Autumn 1943: Hunting Season

Jack wanted to go deer hunting, pure and simple.

Sept 22, '43

Dear Ma

I received your nice long letter yesterday so I will try to answer it.

You may some day learn to listen to your little son. I am glad you went up and got your glasses. I told Florence that if you didn't go up and get them that she should break your old ones so you would have to. I guess you beat her to it.

I sure haven't been doing a darn thing at work for the last 2 days. I might as well not have been there for no more than I did. It sure gets tire some just sitting around for 8 hours & doing nothing. Well may be tonight will be a little bit better, who knows. 

They tell me they are planning on taking 700 workers out of the yard between now & the first of the year. I don't know but I think I am probable include in that group. They say the are calling in all deferments on guys from 18-25 so it wouldn't do me much good to have a deferment. It doesn't seem to make any difference what rating you hold or how much of a family you have if you come between the age limits.

I got those pictures ok but I discovered one happens to be missing. I am sure the fellows here would enjoy looking at it and would compliment me on such good picture taking. How bout that picture of Bo.

I got Wayne's new address too late I had already sent him a letter – hope he gets it.

Sat

I imagine you have been wondering why I haven't been writing. Just lazyness.

Now listen & get this straight. I want you (right now so I can get it by Sun) to go up to the Folks and go up to Wayne room and get me a little 30-30. It is sitting near the left hand side of the rack. The barell is a darker color than the rest of the guns looks like stove blackening on it and it chips off. Then get dad Kruse to go out in the shop and see if he can find 2 boxes of 30-30 shells, first try the big box under the lathe. I imagine they are in there it will say 30-30 on the box. about the gun it has a price tag on it that says $12 or $15 I forget just what but its between $10-$15 make sure the shells fit the gun. Now as 2nd and last resort if for some reason you can't do the other. Take my gun out of the box & ask Dad Kruse for about 20 shells for his gun tell him I want some hunting loads. He has some for his Krug also make sure they fit. Don't send either gun in a wooden box put it in card board.

Maybe Glady could call Mr. Woodall he will help if he is in town. I want to go deer hunting next Sunday if possible so please dear Ma don't put this off till this after noon or tomorrow. I would have sent you a night letter but was afraid you wouldn't get it till Mon & I hope this is there by then. I hope you can get the 30-30 together it is a lighter gun & etc. Please try & send it. The 30-30 will be out in the shop so try hard to find them.

I am sending you $30 to cover the cost of handling and packing. I'll pay the express.

Well I'll close for now & hope like LLL that the gun get here on or before Sat. Ask about air express if it is not over $3.50 send it by that.

Jack

Put in Hunting Knife

Notes:

• I'm assuming that the $30 he is sending just means it's over and beyond what he would normally send her, because ya gotta wonder why he is willing to spend $30 shipping for a gun worth $10-$15. ($30, by the way, is nearly $450 in today's dollars.) In any case, it's obvious he reeeelllly wanted to go hunting! 

• Dad Kruse is his grandfather, his mother's dad.

• Glady is his aunt, his mother's sister. 

The next letter is to Bo.

[postmarked October 4, 1943]

Sun

Dear Bo

I'll try to answer your letter that I was very surprised to get.

We went to the show yesterday. I came home and went to sleep about 6PM & got up about 8AM. I sure am tired I just don't get enough sleep I don't think 14 hours is enough for any body so I am in bed again hoping to get 6 or 7 hours more sleep befor I go to work. 

Say listen please don't tell Ma because I don't want her to worry but I ask the draft board yesterday when I would get called they told me some time in November. I figured it would be around then but that is more or less official. I think I try to get in the ordnance when I do get in. Now please don't tell Ma. You know she will just worrie & I ain't going to write & tell here any thing about it till I am in for sure. When you see a letter to Ma with the stamp upside down you will know I have received my induction papers. 

We had a pretty nice day today the sun came out & nearly blinded me I just am not use to such conditions. I guess I just have owl eyes & web feet. It sure hasn't been raining around here much of late. You can tell it too every one has a cold, it seems when It doesn't rain every body just has a tendency to come down with a cold. 

We went out to Curts today & had a chicken dinner so we didn't do so bad did we. After you get the hang of it you can get quite a few meals out of people.

Say about Nene just lay off that poor little baby or you will have her wanting to go out and get drunk next. So she finally let Jim kiss her well now don't rub it in she's like her big Bro. she just don't go in for that stuff.

You ask if I met any good looking sailors boy have I, I met 3 from Kans. One of them is on the plump side but is he a wow, & I do mean a wow. These boy on the Enterprise have been in every major battle in the Pacific & they sure know there way around. They brought a bunch of boots on & you can tell one as far as you can see him, one ask me where the "head" was so I ask him he he knew the boat very well & he said no. I told him to drop down the first hatch & etc well he didn't even know what a hatch was and went out a door so to be mean I just let him go. Who am I to tell him any different. Those guys sure are easy to get lost too. When I am going on a job I have to keep in low gear so they can keep up with me.

Tell Ma I received her letter that she mailed Thursday it sure came though in a hurry, also tell her I'll try to write her soon.

Jack [with a flourish]

Notes: "boots" is slang for those freshly out of boot camp. 

And the pay off to the gun-begging:

Oct 22 43

Dear Ma

May be I ought to drop you a line to let you know I'm still alive. I have been deer hunting just about every day & we I get home (if I do get home) I am so tired I can hardly walk. Yesterday I slept about 13 hours, but the day befor I had 3 hours sleep & the day befor that I had 5 hours sleep - so you see I really had earned a little sleep. Sat morning I went out to one of the welders house & stayed all day Sat & Sun. I sure had a lot of fun, Sat night we went out & they got drunk. I was afraid of getting sick so I didn't. We stayed up til 2 AM Sun & then got up at 8 I then went to sleep around 7 and slept till around 10. It really think I start finding out what a bed is for I haven't been in one enough lately to really know. Sun I went out in the bay and picked up some oysters. We fried and ate them. They were small but good. They do have some big ones on her fried they are about the size of the palm of your hand. I am going out again some day when it is sunny & take some pictures out there - it sure is pretty.

We haven't had much luck as far as deer hunting the only thing I got was a heck of a cold. (ok yes and a boil on my cheek & I don't think it was the same place Bo had hers because you didn't say anything about her having a hard time sitting down)

We did catch a big salmon in the creek day befor yesterday - the salmon are just starting to run & it is easy to reach down & grab one. The one we got was a dog salmon they are ugly but pretty good eating. I guess thats the kind they smoke. If I had my camera along I would have taken a picture of it.

It has been raining almost every day since I got my gun & it sure makes it miserable to hunt even after it rains because the ferns and underbrush hit me just about the waist.

Well as I don't plan on going out tomorrow & am sleepy I'll close now.

Sat

Well I guess I am going hunting again today, I'll have to get that buck today or tomorrow or never Sun is the last day.

Well we moved over on the West Va last night and really put out for a change.

I hear Louie comming so will have to close and I will try to write you a nice long letter next week. 

Enclosed $25

Jack

Notes:

The $25 he sent with this letter was equivalent to $372 today.

The U.S.S. West Virginia was another battleship heavily damaged at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Sadly, more than 100 crew were lost in the attack. The ship sank in the shallow water but was recovered and moved to the shipyards in Puget Sound where Jack and others repaired her. 

The salmon he reached in and caught was was a dog salmon, otherwise known as chum salmon. He didn't get a picture of it, but here is one:

USFWS

Next: Uncle Sam's offer

A week in September 1943: shenanigans and boredom

A couple contextual notes about the family situation. Jack's mom was a new widow (her husband died February, 1941). She was living on a preacher's pension and still had two daughters at home, Herbie and Nene, who were 17 and 15 when Jack was writing these letters. She had two older daughters as well, Bo, age 23, who we've met, and Tuck, age 22, who was already married to Jim.

Jack, being the man of the family, took his role as provider very seriously, as we shall see through his letters. 

Here is Jack writing in September, 1943. Boredom is setting in....

 

Sept 11

Dear Ma

This is going to be short but sweet.

I got a letter from you yesterday so it gets cold in New Mex. The people up here all think that's a very warm state but I keep telling them different.

I haven't been doing very much as usual and don't expect to do anything. It has been rather warm here in fact it got up to around 86º and this is getting pretty hot. Oh well all we try to do is sleep. Yesterday the fellow in the next room sure made a lot of noise from about 5 to 8 and I never said a thing. Louie couldn't sleep either. We came in this morning & I saw he was still asleep so I let out a shrill whistle and Louie about broke the stairs down. He came out and ask us to quiet down he was trying to sleep. Just wait till he does it next time I'll let him know we are trying to sleep too. I don't mean mebby either. 

Well it's cloudy again today so I guess it will stay a little bit cooler

Am enclosing #40 hard earned dollars so please handle with care. 

Jack

(ass)

[and a picture of a jackass's ass]

Sept 15 '43

Dear Ma

May be I ought to try to write you but as usual I don't have any thing to write so all I can do is try to think up some thing.

It hasn't been raining much of late in fact I forgot how long it's been since it last rained must have been a week or two anyway. It was warm for a few days but has cooled off some the last few days. I have been afraid to look out for fear of going blind. 

Every one here is worried about the draft. It looks as though it is going to get a few of the draft dodgers They say the personnel office is packed with them also the draft board.

The have also been talking about putting us on a 9 hour day & having only 2 shifts and every Sunday off. It would avg. us 2 hours a week more than we have it now. I don't know how it would work out but I think we have the best set up we could want, we only put 8 hours on the job and only supposed to work 7 it would really add 2 hours a day to us. We get paid for our lunch time the way it is the other way we wouldn't. Oh well they wouldn't do it the way I want them to so what do I care.

Well only 3 more shifts & a day off a happy day. As usual I guess we won't do much but kill time. 

Every one is talking about going deer hunting. the season opens Sun. I would like to go but what would I do with one if I got one & I don't have a gun so I guess there's not much sense in wishing. 

Well I don't have any more to write so I'll close & hope you get this before or on Sat.

Jack.

[postmarked September 18, 1943]

Sept – 43

Dear Ma

I'll try to drop you a line (if you have fallen over board) and also some cash. 

It is our day off and we will probable go to the show as usual. I don't know what else we have to do. I went out and had heels put on my boots the ones that were on them weren't any good and steel is hard on heels.

It is very nice day if it doesn't rain and it looks like rain.

We had quite a week last week. I have been working harder since I got back than I think I ever did before. I don't know about weather or not we are going on the 9 hour day as to yet we haven't heard a whole lot more about it. I have heard we do and then I have heard that we don't. Personaly I don't care so there too.

Well I'll continue this after a short delay of taking a shower washing a few cloths & etc.

I got the pictures yesterday thanks a lot. Would you please send me those pictures I took at Taos I want to show them to a few guys out here.

Well I'll close like you do. Your one letter I had to look twice there if there was any thing in it. Enclosed is what you want any way. $45 cash.

Jack.

Note: 

• He sent $40 and $45 this week. This would be $595 and $670 in today's dollars.
• Yes! He mentioned working harder "since I got back," so he must've gone home to New Mexico for a while.

Next: Hunting season in the Autumn of 1943

August and September, 1943

A couple corrections about the earlier letters.

My mom clarified that she did meet Jack before he went to Washington. In fact, she met him while she was working for the National Youth Administration, an agency created under the New Deal. Margaret actually helped him to get the welding job up there. 

Mrs. Goodwin/Grandma Goodwin was not related. She was a friend of the family in Concordia, Kansas. 

Onward to letters from late summer, 1943.

Nothing super interesting here, but there is the first inkling of Uncle Sam sniffing around. 

Jack had moved from Seattle to Bremerton. The 6¢ air mail stamp would cost 90¢ today.

Aug 31 43

Dear Ma

I received your letter with the IAL and I can't figure out what it means. I was planning on going up to the draft board and changing my address but figured nothing would happen so soon. I'll go up tomorrow and ask them what that stands.  

Don't get worried I got all your letters and also Nene's. I got one from you yesterday also the kids. I couldn't figure out why you would write me so soon when I got this one but when I opened it I understood why. Oh well I guess that's the way things go. I still can't figure out just what the score is. Say if my induction papers should come there please send me a telegram stating the date. 

When you see Ava tell her we think she is a rat & etc. She left $2 in the Glove compartment.

I took my watch up to have it fixed -- Martin didn't tighten the minet hand and it has been losing the time. I wish I could have taken it back in there and told him a few things. If it didn't take so long I would have sent it back but it would have taken almost 3 weeks.

We have been having swell weather here last night and to day typical Wash. weather. It is what they call rain I call it mist just enough to make everything nice and disagreeable. We go out in it to absorb our vitamins.

I got the pictures o.k. and that one of Bo ought to be enlarged to a bout a 10 by 12 and hung in the front room. Ask Nene if she can make positive rolls. A fellow has a projector and said he would project the films from me. 

Well I'll close and finish this when I found out what the score is.

I found out what the L stands for Limited Service. I also ask when I was subject to call and they said they didn't know, When ever they need limited servicemen. I don't think much of the I deal myself as I said before. I think I am as good as any man in the army. I think I'll ask for a deferment. I don't know if I can or not but I'll try. 

Were those needles the size you wanted (I hope). I can get you some Singer machine oil if you want it. 

Well I guess that's all except more vitamins coming down in the form of moisture and I had to cut the web between my toes.

Jack.

 

Sept 4, 43

Dear Ma

I got a letter from you yesterday so may be I ought to write you one today. We got payed today they moved it back a day for unknown reasons enclosed is 30 dollars you gave me they said N.M. money isn't any good up here.

Good for our dear Brother in law for having to work. I'll bet it almost killed him I hope. If that guy ever hit a brick in his life he would have to rest for a year.

I went up to see about a deferment and the guy just laffed at me. He said if I could hold out till Oct. I might be able to get one, but he expected me to be gone long before that. I'll just sit tight and hold on for dear life.

I was washing some cloths today thought I had taken every thing out I started really pouring it on my shirt and noticed something flash I looked again and it was my badge. It didn't hurt the picture but it blurred my name. I just don't give a dam though if they don't like it they can give me another one.

It is our day off and the sun would be shining if the clouds weren't all over the sky so you don't even see one little speck of blue. I wish you would send me some pictures of these. Also the one of Bo. 

I don't know what we will do today nothing I guess. Thats usually what we do and plenty of it. I don't know but we will probable go to a show

Well I imagine the kids are happy about school starting. Now Nene will have to study and won't be able to see Jim as much. Bo will have to stop seeing the [____] so much and there dear little bro will be working like mad or be in the army. Oh well we have a lot of fun wondering just what will happen next. 

Well I better finish dressing and go mail this. 

Jack. 

Sept 8.

Dear Ma

May be I ought to drop you a line to let you know in a secret. ( I am still alive).  I had my income tax figured out this morning and in the end I won't owe them anything in fact they will be owing me a little cash. That makes me very unhappy.

 I'll enclose the neg. and ration book I kept forgetting them. I guess I just can't remember a thing.  

You never did send Wayne's address you said you did but I couldn't find it and I did read the letters  I am going to send you a roll of film for Nene to develop. They have pictures of the trip and about 6 others. I still have about 20 to take so don't expect it for a while.  

I haven't been doing much as usual except work. We went out to Curts Sunday and cut up about 6 cord of wood so we did work. I took about 3 hours and we all realy slaved. Got a good meal out of it. They said thank you for the beans.

Believe it or not I almost went blind went up on topside this morning and the sun was shining in fact it is still out. I don't know what is going to happen.

Louie is feeling sort of low hasn't received any mail from home and "Little Bill has had gobs of them. Of course he has[n't] written one since we got here and that was about a week after we got here. Now say your little boy doesn't love you. If I treated you like most kids treat there parents you might have some thing to kick about. 

Well maybe enough wind has blown in N. Mex so I'll sign off

Jack.

Notes:  

• Yes, he was unhappy to have Uncle Sam owe him money. Uncle Sam should not get to use your money for free!

• Jack often leaves off the "n't" from his negative statements, but I placed it when he talked about Louie not getting mail. Poor Louie.

• Jack's friends called him Bill. And his given name was neither Bill nor Jack, nor any of the common names that those nicknames come from. His was a family of nicknames!

• There are a few clues that perhaps he went home sometime between February and Summer of 1943:
• The lack of letters for that period. 
• He mentions the watch he had fixed. It wasn't repaired correctly, and he was loathe to send it back to "Martin" as it would've taken 3 weeks. 
• Ava left $2 in the glove compartment. He must've recently driven back to Washington. I don't know who Ava was. 
• He had changed addresses

Next entry: A little boredom is setting in.

February and Summer, 1943

Jack had been working in the Bremerton, Washington shipyards for nine months by now. There are no letters from May, 1942 until February 9, 1943.

Jack writes:

Feb 9 1943

Dear Ma 

Well, I don't know if I beat the shoe ration or not haven't found out yet but will probable tomorrow. No one can say I didn't warn them. Although I didn't think it would come so soon. I thought it would come more in the summer than it did. I didn't really need them but thought I better try and get them before they did ration them. 

Well we got moved over on the U.S.S Tenn last night. When we move on a boat it is just like moving to a different town. If you don't watch your step you will get lost every time. The big ones are like big towns the little ones like little towns. I never got lost last night but I went past several hatches and then would have to turn around and go back. 

It sure is different welding on a battleship and on a destroyer. the bulkheads (walls) on a battle wagon are almost as thick as the hull on a destroyer. The heaviest metal on a destroyer is 3/8 or 1/2 on a battle ship it is some times 14"

The weather is still chilly, it has been frosting every night. To me it doesn't seem as cold as it did, I guess I am just getting use to it. 

Say about Floyd B. why don't you write him and tell him you don't need his cash and for him to put it in to Bonds. I think you can get along on what I am sending you and if you can't you better slow up a little. Don't be like every one else and want all you can get no matter how it hurts the next person.

I haven't heard from Uncle Wayne since Xmas but he will probable be writing me one of these days. I did get a letter from Grandma Goodwin yesterday. Ill have to write her as soon as I finish this. Old Floyd owe me a letter to so I think I'll write him and tell him I thought it was his legs that were hurt not his right arm. 

Well that Mal better watch her step or she will end up with a knife in her back if she's not careful. Any one who talks as much as she does ought to have something done about it. 

Well I think I'll close 

Jack

I am sending as just plain mail so you can see how fast it is. 

You forgot to state definitely how much money you received.

1. Notes:
2. The U.S.S. Tennesee was in Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. The damaged battleship was moved to the shipyards in December, 1942 for repairs. You can read about the U.S.S. Tennessee on Wikipedia. 
3. Floyd B was Jack's uncle on his father's side. Floyd wasn't much older than Jack, maybe 8 years older, and he was more like a brother than an uncle. He was a beloved part of the family.
4. Jack was a Republican, but what he said about Floyd's money, "Don't be like every one else and want all you can get no matter how it hurts the next person" tells me he wouldn't like the state of the party in 2020. 
5. We receive a clue about Mrs. Goodwin from the first set of letters. He calls her "Grandma Goodwin" here. I don't know much about the ancestry on the Eutsler side of the family.
6. I don't know who Mal was or what she was talking so much about! 

The following letter is a rare one that doesn't have an envelope. And a rare one that he didn't date! I'm guessing it was written in late summer or early autumn 1943, based on the ships he mentioned in the letter. (I tell ya, I'm gaining a lot in my U.S. Naval history already, during this nascent project!)

Since the next letter we have isn't until September 8, I'm going to make an executive decision that this was late summer and put it here. If other clues arise, I'll move it! 

Sun

Dear Ma

I know I won't finish this for a day or two as you probable have already seen but I'll start it anyway.  Well for the last week I sure have been taking it easy. I haven't done much, I don't know if the "Old Man" thinks I need a rest or if there just isn't any work to do. There were a couple of nights I could have stayed home and done as much, and really more good than I did on the boat. They pulled the "Ent" out of dry dock last night so we went over on the Calif. just more or less got there and they sent us over on the N. Mex. We darn near took in the whole yard well we hit 3 dry docks out of 5 so that's not so bad, considering one is empty and I don't think they are working in the other one on graveyard.  

How is the ration stamps holding out, is it any easier to make ends meet with mine? I hope so. The stuff they have been feeding is getting a little worse every day. I have turned my nose up at better food than I have been eating. It takes a man with a cast iron stomach & rubber guts to eat it. (P.S. censor it if Nene reads it)

I did have a pretty good job last night, welding in a door. I got it almost done too. You have to be careful you don't get those things too hot. If you do you work them & then they are hard to straighten and also they may have air leaks and let weather in. 

Please never come right out and tell anyone what you think of me it might shock their modesty to hear an old lady cuss. And as far as covering that chair I don't see why you did it I am quite sure it would have stood for another 10 years and as far as looks are concerned did you ever here of anyone setting on look. Me I just set on the deck, if you could see the seat of my pants there would be no doubt in your mind – in fact I almost have calluses and not on my hands oh well such is life. Say give Nene an a whole dollar for those pictures Mrs. Fuller wanted, (P. S. Put it in an envelope so she won't lose it)  that's what I got. 

I hope you have your glasses by the time you got my preceding letter. Because I really hope you gave it 1A  priority rating. You never did write and say how much those glasses are going to cost me or nothing not that I care becaus you can't replace eyes with money 

Tell the folks to write Wayne and tell him about the gun and also tell him he better hurry up and answer my letter. I had a good excuse but he doesn't. 

I still don't know how I stand with the draft board, by rights I should have been in the army two weeks ago. Oh well I ain't kicking it if they have forgotten me. I may be here for a while longer I probable will.

I did enjoy the paper you wrote your letter on it is rather odd two sizes. I know we are at war and should conserve paper but if you are that hard up just let me know and I will send you 5¢ for a tablet. At least the paper would be the same size. I guess though it's not the paper we write on or the size it's the things we write look at Lincoln and his Gettysburg address. Now if I could just spell a little better I might be a great - well I don't what may be just a welder. While I am on that subject I heard welding isn't a trade anymore it is just classified labor - that's what women do on a to a trade the first thing you know we will be getting a cut in pay. Don't go away I just have to stop to fill my pen. Well here I am back again it didn't take very long did it. 

Last night was the first night I have worked on top side and it tried its darndest to rain. It didn't do a very good job of it though. In fact the sun was out this morning. I has been rather warm the last few days but it has been cool and windy at night. You sure notice the wind coming in across the water.

Nothing exciting has happened here of late except me and I just happen once in a while so there too. 

Say have those kids been putting there nose in those books and keeping them there, if they don't they will grow up dumb as me and they wouldn't want to be that way would they.

I have made all my plans to go deer hunting so one of those guns better get here. I do hope it gets here by next week so I can go out. 

May be I better close because you don't want to wear those new glasses out do you 

Jack.

Well it looks like I pulled a good one I imagine by now you are wondering just why you haven't received a letter. 

About the gun I still want it I may not be able to go this Sunday but probable can the next Sun

Well will close so I can get this mailed.

Jack.

Notes:

Nene is his younger sister Anita. He suggested that Gram "censor" his rough language. Nene was 15 years old at the time.

He mentions several ships in this letter: "Ent," "Calif" and "N. Mex." 

"Ent" refers to the U.S.S. Enterprise. She was a force to be reckoned with throughout the Pacific Campaign. Jack's interaction with her at Puget Sound would have been during the time the Enterprise was being repaired, between July 20, 1943 and November 4, 1943.

Here is a nifty video history of this amazing aircraft carrier. There are glimpses of welders in the video. I wonder if Jack is one of them?

The U.S.S. California actually sunk at Pearl Harbor, but she was salvaged and brought to Puget Sound for extensive repairs during the period of October 20, 1942 - January 31, 1944. After repairs, she continued her duties in the Pacific, and decommissioned in 1947. 

 

U.S.S New Mexico had duties around the Pacific, and was in Jack's care at the shipyards between July, 1943 through October, 1943, when she returned to duty at Pearl Harbor. 

It's interesting what he said about welding being degraded from a trade to "classified labor." It's a reflection of the patriarchy's view of women. Now that Rosie the Riveter was stepping into welding jobs, well, the job must be devalued. I honestly don't think my dad personally devalued women, for the record. It is not part of what I remember about Jack, the only brother of four sisters and father to four daughters and a son.

Next, we jump to August, 1943.

May, 1942: Jack arrives in Seattle & Bo's birthday

(If you missed the introduction to this blog, you can find it here)

We begin on Jack's 19th birthday, when he mailed this postcard from Seattle to his older sister Florence, nicknamed Bo. He had just arrived to work as a welder to repair the ships damaged from the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Miss Florence Eutsler
Hulett Hall
York Nebr. 

Postmark: May 14, 1942

 

It reads: 

Dear Bo

I got your and Mag. cards today & thanks a lot. May be if I get a check I can go you one better for your Birthday. Say when are you going home & now may be I can help out a little if you let me know. Say kid if there is any thing you want, after about 2 weeks or till my first check; let me know & I'll see what I can do. It looks like I'll be making between $180 to 280 a month just depending on my welding. & will be able to send ma some money. It has been rather cold here & damp but may be I'll live. I hope you really show those kids at college what some of us Eutslers are made of. Well so much for that. What are you planning on doing next year & etc. Write me and let me know may be we can get together or something & let you go on to school. Well I have been getting a lot of sleep latley about 4 to 6 hours a day so I am always sleepy. Well write soon. 

Jack
4026 Brooklyn Ave
Seattle Wash.

Note: "Mag" is most likely his older sister, Margaret, nicknamed Tuck. It could also be my mother, his future wife, also named Margaret, who he called Maggie. I am not sure when Jack and Maggie met; but they were together by mid-1943.

Two days later he mailed this one to Bo:

May 16 1942 

Dear Bo

Well I am writing you to find out what you want for your birthday. The skys the limit and you can have what you want.  I made $12.72 + 6¢ cents an hour for GY [grave yard] last night so you can see I'll have a little money. I'll get around $70 for this weeks work and will get paid on Friday so answer me right a way. You can have some money or I'll send you some thing from here. I haven't been working very hard but have been putting in long hours. I am learning how to weld all over again, what they taught me in Vegas was all wrong. But I'll be making $7.43 a day while learning.  Just ate breakfast and I'm getting ready to go to bed (12:00 noon)  I got a letter from Ma but she didn't say much as usual. Well I hope you are really knocking them over at college. Us Eutslers have it in us but don't know one nows it, ain't that right kid. Now listen Florence Emma if there is anything you want just let your little brother in on it and will see what we can do about it.  Well I'll have to close now and go to bed so write soon. In fact write on the same day you receive this. Inclosed as you all ready know is a self-addressed envelope. 

[unsigned]

Notes: 

• He was making decent money, especially coming off the Great Depression, and especially for a 19-year-old. He mentions making $12.72 + 6¢ an hour during his graveyard shift. This is 202.35 + 95¢ an hour in today's dollars; $70 for the week's work is $1112; and $7.43 a day is about $118; He mentions expecting $180-$280 per month, which is about $2,861- $4,450 today
• Bo was attending college at York College, York, Nebraska. Her 22nd birthday was coming up at the end of May. 

A couple days later he writes Bo again:

May 20 1942

Dear Bo

I got your letter and reply to mine and was disappointed. If someone wrote me and told me I could have most anything I would have gone higher than 2.95 I would have hit the $100 mark or something. Well kid I am sending $10 and want you to go out and blow it.  I got a letter from Wayne and he told me about everything and how his pocketbook was getting along so I sent him $5. He has been doing much except running around. 

I got a letter from Mrs. Goodwin & a letter from Ma today. She didn't have much to say but was glad to hear from her anyway. She said she may go to York, boy that would be swell I think. Tell Tuck and Jim I said hello and will write as soon as I get a chance. I'll close now and write soon.

Jack.

Notes: 

• $10 = $159 in 2020
• Wayne is his uncle on his mother's side
• I'm not sure who Mrs. Goodwin is

I wish we had Bo's reply to Jack after he sent her the birthday gift, but we do have this one back to her a few days later:

May 28, 1942

Dear Bo

Well I got your letter this morning and that first page really builds a guy up. Well if you need any more money to go home on or just need any money right me or if you don't have time just send me a wire and I'll send you what you need.  Boy out here we really know we are at war, as we go into the gates at night we have a machine gun staring us in the face, and it isn't just for looks either. I noticed that all the Marines have belts of teargas bombs. I saw a submarine come in yesterday and also saw it while I was in the yards this morning. 

Say Florence would you like to come here and work & make some money or would you rather go to school, if you want to come here I will furnish all necessary money to get here and get started. But if you start to school you will have to go until you are through and I don't mean the summer.

Ma wrote and said she had heard anymore about going to York so she probable won't get to go. I got a letter from Wayne but he didn't say a whole lot, he just told me what he had been doing and that's about all.  Say tell Margaret & Jim to write and give me their address & I'll try and write them. Boy to write every body keeps me busy because I only have about 2 hours a day to do it in.  Well I close now & you better write soon. Don't forget what I said about any money. Jack. 

A week later

May 30

I'm sorry I did send this but forgot to. How did you come out on the election.

Next up: There's a gap in the letters, and we jump to letters from February, 1943. I guess no one saved the letters during that period.

Introduction

My dad, Jack, was part of the Greatest Generation, aka the O.G. Antifa. 

Jack was drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1943. He was finally accepted after being denied a couple times over a minor medical issue.  He served in the 351st Bomb Group of the Mighty Eighth Army Air Force through the end of World War II. 

A dozen years ago I came into the possession of Jack's cache of letters home to his mother and his older sister. They've sat on my closet shelf, waiting for me to share them, and I decided now is the time. I hope that my activity on my other blog project, Little Sister Resister, will diminish come January 20, 2021, and I can devote more time to this project.

One of my major regrets in life was not recording or writing down Jack's stories about being a ball-turret gunner on the belly of a B-17 over Germany. He didn't speak of his experiences for many years, and then a fountain of stories spilled forth. He died in 2002, and his stories died with him. But his letters home remain, and though he was not able to tell about his air attack missions in his letters, they give us a snapshot into the life of an airman. 

My idea for this blog is to share his actual letters, along with giving some context with regard to his and his family's life as well as to the war itself. 

We'll start with his letters in 1942, when 19-year-old Jack was working as a welder in the shipyards of Bremerton, Washington. From there, Jack will get his basic training at a few bases in the western United States before shipping overseas for combat. 

One note about the letters: the letters are still in their envelopes, and I've arranged them in chronological order according to their postmark. It may not always be in chronological order as to when he wrote them, but most likely in the order that my grandma and Auntie Bo would've received them. I'm transcribing every letter, as Jack's handwriting is really hard to read. I'll transcribe him with his spelling and punctuation. 

Thanks for taking this journey with me!  

May I introduce Jack's Cache. Here are his first letters home.