(note: this letter also was addressed to General Delivery Cheyenne, WY. The date is just as he wrote it. A touch of dyslexics?)
July 30, 1945
Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper
I had 3 letters tonight, 21,23, and 24 July. Sure glad to hear from you. Well another pay day tomorrow. They sure fly by. Not many more to go over here. Did you ever get the 50 dollar check yet for that other allotment I made out. Not much new here. It hasn’t rained here today just drizzled and the mud is not quite as bad as it was. We had classes today all day. I got the picture you sent. The color pictures and the plain one of Snapper and his teacher and chum. That has been quite awhile. I think I have had most of the ones you have sent. Hope you didn’t nail Sgt Wood any packages as he will rotate before he get it. He and Sgt Wright will go any time. Sgt Wright seem to be doing on OK now
No that picture Pony Express was a new picture. Charlton Hesston played Buffalo Bill Cody. The story was different that the firs I think. What picture did you say I looked like a Sgt. Which picture were you talking about. Did you get the little billfold shots I sent yet. How did you like those.
About the wedding wring All I can tell you is that I got a letter from either you or Dad and when I opened it up this plain gold Wed ring fell out. It was a small one. Would hardly fit on my little finger. It was dull like brass gets after a while. I thought maybe Dad put it in the letter for a joke or Snapper sent it to me. If I still have it I will send it to you. (note: still don’t know what that is all about.) I figured you new about it. I got a kick out of it. Would like to write Jim. When you write him tell him I sent a letter to his address in Springfield and 2 his first army address in Ft. Bliss. Haven’t had several letters from him. I know the mail doesn’t get lost. So tell him to write. So far I have only had two letters from him.
So far I have written 2 letters to Casper and this is the first letter to Cheyenne. Hope you get them. Think I will just write one more letter to Chy and then the rest to home. Didn’t think you would leave till Aug 2 or later and I am afraid you wont get any more if I mail them later on.
Everything is going fine with me and I am enjoying the field training. Some of the guys don’t like it because of mud and rain but they are young soldiers just over from the states. They crack up, cry etc on the road march and one guy sat on the side of the road and refused to go any further because he said the Co commander said we were only going two miles and we had already gone about 3 or 4. He really blew his top. Another guy today said his arm was paralyzed and couldn’t go on detail or to the field and the platoon Sgt told him to get off his a--- and move. He started crying and they hauled him off to the hospital. You should see the different kind of people in this army. I get a kick out of it.
Well I guess I am going to clean up tomorrow. One of the boys in my squad is baking now and brought me down a piece of cake tonight. He is just helping out. Well not much new to write so I will close . Will write one more letter . hope you are having a nice trip.
Lots of Love and wish I was with you, Ted
July 31, 1954
Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper
Well I am writing another letter today at the end of another month. Today was pay day and I only have 4 more to go over here. They are getting less and less. We didn’t do much of anything today. Had a little inspection this AM and that has been it. I got paid today 123 dollars. I guess they held out a $50 this month and I think last moth too. Have you received any yet you never have said yet. I went to the PX that opened up today nad bought some things to keep from getting hungry between meals. It has been cloudy today but it hasn’t rained and the mud is packed down pretty good. I am getting plenty of sleep etc. Hope you are having a nice trip. I would like to go there some day myself. I guess you are taking a lot of pictures. Wish I could have sent you mine to use and you could have made slides. Well not much knew. This is the last letter and the 4th one I have written. The rest I will write home.
Lots of Love, Ted
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
July 29, 1954
Note: This letter too was sent to General Delivery, Casper, WY and sent back to Independence. The mystery continues.)
July 29, 1954
Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper
How is your trip going by now. OK I hope. How is the car going and what kind of mileage are you getting with it. I didn’t get any mail today. Will probably get some tomorrow. This is the 2nd letter I have written to Casper, Wyom. The next I write will be to Chy. You didn’t say what day you were leaving on your trip so I won’t know how many letters to write to you at Wyom.
Not much new with me today. It rained all day yesterday and all night and all day today except this afternoon and it just drizzled a little . This morning we went on a road march a few miles at this afternoon we had off to clean up a little of our equipment, reifels, etc. and went to the waterfall and took showers or baths. The water is sure cold. Alsmost ice cold. Comes right out of the mountains.
Not much more news to write , hope you get this mail I am sending OK. I think I will just send 2 letters to Casper and 2 to Cheyenne. Will write again tomorrow.
Lots of Love,Ted
Sunday, March 11, 2012
July 28, 1954
Note: This letter was mailed to Casper, WY but forwarded to the regular Independence address. You will see why later.)
July 28, 1954
Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper
I hope you get this letter OK and hope you are surprised too. I guess you are having a nice trip and wish I could be with you. I had a letter from Dad today mailed the 22 of July. It was to bad about Mr. Patterson. I didn’t think he was 65 years old. (note: Patterson was a neighbor up the street. His daughter about my grandparent’s age was a wicked old woman who use to harass all the kids on the block and called them Fart Dobbers. One of the guys about my age ended up throwing her in the lake one summer years later.)
I haven’t heard from Jim for awhile now. I guess he is plenty busy. He will probably be awhile getting my mail I sent to his old address. I guess that this address you sent is his basic training address, at least it sound like it. I get you mail OK. Some days I miss but the next day I get 2 or 3. The last letter I wrote was yesterday to home but I don’t think you will get it before you go on your trip so I will tell you what I am doing.
Yesterday we moved out in the field. We are about in the same area as we were last time. We didn’t do much yesterday but set up our pup tents and dig drainage ditches etc. Last night I went to the show and saw "Scoutmaster." It sure was a good show. Early this morning it started raining and it has rained every since. We didn’t do much today but work around our tents fixing them so they wouldn’t float away. It’s sure a mess here. It’s all mud. We are supposed to stay her till Aug 13 or 14. There are a lot of guys who have come down with diarrhea and it is in the whole Bn. The Col has it and the Co commander and most of the men. So far I have been OK. They think it is the water. It started about a day before we moved to the field. It has hit the whole Pusan area. It it gets worse we will probably go back in. I hope not as I don’t like to move. I have moved about 75 times since I have been in the army. It won’t be bad here if it quits raining. You get so you feel like you are part of the rain and mud.
How did you like the Yellow Stone and Black Hills. I bet Snapper is really enjoying it.
Well I can’t thing of much more to say. I’ll write again to Cheyenne. Did you go through Cody. The gunner in my squad is from there. His name is Cpl Glen Fish and his wife’s name is Betty. His father’s name is Gen too. We are showing our tents this time. (note: I don’t know what he means.) Will write soon.
Love and Lots of it, Ted
July 28, 1954
Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper
I hope you get this letter OK and hope you are surprised too. I guess you are having a nice trip and wish I could be with you. I had a letter from Dad today mailed the 22 of July. It was to bad about Mr. Patterson. I didn’t think he was 65 years old. (note: Patterson was a neighbor up the street. His daughter about my grandparent’s age was a wicked old woman who use to harass all the kids on the block and called them Fart Dobbers. One of the guys about my age ended up throwing her in the lake one summer years later.)
I haven’t heard from Jim for awhile now. I guess he is plenty busy. He will probably be awhile getting my mail I sent to his old address. I guess that this address you sent is his basic training address, at least it sound like it. I get you mail OK. Some days I miss but the next day I get 2 or 3. The last letter I wrote was yesterday to home but I don’t think you will get it before you go on your trip so I will tell you what I am doing.
Yesterday we moved out in the field. We are about in the same area as we were last time. We didn’t do much yesterday but set up our pup tents and dig drainage ditches etc. Last night I went to the show and saw "Scoutmaster." It sure was a good show. Early this morning it started raining and it has rained every since. We didn’t do much today but work around our tents fixing them so they wouldn’t float away. It’s sure a mess here. It’s all mud. We are supposed to stay her till Aug 13 or 14. There are a lot of guys who have come down with diarrhea and it is in the whole Bn. The Col has it and the Co commander and most of the men. So far I have been OK. They think it is the water. It started about a day before we moved to the field. It has hit the whole Pusan area. It it gets worse we will probably go back in. I hope not as I don’t like to move. I have moved about 75 times since I have been in the army. It won’t be bad here if it quits raining. You get so you feel like you are part of the rain and mud.
How did you like the Yellow Stone and Black Hills. I bet Snapper is really enjoying it.
Well I can’t thing of much more to say. I’ll write again to Cheyenne. Did you go through Cody. The gunner in my squad is from there. His name is Cpl Glen Fish and his wife’s name is Betty. His father’s name is Gen too. We are showing our tents this time. (note: I don’t know what he means.) Will write soon.
Love and Lots of it, Ted
Friday, March 9, 2012
July 27, 1954
July 27, 1954
Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper
Well it was just a year ago to day that the fighting ceased over here. We moved out in the field today to the same area we were last time only we set up a little ways from it. We will be here till about Aug 13 or 14. I don’t know just what our training will be as yet. I think we will have some live fire problems.
I got a letter yesterday with the letter of Jim’s. Enjoyed reading it. I have just had one letter from him and have written him about twice. Tonight I got the letter from Dad telling about going to the Black Hills and Yellow Stone, Casper and Cheyenne and Colorado. That sound like a nice trip and I bet you will all enjoy it. If you leave Aug 2 you might not get this letter before you go but thought I would write it anyway.
My gunny Glen Fish is from Cody, Wyom. You will probably go right through there on you way to Casper. I think his Father’s name is Glen. His wife’s name is Betty. He is sleeping in the same pup tent with me and he is a Cpl, came from the 45 Div. I thought I would tell you about it.
Well I don’t know much more tow rite about, home you have a nice trip.
Love, Ted
Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper
Well it was just a year ago to day that the fighting ceased over here. We moved out in the field today to the same area we were last time only we set up a little ways from it. We will be here till about Aug 13 or 14. I don’t know just what our training will be as yet. I think we will have some live fire problems.
I got a letter yesterday with the letter of Jim’s. Enjoyed reading it. I have just had one letter from him and have written him about twice. Tonight I got the letter from Dad telling about going to the Black Hills and Yellow Stone, Casper and Cheyenne and Colorado. That sound like a nice trip and I bet you will all enjoy it. If you leave Aug 2 you might not get this letter before you go but thought I would write it anyway.
My gunny Glen Fish is from Cody, Wyom. You will probably go right through there on you way to Casper. I think his Father’s name is Glen. His wife’s name is Betty. He is sleeping in the same pup tent with me and he is a Cpl, came from the 45 Div. I thought I would tell you about it.
Well I don’t know much more tow rite about, home you have a nice trip.
Love, Ted
Thursday, March 8, 2012
July 24, 1954
24, 1954 Sat
Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper
Today is Saturday and I haven’t done anything all day. The platoon is on guard and I have just stayed back and laid around most of the day. I haven’t had a letter fro a couple of days but this afternoon I had d3 letters, 2 dated the 16 saying you had not had any mail from me for so long, one on the 17 saying you just got two letter fro me. I don’t understand why it was so long before you got any mail from me. I wrote in the field before I went on R&R and when I came back I have written at least on an average of every other day. I have been getting most of you mail. I wrote the other day and told getting the photos etc. I got the mint candy the other day too. Sound like in you letter it cooled off a little. You haven’t said anything bout the tem going to 120 and all the people dieing from the heat. I saw in the paper today that they had another heat wave. Wish you could get some of the rain we have been getting over here. It has rained steady and hard for about 3 hours now and the way it does over here, it won’t stop for a long while. Because of that we don’t suffer to much from the hot weather.
I am glad Snapper likes to play base ball and its is nice he can go a lot with Quinton to the ball game and be a bat boy. May be when he gets older he will play a lot of base ball. (note: Quinton was my great uncle who was really a base ball fan. He played ball for many years and had some sort of an association with a minor league team. He would take me to the games and I would be a bat boy. I remember doing a pretty good job of it. On a side note, he and my other great uncle Jimmy, use to take me to see the KC Athletics down at the old ball stadium. They would sneak in a bottle of vodka, buy me a large orange drink, have me drink half of it then fill it back up to the brim with the alcohol.)
I sent the Zipo lighter the other day and I also sent the color films to Hawaii to get developed and as soon as they come back I’ll mail them to you. It takes about 3 weeks.
No more news abut moving and as far as I know we are going to the field about the 27. We haven’t done anything since we have bee pulling guard. We have only had oane hour of PT since we left Masan. It’s going to be hard to get started again.
I am on guard tomorrow night and it might be the last time for awhile. I haven’t heard anything from anyone back home. Would like to hear from Jim and learn how he is getting along with his Sgts and what branch he is in.
Well don’t have much more to write for now. I am sorry it was so long between my letter but guess you will receive them regular now. I’ll write more later on.
Lots of Love, Ted
Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper
Today is Saturday and I haven’t done anything all day. The platoon is on guard and I have just stayed back and laid around most of the day. I haven’t had a letter fro a couple of days but this afternoon I had d3 letters, 2 dated the 16 saying you had not had any mail from me for so long, one on the 17 saying you just got two letter fro me. I don’t understand why it was so long before you got any mail from me. I wrote in the field before I went on R&R and when I came back I have written at least on an average of every other day. I have been getting most of you mail. I wrote the other day and told getting the photos etc. I got the mint candy the other day too. Sound like in you letter it cooled off a little. You haven’t said anything bout the tem going to 120 and all the people dieing from the heat. I saw in the paper today that they had another heat wave. Wish you could get some of the rain we have been getting over here. It has rained steady and hard for about 3 hours now and the way it does over here, it won’t stop for a long while. Because of that we don’t suffer to much from the hot weather.
I am glad Snapper likes to play base ball and its is nice he can go a lot with Quinton to the ball game and be a bat boy. May be when he gets older he will play a lot of base ball. (note: Quinton was my great uncle who was really a base ball fan. He played ball for many years and had some sort of an association with a minor league team. He would take me to the games and I would be a bat boy. I remember doing a pretty good job of it. On a side note, he and my other great uncle Jimmy, use to take me to see the KC Athletics down at the old ball stadium. They would sneak in a bottle of vodka, buy me a large orange drink, have me drink half of it then fill it back up to the brim with the alcohol.)
I sent the Zipo lighter the other day and I also sent the color films to Hawaii to get developed and as soon as they come back I’ll mail them to you. It takes about 3 weeks.
No more news abut moving and as far as I know we are going to the field about the 27. We haven’t done anything since we have bee pulling guard. We have only had oane hour of PT since we left Masan. It’s going to be hard to get started again.
I am on guard tomorrow night and it might be the last time for awhile. I haven’t heard anything from anyone back home. Would like to hear from Jim and learn how he is getting along with his Sgts and what branch he is in.
Well don’t have much more to write for now. I am sorry it was so long between my letter but guess you will receive them regular now. I’ll write more later on.
Lots of Love, Ted
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
July 22, 1954
Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper
I had a couple of letter and a nice box of candy. The candy sure is good. I had a letter fro Larry too. He wrote a nice letter. Asked about army wars and waves etc. I sure got a kick out of what Jim R said in his letter about his Sgt and hoping I wasn’t like that. They just have to be like that especially around a basic training camp. He should see some of the Sgts we have in this company. Sgt Slone the 1st Platoon Sgt is about the meanest one I have seen yet. I think I sent you a picture of him. The other might he was Sgt of the guard and he caught a new guy sitting down and he hit him in the head with his night stick. Nothing was ever said about it. Our First Sgt got relieved and transferred because he was mean and to hard on the troops. So Jim hasn’t even seen any Sgts yet. Wait till he sees some of the 12 and 14 year Sgts.
I was on guard last night from 4 till midnight, not much went on. I guess I will go on tonight from midnight till 8. I like that shift now because one of the Sgts is our platoon is on R&R. We only have a couple three or 4 days left before we go out in the field anyway.
How is the hot weather in KC now. You ask about the weather here. It rains most everyday. It is hot but not bad. Some nights it’s hot and before Arkie gave me a mosquito net I had to cover up with a blanket to keep from get bit up. I guess you will be going on your R&R – vacation – soon after you get this letter. That sounds like a nice trip to make. Yellow stone should be nice that time of the year. Wish I was going to the states but no chance for awhile yet. I heard they had a cease fire in Indo China. That should ease things up a little. I mailed you a lighter I bought in Japan. It’s not just like you wanted but that was the nicest I could find. I have a roll of color film that I took in Japan and I am going to mail them to Hawaii to get made into slides. Well we are going to the field the 27 so it’s just 5 more days. We will be out there 2 or 3 weeks.
Well don’t have much more to write about so I will close. I’ll write again today if I get any mail in.
Lots of Love, Ted
Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper
I had a couple of letter and a nice box of candy. The candy sure is good. I had a letter fro Larry too. He wrote a nice letter. Asked about army wars and waves etc. I sure got a kick out of what Jim R said in his letter about his Sgt and hoping I wasn’t like that. They just have to be like that especially around a basic training camp. He should see some of the Sgts we have in this company. Sgt Slone the 1st Platoon Sgt is about the meanest one I have seen yet. I think I sent you a picture of him. The other might he was Sgt of the guard and he caught a new guy sitting down and he hit him in the head with his night stick. Nothing was ever said about it. Our First Sgt got relieved and transferred because he was mean and to hard on the troops. So Jim hasn’t even seen any Sgts yet. Wait till he sees some of the 12 and 14 year Sgts.
I was on guard last night from 4 till midnight, not much went on. I guess I will go on tonight from midnight till 8. I like that shift now because one of the Sgts is our platoon is on R&R. We only have a couple three or 4 days left before we go out in the field anyway.
How is the hot weather in KC now. You ask about the weather here. It rains most everyday. It is hot but not bad. Some nights it’s hot and before Arkie gave me a mosquito net I had to cover up with a blanket to keep from get bit up. I guess you will be going on your R&R – vacation – soon after you get this letter. That sounds like a nice trip to make. Yellow stone should be nice that time of the year. Wish I was going to the states but no chance for awhile yet. I heard they had a cease fire in Indo China. That should ease things up a little. I mailed you a lighter I bought in Japan. It’s not just like you wanted but that was the nicest I could find. I have a roll of color film that I took in Japan and I am going to mail them to Hawaii to get made into slides. Well we are going to the field the 27 so it’s just 5 more days. We will be out there 2 or 3 weeks.
Well don’t have much more to write about so I will close. I’ll write again today if I get any mail in.
Lots of Love, Ted
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
July 20, 1954, Thee letters.
July 20, 1954
Dear Mama-san, Papa-san, and Baby-san
I got a couple of pictures this eve from Japan that I had taken over there in Fukuoka. Thought you might like them for your billfold. They are not too bad.
I just got 3 of them made.
I got a letter form Dad to night and one from Larry. (note: another cousin.) I am going to write him soon. I went to the show tonight and saw "Take the High Ground." It was a good picture.
Well not much more to write about now so will close.
Love, Ted
Dear Snapper
How are you? I hear you are quite the swimming expert now. Have you got those Sgt stripes sewed on yet? Have you been taking it easy with the hot weather. So far it hasn’t been too hot here. I had a letter from Jim. He is in Ft Bliss, Texas taking his basic training just like I did at Camp Roberts. Those pictures I have of you are sure good. I show them to everyone. Mama said you are a big boy now. You must really be growing up. I am glad you like base ball. Hope you play a lot of it. I sure do miss you and will be glad when I get home Write to me.
Lots of Love, Daddy
July 20, 1954
Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper
I have the day off today. I won’t go on till 4 PM tomorrow. I was on from midnight till 8 AM Sunday night. Wasn’t to bad. I sat on the ship "Indian Mail" and ate peanut butter sandwiches and drank coffee most of the night. It was a US ship and was on the way to Hong Kong and Indo China.
Almost had a little excitement around the docks. I lost my helmet liner climbing off the side of a ship trying to get a Korean in a little boat that had pulled up besides a barge.
I guess it has been hot in KC. I read in the paper it was 120 one day and in your letters you wrote about it being hot. Hope it doesn’t get you down to much. I haven’t had Larry letter yet. I had two from you yesterday and one from Jim. He is in Ft Bliss waiting to start his basic. There was a troop ship that left Sunday night before I went on guard. I kind of think Arkie was on the ship.
I guess you are seeing some good shows at the Starlight Theater. I am going tonight and see "Take the High Ground." It an army picture. It’s about a basic training company. Have you seen it yet. You want to see it if you get the chance.
Sorry to hear that Lowell was sick and in the hospital. Hope he is OK now. I haven’t written them for a long time. Guess I’ll write them again one of these days.
I still have the color pictures yet. I am going to send them off and get them developed and send them to you. What kind of viewer did you get. A little one or a big one. I’ll take some more when I get a chance.
I think we have about another week on guard and then we go back out in the field for a little less than 3 weeks. That will sure kill the month of August and then I will just have Sept and Oct and look to go home the last of Nov. Time goes fast over here, at least it has been.
Sgt Oliver got relieved off his job. The new company commander didn’t like him to well. I always got along with him and yesterday he came in my hut and woke me up and said there was an Embarkation school in Japan for 4 weeks and said I could put in for it. He isn’t first Sgt any more but he just told me about it. I don’t think I’ll go because you have to have over 6 months to go in the Far East. The school in Embarkation which means Troop moving. Ships etc. You hae to be a least a Sgt to go.
Well I don’t know much more to say so I will close.
Lots of love, Ted
Dear Mama-san, Papa-san, and Baby-san
I got a couple of pictures this eve from Japan that I had taken over there in Fukuoka. Thought you might like them for your billfold. They are not too bad.
I just got 3 of them made.
I got a letter form Dad to night and one from Larry. (note: another cousin.) I am going to write him soon. I went to the show tonight and saw "Take the High Ground." It was a good picture.
Well not much more to write about now so will close.
Love, Ted
Dear Snapper
How are you? I hear you are quite the swimming expert now. Have you got those Sgt stripes sewed on yet? Have you been taking it easy with the hot weather. So far it hasn’t been too hot here. I had a letter from Jim. He is in Ft Bliss, Texas taking his basic training just like I did at Camp Roberts. Those pictures I have of you are sure good. I show them to everyone. Mama said you are a big boy now. You must really be growing up. I am glad you like base ball. Hope you play a lot of it. I sure do miss you and will be glad when I get home Write to me.
Lots of Love, Daddy
July 20, 1954
Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper
I have the day off today. I won’t go on till 4 PM tomorrow. I was on from midnight till 8 AM Sunday night. Wasn’t to bad. I sat on the ship "Indian Mail" and ate peanut butter sandwiches and drank coffee most of the night. It was a US ship and was on the way to Hong Kong and Indo China.
Almost had a little excitement around the docks. I lost my helmet liner climbing off the side of a ship trying to get a Korean in a little boat that had pulled up besides a barge.
I guess it has been hot in KC. I read in the paper it was 120 one day and in your letters you wrote about it being hot. Hope it doesn’t get you down to much. I haven’t had Larry letter yet. I had two from you yesterday and one from Jim. He is in Ft Bliss waiting to start his basic. There was a troop ship that left Sunday night before I went on guard. I kind of think Arkie was on the ship.
I guess you are seeing some good shows at the Starlight Theater. I am going tonight and see "Take the High Ground." It an army picture. It’s about a basic training company. Have you seen it yet. You want to see it if you get the chance.
Sorry to hear that Lowell was sick and in the hospital. Hope he is OK now. I haven’t written them for a long time. Guess I’ll write them again one of these days.
I still have the color pictures yet. I am going to send them off and get them developed and send them to you. What kind of viewer did you get. A little one or a big one. I’ll take some more when I get a chance.
I think we have about another week on guard and then we go back out in the field for a little less than 3 weeks. That will sure kill the month of August and then I will just have Sept and Oct and look to go home the last of Nov. Time goes fast over here, at least it has been.
Sgt Oliver got relieved off his job. The new company commander didn’t like him to well. I always got along with him and yesterday he came in my hut and woke me up and said there was an Embarkation school in Japan for 4 weeks and said I could put in for it. He isn’t first Sgt any more but he just told me about it. I don’t think I’ll go because you have to have over 6 months to go in the Far East. The school in Embarkation which means Troop moving. Ships etc. You hae to be a least a Sgt to go.
Well I don’t know much more to say so I will close.
Lots of love, Ted
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