Short And Sweet

March 18, 1952

Sea of Japan

Bob-Lo Island, a Detroit-area amusement park and summer tradition for nearly 100 years

Hi Norma,

How's the cutest, most lovable gal I know?

We're refueling today and I got a letter from you written March 4th. I got three the last refueling day written the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of March, so it looks like you're writing more than me, but believe me, I would write more if I had time. 

I got lucky a couple of days ago. I bought a chance on a raffle and won a rifle. I don't know what to do it with it. I don't need a gun over here, so I guess I'll raffle it off myself. HA  

So, the Red Wings are still in first place, "eh?" I would give almost anything to see them play. Also, I would like to see the Tigers play baseball.  [Editor's note: Maybe not. The Detroit Tigers' 1952 season would be one for the record books: the worst losing season in the franchise history (50-104).  It was a record that stood for more than 50 years and was finally broken in 2003 (43-119).]

I hear that Harold T______ is getting married or, in fact, I guess he is already married. Do you know him? I don't know his wife but I hear she is pretty good looking.

I guess it won't be much longer until all the beaches and amusement parks will be open. I hope I get home before they close. I always have more fun at an amusement park than just about anyplace else.

Well, good looking, this one is short and sweet, but I've got to stop anyway.

Answer soon.

Love, 

Jim

P.S. I almost forgot, I'm sending some pictures we took on the flight deck. 

[Editor's note: Knowing that Norma saved Jim's letters for more than 50 years, divided in packets by year, arranged in chronological order, and each year bound with a silk ribbon, it's probably not hard to take a leap and assume Norma saved a lot. She had the heart of an archivist and carried an Instamatic or a Polaroid or a Point and Shoot with her as long as I can remember.  After Norma died and I was faced with sorting through her things, I found a bedroom dresser drawer filled to the top with snapshots. It was daunting. Going through those photographs and cataloging them is a longterm project of mine since I've inherited the Archivist Gene (and am a librarian by trade).

I have a vague memory from elementary school days of rummaging through snapshots of my dad's ship, the Valley Forge, and these were probably the pictures Jim sent to Norma in this letter. I have yet to come across them in the boxes of files from their house that are stored in my basement, waiting for me to excavate.  Like Norma, Jim never threw out a piece of paper on which he had scribbled a random poem or an idea for an editorial.

All of this to say that the librarian in me would love to include Jim's actual pictures (primary source documents, in my lingo) but they're not available.  At least, not yet.]

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