Norma Finally Gets A Picture

Dec. 8, 1951

Sat. Evening

Airman James C. Parker, headshot by Speckels Photo Studio, 111 Broadway, San Diego, Calif.., 1951

Hi ya, Norma,

How are things in our home town?

Guess where I am?  I'm in Korea now HA and there isn't anything so exciting about it, after all. We haven't started flying strikes on the enemy yet, but we probably will tomorrow morning.  

There are two 5 inch guns mounted outside of our living compartment and right now they are "banging" away, shooting at some targets.  Those gunners are pretty good, too.  I've watched them knock down lots of those plane-tamed targets.

We were in Yokosuka, Japan for a couple of days last week.  I only got to go ashore one time and didn't get to stay long then, liberty expired at midnight.

It was about what I expected it to be, lots of beat-up, run-down houses and narrow streets.

The rickshaw boys are mechanized now.  Instead of pulling them by hand, they pull them using bicycles.

I bet you are planning on a swell Christmas this year, "huh."  Where do you plan to spend it, in Detroit or Kentucky?

I don't know for sure, but I guess we will be out here for Christmas.  I don't think we will go into port anymore until the middle of January.  But we will stay 10 or 12 days the next time we go in.

I'm sending you a picture, it isn't very good, but we will blame the camera.  [Editor's Note: He's right, the picture doesn't do him justice.]

Well, kid, I've to sign off now.

Answer soon.

Your buddy, 

Jim

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