Jack Conklin Archives - Page 2 of 2

7 August 1944

Dear Folks:

In a few minutes I’m going over the hill and down the road to the show but first I better scratch you out a short epistle. The last time I wrote you I was on Saipan where I was with Dick and where I could see Jack, but now I’m three miles across the channel on Tinian. Tinian is a green, oblong island with a plateau down the middle. It reminds me much of Maui. The fields are well laid out, and abounding with sugar cane, sweet potatoes and other small crops. Looking at the valley from Lake Minatare is much like the scene from here. Most of the farm homes I have seen look as though the Jap farmers must have been pretty well off. More presentable than those on Saipan. Tinian towns must have been picturesque little settlements when it was whole, but now it looks like Garapan. I never imagined I would see such destruction as I had seen in newsreels, etc., but that’s all I have seen for the last two months. Every building and shed has been hit, and even small houses setting hidden in cane fields have been demolished. On most of the Jap homes, the house is of wood with a tin roof, while the barn is usually reinforced concrete about eight inches thick, and a large cistern to collect rain water. Water by the way is a pretty important matter here and probably it contributed no little in whipping the Japs. Probably every Jap farmer was forced to build a concrete barn and maintain some stock for the army. On the southern part of the island snipers and civilians are being collected, although the island has been secured for some time. From the wreckage of houses we have taken what was left to make ourselves some shelter against the rain, and I wished you could see some of the Rube Goldberg contraptions that have been arranged. The architectural masterpieces that are showers are something to see. It seems that every piece of wreckage can be put to use in some way. It has been raining a lot lately and the mud is bad to slip around in. I’m getting behind on dirty clothes and tomorrow I think I’ll be forced to do some laundry. I wished you could see us whip up our supper. We have a small stove and we’re sure to make some man a good wife. The rations get a little tiresome but soon we’ll have a kitchen and back to good rations.

Well Mom and Dad I’m still very well. Dengue fever has hit some but I’ve been okeh so far. Of course the only really bad element to it all is the distance from home. I haven’t seen Dick for a week or two and probably won’t get to see him for some time although you can never tell. Probably I may not see Jack again either. Dusk is pulling the shades down so I better grab my mosquito drop and flashlight and get along to the show. Last night we sat in the rain and saw a show that was bad for the dogfaces titled ‘Love Can’t Be Rationed’. About the scarcity of men in the states and the feminine wolves. What a situation. Well adios this time.

Love,

28 July 1944

Dear Folks:

I haven’t received any mail for a couple of days but I guess that’s no excuse for not writing. Very little news the past few days – at least what I can write about. Haven’t seen Dick recently nor Jack Conklin either, but I believe we’ll have another little reunion again soon. Living together on a little island like this maybe you would imagine it wouldn’t be so hard to see each other – but it isn’t as easy as it seems. When I do get out it’s by the hitchhike method and it’s pretty good too. Lots of vehicles running around. On the northern end of the island they are still bringing a few snipers out and even now it’s not very safe to go nosing around, probably they will be (there) for sometime to come. Dick had a little celebration a few days ago he was telling me about. They slaughtered a calf and all enjoyed some good steaks. A few head of livestock are grazing around our area, but they look pretty scrubby and thin. This morning I put some heavy grease on my souvenirs, wrapped them up and now I’m wondering how I can send them to you. But I’ll get them back someway. When Dick finds anything he gives it to me because I can keep it a little better than he can. Saw a good show last night ‘Waikiki Wedding’ with Bing Crosby – drew a lot of comments having been in Hawaii for quite a while. The folks at home sure are deceived if they believe all they see. And again tonight we are having a show. Sounds like I’m having a vacation in the Marianas doesn’t it? I wished it was.

Are you getting my new allotment alright – I was wondering about it. Of course we haven’t been paid since we left Oahu so we’ll all be rich when we get back. I’ll bet this is a wild crew when they get back. They’d go really hog wild if they hit the states. That’s about all we think about – when and what we will do when that time comes.

Well it’s getting pretty dusk and we don’t enjoy the luxury of electric lights so I’m going to have to taper off. I’m really very well, getting lots to eat and today I even acquired that rare item called a cot. I should sleep like a tired baby. Things are getting a little safer and now we don’t stick so close to a foxhole as we used to – although I suppose we should. I guess I shouldn’t write tonight because I hardly know what time it is where you are. We try to figure it out. We are a day earlier than you being across the International Date Line, plus the hours difference from that line. Oh well maybe you can figure it up some day. I think it’s something like thirty-two hours. Well regardless of what it figures up to I’m still going to write goodnight. Dad’s mention of beer in his letter brings visions of greatest ecstasy, and even the thought of an ice cream cone throw me into delicious raptures. Well adios from an X Jap stomping ground.

Love,

24 July 1944

Dear Folks:

I received Dad’s letter today acknowledging the first one I mailed from here and I’m so glad it made you feel better. Also had one from Mom but it was several days older. I guess the first thing on this communiqué will be about yesterday. Minatare moved 7,000 miles across the Pacific to Saipan when Dick, Jack Conklin and myself got together for an afternoon’s reunion. Until yesterday the three of us had been unable to get together at one time, but we finally got CO’s okeh. Dick attended services at the 27^th Division cemetery just after dinner and met Jack and I at Jack’s outfit about three o’clock. This tripartite reunion means more than you realize. While we were there Jack took several pictures and he’ll send them as soon as possible. We thought also that it might be interesting to have it put in the Star-Herald with a short story below it. Jack will send the pictures to his Dad, and he left the writing end of it up to me, but now I don’t know how much the censors will allow. Probably by this time you have received my three page letter and there should be some material in that. Jack wanted me to write his dad with a little story to go with the picture but you can get all the information from his folks, and you can fit something together. About the first thing we do at these meetings is exchange news about the ‘old country’ and each adds to his bit of gossip. It seems there are a million changes back there and very few of the old faces will be left. Vic Sage getting wedded drew quite a comment, and every time someone has a baby we wonder how they could grow up so fast. And Jack Lupher too – it seems they are all marrying the Russians. Maybe it’s a good thing Dick got out when he did. And speaking of Dick, he does a lot more talking than before and because he had so many harrowing experiences than Jack or I, he had quite a little to say. I don’t suspect he will be writing much now but I’ll do his share and let you know all I find out.

The money enclosed is some of that I found that I told you about in a previous letter. This little guy I got it from must have been a paymaster or something of the sort for he sure had a wad. I’ve given away quite a slug too. The 100 yen note is pretty scarce. The holes in the bills were caused by a bullet which I found bedded in the center. The exchange rate is 20 yen for an American dollar, and the smaller bills I believe are 50 sen or a half a yen. As soon as I can arrange it I’m going to send home the sword and a few other items that Dick and I found – Dick found most of them. The souvenir racket runs into some big stuff here and some fancy prices are quoted for some things. Swords are quoted from $500 to $1,000. But ours weren’t boughten, they were found. Dick and I tried to imagine Mom’s little gasps if she could see some of the things.

I believe this is about all of interest this time. A Bob Hope movie is on tonight. Our ‘theatre’ is a hole scooped out by a bulldozer and the seats, the scooped out dirt. Well, adios and ‘buenos noches’ for now.

Love,

17 July 1944

Dear Folks:

I’m a long way from home but today seemed like old home week. We were taking a few minutes off with a pinochle game when somebody came striding in and said ‘Is there anyone from Nebraska in here?’ I was about ready to say your damn right when I recognized Jack Conklin. Ol’ big burly hairy-chested Jack stripped to the waist with a helmet and dark glasses on – I had to look close. He has been looking practically all over the island for me and when he did it was time for him to leave. We pumped each other’s arm for a minute then got the low down on each other. He couldn’t stay very long but we’ll be seeing each other again before long. Dick, myself, and Jack aren’t too far away from one another and probably in the next day or two we’ll celebrate by eating a can of Japanese crabmeat. It certainly is a treat to see someone like that. Jack looked good as hell and of course everyone over here is brown as a dirty penny. He said he hadn’t sent the pictures – hadn’t been able to develop them yet.

Tonight is a special night as it goes over here – its movie night – an old picture that I have seen before but I can always sit through it again. The mosquitoes will beat out those of Minatare any old day, but the GI lotion keeps them off pretty good. But then I suppose it will rain. Along with the nighttime pests is the land crab. Some of them are 7 or 8 inches across and when they get on the tin that we line our foxholes with or around boxes they scratch like hell and sometimes scare the wits out of you. They’re mean looking things. Little red ants run around too that leave a nasty sting that doesn’t go away right away. A few snipers are still afloat and only a night or two ago, a couple were killed around Charan Kanoa, and sometimes in the night you get to seeing things.

When Dick and I were out yesterday we noticed a bunch of Jap workers and thought how far behind the times they were. They don’t seem to have much labor-saving equipment and do about everything by hand. We saw a dozen of them pulling a tree stump when four of them could have picked it up and carried it off in a few minutes. On Maui the sugar cane production used a lot of cranes etc. but over here I guess it’s all by hand. They say that most of the working class are Japanese of the lower classes brought in from Southern Japan. Many of the Imperial Marines taken on the island were said to be pretty good sized but all I’ve seen are little short runts, bow-legged, and squint eyed. Several loads of Jap civilians go by every morning where they are put to work handling supplies or just cleaning up.

You should have a pretty good idea of the place from all I have written you – it has all been interesting and new to me and I thought perhaps you would be as interested as I was. I guess I better line up for chow – suppers are usually pretty good, but my appetite still could stand improvement. It is easy to get diarrhea or dysentery here and with so many flies you must be pretty careful. Well I’ll wind up for this time and hope I get some mail from you tomorrow.

Love,

23 May 1944

Dear Folks:

This should be a long letter full of quite a bit of news for the past few days have been pretty memorable. A few days ago I received a letter from Jack Conklin and noticing his APO number found he was only a few miles from my station so I immediately tried to get hold of him. I was lucky enough to reach him on the phone and that night saw him for the first time in three years. And for the past three nights we have visited and rehashed all those never to be forgotten things that we did when we were young and foolish. It was as good as a week’s furlough. Jack looks pretty good and acts about the same as ever. He has traveled around quite a bit since he left the states and has a huge stack of pictures that he had to show me. He seems to have a nice job and one that is very interesting and not quite so GI as many of them. He was anxious to see me and neither of us could hardly realize that we were actually talking to each other. I couldn’t get a hold of Dick so that he could see Jack, but perhaps we can arrange that later. I haven’t seen Dick myself for over a week now and don’t expect to see him for a while. Yesterday afternoon (Sunday) got a pass, and just before I left got a letter from you and Dad and so had to tell Jack all the gossip in it. It was (a) good letter to get because there was quite a little in it about the Conklins. Well finally I had to say goodbye and probably our next visit will be many moons from now. You don’t know how good it was to see him and find someone that could talk to you about things in common. After he told me all his travels and we went through his pictures. We talked about the aftermath and what we expected to do. Jack does seem more serious about life and realizes his life was put to him on a gold platter. What did I think I was going to do? Well I said I was going to go home for a while then go overseas again and start myself something abroad. I wish I could realistically relate to you our conversation but I’m not good enough for that. You will have to imagine the rest. Now to get around to your letters and see what I can comment about. I’m so glad you liked what we sent and perhaps again soon I can send you some oddities. I wish I could have sat in with you on the Ouija Board session and added some firsthand comments. One of the big things Jack and I remarked about was the love life of the younger set at home – I mean all the marriages and babies. And now little Jimmie Colson (is) engaged. Jack couldn’t imagine Kate with a baby. And of course Krumenacher, Fry, Carroll, and some others all came into our frying pan of gossip. We feel that we are being left behind and that our future mates will be hard to find (ha). And talking about the late songs – it is the custom in our tent to schedule a bridge game during the ‘Hit Parade’ so we don’t miss any of them. No we don’t hear Tokyo Rose in the Islands, although those who have good radios can tune in Tokyo and hear them pretty good. I heard some about a battle in the South Pacific and compared it with our news broadcast and somebody is lying like hell, and I hope it was the Japs. I would like to meet R. Pitsch but it is increasingly difficult to get off and when I can get off a day I hardly like to spend ¾ of it looking for someone although perhaps I will happen to be out there someday and can locate him. All the busses and taxicabs are crowded to overflowing and the highways are an endless ribbon of traffic and a dogface doesn’t find it too easy to get around. And now around to Dad’s inimitable manuscript. Your business must be very good and I was certainly surprised to hear the amount of money that you grossed last year. It makes me feel very good. Why don’t you take a picture of the place with the new signs and send me one? By the way Jack and I took pictures and he will forward a set to you.

Bill Dick should be a good man to work for you. And with the landscaping and redecorating you are doing on the house, I can’t wait to see it and put out a tear or two just looking at home once again. I know it will be something to see. And I suppose that when the farm is fixed up that also will be quite a garden spot. I hope all your hopes about the war is true and I sometimes think that this thing may crack sooner than we anticipate, but on the other hand think it will take quite a while. I wish you and I could talk the whole thing over. The new furlough plan seems to (be) taking effect for the boys in the Aleutians and I’ll bet they are having a good time, but don’t get too optimistic about my chances for I can’t see anything in sight for some months to come. I had a very nice letter from Gram today and Dick and I both thought after we mailed the package that we didn’t send anything to Gram and Gramp and they probably felt a little put out but we will send them something and try to make up for it. I surely miss her and think she is very sweet to write when I know it must not be too easy for her. She is the most kindhearted and helping person, and I feel bad about not always treating her as I should have. Well, here’s another request. I want you to take some of my money and find me a good, waterproof, shockproof, and accurate wrist watch. One that I can wear anywhere and that can take a stiff beating. You will probably have to put out quite a little for one but I need one badly and I want one that I won’t have to worry about if I get it in water or in the mud or wherever else might happen. Well I think this is about enough and I have a lot to do so I’ll cut off about here. Seeing Jack and reminiscing brought both of (our) homes into clear focus, and we appreciate them much more than you think and know that never again will we hold some of the ideas we did when we were younger. Well, so long for now.

Love,

28 April 1944

Dear Folks:

Two of your letters came today, both good news so at least I better knock you out a V-mail at least. Today was a series of incidents and tonight is the kind of night it is nice to take it easy and lay around and reminisce. That was a bad mess that Shirley got into and I feel sorry for her too, although maybe there is two sides. Duane was always rushing women and generally cutting up and perhaps Shirley had some of his characteristics. With all the babies being born back there I feel like I’m losing out. Margie and June K seemed like fabulous girls when I left. And by the way Jack C did get a furlough but haven’t seen him. I certainly enjoy your letters Dad and sometimes Dick gets his copy before I do so I read his or perhaps mine arrives first. Hope Dick and I can see the All Star baseball game Sunday. By the way I have increased my allotment to $85.00 so effective the 1^st of May so be sure you get it. Perhaps it will be June when you get the increase. Tonight on the radio the Commanding General announced a furlough plan with those who have two years service overseas. Although I mustn’t allow myself to become over-optimistic at least there is a little something to look forward to. Well enough for tonight.

Love,

26 January 1944

Dear Folks:

I started out to do something else tonight but after receiving your letter it made me feel so good that I had to answer immediately. A four page one too, pretty good, and full of interest. I know my letters get pretty dull sometimes but I hope that occasionally you find something of interest. I understand full well what our letters mean to you. Well I’ll dig up the letter and make a little commentary on it to make this one (letter) a little longer. Last night our GI foursome got together and I turned out the goat. After having a five bid served up tight I fumbled and went down two. But we won in the end.

I’m glad you liked the book and I believe you probably feel much as I do about the islands. And about the sharks. Yes, there (are) plenty in the waters around and we are always cautioned to swim in designated areas and stay close to shore. Only a few months ago a soldier disappeared and sometime later a shark was caught with his remains inside. I saw the shark. In ‘Born in Paradise’ you will probably remember how Von Tempski would swim the cattle to the boat and how they were often attacked by the sharks. I often think if you were here how we could see the place much as we did in ‘Frisco, and I know you would enjoy it immensely. I’m very glad you made the request for the shells and I’ll get you the best sets the Waikiki district has to offer. I’m sure I can find something that you will like and I’ll get a big kick of really shopping for something.

Although I wouldn’t exert myself excessively it would be good to see Conklin. He must be back on rest or something. It’s hard to imagine him a soljer but guess that’s the case with many of us. The $140 I get a month really is okeh and as soon as I get the (dental) bridge I hope to increase my allotment again. You should receive $60 a month beginning February 1. I’m always anxious to know that the right amount is getting home for I know that many of them become very mixed up. Working in the Personnel office and being the personnel Sgt Major, I work with many such tangled cases. I guess you know the dependency allotments are compulsory for married men. It is surprising the number of wives who leave their men and that creates trouble for us and for them. But in many cases the situation is applicable to both members.

I remember seeing Dan Gettman at the dance you mentioned and he always plies me with question of folks he knows around Minatare. He is a typical Russian as we know them –rather dull, bold and unaware of his own ignorance. But he is a pretty good kid, always tries hard but can’t make the grade.

I can imagine Duane and Margy as you mentioned. Is Marge any fatter or unshaped? I hope my fixture is a little better proportioned.

I know how you must feel when my letters slow up and I always try to keep up with them. There are many things I would like to tell you and you probably wonder why I haven’t but that’s ‘verboten’. Dick’s future, from what I can gather, is still centered around agricultural interests. I have never heard him mention Miss Sagle but he misses the times he had at home. I never felt the urge to go to school so much as I have now and I always know the fact that time is so short for me to study. Sometimes my plans and dreams occupy a lot of my time and again, I get a little discouraged at the outlook, but never stop believing that all will turn out okeh.

Willis Nichols’ marriage was certainly a big surprise to me but I don’t think he ever quite lived up to the standards of the rest of the Nichols. He’s pretty lucky to stay home.

Probably many times in my growth you thought I was a hopeless case and I know I did little to deserve your attention but now, and everyday a little more, I picture more clearly your patience showing, working and planning you did to ensure my livelihood and wellbeing. Somethings are impossible to see until they are taken away and no longer there to be taken for granted. Now I remember little things you told me at the time I thought you were nagging and old fashioned and couldn’t see the reason for them but now they all fit in the picture much differently. I couldn’t see how fortunate I was.

Well guess this (is) ‘pau’ for this communique but I will find the shells and the best too and make another special request again soon too. I will have as good a time buying them as you will receiving them.

Goodnite to love,