Feb 5, 1954

Fri Feb 5, 1954

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

This is my last day in Eta Jima.  I leave tomorrow at 10:30.  I sure hast to go back.  I have really enjoyed these two weeks.  I finished the school in good shape.  There were only 10 of us that got our diplomas yesterday.  The rest of the guys had to go back this morning and talk to the instructor.  They gave the rest of us the day off.

I have not done much of anything  today.  Just resting etc.  I have two packages to send.  One for Snapper with you scarves in it and one for Dad.  Yesterday I mailed some valentines.  They didn’t have much variety of cards so the card were not just what I wanted to send.  There are two other packages I wont be able to send till I fill out some cards and have it signed by an officer.  I should get that done by noon and they will be on their way.  I hope the things are not to heavy to send airmail.  I have been wondering if you got the other things I have sent before Xmas and if they got there not broke up.

I guess I have a lot of mail back at the company.  I’ll be glad to read them and find out what is new at home.  I have been wondering home Jim and Rosalyn are now.  I guess they have moved by now.

They say it is cold over in Korea now.  More than it has been.

Hope you like the pictures I sent in the valentines.  I still have a lot more to send.  I’ll send them right away.  I saw the Noritake China again.  There are several patterns to pick from.  I don’t have enough money to get it this time but I will have on R&R.  (note:  I don not recall Dad ever sending the China.  He might have been but it never made any impression on me.  I know my grandmother had China but don’t know where it was from or where it is now.)  I will probably go in a month or so. 

Here is a picture of Kiyoko Shimokawa and myself.  I took these with my camera.  She sure is a nice girl.  She is on the quiet side.  Works at the PX.  Have some more pictures to send.  Will send them later on.  I’ll write soon.

Love, Ted.  (note:  Dad has mentioned this “nice girl” before but I don’t recall anyone ever saying anything about it.  It will be interesting to see if I come across any pictures of her or if there is any further discussion about her.)

Feb. 2, 1954

Tues  Feb 2, 1954

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

I guess you are thinking I have for got about writing.  I haven’t, it is just that I have been busy doing everything.  I had a pass Sat and didn’t do to much.  Sunday I took a friend of mine to Kure and bought a few things.  I got Snapper a robe (note: I remember getting the robe) and got you some scarves, 6 of them.  Georgette silk.  They were not very expensive but they were the only ones I found that I liked.  I looked for some linen table cloths but couldn’t find anything but cloth-rayon.  I didn’t know what you wanted so I thought I would wait till R&R.  I’ll send the other things soon as I can.  It’s kind of hard to shop if you don’t know whether it is any good or not.  Because you can’t talk to the Japs very well.

I took a girl friend with me.  She works here at Eta Jima.  She is a nice girl.  She understand English but can’t talk it very well.  She is 22 years old.  She remembers the A Bomb at Hiroshima.  This air force sgt friend of mine went with me also.  We took in a show.  I saw the “Emperor Waltz” with Bing Crosby  and the “Springfield Rifle.”  They had Japanese sub-titles written on the side of the screen.  It was a Japanese movie house.  We ate at a Jap restaurant.  I had curry rice.  It was pretty good.  We went to Kure on the Jap ferry etc.  I saw a lot of things.  I can’t write about all of it. 

They sure have funny customs and live different but they have changed since the Americans have been here. 

I will leave here Sat morning at 10:30 as far as I know now.  I haven’t had any mail yet.  Guess they didn’t send any over here.  I will have plenty of mail when I get back.  Hate to go back in a way.  They say it is pretty cold over there now.  I hate to give up this civilization.  I wish I could be here all the time.  The guys who get stationed here sure are lucky.

I gave my 15 min class yesterday and it went OK.  I give my last class tomorrow, 30 min and a 30 min critique.  I have head count today in the mess hall.  That’s all the detail I have had so far.  I got to be at the mess hall at 11:15.  I got out of class an hour early so I am writing.  Everything will change when I get back to the company.  I guess I will get a lot of news from home also.

How do you like the pictures I sent. (note: I have come across a scrap book with a lot of pictures but not all of them are identified as to what or who is what.  I will post them as one blog from time to time.)  I still have a lot more to send but think I will wait till I am back at Company.  I have taken a few pictures here.  I’ll send them also.

The class I gave was on the mortar.  So is the one I give tomorrow.  I was a little nervous  when I got up on the platform but when I started talking it went away and I felt easy.  This is a hard course.  It is harder than the Methods of Instruction course we had at NCO school.  Most of the guys in the class are Instructors already.

Well don’t know much to say.  I’ll write again later on and let you know the news.

Love, Ted

January 30, 1954

Kure

Jan 30, 1954

Dear Mom and Dad

I am sorry I haven’t written you more but I have been using my spare time making up my lessons etc.  I go to town once in a while.  I went this afternoon and looked around.  I am going again in a little while. 

Not much new to write about because I haven’t had any mail yet. 

I am fine.  They sure have good food here.  About the best I have seen in the Army. 

I give my 15 min talk first thing Monday morning.  I think it will go OK.  I think I will go to Kure tomorrow and look around.  I still haven’t found anything to send home.  This place is kind of small.

Well I guess I will close now and writer again soon.

Love, Ted

January 27, 1954

Wed  Jan 27, 1954

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

I got through my reading yesterday and it went very well.  Yesterday afternoon we spent some time in the library.  We were making up a subject to talk about for 5 minutes which I gave today.  It went OK.  The next talk will be for 15 minutes.

Last night I got a pass and this Air Force Sgt, which is in my same class, and I went to town.  Didn’t see much.  Went to a couple of bars and drank some Jap beer and dance with the girls.  Some of the girls look just like American girls.  Dress the same way.  It is unbelievable.  I didn’t stay out to late.  I had to give the 5 min talk today.

I still haven’t had any mail yet.  I am beginning to wonder if I will get any while I am here.  I hope to because I miss haring from home. 

Hope you like the pictures I have been sending.  I still have a lot more to send.

Don’t know much new to write about as there isn’t much news.  Might go to town and look around again tonight. The town starts right at the gate.  It is called Eta Jaima.  This weekend I think I’ll go over to Kure and shop around some for something to send home.  I will close now and write you again later on.

(note:  he did not sign this letter.)

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