January 25, 1954

Mon  Jan 25, 1954

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

Finished my first day of school today.  Wasn’t too bad.  The instructor is a Master Sgt.  Looks just like Hollyinghead and about the same age.  There are quite a few taking the course now.  Some instructors here at Eta Jima are taking the course.  There are 23 now.  Most all of them are Sgts.  We have 3 talks to give.  A 5 min, 15, and 30 min.  Today we read a story that he gave us.  They didn’t get to me yet.  I will give mine in the morning.  Mine is taken from the Reader’s Digest.  “Never Say Diet.” 

I don’t know how the other talks will be or what they are about.  I guess I’ll make out OK.  It is worth the trip I guess and I will learn something.

We haven’t got a pass yet.  Yesterday I took a few pictures and fooled around.  It was nice all day.  Last night they had another dance.  I took that in again.  I think we will have a pass tomorrow night so I’ll try the town if I can.

I sent some pictures in my last letter.  That camera took some nice pictures.  I’ll try to send you all I can and send a few each time I write.  Take care of them and the next chance I get I’ll mail a picture album home.  I’ll write on the back of the pictures what and who they are.  (note:  I have only seen a few of the pictures he keeps talking about and have no idea what happened to the bulk of them.)  I have a roll in my camera now that I have taken and will send them when I can. 

I haven’t found anything I can send you yet but before I leave I’ll find something. 

I’ll be glad to get some mail from you, as it is I might not get any till I get back to the company.  Maybe they will forward my mail over.  I asked them to.

I have been wondering if I made corporal or not. 

I read in the paper that they are moving the 40 and 45^th Div out of Korea.  I have heard some rumors that the 5^th was going to take over the 40 Div place on line.  I had figured that was the out fit they would pull out. 

Well don’t know much more to write about.  Wish you were here so we could see Japan together.

Lots of Love, Ted

January 23, 1954

                                                              

Saturday                                                                            

Jan 23, 1954

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

Haven’t had any letters from you yet.  It will be a while yet before I do.  We had our inspection of our room today and foot locker.  It didn’t amount to too much.  Afer that we all went to the snack bar and had coffee.

The school will start Monday morning.  So far there are 11 of us.  They only have in the MOI about 8 to 15 men.  Most of them are Sgts and have a lot of time in the army.  I think there are two Sgt First Class, 5 Sgts, 2 Cpls and 2 PFC.  I think this school will be a little hard.  I don’t know yet.

Most of the guys are stationed here in Japan and a few of us are from Korea.  There are several paratroopers and an air force Sgt and from other units all over.  We live in a big building.   There are several thousand.  The mess hall feeds all of them but it only takes a minute to go through the line.

This place use to be a Jap Naval Officer’s Academy during the last war.  This is the place they wanted to drop the A Bomb when they dropped it on Hiroshima.  Sasebo was the other target when they dropped it on Nagasaki.

Last night they had a dance at the service club.  They had all Jap girls.  It is a weekly dance.  The girls work here at the camp.  They are not bad looking most of them and they talk fairly good English.  I can speak a little Japanese but not good.  I only know a few words.  Most of the Japs know a little English so you can talk to them fairly we.

The weather is pretty good, not to worm though. 

I looked around the PX and different things.  They had some Nortakii China for $25.  I was pretty.  Had pink flowers etc.  93 piece set.  I don’t know what it would cost to wrap and ship to the states.  Not to much.  They don’t have any robes or much of anything else like that.  May be in town.  We won’t get a pass for a while.  About Monday or Tuesday.

We won’t have to do any details.  Just fall out for revellie in the morning.  The 1^st Sgt said there are just a few of us so we don’t have any extra duty.  Most of the guys are Sgts with 5 to 10 years in the army.

Well I don’t know much more to write about for now.  I’ll write later on in the day.  I pick up the pictures at noon.  Hope they are good ones.

Love, Ted  

I got the picture.  The small ones were with my camera, more on the way.

January 21, 1954

Thurs  Jan 21, 1954

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

I am at Eta Jima now.  It’s a petty nice place here except it is too much soldiering.  They are really strict here.

We left Camp Sasebo last night about 9:30.  There were only 6 of us traveling.  We had reservations on the Jap civilian train.  We had sleeping births right with Jap civilians.  We had a pretty good time.  We ate in the diner, had good food.  They gave us Kimonos to sleep in and I trued to get away with one in the morning.  The conductor was going to have me arrested but everything worked out OK.

We got to Kure about 12:30 noon.  Then we got a bus and they took us to the ferry and there we came across on the ferry and got here at Eta Jima.  We sure traveled nice here.  Wish I could go home the same way.

We don’t start our class till Monday.  We have a big room to stay in here.  There are 15 single beds.  Sgts-air force and army.  We didn’t do anything today.  I looked around the PX and left my film there to be developed.  I have about 10 dollars worth altogether.  The food is good.  I won’t get a pas till about next Wed or later.  You have to average 70 for a weekend pass on your grades and 85 for a night pass.  So I will have to study plenty.

There is plenty to do here but no one seems to do it.  There are not too many here from Korea.  Most of the guys are here from the states.  We have a foot locker and wall locker.  I don’t have much in them.  I saw plenty of things on the way up on the train. (note: just think a boy from Fairmount watching the Japanese country side wiz by the train and bus widow; it certainly was a World Away from anything he was ever around.)  We came through Hiroshima where they dropped one of the A-Bomb.  I don’t know whether I will get any mail here or not.  No need to writing me here as I would almost be ready to leave by the time I get you mail.  Well I don’t know much more to write about now so I guess I will close.  I’ll write tomorrow.

Love, Ted

January 19, 1954

I have to use stamps here (note: the envelope had an airmail stamp on it costing 6 cents)

Tuesday 19, Jan 54

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

Right now it is about 6 PM and I am on my way to Japan.  Yesterday I went up to the Bn at 1230 and they took me over to Regt S-3 at 1 o’clock.  There were just 2 other guys going besides me.  One boy was going to a typing school.  It’s a 6 week course.  The other boy is going to the same school I am.

We are traveling first class.  We were taken to Seoul in a jeep.  We had reservations on the UN Express.  Went to Seoul then to Pusan.  I didn’t know what kind of train it was going to be.  I thought it would be a Korean train but it was a US Army train, a regular state side train.  It use to be a hospital train.  We had births with mattress, pillows, and sheets.  We walked around Seoul for a couple of hours.  I brought a couple of books that I had bought at the UN PX.  I also ate there.  We got on the train at 8 PM and arrived Pusan at 7 AM.I slept fairly well but I could not get use to the bed and not being cold on it.  After we got to Pusan we ate breakfast at a place for Army personnel.  Boy, back down and around Pusan they sure live good.  They have regular bunks, sheets, pillows etc..  We got a bus then and went to the Pusan replacement center.  They processed us right away.  We turned in all our clothes and kept only our personal items.  They gave us all new clothes, our OD uniform, brass, patches, T Shirts, shorts, new fatigues, just our regular issued stuff but not quite as much because we will only be gone 2 weeks.  We also got the officer’s trench coat to wear.  All of this was done by 11 AM.  We waited till noon and we got our shipping orders.  We ate lunch and then there were about 16 of us altogether all going to different places.  I thought we had been treated pretty good so far.  They put us on a buss and took us to the dock.  There we boarded the Sgt Muller a civil service ship.  It runs regular from Japan to Korea.  It is a small ship compared to the one I came over on.  When got on the ship they put us in compartments.  They were officer’s quarters.  4 men to a compartment. (state room)  Desk, private bath etc.  There are a few officers, some Belgium officers, civilians and that’s about all.  We ate in the officer’s mess.  Had our meals served on the tables for us and everything.  We had biscuits, hamburger steak, beans corn, coffee, ice cream, potatoes, and apples.  Every thing was number one.  I bought some things a the Sea Store and took a nice hot shower.  I can’t believe the army can treat any one as good as they have treated us. (note: after living in tents and being a private in a company setting near the front line, I can just imagine how he felt.  He really sounds impressed.)

We left about 5 PM and docked in the morning a 730 AM in Sasebo.  From there we will go to Eta Jima by train most likely.  That just about covers it.  I have seen a lot of things so far.  I saw where the fire was at Pusan.  It sure cleared a big area out.

Before I left the company I got a letter from Arkie.  He is Pusan.  He said he tried to call me one time but couldn’t get through.  He gave me his number but I didn’t get a chance to call.  May be when I come back I can call or see him.  Maybe Don Underwood too.  He said he goes home in July and goes dancing 3 or 4 night a week.  There are a lot of GI women in Pusan.  Nurses etc.  Well I’ll close for now.  I’ll finish this letter later.

It is 7 PM Wed night now.  We got to Sasabo, Japan about 830 this morning.  We have fooled around most of the day.  The weather is mild, not to cold but it has been raining most of the day.  We were here long enough to draw our bedding and make a bed and then they told us we were leaving.  We turned our stuff in.  I had my uniform pressed and patches and stripes sewed on.  I have my Regt crest on and I really feel dressed up.  I haven’t got any ribbons yet.  There are about 5 I can wear.  A Korean Campaign, UN, Asiatic, Presidential citation and a Korean Presidential Citation. 


 We are leaving at 8 PM, one more hour so I will close.  We are going to Eta Jima on a train.  I sure have met some nice guys.  Seems I always meet the nicer guys when I travel or in school.  Don’t seem to have any in my out fit except one or two that I really like.  I lost a fatigue shirt and a dress shirt some place along the way.  I don’t know where they went to.  I’ll have to scrounge up some in my travels, you know me.  There are a lot of nice things in the PX here.  I think there are better items at Eat Jima though.  I saw some Northlake china for 45 dollars and shipping charges.  It had a green flower like print.  I may not be able to get it his time but I will on R&R.  I saw some pearls for $25 for 3 strands.  Will write tomorrow.

Love, Ted

I am enjoying myself. (note: sounds like it.)

January 17, 1954

Jan 17, 1954  Sun

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

This will probably be the last letter you will get from me for a few days.  I leave tomorrow and probably won’t get a chance to write for a few days.  I am going to pack up all my clothes in the morning and I am only taking shaving gear, shave brush, writing paper, camera and film, besides the clothes I have on.  

I haven’t done much all day, I wrote a couple of letters and I also mailed that book “baby san” and my diploma from the NCO School.  I mailed Snapper a couple more patches. (note: the jacket that they were sewn on has long vanished but just the other day I came across a bunch of the old patches, put them in a frame and they are now hanging in my living room,)

I have a lot of film to take with me.  About 12 rolls that different guys gave me.  

Well I didn’t get any mail today.  Some might come in tonight.  

It sure is muddy out.  It is almost frozen again now but during the day it melts and the mud comes up over the boots.

I haven’t heard anything about making corporal.  I don’t guess I will know now till I get back.  Well I don’t have much to write about.  One of those days.  I’ll write on my way to Japan.

Love, Ted

January 15, 1954

Fri Jan 15, 1954

Dear Mom, Dad and Snapper

I got your letter today with the money order and the picture.  The pictures sure are good.  The picture of Snapper was good too.  I noticed he had his PFC stripe on up side down.  It should look like this ^.  I may not need the 60 dollars but I will have it just in case.  They have not really said anymore about going and probably wont till it’s time to go. 

The lighter you spoke about.  Just what kind is it?  I have seen a lot of lighters with different things on them.  Pictures of Jap houses, and boats etc.  and some names of Japan or something like that.  They are made like Ronson lighters.  I’ll send something home anyway.

I am sorry about the mix up on the robe.  I kind of felt bad about it.  I’ll send some more home.  I guess you wear a med rather than a small and Dad would probably wear one that would fit me.  I sure wish they would have sent the black robe.  Hope the other things I sent get there before long.  I know you will like them.  They are not expensive things but pretty and different. (note: I remember some of the items he is talking about.  Two items I recall were boxes with secret compartments.  You had to move sliding boards in certain ways and certain sequences to get it to open.  All the family (aunts and uncles) spent many nights trying to figure it out.  There was also a wooden ball that was easy to take apart but very hard to put back together.)

No I didn’t see Terry Morris here.  She was called away.  I read an article in Stars and Stripes.  It didn’t say why.  She was sticking her neck out to do something like that around here. (note: not sure what he is talking about.)  She didn’t get to this area.  That girl you say that danced.  That could have been Roberta Haynes.  She did kind of a native dance and a guy was sitting on the stage.  She danced for him.  She had a low cut dress and didn’t have a brazier on.  They took a move picture of it and the of the crowd.  It was outside and in the same area that the picture I sent of the Roy Acuff Show.  I think I told you about it. (note: he had already mentioned it in a previous letter.)  It was right after Xmas.

May be by now you have seen Hill or Gretizer.  They should call.  Hope Dad gets over his flue.  I know how it is.

I wrote McDonalds a line thanking them for the candy. 

Had a usual day to day and tonight saw Spencer Tracy in a show. He was an old sailor and it was about his little girl wanting tobe an actress.  You probably saw it.  Well I’ll write later on.

Love, Ted

January 14, 1954

Thurs  Jan 14, 1954

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

I had a letter today from Dad.  Jan 6.  That ship, the Marine Lynx, was the one I went from Sasebo Japan to Inchon Korea on.  It sure is a nice ship.  The names you picked out were the right ones.  Have you heard from them yet?

Hope you cold gets better Dad.  I don’t have one now.  Seems like I always get a little one.

It sure was bad about the baby.  I guess Jim really is going into business.  Hope he makes out OK. 

About that robe.  It wasn’t the same one I ordered.  I sent a black one with gold trim.  Guess they didn’t have any of those left in stock when they filled the order so they sent that one.  I thought a sent a medium.  I guess Mom wears a small one.  When I got to Japan I will send a man’s robe and another women’s robe.  A med for a man and a small for a woman.  I sent you a birthday gift down at school.  Hope you get it close to your birth day.

I thought I told you about the Xmas card you sent.  They were sure nice.  My thumb by the way is OK now.  I will probably lose my nail.  It is all black but it doesn’t hurt anymore.  It hurt at first about like my finger did that time I broke it at work.

May be by some chance I will run into Richard in Japan.  It could be but I will probably be there and gone again by the time he gets there.  He might be at Camp Stoneman at least a week and it will take two weeks to get to Sasebo.  I could run into him on my way back to Korea.  I’ll keep my eyes open anyway.

I have been wondering about the income tax.  I am not worried about my self because the army will tell me if I have to fill out a return.  I have been wondering if you still are going to claim Snapper on you return.  You had planned on it.  I think you can.  I haven’t claimed him in the army and I did at Westinghouse for the time I was there.  So let me know what the out come is. 

It has snowed all day today.  We had our usual training today.  We are going to have a parade Sat and we have practice this afternoon.  Snow, mud and all.  It hasn’t been to cold the last day or two.  It has snowed several times lately but doesn’t seem to last.  I think there may be a good one.  The bad weather gets here in Feb, March, and April.  Squad leader’s job is OK so far.  Hope I can make section leader when the one we have now goes home.  There is a good chance of it.  It will either be Guthemiller or I unless we get a Sgt from Germany or the States... They always get the jobs before us because they are RA and have twice in grade and in the army.  I should be hearing from you about my going to Japan.  May be in you next letter. 

No news on the troops leaving here.  From what I can put together it seems as though a peace will go through if Sigmound Rhee doesn’t up set things.  I have never seen him yet.  I think he is afraid to come up in this part myself.  There are a lot of people who would shoot him it they had the chance.  They sure are making money off of us.  Have more now than they ever had.  They black market counterfeit etc, ROCK corporals here make 30 cents in our money a month.  If they could make just a couple of dollars a month off us you can see how much money they would have.  They think they are rich if we pay them for doing something.

Well not much more to say.  I’ll write you later on.

Love, Ted