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

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

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

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

July 17, 1954

17, 1954

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

Just a few lines to let you know I am fine. It’s rained all day today and it hasn’t stopped yet. I took the noon relief down to relieve the guard at dinner for an hour and it rained hard. Water was running off my rain coat on to my pats and down in my boots. I had more water in my boots than on the outside. I am not a guard tonight but will be tomorrow from midnight till 8 AM. Think I will go to the club tonight. I forgot to tell you in my last letter that the day Arkie left he sent over his mattress and mosquito net. He sure likes me. He tried to give me everything before he left.

Yesterday a guard we had a little excitement. There is a little settlement next to the Pier and they have beer for a couple of hundred years I think. They had been stealing things so the army put barbed wire around the village and wouldn’t let them in or out trying to make them move. They were starving them. An old mama san through rocks and swore at us and she would chew on the wire with her teeth. She bit one guard’s finger and she even would wrap her self up in the barbedwire when someone would try to get her away. She was doped up I think. The MP men were there and all kinds of people around. I was the Sgt of the guard on the Pier so I had to be there. She finally cooled down. They are moving now.

Well that’s about it. I’ll write you again tomorrow.

Lots of Love, Ted

July 16, 1954

July 16, 1954

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

Well I just got off guard.  I was on a day shift today.  I had a few letters.  Some of them took awhile to get here.  I had a letter from Jim today and he said he was in the army and was going to Camp Chaffee, Ark.

I liked the pictures you sent.  They were sure pretty. 

Wed night I went over to see Arkie for the last time.  I had 4 charcoal cooked steaks and a ½ fried chicken.  They had a little party as he was leaving the next day.  He said he was going to see you when he got home.  I don’t guess I will be coming home before Dec the way things look now.  I’ll probably be home before Xmas anyway. 

I have been wondering what the wedding ring is for.  I don’t think I will need it for anything. (note: I don’t know what he is talking about.)  You better take your vacation  on the 16 Aug as I doubt if our outfit is moving back.  I am send a couple of pictures I had taken on the street by some Jap on my R&R.  He sent them to me.  The cost was about 500 yen.  Well not much new so will close.

Lots of Love, Ted

July 13, 1954

Tues  July 13, 1954

Dear Mom, Dad, and Snapper

Well I guess I will write you this afternoon while I have time.  I only had a one letter since I wrote you last.  It was from Dad dated July 4.  It had a picture of Snapper in it.  I read about the triple murder in the Stars and Stripes.  Didn’t give many details though.

I guess you know by now I spent R&R in Japan.  Wasn’t much going on there.  I came back from town and spend the day at Camp Hakatu.  Took in a show “Red Garters” had a few drinks at the Star Bust Club.  I toped the Tom Collins with a jucy T Bone.  I haven’t done much lately.

Our platoon is going on guard at 4 PM and will spend 8 hours straight.  That’s the way it done now.  We (the platoon) put 8 hours on guard and have 24 hours odd.  For instance we go on at 4 till 12 and then off till midnight tomorrow.  That is all we do.  No PT, no training, and no details.  Being a Sgt I get off every other time so I get plenty of rest.  We can go on a pass, go to the beech or sleep and eat.  I have been doing a little reading her lately.  I was reading “The Long Wait.” By Mickey Spalaine and before I finish the book the picture was playing at the Bn Theater last night.  You may have seen the picture. 

The mail comes at a little past 1:00 so I am looking for a letter any time.  It has been a long time since I have heard from anyone.  I never hear from Jim or Margie either.

I don’t know if you have heard me speak of Sgt Wright in the platoon or not.  He came from the 45 Div.  He had a bit of line time and was a little on the shell shocked side.  Not much as it could be but he is a nervous wreck.  Anyway awhile back he got a letter from his wife.  She wrote that she just had a baby.(by another because he has been in Korea for over a year.)  She had been writing for a long time and they were usual letters a wife would write he husband.  It came all at once and it really shook him up.  The Old Man relieved him of duty.  No onek new why.  He was ready to rotate anytime so I guess his wife wrote and told him before he got home so he could cool off.  He got extended a month when he was ready to go home.  Yesterday he told me all about it.  He knew I had been married before and he is my age too.  Florida is his home.  He told me he was really going to fix her when he got home.  That might be the reason he was extended.  So he could cool off a little.  I told him the best thing he could do was just be cool about it and ignore her and not let her know that he was the one that was hurt and he could hurt her more by not even talking to her or anything.  I don’t know…(note:  The letter ended there at the bottom of the page and no pages followed.)