Today we have a V-mail written to Gram by James B. O'Connor. You may recall an earlier post that contained a V-mail. V-Mail was a system employed by the armed services to deliver mail from overseas in a more efficient way. The service member would write a 1-page letter on a special sheet. The censors would look it over, and then it would be photographed. The rolls of film would be shipped home, where the letters would be printed and mailed. It made for a much less expensive way to carry letters to the U.S. Not only that, it foiled attempts at espionage, as microdots and invisible ink could not be conveyed through V-Mail.
So here we have Pvt. James B. O'Connor's letter to Jack's ma. I'm not sure who Jim is; it's obvious that Jim knows Gram and Jack's sisters fairly well.
At the top is the censor's stamp on the left, the receiver's address in the middle, and the sender's address and the date to the right.
Remember, I'm posting the letter by postmark, not by date written. This is the order that Gram most likely received them, and this comes to play as V-Mail comes into the picture. Jim wrote this on May 29, 1944, but it wasn't postmarked in the U.S. until June 23, 1944.
From:
Pvt. James B. O'Connor 18122034
A.P.O. 13024-A
c/o Postmaster, N.Y.C., N.Y.
May 29, 1944
Dear Mom & "Runts" – Well here goes my first V-Mail letter to you from me. There really isn't much I can say, but I have a chance to get a letter to you so I will do my best. We (band) have really had a swell trip so far, and I do hope it will continue that way. I have had a chance to see some flying fish, porpoises & such things as that. It is very interesting, but boring at times. Being able to rehearse the band helps like mad so I am doing quite well. I hope everyone there is in tip top shape. I am going to write to Bo in a few minutes & tell Nene & Erba I will write them later if they don't mind. Love to All
Jim
I'm not sure why he called Neva (Herbie) "Erba" here. Perhaps it was a funny nickname combining her given name and her family nickname.
I don't know who Jim is, and perhaps we'll learn more later. But the forensic researcher in me went digging a bit. I found some Army records. I'm glad he wrote his serial number on the letter!
He enlisted from Santa Fe, NM, so I'm assuming he knew the family before the war. He enlisted a full year before Jack.
Jim was born and he died in Iowa. Here is his obituary. Here is one reason that I regret not starting this project sooner. I've had these letters for a long time. Jim died in 2017. Here is a picture of him from his Army days:
Back to Jack:
Gram received the following letter around the same time as she received Jim's V-Mail.
It is last letter from aircraft school in Lincoln, Nebraska.
June-Wed [The closest Wednesday to the postmark was June 21]
Dear Ma
Maybe I ought to write you a note and let you know I am shipping. I should ship Friday but where I don't know. I hear 2 L. rumors one to Souix City and one to Ardmore Okla. but you can't bank too much on them yet theres still a couple of days to go. The last day or 2 the rumors. I just heard (sure thing) Ardmore.
It's sort of warm this morning but we had a good rain last night. I woke up & started to close the window but said to hell with it & went back to sleep. It's hot enough to be very sultry now but I heard we will live.
I have been cutting grass the last day or two but it hasn't killed me yet. It's a pretty good job very easy money [?].
I got a letter from the Goodmans saying they had gotten the picture. They thought it was good.
Well I'll close now Jack.
