Hi Beautiful

January 24, 1952

Thursday night

 University of Detroit Ski Club, ca. 1951

Hi Beautiful,

I just received your letter a little while ago.  I was sure glad to hear from you. It had been more than a week since I heard from you.

We are back in port now and does it feel good to get my feet back on dry land. We were out for 43 days. I hope we never have to stay out that long again.

The chocolate candy was real good, didn't I tell you it was already? If I didn't I'm sorry because I really did like it. "No," it wasn't bitter.

I couldn't rescue your letter. If I had gone in that water I wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes. It is too cold. Anyway, maybe the Navy hadn't gotten a letter for a long time.

I saw some pictures in a magazine of the snow in Detroit around Christmas time. It looked pretty deep. 

How did you remember that I've been in the Navy for a year? I almost forgot it myself. I hope that the next three years go by as fast as the first one.

Yes, I heard "I Can't Help It," but I don't know who it was by. That "Tell Me Why" has been kicking around for quite a while. I like it real well, but the one by the 4 Aces I haven't heard yet. 

I've been thinking about going to Tokyo, but I guess I will wait until we come into port the next time.

My buddy is from Russellville, KY. I don't know how far it is from Waynesburg [Editor's note: The town in Kentucky where Norma was born.]

"Hey," you're not getting so old. Look at me, I'm almost 22. I'm the one who is getting old. Just think, when I get out, I won't be a kid any more. Guess I'll have to settle down and not chase around so much, but I don't like the idea of settling down.

"Yes," I got the wine. It came last Monday. It came at just the right time. When I got it I wasn't able to think of anyone. We got to port Saturday evening, too late for me to go ashore, but Sunday a buddy from North Carolina and I went over and got, as the "gooks" say, plenty "stinko" and Monday did I have a "hang over" and that wine was sort of a "hooker" to pick me up.

I don't like wine very much [but I drink] a glass now and then. I certainly don't like to get drunk on it because it takes too long to sober up.

"Yes," I know a car will keep you broke. Mine used to keep me broke most of the time, but they sure are nice to have. When I get out, I'm gonna get me another one.

So, the "Dirty Boogie" isn't so nice, "eh." HA "No," I haven't seen that particular one yet, but I've seen some pretty dirty ones.

Well, Norm, I've got to close for now.

Answer soon.

Your pal,

Jim

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Rudolph The Red Nose Sailor

January 14, 1952

Monday night

Stock photo from "A Face in the Crowd," Rod Brasfield's biggest movie role (Beanie).
That's him in the second row, center
If you've never seen the movie, you don't know Andy Griffith.  

Hi ya Norma,

I received the letter you wrote while you were sick.  I'm real glad to know you're better now.

You mentioned your red nose.  You should see all our faces.  The wind has beat them so, we look like walking neon signs.

One of our guys has a big nose.  It is so red we call him "Rudolph," you know, the red-nosed reindeer.

You know I sort of envy you getting to lay in bed all the time.  It's been so long since we had a real good night's sleep.  I don't remember what it's like.

And tomorrow we've got to get up at 2:00, I think.  Maybe earlier.

The name of that town is Yokosuka, pronounced YA-KUS-KA.  It is pretty small compared to Yokohoma and Tokyo.

No, I didn't make any New Year's resolutions.  If I had made one it would have been to come home real soon and I know I would have broken that one.

Charlene R_____'s boyfriend got out, "eh." I wish I could find something wrong with me, but I'm not that lucky. HA 

Keeping writing about those song hits.  I like to keep up on them and over here I never get to listen to any music. I used to listen to the hillbilly shows, except the "Grand Ole Opry." The only part I liked about it was Rod Brasfield. Did you know he married a girl I went to school with? She used to be a good-looking thing, but I haven't seen her in years. I don't know what married life has done to her. 

[Editor's Note: Rod Brasfield's online biographies list only one marriage, in 1931, which would have made Jim's schoolmate 1 year old at the time.  The biographies list very little of Brasfield's personal life and note that he was reluctant to give interviews. However, Jim had a remarkable memory and a love of gossip, so I suspect he is repeating what he had understood to the be the truth and there may have been a girl from his hometown who had a relationship with Brasfield, especially given the proximity of Martin (the town in which Brasfield died) and Camden (Jim's hometown).  See this link for a scan of "Lewis County Tennessee Est 1843, which provides the most details about Rod Brasfield's life currently available online.]

We had the funniest kind of an accident a couple of days ago. The mechanics were racing the motor of one place as fast as it would go, when the ropes with which it was tied down broke. The plane raced over and cut the tail of the plane parked in front of it. It also put a hole through the flight deck.

I never expected an accident of that sort. That wouldn't happen but once in a lifetime.

So you read where we lost more men, "huh." I didn't write anything about it because I didn't know if the Navy Dept. had released it to the newspapers or not. They were shot down over Korea. I don't know how many we lost, not too many. Yes, I'm a member of the Crew.

Look, kid, don't worry about me. There aren't enough "gooks" over here to get me.  I want to come home too bad.

Things aren't very bad over here.  Maybe the newspaper just played it up to make a story.

We're going back into Yokosuka around the 19th of this month. "Boy," will I be glad to get back and get my feet on land. I guess I'll have to learn to walk all over again on land, instead of "rolling" with the ship.

Those Japanese girls better stay inside when this boat gets in, because the guys are liable to go wild when they see a woman (me, included).

The Captain said he had a surprise for us that he would announce about the 18th and right away someone started the rumor that we were coming back to the States. I hope we don't, we have 6 months to do over here.  We might as well do it now and get it over with.

Well, Norm, I've got to sign off now and hit the sack.

Answer soon.

Your mate,

Jim

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Snowstorms On Deck

January 10, 1952

Thursday night

Time: 7:40

USS Valley Forge (CV-45) crewmen participate in a snowball fight, while clearing snow from the carrier's flight deck during operations off Korea, circa early 1951.

Hi ya Norma,

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.]

Well, Norm, I've got to sign off and hit the sack.

Answer soon.

Your pal,

Jim

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Are You Lonesome Tonight?

January 5, 1952

Sat. night

"Home On Leave," Jim's Family, 1953, photographed by Norma Cornett
(Standing: John Moses Parker (1920-1971), Walter Wayne Parker (1922-2008), Polly Ann Parker Sparks (1925-2015), James Connie Parker (1930-2000), Jo Ann Parker Oxford (1937-2012), Larry Ray Parker (1943-2004)
Sitting: John Wyly Parker (1883-1961), Bertha Ruth Sterling Parker (1901-1999)

Hello Norma,

How're things with the best gal I know?

I'm O.K., in fact, full of fire.  We only worked from 5:00 this morning until around 5:00 this afternoon.  Usually we work "til" 7:30 or 8:30, but the weather over Korea was too bad for our planes to fly, so we knocked off.  The weather where we are isn't too bad, it snowed a little today, otherwise it's been nice.  Quite a big warmer than last week.

Norma, I don't know why you haven't been getting my letters, but nobody has gotten any from me. My mother said in her last letter she hadn't heard from me in five weeks and I've been writing to her almost every week.

I don't know what red ink is supposed to mean to Sailors.  I never heard of the connection.

So, those "draft-dodgers" from Gilead got beat again, "eh."  Well, it's good enough for them.  Maybe pretty soon they will get on a winning team ("you know what"). HA

You asked about news from this place.  There isn't much. We get in sight of the Korean Coastline about every day that visibility is good.  All it looks like from where we are is a broken, frozen waste. It doesn't look like it's worth fighting for, frankly. I don't know what we're fighting for, anyway. I wish I did, then maybe I could put my heart into what we're doing.

One of our guys almost "snuffed out" a couple of weeks ago. When something like that happens, it makes me wonder just what the "hell" we're doing over here in the first place.

I heard that Reva G________ has a new Plymouth, but I don't think I want a new car.

So, you want to know something about me.  Well, most of it isn't good, so I'll leave most of it out. HA! 

I have 3 brothers, one lives at 1__ S. Cavalry in Detroit, the rest are in Tennessee. I also have two sisters, and "oh yes" a mother & father.

I lived in Tennessee until I was 17 years old, then I quit school, but couldn't get a job there. So to keep from starving to death, I went to Detroit.  I lived there until I came in the Navy last year.  In ten days I'll have one year in.  Just think, only 3 years to go.

You got pretty close to my age.  I was 20 last March 31st.

In between sentences I'm singing hillbilly songs with the guys. One of them is sitting beside me playing guitar.  Some of them are pretty good.  [Editor's note: the color of ink changes from blue to black and there are smudges on the page.] Excuse the change of ink. 

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

Answer soon.

Your homesick Sailor,

Jim 

[Editor's Note: On the back of this envelope, Norma jotted "Are you lonesome tonight?" by Johnny & Jack but she may have confused the recording of the song by the Blue Barron Orchestra with "I Get So Lonely" by the country duo, Johnnie and Jack.  She also noted a song "Did you forget so easily" by Lila Myers and performed by Sammy Kaye on his program, Sunday Serenade, but I can't find any recording with that title performed on Kaye's show.]

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