Author Archives: John
Somewhere in the Pacific
April 17, 1945: Dad has finally left the continental United States and is on his way to his next assignment. He writes a short letter home while aboard a troop transport ship. For the most part, I am transcribing it in its entirety below. At the top of the letter he writes, “Somewhere in the … Continue reading
He Died Before Victory Came
April 15, 1945. Stanley writes to Dad from England. He has two of Dad’s letters from late March in front of him. He acknowledges that “Army time flies really fast” and that “in another five and a half months I’ll be collecting longevity pay” by which time he hopes to be “back in the states”. … Continue reading
I Am Sending You a Blessing
April 3, 1945. Mama writes a letter to Dad just prior to his deployment to Guam. I do not have the actual letter, but I have evidence of it in the form of a letter that Anna wrote to my mom in 1994. Being that my grandmother never learned to speak or write English, the … Continue reading
The Letter You Might Have Been Expecting
April 6 and 11, 1945: Dad writes two letters home. From all indications, it looks like the day of his deployment overseas is at hand. On the 6th he gets right down to the business at hand. “Well, this is the letter which you might have been expecting for quite a while, in which I … Continue reading
British Double Summer Time
April 2 and 7, 1945: Stanley writes two letters to Dad from England. Based on the comment that he just received Dad’s letter “which was written on the Ides of March” it looks like letters are taking about two and a half weeks to get from McCook, Nebraska to Deenethorpe, England. He writes “I guess … Continue reading
The Easter I Remember Back Home
April 1 and 4, 1945. Dad writes a few letters home from McCook, Nebraska. It is Easter on base and there is a “cold wind…which makes you start sniffling. However, when the sun does come out, it warms you up and you can feel the cold going away… Easter around here has been like the … Continue reading
Many Things Have Happened
March 19 and 27, 1945: Stanley wraps up another month with the 401st Bomb Group in England with two letters to Dad. He writes the first letter “in the barracks. It is now eight thirty five. The radio is playing but it is starting to go on the bum. We have had a lot of … Continue reading
Sad News (Spoiler Alert)
The heavens have received a new star. Earlier this week I received word that Theresa (Lubinski) Quinn passed away on Monday, January 9th after being diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer. To those who are following this project you know her as “baby Terry,” or “little Terry”. Theresa was born on October 25, 1942 to Edward … Continue reading
A Belated Easter Wish
March 31, 1945: Anna writes a four page typewritten letter (single spaced) to her brothers. Easter has come and gone and springtime is coming to Albany, NY. As she opens the letter, Anna wishes her brothers “…a belated Easter wish.” She notes that she “…didn’t even get a chance to go out and buy an … Continue reading
Khaki is Suitable for any Season
March 1945 sees two letters to Dad from friends back home in Albany; one from Isabel Pawluc, the Secretary of St. Cecelia’s Choir, dated March 20 and another from Stanislaus Kosniski, the director of the choir dated March 30. The letters cover much of the same topics and can almost be read as one letter. … Continue reading