Christmas Archives - Page 2 of 2

20 December 1942

Dear Folks:

A quiet Sunday night after a rather full day and something different to write about this time.

A group of entertainers, hula dancers, singers and guitar players came out and gave us some native jive. The dancers were pretty good and really made their hips sway but not like the commercialized artists in side shows. I took several shots of the dancers with my camera. Near the end the girls grabbed a few soldiers and they all hula’d. Very funny. After this we had a dinner similar to the custom on the islands. The main course was a hog cooked in hot rocks and covered with banana leaves and burlap and dirt. After cooking for four hours it was dug out. Very delicious and cooked to the bone. The bill of fare was very unusual and probably one that I’ll remember a long time. Besides the hog there was octopus tentacles, poi, chicken, sweet potatoes, a gelatin like mass of coconut and an unidentified something that looked like spinach. The octopus cuts like rubber and I found them disagreeable. Poi is a food that looks, and as far as I’m concerned, tastes like library paste. It is considered a treat among islanders. The octopus was a faded red and had nabs like several chicken cords. The table was covered with red and green flowers and it wasn’t hard for me to imagine a truly native affair. It was something different and an experience although I didn’t really get filled up over the chow. A couple of boys were making hats from palm stems so I borrowed one long enough to pose for a picture.

All we hear on the radio lately is Christmas music and it really sounds good. A real Christmas seems like a long time ago.

I guess this is all for another time. I think of you all the time.

Love,

19 December 1942

Dear Folks:

It’s time I was writing you again and this is a better time than any. But first your birthday card that came yesterday. I got kind of dewy around the eyeballs when I read it. And the money order was there and it will make my birthday merrier. Thank you so much.

Well tomorrow is the day that we celebrate our Christmas on. It is a fiesta natively called a “luau” or approximately that. The chickens and a pig are cooked on hot rocks in an open pit. And all the eating is done with fingers. I’m looking forward to it—it sounds good. I have my camera loaded so I’ll get some pictures.

Yesterday it seems a little funny then, a sergeant and myself were shopping for Christmas decorations for our mess hall tree. With pure masculine tendencies we bought anything that we thought would be appropriate and ended up with everything from snow for the bottom to a star for the top. The mess hall is being decorated with Christmas posters and cards. A few nights back the Chaplain came over with a little wheezy one lung organ and we took part in a little community singing. A couple of Christmas carols took us back five years or so. The canteen also shows Christmas with some very good posters by the battery artist. By the way, the PX is officially titled “Myrtle’s Mansion”.

While I was relaxing one night about a week ago thought it might be profitable to read something of a professional nature so went to the library and drew a couple of law books and one on economics. One half of them are read and I hope to get time to get through them all.

Recently an outfit installed an outdoor theater of a sort and tonight the first film is being run. This will do a lot to dissolve restlessness in the evenings.

I believe this will suffice for tonight so must leave something for tomorrow. I’ll give you an account of the “luau”.

I’ll be with you Christmas although not in the house.

Love,

29 December 1941

Dearest Folks:

I just got some of my mail from Roberts today so I’m going to be busy answering letters tonite.

I’m a little worried about the package you sent to me-here it is the 29^th. Did you send it to Roberts or Escondido? I’m so anxious to dig into it but I’m not worried as long as it is insured. I know it will really be something. I had a lovely Christmas dinner but we were allowed to be away from the billet long enough for the meal and that was only a couple of hours. I really felt down Christmas Eve. We were all packed up ready to get on the move, and afraid we would have no Christmas at all. Then it was my birthday and my first Christmas away from home. With your letters I feel much better and not so alone. Christmas Day I had a private invitation to a home and we had everything. The people were simply grand and after the meal gave me some cigarettes, cookies and suckers. All soldiers who didn’t have invitations were fed at the grade school and all got a gift. The whole day celebration that was planned had to be called off because we were all on the alert. Laying around Christmas nite was bad. Harold Bill Wright lives here and he had some boys out for Christmas dinner. They all raved about how swell a guy he was.

Had hoped to be with Gram and Gramp but as you can see couldn’t go. Had looked for them last Sunday but guess they will be up next weekend.

Again last Friday the town had a dance for us but because I had to go on guard at ten couldn’t stay long.

Yes we have a field kitchen in a truck that goes along with us. We eat in the open and in the mornings and evenings it’s plenty cool. Our place has no heat and at nites we have all extra clothes on us.

About the sleeping bag, I’m not particular what kind but I’m afraid you will have to pay at least ten for it. I hate to ask this of you but it’s almost a necessity and our battery commander requested we have one.

I was appointed assistant battery clerk the other day so am hoping for a rating after January 18, the end of my four months.

Last Sunday rented a bicycle and rode around town and saw acres of oranges, grapefruit and lemons all over. One of our guard posts is the city reservoir and around it are orange trees so we eat plenty—to many.

Got the Free Press today, a welcome item.

I’m going to call you some nite but I’m afraid it will take pretty long to get it through. I’ll make it about January the 8^th to the 11^th and I’ll call early in the afternoon if possible. You won’t have to stay up all nite. I guess the calls are off inasmuch as I just called you. It was so darn good to hear you but too bad Dad couldn’t be there. I would call when he wasn’t there.

I guess there’s nothing else to say after the call so until the next letter.

Love,

20 December 1941

Dear folks:

Another letter to you while I’m sitting in the service club with nothing particular to do. This town is really swell and the people have taken us in with open arms. Yesterday after duty, while I was strolling down main street, a lady stopped us and told us about the big Christmas dinner they are having, turkey and everything. The whole town is behind it and also they are rounding up gifts for each of us. Later we went in for a beer and we had four without paying anything. All on the house. Shows are half price and tonite was given a free malt in a drug store. When you go in stores many little items are given free. Also the ladies secured a washing machine for us to do our laundry and two irons to press them. Last nite we had a big free dance at the high school and all the girls in town were there. The announcer was a big fellow like Jon Lenz. Everyone had a swell time. We take showers at the high school too. But some things aren’t so good, for instance we have only hot water by heating it on a hot plate and the building is cold at night and we sleep rite on the floor. You see this is field conditions as in wartime. We are pretty lucky though. One battery has their tents pitched on the football field and have to straddle over a ditch to use the latrine. Another quarters themselves in the buildings around the swimming pool. Guess I’ve told you how pretty the town is. Our big guns are lined up around the city park, everything ready to go, if the case need be. This morning was taken up by inspections and the kids stood around as our officer inspected us.

There is one big item I do need badly and will have to have soon and that is a sleeping bag. It is almost impossible to get along without one and the floor is too hard to get any sleep. As they cost around eight or nine dollars I’ll have to ask you for a little money or you can order it thru Monkey Ward or some place and have it sent direct. I hate to ask for it around Christmas and all but I’m afraid I wouldn’t have any hips in a few weeks.

I read in the paper tonite that telephone calls were not permitted now, that is long distance. Hope that is wrong. I feel kind of cheap not buying any gifts at all but I won’t get paid until the fifteenth of January and I’d be mighty near broke.

This is enough for now but hope you all have a good time Christmas Day and wish I could be with you.

All my love,

2 December 1941

Dear folks:

I just wrote you a letter day before yesterday but guess I have time to write another.

Yesterday ushered in something new again—this time being on guard duty. I went on yesterday at 4:30 PM and was on for twenty-four hours however we only walk during darkness. I walked two hours then slept four—walked two and slept four. We slept in the guardhouse in our clothes, thereotically to be ready for call. My hours were six to eight then midnite until 2 AM. I was sure tired when I was awakened at twelve, and does that rifle get heavy after two hours. However, we had nothing to do all day but lay around and read.

The radio work is very interesting and now I know all the code but have one lesson yet to pass before try for speed. I believe 10 words a minute are required as minimum for the course.

Many of the fellows are pretty glum today just getting the news that our furloughs are going to be short and many had already planned on going home. The men in the 88^th infantry were today sent to Panama. Berg is in the 87^th. Something seemingly a little unusual happened yesterday and that was all the Japanese boys were taken out of our battery. Wonder if it relates to the crisis. They would have a good vantage point in a radio outfit.

Got a letter from Gram today and she’s expecting me down for Christmas. She didn’t help me any on my bus fare but promised to for the next time; but June and Loyd took care of other expenses. I never got to see Uncle Will. They had such short notice she couldn’t get word to him. In answer to your next questions we have six more weeks of training after this one. This will probably end about the 1^st of February. I have no idea where we might be sent.

I’ll say the cake was good and it wasn’t broken a bit, in very good shape and so soft and delicious. The fellows raved about it and agreed you were a superior cook.

Delighted to hear about the game—can imagine the unlimited excitement that went on all day.

This is all I can think about for this time. Everything going fine. No rain yet and still getting heavier.

All my love,

Thought about something else. Regarding Christmas gifts, I know it would be of little avail to caution you on expenses. But I’ll give you my list of what I can think of now.

Cheap pocket watch
A camera
Pair of brown civilian shoes (no two tone)
Sweatshirt
Small leather bag for toilet articles
Eversharp
Keycase (for trunk locks)
Stationary folder (for envelopes, stamps, etc.)

Please don’t fill the list but just pick one or two and that will be more than enough to ask for.