August 12, 1953

Wed Aug 12, 1953
Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

I thought I would take a little time to write you a line.  I have been on KP all day.  4 am to 7 pm. There were 4 lines and 4000 ate.  I might have served about a 1000 of them. 

We got shipping orders tonight.  I am leaving sometime Sat on the USNS Meig. About 4400 are going on the ship. We are going to Pusan or Ponyong, Korea.  It is a fast ship and it will take almost 10 days.  Zink called his wife tonight and I told him to tell her to call you.  I am going to call Friday night.  By the way, don't say anything to anybody about when I am leaving, the name of the ship or how many guys.  We are not supposed to to tell that.

I am going to be reassigned in Korea  as far as I know.  Most of the guys know what Div they are going to.  Well I am pretty tired so I will close now.
Love, Ted

My address for the time is:    Pvt Teddy S McAnally
                                            US55337884
                                            Prov Co 715
                                            APO 2 Care P.M.
                                            San Francisco, Calif

P.S.  You might tell Jim my address because I may not get a chance to write before I leave and after I leave it might take a little while.

August 11, 1953

Tues. Aug 11, 1953

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

Well I've been here two weeks tonight and haven't left yet.  A guy we went through basic training with is here and is working in the orders room.  He said 1 of us were leaving on a ship Sat for Korea not on special orders.  There is a ship leaving Thur but our names were not on that ship list.  It is pretty definite that we will go Sat. Zink is the only one of us not on special orders but he is going on the ship with us.  We will probably  know for sure in a day or two.  I will call Friday night.

I got your letter tonight, also your package.  I haven't opened it yet but I am going to in a minute.

Glad you had Jim out Sunday.  I like him OK.

Yesterday we slipped off and went to the refreshment stand for a coke. 2 1st Sergent and a 2nd Louie took the whole bunch of us that were there and lined us up.  There must have been about 150 men altogether.  They had us separate into the company we belong to and then had a sergeant march us back to the company headquarters.  He stopped at the orderly room to see what they wanted to do with us.  As soon as he went in the whole bunch took off running.  They didn't catch us.  They were probably only going to put us on detail anyway.

I haven't done much today.  The other night I went to the show and saw Lew Ayers in No Escape.  Last night I saw The Sailor and a King.  It was real good.  You should go see it.  I might go tonight and see Martin and Lewis in the Caddy.  I think it is a new picture.

I haven't a camera yet.  I have looked around for one at the PX, they have one about the size of a pack of cigarettes.  It takes small pictures.  The film is 30 cents a roll with 14 pictures but you have to send them off to get them developed.  It cost a dollar I think.  The camera cost $8.  I might get one, it would come in handy.

I think the ship name is USS Meggs.  I will send a picture of it.  I can get one at the PX as soon as I know for sure.

The wheather is about the same only the nights are a little cooler.

Well I don't know to much more to say.  I will give you my address before I leave so you can keep writing.  Look for me to call Friday night.  You should get this letter by then.
Love, Ted

PS  No need to write any more here.

August 9, 1953

Service Club
Camp Stoneman, California
August 9, 1953

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

I am in the service club now writing this letter.  I went to town last night with the boys.  Didn't do much.  Came back to camp last night and layed around the barracks all day.  Not much to do.  It sure has been hot here, the nights have been hot too.

We had another parade yesterday and then we were off about noon.

From what I hear we may be leaving here some time this week.  I'll try to call you before I leave.

This service club is real nice.  A swimming pool outside, pool hall, typewriters, bowling, restaurant, sod fountain, and most everything.  I might go swimming later on when it cools off a little.  The water looks good but I hate to get sunburned.

I didn't get any mail yesterday.  The mail service here is poor.  I get your mail fairly well but I don't get mine out to fast. 

In a way I will be kind of glad to get  away from here.  It's tiresome just fooling around here all the time.

What's new back home?  I guess it is plenty hot isn't it.  Wish I was there more than I was. 

I guess I will be stationed either in Korea or Japan because that is where the next ships are going.  I would rather be in Japan.

I might be gone when you get this letter but if I am not look for me to call.  I guess I will close now, can't think of much more to say.  I will write you when I know something else to say.
Love, Ted

August 7, 1953

Aug 7, 1953

Dear Mom and Dad

I got 2 letters from you tonight, one had my money order.  I didn't try to call the other night.  Did you think I did.  Zink said he was going to call so I told him to tell is wife to call you ad tell you I needed some money.  I wrote you but I thought it would save time if he had his wife call. 

I haven't heard anymore when I will leave.  I heard it would be around the 15 of Aug.  There are about 3000 in our company.  They can't find enough for us to do so they take us on walks.  We went on a five mile walk yesterday.

I was on KP today.  5:30 to 6:00.  It wasn't bad. 

Last night we went to Pittsburg and fooled around.  Not doing anything tonight except write a few letters, take a shower and go to bed.  I don't know what I will do this weekend.  Probably not much of anything much.  I want to save as much money as I can.  I want to send some money home if I can so I can buy a car when I get back.

From what every one says Japan would be a good place to get stationed.  Everything is cheap over there.  All the vets say they would like to go back and stay all the time.

It is nice you had Charlie out to dinner.  He is a good guy.

I bought a crossword puzzle book to pass the time away.  It is interesting after you get started..

What is the whether like back home.  It's about the same here.

I went to the show the other night and saw the Master of Balanting with Earl Flynn.  It is a good show. You ought to go see it when it comes to KC.

Well can't think of much Else to say.  Told you about all I know.  I will write again this weekend.
Love, Ted

August 5, 1953

Aug 5, 1953

Dear Mom and Dad

I got your letter last night. I was sure glad to get it.  Don't know much news.  Went to the show the other night and saw Kid From Left Field.  It was a good.  Dan Daily played in it. 

I was on detail today at the meat plant.  Didn't do much.  I ground up some meat to eat.  Played around most of the time.

I washed my clothes out last night.  They have a laundry mat here and dryers.

That was something about the bank being robbed.  Have you heard any more about it.

I don't know much of anything.  I don't know how long we will be here but you need not bother about the cookies because it takes so long for them to get here and I might not be here or something.  They just give us a days notice before we ship out.  From here we go on a ferry boat to Fresno then get another boat there.  It takes about 10 to 14 days to get to Japan.  There is a boat that leaves Friday the 7th for Hawaii.  Doubt I will be on it.

Have you heard from Jim or Margie.  How does Jan like the car now.

It seems like it takes a long time for you to get my letters.  Wish you would get them faster.  Well not much new.  I think I will go to the show tonight.  I'll write you when I know something new.
Love, Ted

August 3, 1953

Monday  3 August 53

Dear Mom and Dad

How is everything at home.  Friday I guess was the last time I wrote.  Friday night 4 of us went to Pittsburg (note to blog reader, I finally looked it up, Pittsburg is a town close to Stoneman, near SF) and fooled around.  Saturday we were in a parade. and then Sat night we went to the county fair.  They had a rodeo, carnival, etc. Had a good time. 

Zink, Sipes, Tiederman and I have been going places together.  Sunday we all had guard duty together starting 9:30 Sun morning.  We were on 24 hours. Guard is 2 hours on and off four hours.  We were all on it together at the same time and the same place.  We have been together quite a bit, hope we can stay together.  This guard wasn't bad.  It was interesting.  We had automatic carbines and live ammunition.  We guarded a stockade.  We stood in towers and they told us if anybody tried to get over the fence to shoot them. 

Haven't done anything today but watch a ball game this afternoon and we are going to have retreat at 4.  Wont do much tonight probably but sleep. 

Haven't been over to get my mail yet.  I should have some tonight because I didn't get any Sat.

There was a boat that left today for Korea and one leaves tomorrow for Hawaii.  There will not be another one until the 7th.  I heard today that after about 2 weeks that all the troops would be sent to Alaska or get duty state side.  Hope that's true and I get something like that.  Although everybody from here goes to Japan and then get sent to Korea from there.  They just say that is where the boat is going, so I could get to stay in Japan.

I guess I will get detail tomorrow, just hope it isn't KP.  I see some of the guys here that I went to basic training with.  Don't know why they are still here.  They don't know either.  There are a lot of guys here that have already been to Korea and Japan and are going back.  They say that army life is better overseas then it is here in the states.

Could you send me 10 or 20 dollars out of my account.  I guess I wont get paid while I am here.  All I got is 40 dollars so far.  That is not much.  I want to buy a camera before I leave.  I can get a good one at the PX for just a little bit.

Well not much more to say.  I'll write you again tomorrow.  Let me hear from you.  If I leave here I will call you.
Love, Ted
PS  Just send a money order.

Explanations for July

Dad received a pass for about two weeks and then headed back to California, where he was stationed at a Naval Airbase to start the special school he keeps mentioning..  He seems to like the Navy and the way they live and the freedom he has to leave and go where he wants.  Spends a lot of time in Fresno and Oakland and revisited Frisco.

He keeps referring to Steinman or Stoneman and uses several spellings and I haven't figured out where it is or what they do there.  I think it must be close to San Fransisco and have something to do with transporting him over seas.  His reference about going to Pittsburgh is puzzling,  I have no idea what he meant.

He mentions a few new names.  Some were familiar to me.  JQ was his cousin, Edith was his aunt, and Arline lived down the street from him and was the bridesmaid to Dad and Mom when they were married.  Arlene lived down the street for many years and I grew up with her children.  Apparently he heard from Martin because he mentions him and I found an envelope addressed to Dad from Martin but no letter inside.  The envelop was addressed to Dad's Independence address so I suspect my grandmother opened it up and sent the letter to Dad.  We shall see.

It was a small world.  Running into the the nephew of his old ROTC instructor was a strange encounter, especially since they both were attending that "special" school.  I spell out what the special school was all about in a posting on my other blog, The Adventures of Conley McAnally, dated November 10, 2010. 
The school seems interesting to him and he showed surprise that such things existed.  He told me years later that they held the classes over a mess hall so it would look like they were getting some kind of training in mess operations.

Dad keeps going to movies, not getting all his money, seems to be broke a lot, and really looks forward to the mail. 

He was able to come home after the school for a second time after basic .  It must have been a real hardship on him and my grandparents given neither had much money.  But it would have been the last time he would have been able to because he was shipping out to some place he "doesn't know where yet."  I don't remember much about the visit home only that we took Dad down to Municipal Airport,watched him get on the plane while we stood on the observation deck.  My grandmother had her had resting on her chin and her elbow on the railing while she clung to the railing with here other hand.  Why would I remember something like that?  But the picture is just as to vivid now as it was back then.  I don't remember my grandfather even being there, but he had to be because no one else drove and he told me years later that he watched Dad get on the plane and didn't know if he would ever see him again.  The war was still going on when Dad left us this time.

Which brings up something I think is sort of odd if I have my dates correct.  The cease fire was declared on July 29, about the same day Dad left for California.  He mentions nothing about it in his letters of July 29 and 31.  I have a vague memory of seeing President Eisenhower on television and everyone in the room, which I don't remember who they were or how many, were listening intently.  What might have happened was that the President addressed the nation and told us that at a certain time on a certain day hostilities would cease etc.  So if Dad had been home on leave when the cease fire was declared it would have been no need to dwell on it in letters.  I guess I might find out later in my readings.   Or maybe there was a cease fire months before and the war ended on July 29.  But I don't think the war really did end officially, we just stopped fighting.  If anyone know let me know and I will make a correction to the blog.

Anyway, Dad is in Stoneman (I am settling on that spelling) waiting for a ship to take him to either Hawaii, Okinawa, Japan, or Korea, he has not received his orders yet.