Letters to Dad

Introduction      When my Mom died I took Dad's uniform and the duffel bag with it to our house.  Dad saved his letters in a jumbled mess in his duffel bag.  I knew he had saved them and I knew that someday I would read them and do exactly this with them. Until this year, they have traveled with us and lived in the duffel bag.  This Covid-19 in house for our safety gave me the incentive to finally get them out and organize them.  When I talk about the number of letters he received remember that it is the ones I found in the duffel bag.  More could have arrived and were not put in the duffel bag.  I suspect that letters from before the Southerland were mostly not included.         I found Dad's letters to be difficult to organize and to decide what to type in.  I decided to organize by year and type in some letters and skip others.  The ones I am skipping contain almost exclusively who is doing what regarding...

                                                                            Sept 9 Dear Jack.--     I received a letter from you written Aug. 10  --  It took a month to get here.     I hope by this time you will know how soon you will be home.  It seems that now the war is over you kids should get home.  I hope to God we don't lose the peace  --but no one at home can understand the kid gloved handling of Japan by McArthur.  It seemed at first he would be a stern man to go in there.  Its too bad they didn't give Halsey a chance at them     I hear Vince Lauer was in an auto accident the other night.  Had stitches taken in his head.     Chick & Bob went up to Cochranton over the we...

                                                             July 10, 1945 Dear Jack:     Just a line to tell you that you are constantly in mind as I am listening to the radio.  If this letter is a bit scratchy forgive me as I am very nervous.  When I heard the name of your ship mentioned twice I knew I wasn't imagining things.     Your Dad is in St. Louis, but if he had heard and knows where you are you know he is just as worried as I am.     God be with you and all your shipmates, superior officers and buddies in all branches of the service when your big fight comes.     We'll be praying and hoping until this is over.  To us at home it probably seems much worse, as we live in uncertainty every minute.     God be with you and keep you safe unti...

July 26-45 Dear Jack:     I received the ins certificate you took out.  I do hope you will soon have the Japs whipped and that you will be able to take a rest.  We know you are in the fighting and I listen to all the news broadcasts thinking I will hear they have surrendered.  We are having some awfully hot weather here.  It rained last night and cooled it off a little.  Finny has not heard of a job yet.  I hope he soon gets one. Judy is just the same.  She is not feeling very well.  David is full of poison ivy.  N. Kensington playing bingo and as usual your grand mother Reitz was game. Bill is in the Aspinwall Hospital.  Nothing too serious.  I  guess there is no news from around here.  Hoping this finds you well and write when you can.                         Love Grandma

                                         July 29  Dear Jack: -     Well - it looks as though the Japs have decided to fight it out.  I had hoped they would give up.  We are following your battles day by day by radio - & we have an idea of what you are going thru.  It hardly seems possible that we are here so safe and you boys are going thru so much.     I had 2 letters from Don yesterday & one from Russie.  Russie is in the Western Pacific.  Don says the rains are so bad they are using them for showers.     Bob is still working but is going to quit in about 3 weeks.  The Shrine picnic is on Friday, so I guess we will take the kids.  Dave & Judy look forward to it.  Finny hasn't heard anything from the Civil Service yet.  I hope he does soon.     I hear Bud Law is to be...