Wartime Love Letters

Johnny (June 17 - June 20, 1944)

 Saturday Eve. June 17, 44

Dearest Sweetheart Ella Mae

I received two letters from you tonight darling and it brightened up when at noon mail call looked like a blue week end. I am on section watch this weekend Sat and Sunday and it sure would have been a long and blue week end for me if I hadn't received those letters today. I got one from Peg too.

I'm glad you and sonny went to the carnival and hope you enjoyed as much as Sonny. Last Sunday when Ray + I were at Ocean View I was wishing I had you and Johnny there with me. You see its is like Coney Island although I never have seen Coney Island I've heard a lot about it and this place as all kinds of stands and that's where we had our picture taken. They have the Rolley Coaster, Pharis Wheels, and all kinds of rides and fun tunnels and etc. I say to Ray wouldn't your kid + mine have a great time here and he said yea would they though. I thin k that's one day if my son and wife were with me and I had the dough I wouldn't have refused any thing they asked in the way of entertainment . There were lots of sailors there with their wife and kids they must live near here some place.

Well darling its getting near sack time now so I'm going to tell you two little secrets and keep them to yourself don't tell anyone about them will you. I have a friend here who has an uncle working on the ship we are going on. He wrote and asked him about it and asked when she would be ready. The uncle wrote him and today he got the letter. I saw what he said The ship wouldn't be ready the fourth of July it would be ready for another month. If that is true darling I may get quite a leave keep hoping + praying darling. Secret No. 2 I love you so much darling, I just can't wait to get home to see you. I have 50 million kisses saved up for you and want to deliver them as soon as possible. Honest darling I love you so much and long so much to see you. Good night darling. A million kisses.

Tell Sonny I love him too.

Your Sailor Husband                                                                                                                                                           Johnny

Sunday Afternoon June 18, 44                                                                                                                                      Dearest Sweetheart Ella Mae

Well darling its Sunday again and here I am on section watch. I went to church this morning and to show you I'm a good boy I sent a card I got in church this morning for you to see and keep it for me. I have watch today from 4 to 8 this afternoon. I have a lot of wash to do and its so awful hot I hate to get at it but I'll have to as I must have clean clothes for tomorrow.

So you liked the pictures of Ray and me. No neither of us have lost any weight I think I'm still putting on some weight. I had that picture taken mostly to have to remember us after this darn war is over. I just saw Ray show off to go on the Battleship for gun practice. They switched me from 5 inch 38s to 40 millimeters and for the next 3 days I go out to practice on them at a shore place I think but I come back each night to the barracks. I hope we get back early so I can write my sweetheart a letter every night until I get a week end or a leave to come home to see you darling. I miss you , you so much and long as much to get home to see you. I only hope I can when I get to Boston.

I was talking to Ray last night and he asked me if I had written you and asked you to send me money in case I got a leave from here instead of Boston and I told him no. He said he wrote his wife and asked her if she would send him 15 dollars in case he got a leave before going to California. He heard they might get a 5 day before they go and he said he didn't want to miss going home because he didn't get the dough in time. I can't blame him as he's going a long way from home. Boy has that guy changed in the past 3 weeks he's home sick and blue too if I know anything about him. He said he never realized what a damn hill he was to his wife and son until he got over here. He said he use to go out and leave her home alone never realizing how much she meant to him. He talked about it all Sunday afternoon and evening. I told him I always stuck pretty close to my wife and son and thought the world of them. I think knowing he is going to California and also her brother getting killed made the big difference in him. It seemed so funny to me the way he talked about her and what he use to do. I think she'll find a lot different husband when he comes back to her. I'm glad for her sake that he has changed.