Moss Letters

WWII Letters

31 December 1943

Dear Dad:

I guess if I owe anybody a letter it is certainly you.  You write often but I never answer them as I should.  It’s pretty quiet tonight and everything else is done.  We’re sitting around listening to the radio this New Year’s Eve, not doing much. We won’t do any celebrating with blackout and taps at ten.  I was just looking at the pictures Kate sent me and then thought how swell it would be to see Steve and all of us enjoying him together.  It seems I’ve been gone so long I have to pinch myself to make sure things like that are still back there.  Some of the things I look back on seem like a dream the morning after.  You can’t imagine how much I think about the first few minutes when we will see each other again. Bet I’d have to have a towel for my eyes.  Maybe I better get around to the brighter and newsier side of things.  This afternoon went into town to do a little shopping. Tried to find some picture frames but no luck.  I must have looked like mom nosing around the Kress Store.

Some of the fellows have gone to the New Year’s Dance but the competition is to stiff for me.  Probably won’t be many white ones there anyway.  Seeing so many ‘tanned’ ones will make all of them at home, good-looking.

Well dad, it seems there should be much to write about and make a man-to-man talk out of this but it seems the words aren’t here although the thoughts would fill many pages.  I hope 1944 brings us very near the end.  I don’t feel much anxiety about my own welfare although I admit I sometimes worry about Dick.  Certainly I don’t foresee a furlough.

The pictures were taken in the office.  Maybe they will give you some idea of the place I work in.  It’s usually a pretty busy place and maybe it doesn’t look too tidy.

I’m going to call this ‘pau’ for this time.  I really enjoy your letters and you put in the kind of news I like to hear.  Hope I do a better job of writing (next year).

Love,

Harold Moss Signature

28 December 1943

Dear Folks:

I have a few minutes to go before bedtime so (will) write you a short note although I don’t know what I’m going to put in the letter. The Christmas spirit has died down pretty much and now it’s the old grind again and a little hard to get back in the swing.  A Free Press came tonite and I read the letter from Arden Conklin in the Aleutians.  From what I’ve heard I can imagine it’s not too pleasant.  Also received your letter with Halsey’s address and I suppose I’ll drop him a line sometime.  Also wrote B. Emick but haven’t had a reply yet.  Never feel like writing to the fellows for some reason.  Hope you have heard from Dick by now.  I would sure like to be near him more often but I’m sure he is getting along fine.  We had a great time together.  In the morning we had our picture taken.  We had to go in quite a few places and wait quite awhile and then they did such a hurry job that the picture wasn’t too good but maybe the final will be better than I think.  Well the fellows around me are getting ready for bed and this is going to be a great night to sleep and I’ve got to make my bed yet.  Not too much to this but I’ll write more letter.

Love,

Harold Moss Signature

26 December 1943

Dear Folks:

Regardless of what I have to do I’m going to get a letter off to you today.  I think this is the third one I’ve started.  And I have quite a bit to write about this time, at least it’s pretty good.  In the first place, another Christmas and another birthday have come and gone.  The night before Christmas we played bridge, had some cheer, and listened to Roosevelt’s speech.  But the real surprise and a most welcome present came at reveille when the commanding officer announced that I was promoted to technical sergeant.  It was entirely unlooked for and made my whole Christmas day very happy.  At noontime the commanding officer had the first three graders in his quarters for a round of drinks and some toasts to the new year.  The drink whetted my appetite and of course later we had the customary meal for the GI epicureans.  In the evening I went to a dance in town and there finished off a swell day.  Also had a turkey dinner in a hotel.  As long as I couldn’t be home, the day couldn’t have been a better one for me.  But Christmas eve and the next day I think everyone was doing a lot of thinking about how nice it would be to get home for a while and wonder what the folks were doing and how they were spending their holiday.  I hope that next year will bring the war a lot closer to the finish but I’m still pretty pessimistic about an early end.  But let’s hope Dad’s predictions come true.  And also I wondered how Dick was enjoying his day.  I imagine he also had a good time.

When I returned from my pass I had a batch of letters to read and answer and some papers to read.  I’m still trying to catch up.  I didn’t send many (Christmas) cards this year.  Received several from the Lewellen’s, Mrs. Conklin, Sandison’s and some others.

I hope my picture will reach you before long.  I couldn’t find a suitable frame for it but hope that you will put one around it.  I think it’s a pretty decent one.  I will send on to Gram and one to Kate too.

Had my eyes rechecked recently and will soon get two new pairs (of glasses).

Well I hope you and the family had a merry Christmas and had all you could eat.  Christmas is a pretty sentimental time when you are so far away from home and I was no different.  But I always hope and know that when we all are together again, we will appreciate Christmas more than ever

Love,

Harold Moss Signature

6 December 1943

Dear Folks:

I want to see ‘Yank at Eton’ at the show but first better answer yours and Nancy’s letters.  I know from the tone of your letter that you are becoming very concerned, especially about Dick but I believe that if you could see him now as I have, you would feel that he would take good care of himself.  I can understand your references to Dick’s pictures.  They do work hard and undergo strenuous training but it’s all for their own good.  I know that the Army is broadening him and making him aware of things he didn’t realize before.  Next Sunday I hope to fly over and spend five days with him.  This time we will get the pictures you wanted last time.  Guess, I didn’t mention Thanksgiving in my letters.  We had everything and plenty to eat. After dinner most of us took it pretty easy and don’t think I didn’t spend minutes thinking about home.  I don’t think I thanked you enough for the box you sent.  The chain was the perfect thing—as a matter of fact I had lost my GI one a few days before so yours came at the right time.  When the rush is over I will send you some things.  Tomorrow my pictures will be done and will send them right away.  I think they are pretty good too.  The pictures of Dan and Carol are extremely good and I couldn’t help but think how fast and how much they have grown.  Yesterday, Sunday, spent a full day and saw a good show.  Went to the local football game that compares to the game on Thanksgiving at home.  Before the regular game, was a duel between two barefooted teams, and then a kicking exhibition barefooted. They can kick a ball sixty to seventy-five yards. Dan should see them. Then a small airplane landed on the football field and presented the captains of the teams with the ball for the game.  Anyway, I had a good time and lots of fun looking at the people and watching the cheering sections.  Haven’t written to B. Emick yet but guess I ought to.  Well, believe this is about enough for this time.  Had my eyes examined today for a new pair of glasses—reading so much evenings puts a strain on them but they are not bad at all.  Plan to have a bridge put in for the tooth I lost and the dentist, a civilian, says it will be about $30.00 so might have to ask for some more money.  Well let’s make this goodnight and don’t you worry.

Love,

Harold Moss Signature

30 November 1943

Dear Folks:

This letter is prompted by a very rare occasion and event that started last night and ended today.  Yesterday afternoon in the office I received a phone call and upon answering it, about slid off my chair.  It was Dick talking.  He told me he had just arrived on the island and had tomorrow off so I made arrangements to see him.  This morning I met him and even if our visit was short it was a good one.  He wanted a big dinner so we got that and then I showed him some of the place where I live.  He leaves tonight so we had only about a half a day together.  Most of the afternoon we spent talking about Minatare and what it must be like back there now.  I hope to see him again soon on a 5 day pass so I didn’t feel too tough about leaving him.  Well, I’ll write more on this later.  So long for tonight.

Love,

Harold Moss Signature

28 November 1943

Dear Folks:

This evening seems so quiet and peaceful and I feel so much in the mood to enjoy it that it’s almost too good to be in the Army.  This afternoon I spent some time on the beach and I really thought about all of you probably shivering in a cold Nebraska wind.  It was a beautiful day and in the setting that reminds me of the postcards you see.  The leaves were pretty big and more than once I was sent rolling.  Next month I am scheduled to see Dick again if he can make the proper arrangements on his end and I think he can.  So I’m afraid I’ll have to ask for a money order of about twenty-five bucks.  Guess I was unduly apprehensive about Dick.  I mean about what I wrote in my last letter.  It doesn’t seem (like) six months ago that I last saw him but our next visit seems to excite me as much as the first.  One of our more strenuous activities last week was a twenty-five mike hike and still I can feel some effects from it.  Before I reached that last mile I thought I would collapse and never get up but somehow I did.  Well so much for tonight.

Love,

Harold Moss Signature

29 October 1943

Dearest Folks:

This isn’t the best time to write a letter during the noon hour, but after reading the letter that I just got from you the urge possessed me so here goes.  A good letter by the way, and a good (one) to use in answering.  If you hadn’t reminded me probably I might have forgotten that you are having Indian summer – been a long time since I’ve been in a climate where the seasons change very much – at least it seems like a long time.  And then regarding the item about hunting, pheasants are plentiful here too, but I haven’t seen anyone shooting them.  It would be pretty dangerous I guess and maybe someone might think there was something the matter.  But oddly it seems to me there aren’t many birds.  Rat control is a considerable problem on the islands and perhaps they keep the bird population down.

And about the glasses – yes I still wear them most of the time.  You know I busted my civilian pair on the boat coming over and of course all I have now is the GI’s that are a good pair and plenty serviceable.  Reading quite a bit puts a strain on them sometimes and about a week ago a cyst started in the right eye but it healed off itself.  I hope to have my eyes re-examined soon but the GI red tape always has to be cut first.

So Dick wrote about a Chinese girl too?  There are white girls on the island but they are pretty scarce most of them having been evacuated after the blitz.  A white girl at a dance is practically mobbed.  And speaking about the blitz, it’s interesting to talk to some of the people especially the white ones, about the first days after the Japs hit Pearl Harbor.  Suspicion and fears were everywhere and they had the life scared out of them. I wonder how all the Japs here would have reacted if Japan had taken over?

And next to the commando course.  You should have seen me yesterday if you can’t imagine me as one.  Yesterday we went through an Infiltration Course that involves crawling, and I really mean crawling, a hundred yards under machine gun fire and through holes with a little dynamite in them, besides crawling under barbed wire.  The idea of bullets overhead didn’t worry me so much as the physical exertion to crawling.  That doesn’t seem very far but oh boy it sure runs into work.  A guy looks about like a rattlesnake worming along and we were so dirty when we finished it was hard to tell who was who.  I felt a little funny once or twice when I saw a tracer bullet streak over but otherwise it was okeh.  After this experience we went to the beach and bounced around the waves so that was some compensation for the dirt.

Well Mom and Dad since I’ve started this, evening has rolled around and now I’m about to take off for the show so better wind this up.  The pictures enclosed are ones that I have taken over the past two months and maybe they will be interesting.

Love,

Harold Moss Signature

13 October 1943

Dearest Folks:

I’ve been going pretty strong all day so I guess I can keep going long enough to write you some sort of letter.  Then after I finish this I’m in for a quiet evening with some bunk fatigue.  A few days ago had a letter from Dick but it was the usual dozen lines or so.  I had hoped that I would be able to be near him by getting a crack at the school there but the application didn’t get through.  I know he doesn’t sound too happy but I don’t think it is anything to worry about.  He must still have the farm in his blood.  Said he wanted to be with Gramp on their place.

Tom does have big things on his mind if he attempts to go through what he wants to do.  But it would be a great thing and the ends would be worth about any sacrifice they would make.  I wish I was in the position he is to do something effective about it.

Last Sunday at the GI club there was a jitterbug contest.  The local wahines (wah-heen-ees), or most of them, feel pretty important dancing with the smoother of the GI wolves.  What they do on the dance floor is more like organized mayhem, so I don’t venture out very often.

Of course I look forward to every issue of the Free Press and especially to what the guys in the service column are doing.  I was thinking last night how far apart the ‘four’ of us are from each other.  And I also spent quite a little time dwelling upon the ideas we had and all the rest of the things that came from our years of running around together.

I’ve sat here for at least fifteen minutes trying to start another paragraph but nothing seems to be forthcoming so guess I’ll have to quit.  I’m fine personally but can’t get anymore meat on my ribs.  Getting more workouts in the field and more of this training that fills up so many newsreels, but the office still requires quite a bit of time.  The evenings are perfect and now with the restrictions lessened on lights, they are even more enjoyable.  Well I guess this is ‘pau’.

Love,

Harold Moss Signature

26 September 1943

Dear Folks:

I should be following something more ambitious this morning, but I’m not, so I’ll spend the time writing you a little letter.  This is Sunday and it seems like you can always somehow know its Sunday even without a calendar.  This is my duty day so that means staying in the office and a good chance to catch up on delinquent correspondence and reading.  The wind is blowing like a chilly day in March back in Minatare but the ocean and the sun make the day a nice one.  Remember how I used to mention the flowers when I first came here—well, it’s that time of the year again and the island is putting on its best coat.

As the bond drive is carried out with you so is it here.  The Army is putting on the pressure to meet certain quotas and at the present the office is pretty busy with these new allotments.  The islands have always met their quota well over and I think they stand fourth or fifth in the whole country.  I remember when I was visiting the Sisters at the convent, the school kids were having a drive and somehow they managed to scrape enough together to buy several thousand dollars worth.  With the preponderance of Japanese I think the islands set a record to be proud of.

I suppose you read of Mrs. Roosevelt’s Pacific tour and know that she stopped in Honolulu on the way back.  We listened to her speech from Honolulu and in my opinion there was a lot of it.  She must be a great woman.

I finally got off a letter to Dick last night.  Geographically we are not far apart but actually it might as well be a couple of thousand miles.  In another three months I will be due for another five day pass, and if the next three (months) pass as fast as the last three, that won’t be very long.  I hope he is adapting himself to his new conditions okeh and doesn’t get too depressed or downhearted at times.  I think they keep him busy enough that he doesn’t have time for that.

I was glad to hear the Gramp bought the place east of town.  I’m always in favor of real estate and in addition the farm should offer them about all that they have been wanting for so long.  Stopping to think of it, there have been a lot of changes since I left two years ago.  New babies, husbands, deals, and the rest that comes with time flying by.  And of course these happenings are all the more incentive to get the war over in a hurry (to) find out these things first hand.  I sometimes wonder that if perhaps from my letters you catch a change in my attitude or opinions that differed from what they were before I came into the Army.  For the average soldier I certainly don’t think that Army life is conducive to initiative or encourages free thinking, and in many cases produces inferiority, but then all this is, is a job.

Last week the band sergeant asked me to play the fiddle with the dance band in a trio of strings, but my usual obduracy has prevailed so far.  It would take quite a bit of time for practice etc and that would be in addition to my regular job.

I’m going to call this good for this communiqué—am I an uncle yet?

Love,

Harold Moss Signature

20 September 1943

Dear Folks:

After that punitive letter I wrote yesterday, and the one I got from you today, I guess you well deserve another one immediately.  For some reason your letter seemed to reflect a low spirit and maybe a little worried.  I also have not heard from Dick for a month or so, but I thought he would write you regularly.  I think it’s more this attitude than anything else.  You know he never concerned himself too much with such matters.  I will write him immediately and see what the score is.  No, I don’t think it would do any good to send smokes to Dick—he never smoked any during our visit and I don’t think he does now.  I know I should write you often to relieve your anxiety and although I don’t realize it as much as I should, I can imagine how you feel when no letters come.  Of course it’s pretty verboten for me to express any opinions as to what may be in store but for the present things look pretty routine.

Only a little while ago I returned from pass but after spending the morning in town, gave it up for a bad job and came back to read and sleep.  I make a daily effort to read at least two hours and I believe the result is definitely beneficial.  The town seems pretty dead and I swim enough on Sunday afternoons.

I hope you don’t go to any great deal of trouble to find something for Christmas because there are so few things that I need or can use.  I do remember one thing that you mentioned—and that was a ring.  You always wished I had a good one.

‘Panama Hattie’ is at the theater tonight so better go.  Our ‘theatre’ looks like an old gay ninety ‘bowery’ with the Hawaiian girls and signs painted on the walls.  Something like the old curtain the Aladdin used to use.

Your letter seemed to touch me quite a bit, I don’t know just how but you all seemed pretty close when I read it.  You are so good about everything, and I often feel that I haven’t done as well by you as I should have.

I can’t figure you out not liking avocadoes, because it seemed that I was always the one to turn down your inventions in the way of salads and new dishes.  I like them very much and usually have some at dinner and supper.  Yes, we use mess kits and I guess I’m like Dick in wanting to sit down at a table with a tablecloth and the food in bowls.  And another pleasing prospect will be to use a tile bathroom again instead of the community stable that puts up a stifling stench to say the least.  And we have chicken, usually on Sundays although the cooks, in my opinion, lack plenty in the way they prepare it.

I wish you (could) see the sunset as I see it now.  The sky is aflame with purple and red setting down on the hills and the ocean.  And to think that on the other side of that body of water is the mainland – ho hum.  From the papers it looks like Duane C is receiving a round of good times on his furlough.  I wonder if Margy is getting any fatter or more ill shaped.  I hate to speculate on what our first reunion will be like, or maybe on the other hand the habits of the Army of sitting around in the evenings and chewing over the day’s business, will prevail, who knows.

Well it’s getting show time and my news line is exhausted so it’s so long until the next one.

Love,

Harold Moss Signature