thinner today & Fri. and seemed weaker. She wouldn’t eat any supper – Dr. had ordered some new medicine for her and after taking the first dose threw it right up. The nurse brought in another dose at 4 P.M. – There were 4 large brown tablets and I think it was ammonium nitrate. She kept the last dose down but refused to eat at 5 P.M. I looked at her abdomen and she was distended quite a lot. It is full of fluid. Mrs. Zell came over to see about Virginia going to Laf. with us Tues. & when I told her Mother is thinner she said she didn’t think it possible, however she is.

Glen worked on the storm windows Sat. He washed the frames and when he gets the windows washed will hang them. He gets chocked up once in a while but is better than when he first came. He said the window casings should be washed but I told him just to brush the dirt off & wash windows.

[page 2] It was warmer today than usual. Warm enough to be out without wraps & so far since cooler weather wraps were in order. Seems to me we are having an early fall – while driving we can see flocks of birds going mostly south – if that means anything. I told Glen it will probably turn warm after we get the storm windows on. He wanted to know how we got any ventilation after putting all those storm windows on. I told him when these prairie winds blow across here we get ventilation. I told him it was hard to keep that wind out. I suppose they have winds in Nev. but any wind would have to be strong to beat these.

I am sitting on the edge of our bed writing. I came up to get to bed early but it’s past 10:30 and no shut eye yet. I want to get this written. David is sound asleep but a little stopped up – I was a little worried about him having a cold so early in the fall but have decided it is an allergy – here one day & gone the next. He sounds now like he has some mucous in his nose but not enough to wake him up. John is better of his condition. Dr. Van Buskirk gave me a bromide prescription to have filled & I did what you have had patients do – didn’t get it. Dr. Van says John is nervous & needs the sedative for his system but I know John – he is like he has been all his life – his cough is gone and I am not going to give him bromides. Dr. V. doesn’t know our John – just because he squirmed around when he tried to look into his nose & throat he tabbed him as too nervous. Well John is better & no medicine so I guess that is O.K. –

Love Mother

Pauline Foster with James L., circa 1943

Ages (Roscoe)

1 Reply

: September 18, 1943 envelope

: September 18, 1943, p. 1

: September 18, 1943, p. 2

: September 18, 1943, p. 3

Letter transcription:

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

Dear Mother,

Your letter dated Sept. 4 came yesterday – The pictures were in it, and as you said John’s picture was pretty blurred. The others were OK and very good.

Glenn’s baby seems to be a little on the fatty order but I guess that it the way some of them come.

All the pictures of D. seem to indicate that he is pretty much on the ball – Looks as if he is enjoying himself most of the time and of course I can’t tell if his hair is curly or not in those pictures. His mother looks very

[page 2] good in the picture sitting on the front step. Her hair is curley. The ages of all the kids were written below their pictures but I noticed that D.’s mother didn’t put her age under her picture. Maybe that isn’t necessary for me to even say that but I just thought of it as I was looking at the pictures.

You gave a financial report. On Sept. 4, $213⁰⁰, I wondered if that was after rent was deducted. I sent $250⁰⁰ again on the 16^th so that should help things along a little but you will probably need extra for hospital bill.

[page 3] I liked the description of the rearrangement of the furniture. It was a little different and unusual for I don’t believe you ever mentioned things like that before – Maybe you hadn’t changed things before. No that can’t be true! And maybe you wrote me about them but I forgot – you know I sometimes forget some things pretty easy. Other things I remember very well – about you and the boys – you can bet your bottom dollar on that.

I’ve had a heck of a time getting this written and it’s all disjointed anyway
Love Daddy