Editor’s Note: I found this tucked into one of the July envelopes. There is no date on the article. Wikipedia says that the 1st Cavalry attacked on Feb. 29, 1944. I am happy to copy this on my printer and send it to any family member who requests it.

July 24-31

July 24.2, V-Mail: In the S.W.P.A. Editor’s Note: South West Pacific Area,  a name given to the Allied supreme military command in the Southwest Pacific Theater in WWII.  they have a club that goes like this. To join you must receive a two-part V-mail and have it come in order. You work up by receiving three and four page letters in their proper order. Few have gone higher than four. Just now I am waiting for retreat. In other words I am all dressed up and no place to go. When you get that Hollywood figure you can send me a picture. Here is a cute poem.

I fired my rifle in the air. The bullet landed Lord knows where. Next morning though it seems uncanny, I found it in a dead Jap’s fanny.

Guess you understand why that poem came to mind while I was thinking of your morning exercise. I found a tiny sponge out on the reef. I am going to send it to Edith.

July 25.3, V-Mail: I suppose while you have the car up there you and mom will go out to the farm. I hope you get to see Mrs. Rogers and Mrs. Carlson. Mrs. Carlson writes such interesting letters. I get a nap each noon and that’s something. During the afternoon we have to take one hour of sun bath. It helps keep down the jungle rot and ring worm. I have a little jungle rot on my arm. Ever hear of it?  It’s exactly what it sounds like. Editor’s Note: Jungle Rot is a chronic ulcerative skin lesion caused by a variety of microorganisms.  Last night I saw my old boss in “Gentleman’s Lady.” It rained before the show was finished and I didn’t stay. I am glad to see you take such an interest in racing. After we go down to Lexington you will have a better idea of what it’s all about. I wish I could take you to the races this summer, but fat chance of that. Everything is fine over here. The days pass by pretty fast and I keep from being lonesome. I don’t miss Edith too much because I hardly know what I am missing, but you….well that’s a horse of another color.

July 26.4, V-Mail:  I have been thinking of you all day. Golly but we are a long ways from each other. I have not heard anything from Europe, but the boys must be giving them hell. They sort of poured it on the Japs at Guam. I suppose mom thought I was there. I was thinking of the things I’ll remember about being over here. So far the thing I’ll remember most is the night I sat under a Native hut watching for a Jap. It’s a funny thing, but in the dark when your nerves are all keyed up you have an idea that even the trees are walking towards you. It’s funny what forms they take. Tell mom I swapped off my knife. I found out that I didn’t need it. We have machetes that are more practical. You can cut coconut trees with them or do a fine job of decapitating.

July 27.5, V-Mail:  It’s time for my after dinner nap. Guess I’ll have time to write this. I am going to the ball game this afternoon. Each troop has a softball team and it’s a good deal of fun to watch. Clair T brought me a hamburger this morning. He is on K.P. for the week. It sure tasted good.

July 27.6: E troop won the ball game today. It was a good game and I sure enjoyed it. It was unusual for them to win.

I hope you never get up nerve to get the singing job you mention. To be frank, I wouldn’t like it. Take it easy Flip. I’ll send you enough money to live on or try to at least. I am not going to say too much because while I am over here you will have to do what’s best and you alone know the answer to that.

Clair T is here ribbing me. While ******** I got a perfect*******on a ****** and before I pulled the trigger another guy opened up on him with a *****. I just stood there with my mouth open and didn’t fire a shot. I wish I could go back out. I was having the time of my life before they pulled us in.

July 28: Editor’s Note: The following letter is addressed to Grandpa and Grandma Norton. I am going to transcribe some excerpts from this letter.

…..I was out on patrol and we got several Japs. One of the highlights of the patrol was when another fellow and I went out to cut brush. We found a Jap who was unarmed with the exceptions of four hand grenades. All we had was our machettes………One night we bivouacked in an area where there were Japs close by. I had to sit in a Native hut and keep my eye on a trail that came out of the jungle about ten feet away…..I often wondered what a fellow would think about on such a night. I know now. You think of one thing and that is that no one is going to sneak through. Whenever you bivouac for the night you stay put. If you move around at night someone is going to shoot you. The Japs have a way of sneaking up close (this I have been told) and yelling “Oh my God! Some Jap shot me.” They pull all kinds of tricks like that and you have to be on guard.

…….I have received dad’s form letters and also a letter from some fellow on Marlowe St. Right now I am going to start kicking. I left the states and for 29 days I didn’t get a letter. I was worried about Flip and the baby and when they told me I had one letter in the orderly room I was overjoyed. I ran to the orderly room and there it was – a letter from the church. It was a good letter, but right then I felt pretty mean about the whole thing. Several weeks later the same thing happened and once again I nursed a grudge against Dad’s church. A couple of weeks ago I received a fat letter from someone on Marlowe and I was tickled. Here I thought was a letter from one of the church members and he would tell me the news. The envelope was filled with some sort of religious tract and a short note that told me how many members were in the service. Whenever the folks back there send a letter to a man over seas they want to remember one thing. That letter may reach him just after a hard fight. He is dog tired and it’s the only letter he gets. Right then his moral is at the bottom and he wants, above all things, some news.

Take the hypothetical case of Joe Blo. He left Detroit a year or two ago. Since then he hasn’t heard much news about Detroit. For three weeks he has not received a letter and suddenly he finds himself on a boat headed north – going to take another island. He spends a week on the boat and then goes ashore early some morning. For the next week he goes through hell. He hasn’t time to eat and hardly dares to sleep and he sees things that no man should ever have to see. The beach is taken and then there comes the best news of all. There is a bag of mail that just came in. He rushes up and grabs his letter and finds its from the church or a church member. He wants news. Of course he wants to hear about the church, but he would also like to have a little home town news and have a feeling that the letter was ment for him.

Here is an idea. Have some of the ladies or members clip articles out of the newspaper. Articles that tell about Detroit.  Perhaps a poem by Guest (Editor’s Note: Bud Guest was the host of a popular WJR radio talk show, “The Sunny Side Of The Street.” ) or some little thing about Detroit. When you send the letters out make sure that each contains a clipping or two and some soldier is going to thank you for it. Of course he will know it is a form letter, but he will feel that you put the clipping in just for him. It’s going to make his heart a little warmer and when he prays that night you can bet he will be thinking of that church back home.

July 29.7:  I wrote to your folks last night and by the time I finished it was too late to write to you.

I had a lot to tell dad. Both the church letters and the one I received from the church member left me with sort of an empty feeling and I wrote to him and told him why.

We are forming a “Last Squad Club” here in the division. It goes something like this…we join and pay our dues for life. The first payment will be the last. A board of trustees will invest the money. Later a part of it will be used toward a war memorial in memory of the 1st Cavalry. The rest of the money will remain until the last squad is formed and they can spend it as they please and disband the club. The last squad will be formed some seventy years from now when only eight men are left from the Division. I never cared much for clubs, but this sounds good to me and I may join. Editor’s Note: I Googled 1st Cavalry Last Squad Club. There is a bit if info online.

Did you read “Life in a Putty Knife Factory?” It sure is funny. Editor’s Note: The Author is H. Allen Smith on sale at Amazon used for $8.50.

It’s pretty hot out today. It never seems to be very humid here, but just good old hot. In fact I do not mind it half as much as I did at Riley and do not perspire as freely. This would be a very enjoyable country to live in.  If a man had a boat and plenty of tackle he could live a life of ease. Of course there are certain things you would miss, but there are things here that would make up for it. The worst part of it would be the Malaria. I told you that one of my buddies got Malaria. I hear he has been evacuated. At one time I thought I was going to have a touch of it, but I took a lot of Atabrine and it went away. Perhaps it wasn’t even Malaria.

I have been working on my shells this afternoon. The first bunch I found was destroyed by heating them, but I managed to get more. They are ready to mail and all I lack is a cigar box to put them in. I am going to have a jeweler make you a necklace. I saw a few pictures of these shells in a Collins Magazine. Some advertisement had a color picture of a Native girl wearing  a necklace of monkey teeth and these shells. I tried to buy some monkey teeth from a Native, but another fellow beat me to it. So your necklace will not be an exact duplicate.

Four bottles of beer tonight. I look forward to it as much as though I was going to the Roma for broiled lobster.

James has moved into my tent now. We are pretty good friends and we are close to the same age.

July 30.8:  Just came from church. I went twice today which isn’t too bad. The 7th Cavalry does not have a chaplain, but we have a twenty year old trooper that is an ordained minister. He lacks consistency, but he preaches a good sermon.

It sure rained this afternoon. Rained so hard that the water ran into our tent and flooded all the rats out of their holes. I grabbed a machete and chased hell out of them. These rats do not look just like the ones we have at home. They seem more refined and act as though they were trying to get someplace in the rat world. Most rats look at me and scowl and act like you would expect a rat to act; not so with these. After I turn out the lights I see them come out of their holes and go out of the tent. I often wonder where they are headed for. Perhaps there is a rat town on the island and they have a defence job. Just before daylight they return to the tent. Sometimes they go straight to their holes, but now and then they chase each other around the table a few times and then go off to bed. So much for my four-footed friends.

Pay Day! I can hardly wait for tomorrow to come. I am not broke, unless having thirty dollars is called broke, but I am anxious to get paid. I am going to join the club I mentioned in spite of the fact that it costs five pounds. Since leaving the states I don’t suppose I have spent three pounds, so I guess I can afford o spend a little/

I did buy a Hershey bar this afternoon. A fellow had a box of them and sold them for thirty-two cents a bar. Editor’s Note: When I was in High School, 1957-1961, I paid five cents a bar.  Do you wonder why I ask for a box of cigars? I wish some of them would get here.

I wonder where this letter will reach you. Do you plan on staying in Bellaire after your folks leave? I wonder if you are still thinking about a singing job. I would not like it. In fact, I would be very much against it. I wouldn’t want you singing in a night club and where else would you sing and make money? There should be good jobs in Detroit if you want to work, but as far as I am concerned you don’t have to work.

July 31.9: I am in a good mood. Perhaps I should say  am in as good a mood as one bottle of beer will put you.

It’s raining again today and I haven’t been able to find much to do. Perhaps if I write to you it will help pass the time away. We should get paid today, but they haven’t called us out. I have looked forward to payday as though it was Xmas. For the life of me I can’t figure out how much I am supposed to get. As a guess I would say one hundred and twenty dollars. If I get any over a hundred I will be ok. I’ll be able to send a hundred to you and the rest to your dad. I want him to buy me a few gold chains if he can find them.

I hope I get a letter from you today. I am anxious to find out how you made the trip to Bellaire. I sure am behind on my mail. Oh well, it will come along someday, I hope.

This may sound funny, but I often plan my coming home and what I want to do. I would like to have you meet the train alone and then we could just go some place and eat. Perhaps we could even stay downtown for the night. We will have a lot to talk about and it will be fun to have it that way. These plans are subject to change without notice. That is just the way I would like for it to be.

 

Roy Ellison (Max’s Father)    Margaret Ellison (Mother)

July 1-23, 1944

July 16:  Did you miss my letters? This is the first one I have written this month and this morning I got a pack of letters from you and mom which was my first mail this month.

Editor’s Note: So why hasn’t dad written to mom for  two weeks? The division remained in the Admiralties until Oct 1944 in order to provide security as bases were developed.  During this time mop-up patrols were conducted. My guess is that dad was on one of these mop-up patrols 

I had a hell of a good time and lived like a king. Killed fish with hand grenades, wrapped them in banana leaves and baked them under the sand. I bargained with the Natives for a quarter of freshly killed pig and cooked it the same way. The Natives kept me in rice and all told I ate like a king, most of the time. The jungle was beautiful even though it was hot, lots of mud and rain. I saw several green parrots, grey monkeys, and beautiful moths. I had a great feed of paw paws that I roasted in a bed of coals.

I have a few souvenirs to send you. I am sending a belt with the design of a tiger worked on it. It is a friendship belt and is made by friends of the Jap who wore it. The tiger is supposed to represent his strength. Inside you will find a couple of Jap coins. I am also sending an officer’s canteen. I sold a bayonet for a pound. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that a Jap isn’t afraid to die. If you get the drop on him he will do some squalling.

I didn’t sign the pay roll this month, consequently, I will not be paid until August and I’ll be able to send you plenty of money. We will pay your school debt this year and have it off our minds. I didn’t mean for you to buy dishes now, but thought you would wait until after the war.

The Native guides here are something to see. They can find a trail through a jungle where no trail seems to exist and I’ll swear they can smell a Jap. We were wading down a creek one morning when suddenly our Native guide told us to take cover. We sat in the stream that was up to our waist. Sure enough Japs were coming down the trail. How he knew, it is more than I know.

Tomorrow or tonight I may write more. I am pretty busy just now cleaning up my equipment. My uniform will not look too bad when I come home. I’ll have two silver stars on my service strip.  Editor’s Note: The language governing the award of the Silver Star calls for gallantry in action in combat against an enemy and must be performed with marked distinction.

July 17: I have beer on my breath. We are right on the ball over here and since Saturday night I have had four bottles of beer. It is rationed, but just to get a bottle now and then is something.

Yesterday they had thin blades at the P.X. and I got a couple of packages. That was a real find. I also managed to buy a few air mail envelopes. I tell you Flip, this is alright over here.

I have written several letters tonight. I have a good book to read, but I can read it during the day. We have a few books in our troop library, but we could use more. I guess there isn’t more than a dozen books now, but we have lots of magazines. Some place around the house you will find “The Fall and Decline of the Roman Empire.” I did not pay too much for it and if it isn’t too much trouble please send it. I know very little about that period and this would be a good time to learn. I would like to have Vol. Two of the Greek Histories, but would not want it over here because it might get lost.

We have had trouble with the light and just got it going. I lost a lot of time while fooling with it. Not only that, but another fellow and I have been talking horse. His name is James and you will hear me mention him fairly often from now on as we are pretty good friends. His father was a first cousin of Jessie James and James tells me he can remember Frank James after he was well on in years. On this last patrol James couldn’t find enough to eat until he started camping with me. I filled him up with rice, fish, and pork. I have developed a great taste for chocolate. We get it in our J Rations along with a can of powdered milk. Did you ever see or use powdered milk? For cooking purposes it is the real thing and with it I can make hot chocolate.

One night I made my tent  on the beach. The tide was out and during the night the tide came in. I was just out of reach, though the water would have reached my feet had I not curled up and tucked them under my stomach. If you get back in the grass the gnats will eat you up, and if you sleep on the sand the crabs will crawl all over you. James and I were sleeping on his rain coat and by morning we found where at least a dozen had dug holes in the sand under the rain coat. One of those crabs can make more noise than a man crawling and they sound exactly like a man crawling. I will always swear that I saw a young kangaroo. James and I were sleeping and I was awakened by something on my chest. At first I thought it was a big rat and I let out a yell. He made one hop and landed on James feet and with one more hop he was ten feet outside the tent and lost from view.

I killed a snake that could have been a coral snake. He resembled a coral snake in all ways with the exception of his color not being the bright red and yellow bands, but dull brown and grey bands. Back in the bush I saw several snakes that looked like moccasins. Some of them must be bad because the Natives fear all of them.

I always had an idea that the jungle was filled with birds. That isn’t true and when you do find birds you find them in bunches or flocks. There are lots of parrots and a small bird that looks like a swallow. In the evening you see a great number of bats; some of them being much larger than a crow. Another way in which the jungle differs is that it is hard to find dry wood to burn. Though the brush is thick it is made up of palms and plants that rot instead of dry. There are a few hard woods, but when they fall the rain and heat soon rots them. The best fuel is coconut husks. They are hard to start, but once they do burn they hold fire for hours.

I spent a night in a hut with several Natives. It happened like this. We had bivouacked in an area where we knew there were Japs. The Natives slept in a hut and the back door opened on a trail that led into the brush. It would have been easy, but bad for us, if a Jap would make use of the trail. The Native police boy and I took turns squatting where we could watch the trail. At first it was plenty dark and in my imagination I could see and hear a million Japs. Several times I was on the point of firing, but my nerves held good and a full moon came up to scare all my worries away. I hope I am not telling you anything that they (Editor’s Note: censors) will cut on me. I guess being a little scared isn’t too big a military secret. I came over here to kill Japs, but let me tell you this – the first time I saw a Jap with his head half blown away I was pretty sick in the stomach. It’s only the first time that bothers you.

July 19:  Clair T and I have been chewing the fat in the last half hour. We spend most of our time in some  big argument. Do us a favor and find out what year the S.S.Titanic sank and what kind of bomber do they make at Willow Run. I think the Titanic went down in either 1911 or 1913. He claims it was around 1908. Editor’s note:  Titanic went down in 1912. Willow Run produced Liberator Heavy Bombers.

I have K.P. tomorrow. I don’t mind K.P. over here as there isn’t a great deal to do. I guess I’ll have it Sunday too, but that will be a punishment. The First Sgt. caught me without my leggings on tonight. We do not have to wear them during the day but they must be on after five P.M. Editor’s Note: Leggings were used to protect the lower leg, to provide ankle support and to keep dirt, sand, and mud from entering the shoes. I have no idea why the men were made to wear them at night and not during the day. I am not used to having them, but after I do K.P. a couple of times I’ll remember.

I took another four dollars off your school debt today. I still manage to make a little money now and then. I guess I have about nine pounds that I have made in the last few weeks.

Last night we had a rain and a strong wind. This morning I found all of your pictures out in the mud. I have washed them and they are none the worse for wear.

There are some happenings in these parts that I can’t write about. I’ll have some good tales to tell you when I come home and remind me to tell you about the time some of us traded a dog to the Natives. It happened in Finchaven and it’s a darned good story. Don’t get me wrong, when I say things happen I mean among us fellows.

One of my tent mates is in the hospital with Malaria. We have very little of it around here, but now and then someone has a mild case. The Atarine we take each day keeps it pretty well suppressed.

When mom works you must have the house pretty much to yourself. Do you get lonesome? Bellaire is such a small town, but I like it.

James and I are gong to the Red Cross after coffee.

July 21:  My nose is playing me a dirty trick. I can smell fresh raspberries and I know there isn’t one within a thousand miles.

I didn’t write yesterday. I took a couple of shots yesterday and they made me feel pretty stiff and sore. Editor’s Note: Was he out on patrol when he took those shots? I started to write, but I felt blue and tore it up and went to bed. I would hate to give anyone the impression of being blue. I would like to be home, but I am not discouraged.

I am anxious to hear whether or not your folks got the one hundred dollars I mailed them. The mail service is pretty bad. When I figure it up I have only received about forty letters from you since I left the states. I have not received any mail in the past five days with the exceptions of a church letter from your dad’s church. A short time ago I received a letter from one of the men in your father’s church. His address was on Marlow, but I couldn’t figure out his name. He didn’t write anything (just a note) but he sent me several religious tracts.

It’s nearly time for your folks to come north. Where are they going to stay? I wish I could be there to take dad fishing. I am afraid the fishing season will be pretty far gone in August.

It’s nearly time for retreat. We stand more formations here than I ever did in the states. The 1st cavalry division is on the ball. I have not heard much was news, but what I have heard is good. We seem to find a little more defence as we draw closer to Japan. Of course, that is to be expected. I’ll be home next summer you can bet on that.

It hardly seems possible that I haven’t seen you for seven months. It seems only yesterday that I heard you say “Good luck trooper.” I sure hated to leave you that day and I was pretty glad you didn’t cry until I was gone.

One of these days the army is going to have to make me a new lower plate. I have had this one two years and I was only supposed to wear it six months. The past few months they have bothered me to a certain extent. I am going to try to hold out until I reach the states. They wouldn’t be able to do the work here and I might have to go back to Finchaven. God Forbid. I never did tell you much about that place. It was all mud and maggots. I have seen the ground between the kitchen and mess hall covered with the varmints. None of us would go to the mess hall unless it was to steal something. We stole hams, cases of eggs, flour, sugar, coffee, pineapple, peaches, butter, bacon, and anything else we could get. One day they raided us and got three truck loads. For breakfast they used to feed us cold C. Ration hash and no coffee. Don’t get the idea that every place over here is like that. Far from it. Where I am now, it’s as clean as you could wish and the food is well prepared. This division is noted for being clean and is sort of a show outfit. I notice that the fellows all take pride in it and you feel so much better when things are clean.

The mail just came. There were two letters from you dated early June and three letters from mom that were dated the last of June and one mailed on the 4th of July. There seems to be little difference between V-Mail and air mail as far as speed is concerned.

Your dad will find old man Schoolcraft is some character. I hope you like the lake. Remember that your daughter’s great great grandfather used to row a boat from there to Elk Rapids after his mail. I am going to write to my brother Steve now.

July 22, V-Mail: This is a hot Saturday afternoon and I have hardly moved from my tent. After I finish this I am going to take a shower. It’s fairly cool in the tent, but don’t step outside in the sun unless you want to get pretty hot. Your picture seems to be a favorite among the boys. Every once in a while some one looks at it and whistles. It takes up too much space and I do not have it out all the time.

July 23.1:  A Col. Green from Alexandria sent me a copy of Rev. Blakemore’s Easter sermon. I enjoyed reading it. Did you hear it Easter Sunday? We have a good chaplain here. He never puts force in his sermon, but he talks with ease and in a manner that makes you feel he is familiar with the subject.

A friend of mine came over from another island this morning. Just now he and Clair T have gone swimming. After dinner we are going after shells. We have to wait for the tide to go out.

I wish you would start numbering your letters. You will notice that I have put a number one behind the date. My next letter will be  number two. That way we will know whether or not we are caught up on the mail. Clair T and his mother work it that way and he always knows just how many letters he has on the way and whether or not they all got here.

It would be nice if Laura Marie could come up for a week. You would have a lot of fun. My mother, I know, would be glad to have her. I can just see you two having a swim in Lake Bellaire. She has met Florence Culver a couple of times.

What does Uncle Ed think of Edith? He likes kids. At least he always thought a lot of his own grandchildren.

Grandmaggie and Uncle Ed (Husband #2)

I seem to lack ambition. A couple of times I have paid someone to do my washing. If it’s a cloudy day I feel like working, but when the sun is out I like to stay in my tent. Our tents are open on all sides and are pretty cool. There are several coconut palms around here but they do not give much shade. A lot of them had their tops blown off and they are just trunks sticking out of the ground.

Yes I like the outdoor life. I seem to thrive on it and it’s going to be funny when I come home. We will not have the equipment to dehydrate our food and I’ll have to eat fresh vegetables and eggs, and drink milk right from the cow. In the past three months I have not eaten over three potatoes that were not dehydrated and I haven’t had fresh milk since I left the states. I am not kicking because I don’t mind it. In fact dehydrated potatoes are good and powdered milk is plenty good to cook with or make hot chocolate. One night I didn’t have chocolate or sugar so I put powdered milk in water and heated it. It made a good drink. Promise me one thing darling, never cook carrots for me. I have had enough.

When I am home from hunting mom always asks me if my gun is loaded. It would never do for her to be here. While on patrol I slept with my gun under my blanket. I wanted to keep it dry and close by. Be hell to have a Jap sneak in and shoot at me with my own gun.

Mom sad she was going to send me a box of cigars. I’ll let you pay her. I hope they get here all right.  Anything you send me will be a good investment. I hope you can get some fine gold chains. You could send them in an envelope. I’ll be sending you a hundred and fifty dollars in another week. That should be some help.

Your idea of a freezing unit sounds good. Your cooling room would be 35 degrees, but how large would a freezing unit be? I wish I could get some definite information on it. My idea has been to build a cooling room that is well insulated and have the freezing compartment inside that. However, I want an extra-large freezing compartment. It would have to hold more than we could use ourselves because if we could sell seven hundred quarts of raspberries in the winter time we could clear well over two hundred dollars which would pay operating costs. I say raspberries because you can raise a lot of them in a small space and when they are fresh they bring a price. Not only that, but they are easy to take care of and can be harvested fairly cheap. By that time Edith would even be of some help. Editor’s Note: Already he’s got me working in the field. Dream on dad.

The dog question is still in my mind. We could build a small kennel and only keep two or three bitches. If it didn’t pan out or show profit we would not be out much because the kennel could be converted to a chicken house. Our main thing would be horses and I hope that in time we will be able to drop everything else. Until that day comes we will have to make a living the best way we can and Flip don’t think for a second that we will not make it. It will mean work and plenty of it, but we will be together and I think we will be happy.

 

 

 

 

 

  Pfc Max M. Ellison 36522346

• Troop D. 1st tng. Rgt., C.R.T.C. Bks 2027, Fort Riley, Kansas (1943-Feb 1944)
• A.P.O. 15/62 c/o Postmaster, San Francisco, Calif  (Early March, 1944)
• 277 Replacement co., 1st Platoon, 4th Rpl. Depot, A.P.O. 703, c/o postmaster San Francisco, Calif (Late March, April, 1944)
• 1st Cavalry Division, A.P.O. 201, c/o Postmaster, San Francisco, Calif (May, June, 1944)
• Troop E, 7th Cavalry, A.P.O. 201, c/o postmaster, San Francisco, Calif (July 1944-May-1945)

 

June, 1944

June 1: The best way to get a letter off to you is to write it early in the morning. It’s a little cooler now and I am not as tired. I have been up for a couple of hours and it’s only seven now. Had breakfast which consisted of hash, sea biscuits and coffee. I have shaved, policed my tent and hung my blanket in the sun. Later on I’ll open my barber shop. To do that I put two boxes outside. One for my customers and one for my tools. It isn’t much of a shop, but I made $8.50 yesterday and expect to do as well today. If I could do as well every day I would be lucky, but there are days when there is no business. Here is a question. Can we furnish a bedroom for a hundred and seventy-five dollars?

It sure is beautiful this morning. I hate to think of what it will be by noon. Last night it was so cold that one blanket wasn’t enough. I love this weather, but in time it would get a fellow. This is the kind of weather that makes the bass hit. Wish I could be on the lake back home. I regret that my wife doesn’t like to fish. However, I think if she goes with me a couple of times she will like it.

I met a man from Plymouth. We had a long talk about the swell parks. He knew several girls that I knew, but he didn’t live there when P. Ray and his good-looking daughters were in town.

The fellows play a lot of checkers. Some of the boys are pretty good. The game never interested me, so I spend my time playing solitaire.

There is a small chance that we will get our mail. It sounds too good to be true.

June 4:  Editor’s Note: A note at the top of the letter indicates that dad is in Finchaven New Guinea. A google search of the site indicates that the real spelling is Finschhafen, but it was common for solders to spell it as dad does.

I am dead tired, barbering is really something now. I guess I work from daylight until dark and that leaves little time for letter writing. I have made nearly thirty-five dollars in the last four days. So you can say I am working. I made nine dollars today and took out two hours to go to church.

Everything is the same, no mail, no news, no nothing. I got up before daylight in order to be the first in line for breakfast. After chow I wash, shave, and read my Bible or play solitaire until seven-thirty. I open up at seven thirty. To open up shop I find a palm tree that has nothing but green nuts on (a ripe one might fall) and set up the chair. The chair is nothing more than a box that has a small air cushion on it (we use them for pillows at night). Next I put my tools on another box and I am ready to work. I have a pair of scissors, clippers, three combs, bottle of shampoo, after shaving lotion, razor, soap, towels and disinfectant. Yes I bought a bottle of shampoo from a sailor for four dollars and a half. The bottle cost him about 30 cents, but you don’t know anything about high prices. A shampoo costs three bob (48 cents) and the customer has to furnish two helmets of water and a towel.

Speaking of high prices, if you have anything to sell over here you can get your own price. One fellow stole a case of beer (from where I don’t know) and sold it for one pound a bottle. If I had been there I would have bought two.

June 8:  News from Europe looks pretty good. Everyone here is pretty tickled over the second front and although we haven’t had many details we feel as though the end is coming. Wouldn’t it be nice if I was home in another year?

It’s trying to rain this morning. I didn’t bother to open shop because I didn’t want my tools to get wet. Anyway, this morning is my morning to write to you.

My washing turned out even worse than I expected. My clothes were at the bottom of the tub and there were too many on top of them. Consequently, my clothes were burned and I had to throw them away. I still have a shirt and a pair of trousers and two pair of shorts. That’s enough for me.

There is a river close by and we have to cross it a great deal. At first we had nothing but a log that was high above the water and every now and then someone would fall into the water. The boys have made a raft and fastened a cable and pully to it and a tree on the other side of the river. It works pretty good, but now and then too many try to cross at the same time and the raft turns over.

Some of the boys here have Jap money. I am going to try and send you some. A Native was around last night selling wooden combs for a half pound. He carves them himself and they are not too much. I want to send you something from over here ant I will but it’s going to be nice. I would like to send you a block of teak wood and if I find some I will. There is plenty of it here, but I can’t very well send you a whole tree. I have a small hunk of wood that I cut off the dock at Alcatraz. Yes I have been there.

I could stand some food. It has been only two hours since breakfast, but I am starved. Didn’t eat enough powdered eggs this morning. They are fairly good if someone would throw some salt in them. My waist line is down to thirty. That’s two inches below par.

It has been seven weeks since I have had a letter. It sure would be swell to hear from you. Right now you must be making plans to leave Virginia, but this letter will find you in Bellaire. I am sort of lonesome to see the Maples on the Courthouse lawn or push a boat out in Lake Bellaire. About this time of year the bass fishing on the upper lake is good.

June 10: I’ll have to use V-mail for a few days. Will not be able to write as much, but I’ll write every day. I managed to buy a mirror yesterday and it’s pretty nice to own one. I left the states without one and yesterday was the first chance I had to buy.

A falling coconut hit a fellow on the head yesterday. It knocked him out for a short time.

I suppose B.J.Miller is having a time. He is with a pack outfit in Italy. They seem to have them on the move over there.  Editor’s Note: I remember a part of a training story dad told about B.J.Miller. The Sargent sent B.J. on a mission at night and in horrible weather to wipe out the “enemy” located in some foxholes.  B.J. returned from the training mission with a roll of toilet paper that he handed to the Sargent and informed the Sargent that “The hole of the enemy had been wiped clean.”

My dreams were pleasant for a change. As a usual thing my dreams are so bad they scare me.

June 15, Admiralty Islands: I have a lot to tell you this time because the last few days have been interesting. In fact I have had more fun than you can imagine. I can’t tell you how many of us came up here or how long we were in coming, but the whole trip was something I have often dreamed of but never thought I would do it.

We came up on a small boat. There were only a few officers on board and they hired me to do their cooking. I had the run of the galley and could sleep in the tiny mess hall. Of course the galley is at the rear of the ship and I bribed the chief steward out of his fishing tackle and when I wasn’t cooking I was fishing. At night while the rest of the ship was in blackout I would be able to have the lights on (they didn’t show outside) and the crew would come down and have tea. The crew was a cross-section of the world. The gunners were American boys, the chief engineer is a native of New Guinea, the first mate was from Russia and the skipper was from Australia. Among the crew were fellows from England and Poland. The chief engineer was very interested in the trip. I happened to be on the gunner deck as we started to approach this group of islands and he told me a little of his life. He was raised on New Guinea and while he was a young man he came up here and married the daughter of a plantation owner. With the coming of the war he had to go to Australia and this is his first time to come back. From the ship he pointed out his father-in-law’s plantation, but he suspects the Japs killed all of them.

While on board I cut the crew’s hair. They took me up on the gunners’ deck and I started with the ship’s Captain and cut until I had them all finished. I cut the Captain’s hair while he was right at the compass. The cook loaned me his room to clean up in. All in all it was as nice a boat trip as I have ever had.

You will notice that I am pretty close to the equator. They say we are about 50 miles south and let me tell you it is hot. I can see the North Star and the Southern Cross at the same time. I think  I am going to like it here. The chow is extra good and I can get Briggs pipe tobacco. I had the bad luck of leaving all of my toilet articles and razor blades on another island. If I can catch a boat I’ll go get them tomorrow. It would be a shame if I lost all the blades.

The Japs are pretty all cleaned up around here. My troop has been on patrol and found a few. I’ll go with them next time and perhaps I’ll get my first Jap.

I met a fellow today that I used to know in 1938. I spent that summer in New York and we both dated the same girl. Was I ever surprised to find him in this part of the world.

I should get mail from you within the next few weeks. It has been so long since I heard from you that I hardly know that I have a wife. I am anxious to hear about my daughter too and I hope you tell me all about her. If you are in Bellaire tell Avis to send my paper here and write the Thoroughbred Record at Lexington KY, and have them send my Record here. I’ll try to write as often as I can, but, there is work to do and I may not write as often as I would like to. The 7th Cavalry is an old Michigan outfit. This is the outfit that Custer had when he fought the Indians. At that time he lost the colors and they never won them back until this campaign.

John A and Clair T are in the heavy weapons troop. Only two others that took basic with me are here.

Editor’s Note:  I think he is on either Los Negros or Manus Island. Los Negros was not completely cleared until March 25, 1944 and Manus during May.  These islands are located 200 miles northeast of New Guinea. Between Jan 22 and 26, 1944 the 1st cavalry division  was at Cape Sudest at Oro Bay in New Guinea and we know dad was at Oro Bay. On the 27th of March the 1st Cavalry division was sent to Los Negros. Los Negros and the larger adjacent Manus Island were needed for air and naval bases in the effort to neutralize Rabaul, the area’s main Japanese base complex some 390 miles away. I think the seventh cavalry was organized to be a part of the first cavalry, but not sure when that happened. I think dad was sent there after these two islands were cleared. My guess is that he is on Manus because, as the last to be cleared and the larger of the two islands, there is more of a likelihood of Japanese presence.

June 17: I have been pretty busy today. This morning I fixed up my bunk. I have a frame over the top  and for the first time in months I can have your picture out. I put my clothes up there too and it seems pretty nice not to have to get into a barracks bag every time I want clothes. After lunch I walked along the beach and picked up shells and coral. The shells are beautiful and I am going to send Wanda a box of them for her gold-fish bowel. There is a kind that is rare and tomorrow I’ll wade about a quarter of a mile to a coral reef where I may find some. If I can find two that are a perfect match I’ll send them to Detroit and you shall have a pair of ear rings such as you have never seen. On top of all this, I made $3.84 this afternoon. Barbering is going to hold out better than I thought. Tomorrow I will wash my clothes, go to church, and work on my rifle. One of these days I am going to see a Jap and when I do I want my rifle to be in working order.

Clair T and I found some Jap bones this afternoon. That’s as close as I have been to one of the varmints. I think I told you that Clair T and John A are in the heavy weapons group.

The 7th cavalry has the name of being the best show outfit in the whole 1st cavalry division. Editor’s Note: Guess I was right, the 7th is a part of the 1st. We have Saturday morning inspections, police up, shave every day, and keep our shoes shined. Everything is as neat as a pin and they have hauled white sand in and spread it over the troop streets and floor of the tents. The palms are not as nice here. Too many of them had their tops blown off. It’s nice to wake up in the morning and have everything clean and neat. Sure beats the mud from the last place.

June 18: It seems as though every time I turn around I get a bad case of sunburn. I spent most of the afternoon in the water and I am cooked again. I wanted to get some shells that are rare around here. I waded out about two hundred yards to a coral reef and managed to find twelve of them.You find them back under the coral, but it’s a job to find them. I sold ten of them for a  half pound and the other two will someday be earrings for you. I will not try to make them myself, but I’ll send them to your dad and have him take them down to Peacocks. They will make a nice gift for your birthday.

A coral reef is the most beautiful thing in the world. The coral grows from the bottom and though it comes to the top in a few places the usual depth of the water is about two feet. I saw starfish that were as blue as the sky and fish of all colors. They were tiny and they seemed to have no fear. Hid back in the coral were all forms of marine life and most of it was so odd-looking that you wouldn’t think that it had life.

I told you that I lost my razor blades. Clair T brought them in today. He managed to get a pass this morning.

Isn’t the news good. I do not hear very much but it all seems good. Without a doubt you know what is going on over here better that I do. I have heard that Japan was bombed two or three days ago. Just how much truth there is to it is more than I know. I am going to the Red Cross after a while to see if I can pick up any news.

We have three lizards in our tent. One of them is black, one black with a blue tail and another is green. One of them has got into my bed about three this morning. By the time I chased him out I was wide awake and ready to get up. We have boilers here, so I built a fire and boiled my clothes. They have given me more clothes and that means more to wash.

Tell mom never to send me cigarettes. We have plenty of them and they are free. When ever you send a package make sure it is well wrapped. So many of the packages take a beating before they get here.

I can’t get over how good we are being fed. After six weeks of C Ration hash this food is just like eating at the Chinaman’s. I’ll get fat.

Whenever I see a picture of a baby I get lonesome to see Edith. I wonder what kind of baby she is. Who knows, I may get a letter from you someday. It’s been a long time and I am pretty lonesome.

June 19: I expect to hear from you this week and I am pretty thrilled over it. It’s going to seem pretty nice to hear from you.

Nothing much happened today. It was pretty hot this morning, but it rained this afternoon and it’s a lot cooler now, The nights are fine and I don’t have to use a blanket until towards morning. I sure enjoy this weather, but in time this heat would get a man.

I guess I will be the troop barber. They have two barbers in this troop, but they don’t care for the job. At the end of the Troop St. is a small tent with a chair in it and I cut hair all afternoon. I have better that thirty-six pounds to send you whenever I can get a money order. I have better than two months pay coming and will not be paid until the last of July. Don’t worry Flip, the five dollars I spent for the scissors, comb, and clippers is going to darned near furnish our house.

This sure is a pretty little place and I seem to be enjoying myself. I am glad I do, because it would be hell if you hated it. I get lonesome, but it never lasts long. I am glad that I have a little religion. I don’t know what I would do over here without it.

June 20: Mail at last. So far today I have received nine letters, five from you, one from your mother, one from mine, one from H.J. Lord and a letter from Shirl. I used to go with her and she wrote telling me that her husband was over here. Your letters covered a period from May 9th until May 20th. Mom’s letter was mailed April 28 and your mother’s was mailed May 26.

At last I know what my baby looks like. Thanks for sending the pictures and I must admit we have a pretty sweet baby. The pictures of you are good. Your hair is longer and I can’t figure out what earrings you have on. It seems so darned nice to know that you are all right and to have a good picture of you here. I can’t seem to thank you enough.

I have K.P. tomorrow. It has been some time since I have been on K.P. By the way, tell your mom that when I mention work I mean work and not fighting. She worries too much, but she must remember that there is work to be done over here. In fact I have had a crack at everything from unloading boats, making roads, to help building a saw mill. Tell her I never did see Doc. Fuller and I left the states one day later than she thought. I made two dollars this afternoon. Barbering isn’t as good here, but I’ll manage to make a little.

Of course it will take more than two thousand to build. However, if I have that much cash I’ll be able to get a loan. I expect it will take five or six thousand at least, but I’ll make it so don’t worry your pretty head. I am glad you are paying off your school debt. I will work on the furniture and you can sort of take care of the debt. When you come right down to it we are not so bed off.

You must have been sick after the baby came. You mentioned Sulpha and your mother mentioned a bad kidney. Perhaps other letters will tell me all about it.

We were glad to get the news about Pensive. His sire was imported from England by Walter Chrysler and American breeders have expected great things of him. Last summer one of his yearlings sold for $66,000. I am not convinced that Pensive is a great horse. He won in slow time and I suspect he didn’t have too much to beat. I am glad to see you take interest in the Preakness, you are a darling.

I had to laugh when you mentioned how hot it was back there. We haven’t had much frost around here. Darling, you don’t know what hot is until you get a shot of this. I love it far better than cold and I am glad they sent me here rather than Italy.

Right now we are having a cloud burst. I am glad we have sand on the troop st. or we would have to wade through the mud. If I have to fall out for retreat in this rain I’ll have a job cleaning my rifle tonight. Out tent has flooded. The funny part of it is that there is a whirlpool in the middle of the tent and the water is going into the ground. In fact it’s making such a big hole that out table is apt to fall in. I’m not kidding either.

June 22 V-Mail: I am out of writing paper and I don’t know when I will get more. My letters are coming in packages now. I’ll be glad to get the one that tells me what was wrong with your kidney and Edith’s eye. You buy the set of dishes or hang onto the money. You mentioned making one payment and August 1st I’ll send you a hundred dollars. Don’t worry, your husband can take care of you. Tell mom not to send chewing gum in a letter. This a hot country and it reaches me in liquid form. I can get all I want for nothing.

June 23 V-Mail: Your letter of May 26 asking my opinion on the job came today. I haven’t much space so my opinion will have to be brief. I would love for you to have a chance in the musical world, but I am afraid I would kick loud and long if you were singing in a Night Club or left Edith to the care of anyone over a period of time. I will not be over here long enough to make it worth while for you. If you want to work I would rather you had an office job. I would just as soon you didn’t work a lick. However, that part is up to you. I have to go on guard right now.

June 25:  I have an air mail envelope, so I will write you a letter. It’s so darned hard to write anything on a V-Mail.

It sure is hot this morning. I was expecting a friend from another island and walked down to meet his boat. He wasn’t on it, but I sure got warm going down there. I hate to think of going to church this morning.

The news over here sure looks good. I am not sure what they are telling you back there, so I will not mention anything definite. I have a hunch that Tojo will have his hands full before the year ends and I plan on being home next summer, if not before. I will come back whenever this division comes back and they have been here for a year. Editor’s Note: The 7th and 8th Cavalry departed San Francisco on June 26, 1943 and arrived at Brisbane on July 11, 1943. Not only that but they are the pride of the Army and I think they will be one of the first to come home. Of course these are my own ideas and not necessarily those of the officers and men.

I have not been barbering very much. It’s so blamed hot and in a way very unhandy here. Of course I do a little now and then. I am looking the ground over and trying to plan some way to make more money. The best thing is selling, it’s easier and the profits are greater. Of course there is washing. You can do that when you are ready and the pay is pretty good. I guess the best way will be to work all the time. As long as I can send you a hundred dollars every other month I’ll be happy. I can do that and better. Editor’s Note: Adjusted for inflation, the buying power of $100.00 in 1944 is equal to $1353.02 today.

The sermon in church was good today and the church was cool. Funny, but whenever you find shade over here you will find it’s cool. I don’t mind the heat too much, but you lack ambition from it’s being so hot.

John A is feeling a little better. The shock of his brother’s death is wearing off and he has a chance of a furlough back to the states. You see he has a trucking company in his name and the business may demand his return.

Steve’s letter tickled me. The first Jap I see I shall certainly ask him for his rifle to send to Steve. Do you suppose he will give it to me?

Mom seems to think we lead a hell of a life over here. Well, it isn’t too good, however, I came over with the idea I was going to like it and that helps. The big thing is to keep your mind busy. You can’t let it get you down. I try to make everything as interesting as I can even if it’s no more than a trip to the day room to read the news. I try to get as excited about it as I would on a three-day pass.

You must have a wonderful figure now. I am glad of that. I always hated to see a woman with a bad form. Yes, I remember the blue dress. Now that you have the shorts let’s see a picture of you in them. I kick myself for not bringing my pictures over here. Send pictures please. Pictures of you, mom, Wanda, Jean, your folks. Hell, there isn’t much to do but brag on the folks back home. Send the ones of Laura Marie, or at least some of them. Have you a picture of yourself in a bathing suit?

In regards to horse news, last fall Mr. Hollis payed sixty-five thousand dollars for a yearling by the same sire as Pensive. He gave the colt a Greek name, but I can’t think of it now. The colt will be in New York and should get a lot of publicity. See what you can find. Mr. Combs of Lexington will have a good three year old mare at Chicago by the name of Duranza. Although she is one hell of a mare her owner does not care to race in New York. If you see anything in regards to her let me know. Later on I will get the Thoroughbred Record and you will not have to do this for me. As long as the rest of your life is going to be mixed up with breeding and racing this will help you develop an interest.

I hope I have some mail tonight. I can’t kick because I have been getting as high as sixteen letters a day. Most of them were written in April, but it’s news just the same.

Yes I have a fair idea of where I would like to live in Northville. I think I will be able to buy five aces out west Seven Mile Rd. I wouldn’t want much more than that. I guess it would be possible for us to have a swimming pool. We will fix something or other. I am not sure what land would cost, but I have an idea it would be high.

June 28, V-Mail:  No mail for the last three days. All told I guess twenty of your letters have reached me, twenty-five at the most. I’ll be glad when I get a few that are up to date. It sure seems good to be up here where there isn’t as much mud as there was at Finchaven or Milne Bay. I was there you know.

June 29: I ran into an Edward Ellison. By mistake I received his mail and thought perhaps it might be my cousin who has the same name. This Ellison is from Prom Minn. and his great-grandfather came from England same as mine.

I told you how John A had received word of his brother’s death. Yesterday he received two letters from his mother, one written the day he died, and the other eight days later. In neither letter did she as much as mention what had happened. In case any thing should happen at home I would want to know about it, and not be in the mental mix-up that John A is in. Why do people back home think that a man overseas shouldn’t hear any bad news?

Yesterday I found a  *****. They have a split toe and my first thought was to send it to Steve. I picked the darned thing up and the ******had not only left his*****, but he left his foot inside of it. Steve wants a Jap rifle. I am afraid if I do get one I’ll sell it. They are worth a hundred and fifty dollars and some Jap flags bring a hundred. Some of the officers carry “Hara Kiri” knives and I would like one of them.

We have lots of pipe tobacco now. For a while I gave up smoking a pipe, but now they have my brand and I am happy again.

Guess what, I spent a half pound yesterday. On the average I don’t spend that much in a month, but I wanted some clothes washed and hired a fellow to do it for me.

I received seventeen letters today. One from Wanda, several from you and mom. Tell mom that her Easter Card reached me a little late. I know why the mail is slow, but from now on I will get them a little better. Tell mom not to bother to send any more Detroit papers. Just now we are getting pretty much all the news. In regards to V-Mail, I use it because sometimes it ‘s impossible to get anything else. I do not like it as well, and your letters come faster by air.

Steve Fuller isn’t here (I mean young Steve). The Japs had this place when he was killed. I think he is buried on Guadalcanal. I didn’t look at Milne Bay and he wasn’t at Finchaven.