Tacloban, Cancaboto Bay, Leyte, Philippines
APO 72 Leyte, Philippines
Philippines, Sun. Afternoon, Nov. 26th
Dearest,
I have been waiting for some letters from you for some few days now. I finally received 2 yesterday and then 2 more this morning. The first 2 were written on the 23rd & 25th of Oct. The 2 that I got this morning were mailed on the 6th & 12th of Nov. That’s pretty fast. Especially when you consider that it had to go to the other APO then come up here.
We are still seeing lots of air activity and once in a while we get to see them knock down a Nip plane or two. Just like you see in the news reels back there. Lots of fun if they don’t come too close to camp.
The mud is still pretty bad around where we are but today the sun is out strong so I guess it will start drying up. We put up a new supply tent the other day and now we have a real nice place to work & keep our stuff dry.
We really have been having some good eats around the tent in the last couple of weeks. Fried chicken & eggs & all sorts of things. We had 8 chickens & 5 ducks, then the other nite Ralph Lofton & I decided we would fix the boys some real “Southern Fried” chicken. Ralph is from N. Carolina, (Thomasville). We had a swell dinner & that left 5 chickens & 5 ducks. We were saving the ducks for Thanksgiving but the Government came through with turkey for everybody so we are saving the ducks for some other occasion.
Must go now—will write more tonight.
19:30
I got a letter from Mom this afternoon and none from you. Maybe I will get some tomorrow. I hope so anyway. Seems that the more letters I want... I guess you will really be busy from now on. I hope you got in the sorority that you wanted. Let me know which one you are pledged to. Guess that will take up more of your time. Honestly I am jealous of anything that may keep you from writing as often as you have been. Your wonderful letters make the time seem to pass, not quicker, but more smoothly. I really can hardly wait to get back. I want to see you more than I ever wanted anything in all my life.
Your courses sound like they wouldn’t be too hard. Nice selection.
If you started in Nov. when will the semester end? In March I gather from what you said. Sure hope you like it as well all the way through as you do now.
We are beginning to get our Xmas packages now. I’ve received 2 from the folks so far.
Darling keep on writing those wonderful letters. I will try to answer as often as I can. Sometimes it is hard to get a chance to sit down & write.
Remember that I love you with all my heart and always.
Yours,
Jack
My best to your Mom & Anne. Tell Anne that one of these days I will answer her letter.
Tacloban, Cancaboto Bay, Leyte, Philippines
APO 72 Leyte, Philippines
Somewhere in the Philippines
Nov. 17th, 44 4:15 P.M.
Betty darling,
I really don’t know how to take it. Two more swell letters from you. I really was disappointed when I read the first one and then found that you hadn’t enclosed the photos as you promised. Then I opened the second letter and the old morale went up 1000% and fluttered there. Gosh. I really can’t think of anything I like to get better then pictures of you. I have quite a few by this time.
Anne sure looks good. She really can get dressed up in the crazy outfits can’t she? What was she doing the day that shot was taken? Bob & Bill really have grown seems to me.
I really am glad you acted that way with Jimmy. He is a nice boy, I am sure, but ---! So please be careful. If you ever see Jimmy’s father tell him I said hello and that I looked for Vernon in New Guinea but didn’t have any luck.
That boy you are with in the one picture sure looks familiar. Did he ever go to Anchorage? What is his name? Maybe I know him. Tell him to be very careful!!
1 question please. Where did you get the pretty rings, one on the right hand & one on the left hand ??? Just curiosity.
We went out this morning and traded with the natives (we shouldn’t call them that.) Filipinos for 2 more chickens and a bunch of eggs. Also, our duck laid an egg this morning. We had almost given up hope.
Later (about 9:45 P.M.)
Well Ralph & Don & Bill came in from the strip and were hungry and the dinner at the mess hall didn’t look so good. We decided to cook 2 of our chickens. We naturally fried them. Ralph & Lou killed & picked them & Don started the hot water & got the gas for our stove. Dick got the flour & salt and pepper and Bill got the bread & cake from the mess which was about all that was any good. John came in last so we made him clean up the mess. I cut up the chickens & cooked. We really had a swell meal. We made gravy and had bread & gravy. During the dinner we had a Red Alert but no bombers came over. We all had a piece of fried chicken when we went to the slit trench. After a while we would come out, 1 at a time, and dash back to the tent for another piece while the others listened for planes.
It is really like the fourth of July when they open up on a plane at nite. Thousands of red tracer bullets going up from various angles.
We ate most of the chicken while we were in the trench sweating out the raid. Fried chicken comes first with us even over here.
Darling this is getting to be a long drawn out letter that doesn’t make much sense. I really am getting too tired to write anyway.
I still and always will love you with all my heart. I really delight in knowing that I have my love returned. Please have faith in me & I will be home before you know it. Please study hard on that cooking and don’t practice on any body but Anne & your Mom. Anybody else could sue you in case of poisoning! Ha! Ha! Honest, I’m just kidding, I really want you to do lots of cooking for me after this is all over. Steady. Want the job still?????----???????
I love you very very much darling
Yours & Goodnite,
Jack
Give my best to Anne & your Mom.
