How Much Is That Doggie In The Window

June 27, 1953

San Diego

Sheet music cover for Patti Page's big hit
ca. 1952

Hi Doll,

Boy, has this been a long day. I have liberty, but I don't care to go ashore. This town seems to be worse each time we pull in.

I was over for a little while yesterday, but I came back early. The place was too dead even for an old "dead beat" like me. HA 

By now you are home from "Cinci" and I hope your uncle is better. 

I tried to call you this afternoon. I wanted to surprise you, but it didn't work out so well. It was my fault. I should have told you I was calling. I'll call again if you will send your phone number. I had a hard time getting through without it.

I was listening to a couple of married "swabs" talking about their troubles the first few months they were married. It doesn't make very good copy, but it is good listening. HA 

One of them said he was married four days before his wife would go to bed with him. I think if that happened to me, I would be beating my head against the wall.

I sure am sweating out the time until I go on leave. I wish we were at sea, time seems to go faster out there. 

Just think, when my leave is up, I'll only have 14 months to pull. I'll sure be glad when it's over. I called my sister in Detroit yesterday. It sure was good to hear her again. She talks with more of a southern drawl than your mother. But you better not tell your mom I said that. HA 

If I'm not mistaken, today is supposed to be Norton L___'s wedding day. Did it come off alright? The wedding, I mean.

Jim's stationery for this letter

I'm just like that sailor at the top of the page. I can't think of anything, either. And speaking of page, I heard Patti Page sing "Doggie In The Window" and is it pretty. I can't get enough of it.

[Editor's Note: That's a fact. I heard "How Much Is That Doggie In The Window" sung by Jim from the time time I was a child until the day I went to college.] 

At first, I thought you took a train to Cinci, but I was re-reading a letter and it seems that you were trying to park on a hill, so I guess you drove down.

I may as well sign off. I can't seem to think of anything more.

Answer soon.

I love you,

Jim

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Indian Beef

May 11, 1953

At Sea

Front of cover the Western, "Indian Beef"

Hi Sweet Thing,

You had better appreciate this letter because I'm depriving myself of sleep to write it. HA I was kidding. I know you do the same thing for me and for you, I would lose a lot of sleep.

Tomorrow is refueling day but I have the watch and have to get up at 4 bells.

My section has the watch from 4:30 AM to 2:45 PM. I know I'm gonna have trouble getting some of the guys up. They all make a special effort to be sleepyheads on refueling day.

But I shouldn't complain. The guy who wakes me will probably have a "helluva" time, too. HA 

I just finished a western novel entitled "Indian Beef." Pretty good, I thought.  

I also read one of those sex novels, "Bodies in Bed." I've had quite a bit of time for reading lately. We've been in bad weather for four days now. About all we do is fly a weather hop two or three times a day. 

In two more days we go back into port. I wish we didn't have to come back anymore, but nine days isn't much. I can stand on my head that long.

"Excuse me," I just got into a friendly argument with my bunkmate. I'm always giving him a bad time. I tell him I'm a better lover than he is and it shakes him all up. HA 

Now he is in bed reading the Bible.

Honey, I better sign off and hit the feathers. 

Over and out.

Answer soon.

I love you, angel,

Jim 

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Two Paper Clips Redux

[Editor's Note: Norma had a system where she paper clipped the envelopes that held letters of special significance, mainly when she noted a "first" of some kind, but occasionally she put paperclips on envelopes that contained romantic thoughts. The envelope that held this letter is the second that had two paperclips.] 

March 19, 1953

Hong Kong

USS New Jersey arriving in Hong Kong, August 1953

Hi Honey Doll,

Well, kid, we finally hit Hong Kong today. The exotic orient, the gateway to crime and corruption in the Far East, as the magazines put it. It is an unusual city, at least what I've seen of it from a distance. It's all built on a hill, or shoaled hills, or mountains, they are pretty high. And it is modern looking, but the people (the Chinese) who came out in junks to beg for food and dive for the coins we tossed in the water didn't look very modern at all. 

My buddy and I were talking about it a little while ago. He said we could never describe it to folks back home. They wouldn't believe it anyway.

And I suppose he's right. I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't seen it.

A city with so "damn" many nice looking buildings and seemingly prosperous with so many people living in poverty. It just isn't right. These "damned" politicians are telling them about the brighter day tomorrow when they know "damn" well they are lying in their teeth.

I know we have the same thing in the States, but it isn't so bad. Americans can't be led very easy. But when a guy's hungry, he'll believe anything.

[Editor's note: This is Jim's political philosophy in a nutshell, a hybrid of traditional American reluctance to trust the establishment and a belief that the role of government is to provide a structure respects the dignity of its citizens and their basic needs.]

Thanks, honey, for listening. Every so often I get all wound up and have to let go.

But you're a good "taker" and I love you for it.

And another thing about this place, next to Lisbon, Portugal, it has the highest VD rate in the world, so Mrs. Parker's little boy is going to be a good kid in this town. 

[Editor's notes: As Mrs. Parker's granddaughter, I'm hoping he was a good kid in other towns, as well. 

[And, who knew Lisbon was a sex pit in the 50s?]

We got some good rumors going these days. The best one is that the ship is going to the East Coast when we get back to the States. This is pretty straight "dope," so don't tell anyone about it. It's supposed to be confidential. Anyway, we are supposed to arrive in Norfolk, Virginia about the first of August. Then we have to make a run down to Cuba or Bermuda for a month or so. That means I don't know when I'll get leave. Some time after August, anyway.

So, save one week of that vacation for me. I'm looking forward to it, O.K.?

I think we will have a mail call tomorrow and if I'm lucky I'll have a letter from you. 

Honey, I wish you were here with me, or better still, I were there with you. 

I can think of so much I want to tell you but I can't put my thoughts on paper. Guess that's why I'm the world's worst letter writer. 

You know, angel. I think you've kept me out of trouble this time over here.

Sounds silly, I know, but last year in Japan I got very drunk one night and got into a jam. I had to go up before the "old man" and he restricted me 72 days. And this time when I start getting a little drunk, I start thinking of you and quit drinking before I get too drunk. 

The one I pulled Christmas was the last time, except for a few social ones with the boys. I guess I'm holding back 'til you and I can celebrate together.

Well, sweet thing, I had better stop before this becomes a novel. 

Answer soon.

I love you, darling,

Jim

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Till I Waltz Again With You

January 23, 1953

"At Sea"

Cover sleeve for Teresa Brewer's hit single, ca 1952

Hi Honey,

We are on our way to port now for a few day's rest and it didn't come any too soon for me. I was beginning to get tired.

They made me work today, helping clean our spaces, but about all I did was rearrange the dust.

We clean up one day and the next day it's just as bad as before we started.

Of course you are forgiven for not writing. I know how it is.

I started this letter yesterday but didn't quite finish it. We are in port now. That is, we are anchored out in the stream and since I don't like to ride the liberty boat, I'm not going ashore until we pull into the dock, which should be no more than a day or two at most.

I was just kidding my buddy. He's reading a story on the "sex life of the American woman." 

I asked him what he was learning. He said not anything, except a husband had to stay home every night to keep them happy. HA  ("Them" meaning the wife.)

When these sailors are at sea, they read up on sex. And when they hit port, they try to put it into practice. HA 

I've concluded that a sailor is the most unemployable person there is. A sailor sees a lot of a few things, but a "swab" sees a little of a lot of things and therefore becomes a "jack of all trades and a master of none." HA 

Look, "Baby Doll," when I start lying to you it will be a cold day in "hell," so don't worry about that any.

"Yes," I finally got a letter from mom and everything was O.K.

I think we are still going to Hong Kong. The reason we are going there, I suppose, is since it is a British owned colony with "Red" Chinese all around it, we can scare them a little if we send a few carriers in there to let them get a look at our sea power.

China doesn't appeal to me at all. It will be nice to see it, but I hope we don't stay more than a couple of weeks as scheduled.

Thank you, honey, for thinking of me at Christmas. I guess you are the only one who did and I meant I would like to be in Detroit with you.

Thanks for mentioning Teresa Brewer's name. I had been trying to think who the girl was who recorded "Rhode Island Redhead" and "I Don't Care." It was her. I liked both of those.

No, I haven't heard "Till I Waltz Again With You."

A "level bolt" is just a place to attach a hoist or platform for working on the plane.

No, I don't get it ready for the pilot. I work with a fire fighting unit. We fight crash fires and clear wreckage. We have all been to fire fighting school and they sent me on to a phone talker's school. When we have a crash, I go out with my phone and tell the commander the extent of the damage, how long it will take to repair it and any other things I think he should know.

Woman, if you don't send me some of those pictures, I'll slap you on you on your "stem shuts" for sure. No fooling, honey, I want some of those. I want to see how you look as a little "fly girl."

I don't know just what you mean by "in action," but we were bombing gooks for three weeks already, if that's what you meant. The only action for us is dodging "prop" blades and runaway airplanes.

Okay, kid, it's a date to celebrate when I get home and as far as that wedding, I'm all for them, too. In fact, anything you say is O.K. with me.

Well, honey, I've got to sign off for now.

Answer soon.

I love you,

Jim

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Midnight

October 19, 1952

San Diego, Calif.

"Midnight" sheet music, ca. 1951

Hi Norm,

Here I am again. I didn't have any stamps and couldn't get any until yesterday.

"Nuttin'" new here, I went to Tijuana yesterday. But I didn't even have a beer. I went down with a buddy of mine who went to buy his wife a birthday present.

He just got married two or three weeks ago. 

He is the one I used to pull my wild liberties with, but the guy really has reformed since he married. If that's what married life does to a guy, I'm more afraid of it than ever. HA  An old, hard drinking guy like him suddenly stops drinking and chasing around with bad women. HA 

But I don't blame him. If I were married I would stay off the stuff myself.

You know, after being home and seeing decent girls, the things out here sure are disgusting, but they looked pretty good after an 8 month stay in Japan.

"No," we never get any mail when we're at sea except when we're overseas.

Honey, if I were there I would get you "warm," also myself. We might even go to bed?

So, them "damn" Red Wings started off bad already, "huh." "Oh, well," they will do better.

I've been hearing about the record "Back Street Affair." I've never heard it yet. 

"No," I haven't the one by Red Foley, either. [Editor's Note: It seems that Red Foley's hit, "Midnight," is the most likely song since it was released at about the same time as "Back Street Affair" and replaced it on the Top Ten Chart.]

"Yes," I'm gonna vote. My absentee ballot should be here any day now. Don't worry about not being able to vote. You're probably better off.

[Editor's note: For years, Jim and Norma had a running joke that their votes cancelled each other out and it was important that they both vote to maintain the balance. He was a loyal member of the Democratic Party; she never voted anything but Republican.]

My bowling average used to be 160. I don't know what it is now. I went last night and shot a 168 and a 194. 

Well, Norm, it's chow time, so I've gotta close.

Answer soon.

Love, 

Jim

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