May 13 and 14, 1945. Having finally arrived at his destination, Dad writes two V-Mails home. It looks like a letter from home dated April 10, 1945 was waiting for him and he received a letter from Stanley which he “read by the campfire”.
He reports “I have my two feet on dry land” and that “I can’t tell you much about me as yet other than I am on land in the Pacific somewhere. At the present I am living in a tent and now have a cot (bed). The first night I slept on the ground with the other two pals of mine in the tent. …Am eating rations and soon expect to get hot meals. …This letter is written in pencil until I can locate some ink.”
He cautions his family back home, “Don’t try to guess where I am from the above description I gave you, as you might guess wrong. This place will be O.K. as soon as we get everything fixed up. Don’t worry. Today is Mother’s Day. I went to communion and offered it for ma. The Mass is for our Mothers today too. That Dominican Chaplain is O.K.”
Dad writes again on the 14th. More mail has caught up with him, specifically letters from his mother dated April 15 and 29, a letter from his sister dated April 20 and the letter from Stanley detailing his three day pass. He notes that “As you can see from the date of letters I received from you, mail service is good.” In addition to the letters from family, other news I making its way to him as he notes, “I’ve heard of Roosevelt’s passing away as well as Mussolini’s”
With the end of the war in Europe, Dad hopes “Stanley will get sent to the States and remain there.” As far as his location, Dad can’t say where he is but suggests, “As soon as I’m able to tell you my whereabouts I know you won’t worry much then. It’s O.K.” As if to provide extra comfort, Dad relays that he “received a letter from Picker at Topeka and according to him the fellows are saying I got a break with the way things are happening there.”
Before signing off his thoughts turn to his niece, as he writes, “Tell Terenia (Terry) if I can find some chocolate milk around here, I’ll drink it for her as she does for me.”
He closes, “God Bless you all!”