Letter Of The Heart

[Editor's Note: On the front of the envelope Norma wrote, Letter of May 23, 1953, of the heart]

May 23, 1953

Valley Forge

Jim's stationery, May 1953

Hi Sweet Thing,

What's new with you? We are in port again, but not for long. We pull out the day after tomorrow. We will only operate 6 or 7 more days, then shove off for stateside. I think we leave Japan the twelfth of June.  Or maybe, the ninth. I don't know for sure. Anyway, we arrive in San Diego the 26th of June.

It was been raining here all day and is hot and "stuffy." Reminds me of Honolulu, which I don't like to be reminded of.  

I finally got to hear the song, "'Til I Waltz Again With You."  and is it beautiful.  A sixteen year old Japanese girl sang it and she is almost as good as Doris Day. 

Our relief carrier should pull in tomorrow. I hope so. I want to see her drop anchor. HA 

My buddy and I pulled one last night. We got so "high," we couldn't hit the ground if we had jumped out of an airplane. I think I've stopped drinking for sure.

Honey, I have a set of jackets, Japanese style. They are blue with white symbols on the back. Also, I bought a bed spread. It was so pretty I couldn't resist it. Also I have bought you a housecoat. It's pretty, I think. These damn mailing facilities here are so bad, I'm afraid to send them that way. I think I'll wait 'til I hit the States. I'm still looking for a pair of quilted pajamas, but no luck so far.

[Editor's Note: I vaguely remember blue silk bomber jackets that were hanging in the closet when I was a kid. I imagine both the jackets were worn out and are long gone. But the housecoat and the bedspread, along with a pair of black silk pajamas, are locked away in storage.]

"Ah," incidentally, the bedspread is for your mother for helping you fix those packages you sent to me.

So, the Valley Forge is making the papers, eh? Well, it's about time we got some publicity.

After all, aren't we the best ship in the fleet? Of course we are. HA 

If your boss knew you compared her running to the phone to a cow running in the pasture, you would probably get "deep-sixed." You better start being careful. HA 

Damn, it's so hot in this place my watch stopped telling time and started giving the temperature.

You should see the cherry trees here. This place is beautiful in the spring. With everything getting green and the kids playing in the streets, it reminds me of home. It also makes me think how basically the people of every country are the same. The kids want a place to play, a move to go to, or something to keep them busy all the time.

The adults want security, a job with a decent living, but most of all, the Japanese want to be left alone. Nothing would please them better than to pull all U.S. forces out of the Orient.  And I don't blame them. In their place, I would feel the same way.

I got carried away there for a minute. It happens to me sometimes.

Norma, I've been sitting here thinking about things. About getting married, for one thing. You told me once that I was blunt. Well, maybe I am. I don't like to waste words. Anyway, I don't want to get married anytime soon. First, I want to be able to see my way to a good future for my wife and any children we might have. Don't misunderstand, this isn't a proposal. I want to be with you when I do. 

I want to know if you will wait for me until I get out of the service and maybe a while after. 'Til I can get "back on my feet." I know I will have to re-inhabit myself to civilian life. It won't be easy. I picked up a lot of habits that will be hard to get rid of, but with them, I wouldn't make a decent husband for any girl, especially one like you. I love you, darling, and with you, I think I could be a "damn" good civilian some day.

I gotta sign off and hit the sack. It has taken half the night to write this letter.

Answer soon.

All my love, 

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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