Money from home Archives

11 February 1944

Dear Folks:

Just a few brief lines to acknowledge your last letter and end the week up with a clear conscious. Received the check for 12/50 and the statement. It will come in handy. Our mail is certainly getting back and forth in good time. I received one letter from you and couldn’t believe my eyes when I read the date stamp next to the return address which is what everyone looks at first. This afternoon I had occasion to go to headquarters and I traveled the hi-way from a four lane one and crammed with vehicles. Your eyes would probably bulge to see the great activity everywhere. It certainly must be a blow to see so many close friends get billed[?] as was Waite and the others. I see the Free Press has started to carry the pictures and maybe the ones of Redding, Goolsby, and Petron will bring the war a little closer to some people. The Carrolls’ and Fry’s seem to be having a big round of dinners and parties—they are lucky to all be together. I keep telling myself a crack at a furlough will come up this year, let’s hope. Had a bridge game tonight and came out on top. I’m improving. Well goodnight for this time. I hope Dick can come around tomorrow.

Love,

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,

21 July 1943

Dear Folks:

Just finished reading two issues of the Free Press which always requires my undevoted attention whenever they come. I think the new column about servicemen is a pretty good thing – I wonder where the fellows are sometimes. I see my old sidekick Bill Emick is at Stinsom Field. It seems that in every issue and in every letter I get from you someone else is getting a furlough, or coming home for some reason. How I would like to be one of them and walk down the main street again and see the new Moss manor. I always must remind myself that it can’t last forever.

Last Saturday night had the privilege of a twenty-four hour pass. The Chaplain secured a hotel room for me which was a nice one and well equipped. I took advantage of the situation and slept very late in the morning that reminded me of civilian days and weekends. I’m afraid that from my letters you might adopt the impression that I am having more or less of a vacation over here and having an easy life in the sunshine and the hospitality of the tropics, but this is hardly the case. What I do on pass day is about the only subject I can think of to do any writing about and you might think that this is my main diversion. But there is a lot more to it than that – I’ll have to tell you about that when I get back.

Yes, Dick and I will have many pleasant memories when we get home and what we did on our meeting will be one of them. No, I still haven’t heard from Dick. As for the money getting here too late—everything turned out fine. I made (a) loan and we had more money than we could spend.

I would like to inquire about the book again and I hope that you have met with success in finding it. Reading is the best way I know to spend the idle hours and I’m becoming very interested in this subject.

I’m not very newsy or verbose and not much in the mood to attempt to write a good letter, so hold on till the next one. I hope I may have some good news soon.

Love,

2 July 1943

Dear Folks:

Having the night to myself I hope, perhaps I can catch up with a little bit on what I have let slide too long. I’m on duty tonight with nothing to do but reinstate myself with my correspondence and do a little reading perhaps. Several of your letters have come, and all of them unanswered. One of the letters contained the money order and the amount was for so much more than I expected that I will be in the chips this month. I intended and hoped that you would take it from my funds and didn’t want you to send it personally. Dick and I were well supplied with money on the vacation and we didn’t hesitate to spend it if we had a notion to do something, but I know that everything we did would meet your approval, as a matter of fact, I think our conduct was very exemplary.

I imagine you are experiencing no little difficulty trying to get the book that I asked you and I’m sorry that I can’t name them especially so that you would have no trouble. If by chance you haven’t found one yet here is one that I came across and hit my fancy; ‘Richardson on Evidence’. Very frequently I have several hours to spend leisurely and I may as well put them to good use, but I hope this request isn’t putting you out of your way too much. If you have already sent one, forget about the one above.

Sunday is the fourth, hard as it is to believe, and I’m looking forward to a pass and a first visit to the new army recreation center that from what I hear is about the last word. The center is right on the beach and has about every facility from writing to wrestling. It has a large dance floor, library, bar, showers and other appurtenances that make it a worthwhile place to go and should cut down on so much trouble that the army has with it’s GI’s on off-days. I hear the library is well stocked with new books so I want to stick my nose in there for awhile. Having a few more shekels than I thought I would have, perhaps I will also buy a bond. Starting this month (July) I am buying a full bond and the first one should reach you by the fifteenth or twentieth of August. I don’t know exactly how I stand on the last bond deal. The last one of $12.50 was stopped in order to put into effect a better system of payroll bonds and not because I wanted it that way.

I hope Dad’s prediction of an early end is right but I’m more inclined to agree that Mother’s idea has a better chance of coming true. Whenever I try to figure the basis for all this mess I run into so many angles that I begin to doubt if there is anyone who can ever find a solution. It’s a little hard to see myself coming and going again as I pleased and that there will be a day with no priorities and government regulations, but I guess you just got to tell yourself there will be. Anyway the end looks many moons away to me, but I hope I get a surprise and probably I will.

Thanks again for the pictures. I’m getting a real collection that I go over often and keeps me know(ing) (if) it is worth fighting for. I will answer Nancy and Phil’s letters. I guess it is adios for another night and one night less until the end.

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,

28 November 1942

Dear Folks:

It hasn’t been twenty hours ago that I laid down my pen on the last letter to you but I can’t sit around tonite without writing you. Received a card from June today with a dollar bill in it—a cute card. Then had a letter from Geraldine who is teaching in Elk Creek. The Davis’ do good by me in writing. A good day for mail. Suppose you are all subsiding after the holiday and can’t hardly imagine Kate as Mrs. Creal. I hope she gets the message I sent her. Today was Saturday, the old Saturdays still reflect on the ones now. Heard part of the Army game and the Hit Parade. Something warming about hearing the same programs. I wish I could tell you a little more in my letters but it only takes a word or two to disclose something that might be damaging. Tonight have been doing the weekend polishing. My laundry is done by a Filipino lady who does a very good job.

Love,

6 August 1942

Dear Folks:

I’ve been pounding this machine like a cub journalist at a Democratic convention but now that things are quiet possibly I can use it for my own ends.

Well contrary to my expectations we are still here in Fort Lewis, but sitting on pins waiting for the day to leave. I didn’t think we would be here this long but we are and possibly we may be here for another week, but it surely won’t be long before we leave for ‘Frisco. By the way we have been advised to give our new address, so here it is, but it isn’t to be used until we change our station and I’ll let you know when we do:

Pvt. H G Moss 37086474
Btry. C 222 FA Bn.
APO 1288 % Postmaster
San Francisco, California

Got your telegram with the money and I really do appreciate it because I know what it means to you. Also got your airmail letter today. I hope you will feel free to use the money that I have allotted if you need it very bad. Someday soon now you should also be getting the bonds. As soon as we are overseas we are given a 20% increase in pay so I will have enough cash to get along on. Also if anything should happen to me the government makes a gratuity payment of six months wages which would amount to about three hundred sixty dollars. Things are still humming around here like an aircraft plane getting ready to leave and schedules have been made out for training on the boat so it can’t be far off. Yesterday I mailed my sleeping bag home and also rolled up in it is my sweatshirt, OD sweater and civilian shoes. Better give the bag to Dan for his long gone birthday—it would come in handy to use on all night camping trips and the like. It needs cleaning and there are a couple of small holes in it on the inside that can be easily mended.

Suppose you both had a little blue spell after the telephone call and I wasn’t any different. I guess the telephone is the next best thing to a furlough but I still didn’t say what I wanted to and like I wanted to. Mom you acted very bravely and you held the tears to a minimum.

The girl (Mattie) I have been going with on and off on the Post gave me a nice diary and a small book to use for memories and that sort of thing. She’s a swell gal but nothing to arouse my more tender instincts. She hated to see me leave though.

There isn’t much else to write about. I’m going to do a little laundry tonight so that all of it will always be clean then take a shower and hit the hay. About the glasses you mentioned—the government furnishes one pair of GI’s free of cost so that with my own I will have two pair. Also I am issued a pair of gas mask glasses. Got a letter from Katie yesterday and I answered it right away. Should also write a letter to Grandma although she hasn’t answered my last one. Took more shots today. They are getting to be like a cup of coffee for breakfast. You may not hear from me for sometime after we leave Fort Lewis, because I understand all of our mail is held up until after we arrive at our destination so don’t think it is my neglect. Also we are supposed to leave a couple of postcards in Frisco that will be mailed you when the convoy arrives.

I’m going to hate to go because it will mean such a long way from home and for as long as I’ve been away it will seem all the farther, but then we’ll just have to do what you said and hope for a quick end to it all.

Well goodbye for another letter. Minatare would look like Shangri-la in springtime right now even if maybe it is just a whistle stop. Don’t worry about me, that’s what the government is doing, and I’ll yet be making you pick up my scattered clothes.

Love,

13 June 1942

Dear Folks:

An odd time to be writing a letter—Saturday morning—but I’m dodging inspection because I’m on guard, so I chose a sunny spot by the side of the barracks and decided to bask and write at the same time.

Last nite at the post gym just across the street Lana Turner made an appearance at a fortieth division variety show. Boy what she couldn’t do to my knees. Our division presented her with an insignia on a little banner and while the flash cameras were clicking she shook hands with our general. Then she gave a sentimental little thank-you talk that really sounded genuine and sincere. She had on a purple dress that made her look like a blonde Cleopatra and this was aided and abetted by a cute red hat, set dangerously on her pretty hair. You could have heard a pin drop when she started to talk. During the program she sat in the front row flanked by sober faced, austere generals. During the program at intervals a fellow would come in the back of the hall holding a couple of despairing rabbits and paging Pvt. Peter Potter. The first trip he had two, the next time a half dozen, the next a whole hutch and finally he was dressed as a cook selling them as roast rabbit. One trip he had some fun with Lana Turner but he got a slew of his pictures taken. After the program I got a good view of her passing down the aisle and when she was right in front of me, not more than a yard away, the cameras flashed.

Tomorrow a cook and I are going out for a few rounds of golf if it doesn’t rain and perhaps swimming too if it is warm enough.

Mount Rainier sure looks big and beautiful today as I’m sitting here I’m looking right at it.

Got the letter and the dollar bill yesterday. A dollar goes a long way for recreation if you spend it in camp. Under the new pay schedule and when the cadre leaves I will be getting sixty-four a month. This is for a corporal. I want to save thirty of it. If we don’t get our raise this month I’ll have pretty slim pickings next month because $12.50 besides cleaning, pressing and laundry will be taken out for bonds. As the money accumulates the government converts them into $25.00 bonds. They will be mailed to Dad and made to Mother as a co-owner.

Down the drive a few blocks is Gray Field. Here are observation places that observe the fire of an artillery and communicate by radio with the ground forces. I can see a lot of planes sitting around, wish I was in one of them.

That’s about all there is. Want to see “Gone With the Wind” again. And get that book you mentioned.

See you in the next letter.

Love,

10 June 1942

Dear Folks:

Before another minute of eternity ticks through the March of time I better get caught up with you or you will think I have deserted or something.

Got the papers and your letter last week. Suppose you have both subsided from the excitement of the past and have got back into the groove. Katie wrote me a letter telling me all about it so I have a pretty good picture of what you did in Denver. Will she stay in Denver and go to school some more?

Because of the alert and the resulting confinement I have been unable to get out of camp to buy anything for her and I really want to get her something. Give me some suggestions. I sent her five dollars-hope it will ease my guilty conscience somewhat.

Today I signed an allotment whereby $12.50 will be deducted from my pay each month. For every $18.75 that I save you will receive a bond with a maturity value of $25.00. It will be mailed to you as I requested. This will amount to a savings of $200.00 a year, the maturity of the bonds. Instead of naming you or either of you as beneficiary I named Mother as co-owner, although it makes no difference. As a co-owner you are entitled to cash the bond at any time after 60 days. There will be no red tape or my signature. I thought this a better plan than a beneficiary, so that if by chance you are in need of the money you will have it. As you probably know we will get our raise of $50.000 this month. Also I intend to send home $10.00 in cash.

Got a letter from Dick telling me of his visit from Mary. Yes I think they are pretty dizzy over each other. He didn’t tell me how he felt but said Mary got sentimental when she left.

Summer seems to need plenty of coaxing to come into full bloom around here. For the past week it has been raining and blowing and no signs of the clouds going away. Expect to go to Yakima to the firing range in a couple of weeks and they say it is much warmer there. But I hope I will be transferred from this outfit before that.

All the time we were on the alert we had to carry our tin hats and gas all the time—even and while working and when the order came thru that it was discontinued we all threw up our arms in joy. Even most of the civilians entering camp had them. A guard here shot a woman–died last night when she failed to halt her car. So always stop if you are requested.

My little watch beats like a young heart and never fails me—and the zipper bag is like another hand.

Hope next time I will be home—I mean next year. Perhaps furloughs are still a slumbering image. Perhaps when I am transferred with the cadre I will be sent East. My application for commission in the Adjutant General’s department was denied in view of the numerous applications. Many of the fellows are having visitors—being from Spanish Fork, Utah. I am in a Mormon reserve, Utah battalion.

Suppose you heard or read about the sunken freighter near Seattle, but I’m telling you that when this big shore gets it’s steam up there will be death and destruction for Germany and Japan the likes of which have never been seen. Cologne will be ordinary and commonplace. Our air force will be so great and our ground forces so well supplied that it will be utter desolation for anything in our way. This is my prediction. No more ‘too little and too late’. We are waiting until we have a cinch and will have it.

Well guess I’ve made my philosophies and told you what’s what so there is little else.

Oh, for a bunk without brown blankets and a dinner from marvelous Mother Moss and a banking out from dime-dealing Dad.

Love,