Telling Sea Stories to the Boats

April 15, 1954

"Pay Day"

Postcard from Haiti, ca. 1954

Hi Honey,

What's new with you? Nothing new here except we got paid, which is a change. Did I tell you about Haiti? If I didn't, remind me of it some time, it's quite a place.

Doll, it seems every time I write I have to hurry. This time is no different. Mail closes tomorrow morning, as we leave here tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow is the last day of this "cruise" down here, but we have a rough day in front of us. I'm tired tonight. We brought aboard some "dud" airplanes today. I was on the barge rigging slings on them all day. I hope they don't expect too much from me tomorrow.

Have you been listening to ball games since the season started? I heard part of the Tiger/Cleveland game today, but I don't know who won.

Look!! sweet thing, you don't have to worry about me taking care of myself. I'm doing pretty good at that. The closer my discharge date gets, the more afraid of these airplanes I get. From now on, I'm gonna act like a short-timer. All I'm going to do is drink coffee and tell sea stories to the boats.

You mentioned the letters I wrote you from overseas. Honey, some day I would like to read a couple of them to see how "gung ho" I was, but I was really "hot to trot," especially in '51 and '52. HA 

Gal, you must have the M.B.T. [Michigan Bell Telephone] snowed, but congratulations. I'm glad they like you.

I'm gonna close now, have a cup of coffee and go to bed.

Say "hi" to everyone for me and answer soon.

I love you,

Jim

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A Lost Calf In A Whirlwind

July 18, 1952

San Diego, Calif.

Bette Ford, an American, had a successful career as a
matador in Mexico during the mid1950s

Hi Norma,

What's cooking, chicken?

Whatta ya know, all my life I've loved baseball and always wanted to meet people concerned with the game and never had a chance, and you who a few months ago didn't know right field from "left out" go into the offices of one of the largest baseball companies in the world and see all the big wigs. Guess I was borned a few years too soon.

[Editor's note: For a woman with a modest demeanor, Norma had remarkable connections. When I was in college, I followed the Detroit Tigers and had a crush on one of the players, Steve Kemp. One Christmas morning, I opened a present "From Santa," to find a pair of ratty, old cleats tied together by the laces. Norma was snapping away on her instamatic and beaming like a madwoman.  "What? Why?" I sputtered as I held the shoes in the air. "They're Steve Kemp's! Merry Christmas!" As it happened, Norma worked with the father of the Tiger's batboy who was told about my crush and fished Kemp's cleats out of the garbage as a souvenir. An autographed baseball was also in the box. One of my favorite Christmas presents ever.]

"Yes," I've heard of Johnny McHale but he was too far before my time. I don't know much about him. 

Last Sunday I went down to Mexico. It was pretty nice down there, but I can't understand a word of Spanish. When I left Japan, with what little "Gook" I know and motions I make, I could get along pretty good as far as language was concerned. But in Mexico, I'm just a "lost calf in a whirlwind." 

Next Sunday, I think I will go back and see the bull fights. 

I heard "Shepherd of My Heart." I really like it but I haven't heard "Full Time Job" as yet. 

Sometimes I wish we were back in Japan again. I kind of like it over there compared to sitting around here in San Diego. I sure do hate this place. 

You said Doris's being pregnant was becoming to her. That's the first time I ever heard that. It is probably true. It's just that I never thought about it that way. And if I remember right, Doris would be beautiful in any condition. 

We had another example of why men shouldn't be married in the service "come home to roost" today. One of the guys who went home the first day in port came back and told us his wife had been living with another guy. He didn't seem to give a "damn," but I think he was "acting," because he must have loved her. He was one of the few married men in our division who didn't go out with women in Japan. He sent all of him money home and stay aboard the ship most of the time.

I knew his wife. I met her in Seattle last summer. She seemed like a pretty nice gal. "Boy," it will be a cold day in "hell" when I marry while I'm in this outfit. 

And I guess the worst of it is, they have two kids. 

Well, honey, I've run out of stationery, so I'm forced to quit.

Answer soon.

Love, 

Jim

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Fly Boys

April 24, 1952

Lost at sea

"The Bridges of Toko-ri," inspired by events on the Valley Forge

Hi Baby,

Tomorrow is refueling. Mail goes off and comes aboard, too. "Thank goodness!!" I've written you one letter this week already but it never hurts to write a cute girl two times in one week.

I'm so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open and once in a while I notice my hand start to shake. When I get like that its time for me to go to bed, but I can't until around 11:30. It's about 8:00 PM now.

In fact, the only things that keeps me awake are coffee and cigarettes. This stuff has got to cease pretty soon or they won't have any men left. 

We got 7 replacements last month for men who have been sent to hospitals or to stations where the duty is lighter, but they won't transfer me. I'm too dumb to do anything else, I guess. HA. 

"Well," another one of our pilots got the Purple Heart, a medal for bravery. He got hit in the canopy with shrapnel and it cut his face pretty bad, but he brought it in anyway, so therefore the Navy figures he is a brave man. Personally, I do, too. 

[Editor's note: the pilot Jim describes is listed in the Valley Forge Action Report incident dated 4-23 as "LCDR D.E. Brubaker VF 194." James Michener, who was a reporter stationed on the Valley Forge at the time, interviewed Brubaker and he is thought to have inspired the Brubaker character in Michener's book, "The Bridges at Toko-ri." I have long known that Jim thought James Michener was the best novelist of the 20th century, but I didn't realize that they were on the Valley Forge at the same time or that the novel is based on an incident that occurred while Jim was on the ship. Time for me to read the book.]

I wish I had the "guts" some of these "fly boys" have. It takes a lot of nerve to do what some of those guys do. 

It is beginning to look like we will be out here 30 days again this time. I was hoping we wouldn't stay so long, but it's official, Norm, we hit the States the 3rd of July. "Hurrah." We call it "Dogo" (San Diego Day) or "D" Day.

"Hey, Norm," what happened to the Tigers? The last time I saw the standings, they hadn't won a game and had lost 7. I guess they're missing my moral support. HA 

If I get home before the season is over, I won't do anything but see ball games. 

Norm, I'd better sign off for this time.

Answer soon.

Love, 

Jim

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Oh, You Beautiful Doll

April 4, 1952

"Hurrah" in port

Sanders' Hot Fudge Cream Puff Sundae, a Detroit tradition

Hi Norma, you beautiful doll,

"Boy," am I glad to be in port, too many days at sea make me a dull boy.  I'm a "landlubber," not a sailor. At heart, I'm just a displaced Civilian. HA These moonlit nights on the sea don't make me romantic.

Speaking of getting mail fast, I get yours in five days when we're in port, but when we're out at sea, sometimes it takes a month.

We've got meatballs and spaghetti for supper tonight, so I don't know if I will eat or not, but they might have a good dessert. I guess I'll go find out.

You asked what baseball teams I like, in the American League, I prefer the Tigers and in the National League, I like the St. Louis "Cardinals." I keep hoping I can get home in time to see some games before the season closes. If I don't, I'll be one disappointed sailor.

If you like to drive so well, you can me around when I come home, that is if I have something to drive.

Why is it, Norm, that all the girls go for wrestling? I like the sport, but not like most gals do. One reason I don't like it is because I know that it is all "faked." 

It looks like spring will never come to Detroit. One day I get a letter from you and the weather is nice and the next day, I get one that says it is snowing. "Oh, well," I guess it will stop that snowing pretty soon.

That ice cream and hot fudge does sound pretty good, wish I had some. 

[Editor's note: If I know Norma, she rhapsodized in one of her letters about Sander's Cream Puff Sundaes; click on that link for more information about the Sander's tradition, a recipe for the cream puffs, and a video that describes how to build your own cream puff. Or, forget that, just click on the link to the company and order the fixings.  You're welcome.

[One of my favorite stories about Norma is when she was newly married, she and some friends from work joined the local Vic Tanny Health Club and met to exercise once a week.  Across the street from the club was a Sander's Ice Cream Parlor franchise, where the ladies would gather afterwards to "wind down." Jim always suppressed a grin when Norma swore she just went for Sander's great ham sandwiches, which actually were pretty good, but were fairly small and really just an excuse for the average patron to order dessert. Norma, on the other hand, gave some wicked mom glares as, unlike Jim, I was unable to suppress my gales of giggles over the "healthy ham sandwiches."] 

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

Answer soon.

Love, 

Jim

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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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