July 16 and 20, 1945. Dad writes two letters home from Guam where he is serving with the 331st Bomb Group. He has started to receive the letters that Stanley is writing from Albany. Dad notes that he has been overseas for three months. He states that the is “O.K. except for having to go to the latrine often; that’ll teach me to take care of my mess gear, I got some medicine for it so it should go away.”
He mentions that the birthday card that his sister and parents sent came “about two days ago.” He passes along his thanks and comments that “It sure was swell you remembered me.”
In commenting on a clipping that Stanley sent him about Guam, Dad mentions that the enlisted men have a separate beach apart from the officers and further explains, “There’s more distinction between O’s (Officers) and EM’s (Enlisted Men) then we had in the States.” He goes on to observe, “None of the Hollywood entertainers seem to care to come where we’re at; rather, we must go to see where they’re at.” He also includes a clipping about Guam from Yank Magazine.
An undated clipping from Yank Magazine about the Japanese Soldiers that continued to be found on Guam during the American occupation.
He writes that he is glad that Stanley will get to spend his birthday at home and hopes his brother gets “a good deal” when he reports back after his 30 day R&R and “will remain there in the States close to you all, especially now that Ann will add to the family again. …I remember Ann every day in my prayers”
He mentions that he does not need anything more from home, and he is sorry that he “couldn’t be around to see you (Stanley), but that’s how this lousy war arranges things. I hope to see you, not here, but in the U.S.A., but that’s beyond our power, I guess.”
He further expounds that since Stanley is home “during Ann’s absence” he can “do the letter reading to ma and dad and keep me informed on Ann. It’s just like it was when Terry was born except that I was there and Stanley was away. See what I went through, I can say to Stanley.” He goes on to recall an incident that happened when Terry was being born which he refers to as “the basket episode.” “When Ann had Terry in the hospital someone sent her a basket of fruit; Ed and I did justice to it, thinking how fine it was of the sender to think of us although someone must have made a ‘mistake’ in addressing the card to Ann.”
Before closing, Dad mentions that they are now permitted to take pictures so he’ll be “taking some and sending you some. We can get film here and I’ll use one of my pal’s cameras.”