Letters: April 17, 1952

    Hi Meathead, I feel a whole great big bunch better now that I’ve talked to you. To be honest I was feeling down in the dumps and real blue because I was sort of lonesome but now it’s okay. In fact the sun seems to be shining and it’s eight in the evening too. And I’m not affected by the heat either.
    There were so many things I wanted to ask you over the phone but never got around to it. Like how was your schooling doing. You said you talked to Dr. Furlong (right?) but I didn’t understand the rest. I did hear you tell me you loved me but I was waiting to hear that and when you said that everything else was pushed to the background and I was in a mental fog just thinking about it. I daze quite often these days--because I’m so happy.
    Your idea of my flying up is okay and I still may do it but it’s dependent on a lot of things. One is--is this fellow goes up to Oregon and decides to come back with me then the driving back won’t be bad at all. Honey, I’d drive to Tokyo to see you for five minutes.
    I told you over the phone that I’m going to Los Angeles to see Pete and Marge Saturday and then over to your folks for Sunday. I have to get out of this camp on weekends or I’d spin, crash, and burn if I didn’t. I would leave Friday evening but we have a command inspection Sat. morning no less and my section is on the agenda. I think I’ll have the airplane salute the general by lowering one flap or wigwag the rudder.
    I miss you an awful lot Barbs and I love you more and more. It won’t ever stop. Bye for now.

Letters: April 14, 1952

    My Darling, The minute you walked out to the airplane I started getting lonely. I watched the lights of the plane until they disappeared and I was lonelier than ever. I guess I’ll have to marry you so you can’t leave again. Incidentally I helped the pilot take off. I didn’t think he was doing such a good job so I took over. Kind of silly huh?
    I called Mom today and she was going to call you this evening. She was real happy, as I knew she would be. She really likes you. I’ve made all the arrangements necessary for me--meaning I can get a leave--even thirty days--in July. Also called up Sixth Army Hqs. and told them what was going to happen. They did have on orders for instrument school at Tulsa, Oklahoma for June but set it back until our honeymoon plus a few weeks. It will be the latter part of August before I have to go. By the way, do you know anyone in Tulsa? I don’t.
    I got back to Camp Irwin okay but a little sleepy. Got in about one o’clock. How is your schooling affected by your absence? I hope you can make it up but don’t worry about it too much. I have a pretty good job lined up for you with good working hours, good pay, and the conditions will be superior. You can pick out the uniform yourself, and the vacation schedule is all-year around. --mocka-mocka-joto--
    I guess you and Mom have made the arrangements for you coming down to San Jose. I’m going to try to get off early enough so that I’ll be there early in the evening.
    Okay hon, all for now, and please write right away and let me know how you are and if you got home okay and how school is and etc… Say hi to Shirley for me. Bye for now.

Letters: March 24, 1952

    Hi Princess, I’m gazing through the window at three oil derricks, a wide expanse of Torrance, and two airplanes that must have been used by the Wright Bros. in their first experiments. It’s a real balmy day--about 75° and I can hardly keep my eyes open. As soon as I can get off I’m going to grab something to eat and then sleep for about twelve hours--My plane didn’t leave the airport until almost five o’clock and I got into L.A. around seven. I had just a half hour to eat, change, and get ready for my flight--which I made but I don’t know how. It’s late afternoon now and I wish you were here so we could go to the beach. It’s a perfect day for it, and supposed to be tomorrow too but tomorrow I have a flight to Camp Roberts so I won’t enjoy the So Cal weather.
    The minute I got into the cab I missed you, and it got worse until now I’m moaning around here and--a guy just offered to take me out for nine holes of golf--and I refused.
    There was a request invitation waiting for me saying Thursday evening I am, with my lady, expected to make a social call on the Commanding General, to meet, socially, he and his lady. Well, since my lady isn’t here I shall go it alone but I wish you were here to meet them with me. He’s a two-star general.
    I received a letter from Mom saying she would send the dress and hoping you would come down or give her a call.
    Gee I’m tired hon--really beat. I think I’ll have a brandy in about ten minutes.
    All for now--And dammit, sit right down and start composing. Bye for now.

(Written in pencil on the back of the envelope in my mother’s hand:
The Scotch Broom looks like transplanted buttercups,
The cold stately Calla Lilies are refusing to be tossed about
The roses have long since given up, they let their petals be windblown)

Letters: March 18, 1952

    I really meant to write last night but I had a flight to San Diego and had to spend the night. Anyway you should get this around Thursday (I hope). The setup down here isn’t quite like I hoped it would be but it’s not too bad. There is quite a lot of flying and that I don’t like--though it’s easy. I’m staying at the BOQ at Ft. MacArthur because it’s too far to drive to LA every night and back again in the morning. At least I’ll stay here until you come down over Easter. Which reminds me--I miss you awfully much. In fact so much that I’m never going to let you out of my sight. Not in a domineering way, but nice. I’ll get to see you Friday and I can’t wait. (Does this begin to sound a bit corny?) Lost my head--
    I know you want to hear it again, about your folks, so here it is in capsule form. I think they’re wonderful, I really do. They made me feel relaxed immediately and seemed interested in what I had to say. And Hon, they were really proud of you and what you’ve accomplished. And your Dad did say that he didn’t care if you taught school or not but that it was a good thing you had a credential on which to fall back in case of an emergency. He didn’t say what the emergency might be. But they were really swell people and I hope they liked me a whole lot--inasmuch as I’m deeply in love with their daughter. Incidentally I found out where you got the nickname of Tommy. So--
    I don’t know whether you have anything planned for this weekend, and if you do, as long as it isn’t too strenuous, okay, I would like to go to a show one evening ‘cause I’ve never been to a show with you...all my friends down here are looking forward to meeting you.
    Okay--Bye for now--I’ll see you Friday night sometime and wait and have dinner with me. I love you.

Letters: December 18, 1951, January 19, 1952

[Postcard]

    I’m on duty tonight at headquarters and just taking life easy. Getting fat too. I wrote you a letter the other night but just happened to have this card handy so… Incidentally how about sending me a picture of a goodlooking redhead and don’t be so goddamn modest. I’ll expect it by return mail. Okay Sweet--just wanted to say hello until I hear from you--Write soon.

[Letter] 

    This will be just a short note as I haven’t much time--I’m in a mad rush myself. Although I can sympathize with your rushing with finals coming up--they never were much fun--but I am rushing to get packed and cleared. I am finally going home. Yep--the orders came down last night and tomorrow I’m on my way. I go to [unintelligible] to clear my records and then to Japan for shipment home. I don’t know yet just how I go home--whether I fly or go by boat. If I fly I should be home in about ten or twelve days. If by boat, about two or three weeks. One thing for sure. I’m rotating out of this goddamn country--San Fran get ready!
    So it is a short note hon--I’ll call or see you as soon as I get in or if I can let you know just when and where I arrive;I want you to meet me. Anyway I’ll see you soon. Bye for now.

Letters: October 27, 1951

    I don’t know of any damn thing to write about since there isn’t anything newsworthy here, and I haven’t heard from you for quite some time--quite some time. The one bit of news here is that the truce in Korea is almost here--at least the correspondents are starting to write the closing phases of the Korean war. But I heard the same thing last June. But I can be optimistic as everybody here seems to be and I think I’ll be optimistic. Not that I know why I will be because nobody seems to know what will happen if and when there is a truce in Korea. Of course there are all sorts of rumors floating around about what we’ll do and where we’ll go but rumors are still just rumors and since I’ve grown old in the service, figuratively of course, I take no stock in rumors. I’m just waiting until I can go home, or Japan maybe, which isn’t as good as home but it’s not Korea either.
    It’s getting awfully cold here. It has been snowing up on the Eastern front and it snowed yesterday around Kimpo airfield, which is about ten miles west of Seoul. I really hate cold weather, except where there’s skiing, and I consider myself a true Californian where cold weather is concerned.
    I’ve written myself out for now, as is evident. Write soon and bye for now.

Letters: October 19, 1951

    I wonder sometimes just how one individual manages to find the world so fascinating, and at the same time so complex. At least some of the minor problems. For instance your two latest ones. One, the misunderstanding with the colored boy. First of all I don’t know all the circumstances other than what you told me. But from what you told me I would gather that it was a bit of subconscious leading on due mostly to a conscious desire for withdrawing the ever present color line. It’s happened many, many times before and will happen many times again. I don’t think the fault is entirely yours but mostly the colored “entity” because he is surmising that friendship means too many things. I believe he is one of the minority of the colored people who most of the intelligent negroes look down on solely for what he tried or would. Equality for the negro people does not mean inter-racial love or marriage and they, the negroes, would be the first to say so. All they want are the same freedoms the white people have, which should be evident to you, but apparently not to your colored admirer!
    Your educational troubles are kind of funny seeing as you say you are sort of at a status quo as far as learning goes. I felt the same until I realized one important point, that learning is entirely up to the student, not the instructor. During the stage of education you are now in, the instructor shouldn’t even present a background. That is up to you to look for and find out for yourself. The instructor serves merely as a guide. The shortcuts you find yourself. Your ideas on education should be your own, based on a study of many ideas and perhaps consolidated to the extent of utilizing them to whatever end you desire. Never lean on the instructor but find out for yourself. The process of learning is done by assimilation and then application of said assimilation to the desired level.
    Now that I have magnificently summarized two earth shattering problems, how about that picture of you in a nightgown. In fact, how about some more mail too? Your letters are too infrequent and you were doing a real swell job for a while.
    I still have the same setup here at 8th Army Hq in Seoul. It gets better all the time. But I think I’ll soon be going to Japan. Hope so anyway.
    Bye for now hon. All those trips I’ve talked about sound better when you talk about them. We’ll make them. So all for now. Beaucoup Love.