July 11 and 12, 1945. Dad writes two letters home from Guam where he is with the 331st Bomb Group. He sends his best wishes to his family and hopes that everyone is “in the best of health, Anna especially with her expected child.” Mail is taking some time to get to him as he acknowledges just getting a letter that his mother sent which was dated May 27.
He has finally received the package that was sent in the middle of June. He writes that it is “the nicest package I received. The t-shirts were fine, even better than the regular t-shirts. ” He goes on to explain that “we can wear t-shirts without the regular tan shirts we have. That way it is nice and comfortable, and I notice I even have a pocket in each of them. They are just right and very nice.” He sends his thanks for “the nuts and Life Savers candies” as well and comments that he now has “enough…heat powder to last the duration.”
He writes about taking a tour of the island with “a couple of friends of mine whom I knew in the States and who came to this island months before we came here.” He notes that he “was surprised to see what a beautiful island this is…almost like being in the Rocky Mountains or the Appalachians. Now I know what the native priest, Father Calvo, meant when he said it was the island of our Blessed Mother.” After the tour he went to his friend’s house where he had “dinner and supper” which included chicken that was “roasted crisp” as well as “more than one tablespoon of ice cream.”
He wraps up on the 11th with a few miscellaneous notes, one being that the Army will be sending home a “Personal Affairs Statement” which, being that he has perfected the art of minimizing things, he explains as “just some more paper work that tells how much insurance I have and allotments as well.” He also promises to send some pictures home once they “are allowed to take pictures on Guam as other organizations have been permitted to do so.”
On the 12th he writes, “…just a short note to let you know everything was O.K.” He has received Anna’s letter of July 1st with the news that Stanley is back in the States and the baby has not yet been born. On the news of Stanley’s happy circumstance, Dad comments, “By golly, he is doing alright by going to England on the Queen Mary and coming back on the Queen Elizabeth. You ought to have seen the contraption I came over on. I hope Stanley will be more fortunate, but it’s best he never come here but stay in the States if he possibly can.”
On the news that Anna’s baby is late in coming, Dad writes, “…it’s just as well she have it while Stanley is there. He will undergo the same experience I did when Terry was born. …I hope Stanley gets to enjoy a fine birthday [at] home…he deserves it…”
He closes, “God bless you all!”