August 5 and 11, 1945. Dad writes two letters home to Albany from Guam. It seems that mail from home is making its way to him quickly, as he notes having received a letter which his brother wrote to him from home dated July 27. He comments that since Stanley sent him a nail file with the letter he will be able to “whittle away at my spare time.” He notes that he also received the package with the “hair oil, shampoo and heat powder,” about which he writes “It goes swell on the hair and I hope this war ends before I get to use all of the package.”
He writes about having seen the movie A Tree Grows in Brooklyn on the base. Of the movie he writes, “It was a very good picture and sure brought out the true facts of how a poor family with little kids keeps plugging through life and hard times, practically like mom and dad did with us in the early 30’s.”
He also mentions that, “Tomorrow I’m scheduled to count how many eat at the mess hall so I guess I’ll brush up on my Arithmetic, that Solid Geometry book I have.”
On the 11th he writes about receiving more letters from Stanley with the letters dated July 28 and 30 having been received “two days ago.” Dad also makes reference to other events that took place in the last few days, specifically the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, writing, “You’ve probably been hounded on the radio by newscasters already regarding that new bomb and the Japanese desire to surrender. I hope it’s all definite very soon before Stanley finds himself headed this way on a boat.”
The B-29 known as the Enola Gay which dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima.
For the most part, the rest of the letter on the 11th is devoted to Dad’s reactions to news from home, including Stanley’s comments about seeing a B-29 over Albany, the increase in marriages and births on the home front, the news of baby Judy’s christening, and word that pop is taking advantage of the summertime weather to paint the house. As far as the house getting painted, Dad comments, “I guess dad knows better than to wait for me before painting the house. Here’s a suggestion for pop. The next time he wants us to help him [paint the house] he should put a pretty girl in the house and we would paint all around it. Just kidding, pop, or don’t you believe me? Well, do what is best.”
He closes the letter with the following comments, “I’ll be working nights for a week so that should give me enough time to write letters now.” Cryptically he adds, “There isn’t much that I can write you about other than what I wrote above which are just comments on information I received from home.”
He closes, “God bless you.”