January 10, 1952
Thursday night
Time: 7:40
I received your letter a couple of days ago. Should have answered sooner, but I've been pretty busy trying to win the war and things like that. HA.
So you finally got that picture. I sent it a long time ago. I was afraid it had gotten lost.
So you think you had rough weather Christmas day, "eh?" Well you should have been here. We had snow and ice all over the flight deck and shoveling it off isn't like shoveling off the front walk. The flight deck is 890 feet long and 200 feet wide.
Also, we had to tie the planes down with wire cable to keep them from rolling off into the water.
The storm started out with a lot of wind and rain which changed into snow. The wind was driving it so hard we had to wear goggles to see and pretty soon the googles got so wet we couldn't see (we don't have wind-shield wipers). We couldn't see anything. We had to feel our way around. It was a funny feeling out there. I was scared plenty. A couple of times I almost walked over the side. I'm not afraid of something if I can fight back, but when there is nothing I can do but take it, I get scared.
I hope by now you're well of that cold you got Christmas Day.
Tell your girlfriend she is a little off on my height. I'm almost six feet. Also my hair is dark and my eyes are blue. I have a brother who fits her description of me almost perfectly.
[Editor's Note: Jim's siblings were blue eyed blondes, which seems to be typical of Parkers from middle Tennessee. Jim's coloring, (light eyes, pale complexion, dark hair) and features were common among his mother's family, the Sterlings. Ironically, Jim's mother Bertha believed that his dark hair, set among a houseful of blondes, was evidence that he had been "touched by the devil" and that this was the explanation for his behavior when he was growing up.]
[Editor's Note: Jim's siblings were blue eyed blondes, which seems to be typical of Parkers from middle Tennessee. Jim's coloring, (light eyes, pale complexion, dark hair) and features were common among his mother's family, the Sterlings. Ironically, Jim's mother Bertha believed that his dark hair, set among a houseful of blondes, was evidence that he had been "touched by the devil" and that this was the explanation for his behavior when he was growing up.]
Well, Norm, I've got to sign off and hit the sack.
Answer soon.
Your pal,
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