I'll Just Say I Love You

April 22, 1953

At Sea

Helicopters take off from the USS Valley Forge, ca. 1952

Hi Darling,

I was thinking about you and decided to write while I have time. We are going to be very busy for the next few days. Tomorrow, half of us have to get up at 3:30, but we are the late sleepers. HA  The other half get up at 1:00. That's one hour past midnight. HA  It will be about 10:00 tomorrow night when we stop flying. That's the way it will be for the rest of the time out here. I'm sure glad it is our last time on the line.

Before I started this, I thought of some nice phrases to tell you how much I love you, but now none of them sound any good. So, I'll just say I love you and hope you'll believe it.

I didn't have much fun in port this time. I'm so damned sick of Japan, nothing about it excites me anymore. Maybe the East Coast will be better, if we get there. 

Glad to hear about Janelle and Mort's engagement. I think they make a swell pair.

I would like to write more, but I had better hit the sack. 

Answer soon.

All my love,

Jim

Click on this link to read the next letter.

The Cherry Blossoms Are In Bloom Again

April 17, 1953

Yokosuka Japan

The grounds of the Hirosaki Castle in the Aomori Prefecture
have more than 50 varieties of cherry trees.

Hi Sweet Thing,

This is "newsman" Parker with more news and views from The Far East. HA 

Today at 1:00, we practiced baseball again and I have a "charley horse" and a splintered ankle to show for it. Tomorrow afternoon we are supposed to play a game against some other team. By then, I probably won't be able to move. HA 

It won't be long now. This cruise is about over. We leave here day after tomorrow for our last time on the line. I don't know exactly when we leave here for State side. Probably in five or six weeks.

I like that suggestion about a job with the fire department when I get out. In fact, I've thought about trying my luck at one of the airports in town. I'm almost certain the law requires them to have their own fire fighters and by now I should be an experienced crash fire fighter. HA I've run from enough of the "damn" things, I should know plenty about them. HA And I know a little about how a control tower works, but not very much.

Everywhere I go over here I see cherry trees in bloom. Even the taxis here have cherry blossoms pinned up all over the inside of them. 

Two of my buddies and myself went over a couple of nights.  Interesting to pull a nice, clean liberty and get back to the ship early.

The other two guys are both married, so I thought they would keep me out of trouble.

But I was wrong. They wanted to go to a night spot. So, I tagged along and before long we are getting with it and everybody is having a good time. I held up under the strain better than I expected. They didn't even have to carry me back to the ship. 

Josh and I were just talking about the "glory" bars we will wear when we get on the East Coast. They should help out over there, but on the West Coast, everybody has them, so they don't mean anything.

But over there, we'll try to show up those inland griping "sailors." HA 

I'm glad you like to write to me, honey. I know you don't like to write them any better than I like to read them. Norma, you're a sweet little doll and don't let anyone tell you different.

I really should sign off but I don't want to. I want to write a long letter.

I've sat here for ten minutes (by my watch) and can't think of anything else, so I'll close.

Answer soon.

All my love, 

Jim

Click on this link to read the next letter.

Riding Around In Circles

April 14, 1953

Yokosuka, Japan

Post card of rickshaw drivers in
Yokohama, Japan, date unknown

Hello Doll, 

How is my baby? Honey, two days ago I got an eighteen page letter from you. This is the first chance I've had to answer it. We just hit port yesterday.

It may take me all night, but I like letters like it and don't mind taking a lot of time in answering.

I was over a while last night and "got with it" a bit, but I didn't stay long. I was back aboard ship by eleven.

Today we held our first baseball practice. The team won't be as good as it was last year. Too many men getting discharged.

You asked about Lash*. Well, I'll tell you what I know about him. He's 23 and comes from Washington State. He's about 5'10 and weighs about 190, but he isn't fat. There is a lot of muscle on him. HA 

And when he gets out, he plans to go back to dairy farming.

[* Editor's Note: As complained previously, Jim's handwriting is just awful. "Lash" is my best guess at this friend's name. It could also be "Jash" or "Losh" or "Tosh" because Jim had a habit of giving people nicknames and some weren't common words, but derivatives of names, words or phrases.]

Last night, some Jap gave my buddy and me a card advertising a massage parlor in Yokohama. We didn't notice the Yokohama and thinking it was Yokosuka, we got a cab, gave him the card with the address in Japanese on it and started out for a massage. We got about halfway to Yokohama and we decided we had better ask him how far it was. Then he showed us the name on the card. We were so "shook up," we had him turn around and take us back to Yokosuka. In all, it cost us about five dollars just to ride around in circles.

I was sorry to hear you couldn't take the job with the doctor. It sounded pretty good, but you know what is best for you.

Thanks, darling, for the birthday cards. You are always doing something for me and I don't want you to think it is not appreciated. It is, honey, very much.

A guy just came by selling raffle tickets on an electric razor. I took three, maybe I'll win it so I can shave. HA 

I'm about to run out of anything to answer but I'll keep trying. I'm in the writing mood tonight.

I suppose Eddy's and Dot's wedding was quite a blow out. In Japan, they would say an "ichi-ban" affair. Congratulate them for me and wish all their troubles will be small, or something like that.

There is a guy in my division from Detroit who is getting married when we get home. I told him I wanted to come over to help him drink his whiskey and if he wasn't going to furnish it, I would bring my own. He said for me to bring my own and he would help me drink it. Not what I would call a charming host. HA 

One of the guys just brought me a sandwich and a pint of milk from the beach. It sure is good, want a bite?

Well, sweet thing, I gotta sign off for now.

Answer soon.

I love you,

Jim

Click on this link to read the next letter.

My Heart Belongs To Only You

Sunday

April 5, 1953

At Sea

June Christy's song, "My Heart
Belongs To Only You" hit the
Billboard charts in March, 1953

Hi "Honey Doll," 

What's new with the sweetest gal I know?

Nothing much to talk about. It's still the same old routine out here, except we are having trouble with the executive officer again. HA  He doesn't like our division officer. In turn, he makes life pretty miserable for us sometimes. He says we are the best working division on the ship, but we aren't military enough. In my opinion, he is just a "so so" fighter pilot who has gotten too many good "breaks." During the war, I guess he had a good record for killing Jap planes. He was lucky and thinks his luck was skill. He hasn't got enough sense to realize that anyone who could get a plane "off deck" could make commander during World War Two. I hope the captain doesn't get knocked off and leave that "bum" in command. He isn't capable of being responsible for three men, not to mention three thousand.

So much for my troubles. 

No, I haven't heard either of those records you mentioned. In fact, I've never even heard of June Christy, is she something new? 

I'm sure tired tonight and I've got to get up at 3:30 and go on watch. I don't know if I'll be able to stay awake or not.

The paper was right, we've been flying lots of planes off this thing for quite a while. Out of the last 72 hours, we've flown 54 hours. Everybody is worked to a "frazzle." HA 

Your class must be growing. I'm glad to hear it. Keep up the good work, but be careful swelling that chest up to size 52". You might "bust" a strap. HA 

"Darling," I've got to go to bed and get some sleep.

Answer real soon. 

I love you,

Jim

P.S. I'll write more tomorrow.

Click on this link to read the next letter.