Letters: July 10, 1952

[Two days before the wedding]

    The enclosed is the complete list, more or less, for those I’ve invited to the wedding reception. Some of the addresses are missing and I’ll have to get those this weekend. The [unintelligible] of me is enough I guess unless you want to add more yourself.
    My leave has been approved officially and that is one more thing checked off.
    I have quite a few things to tell you but I’ll wait until the weekend or tell you on the phone tonight. Just things pertaining to the wedding.
    So Princess - just a short note for now. I miss you very much and I love you very, very much
    

John

John Joseph Corrigan and Barbara “Tommy” Dean Lowery were married in Newport Beach, CA, July 12, 1952, at Christ Church By The Sea,

Letters: May 30, 1952

    It’s very lonely without you here with me and I’d give anything if you could be here. We would have the whole camp to ourselves practically, as everyone has taken off for someplace. I took off but only in the plane to cover the General. Went all the way up Death Valley to Furnace Creek Inn, which is quite a fabulous place, from the air. It was about a four hour flight and I have to do it again when the General decides to come back. Incidentally the aide to the G told me my restriction was lifted but gave no reason why. This General acts kind of odd sometimes. Nothing was said about my staying an extra day this last time. In fact Col. Kimbrell, my boss, said he hoped I spent the time buying champagne as he would be real thirsty around July 11th. So will I but I doubt if I could hold a glass.
    Tomorrow is our inspection and we’re really ready for it but I’ll be glad when it’s over. Inspections are always rough. -- Gee I miss you hon. I miss your smile and your saying - love you - or when you say it when you’re across a room. Honey, this engagement and marriage is the most important thing in my life and I want it to be perfect in every respect. It will be too--I just know. That’s why a lot of little things mean so much to me, like you saying - love you - and things like that. Guess I’m getting redundant--

    So Angel--to morpheus--have to get up at five goddamn o’clock. Hope you had a swell time in Delhi.*

    I love you Barbara.

*Small California town in the San Juaquin Valley, then home to many migrant farmworkers and their families; site of Barbara's first teaching job.

Letters: May 17, 1951

    I just got in about an hour ago from Victorville. I got stuck there by high winds and had to spend the evening. Inasmuch as I didn’t have my blouse with me [What in the world's he talking about here?] I couldn’t go to the officer’s club or show so I went over to the tower at the air force base and listened to the conversations of the pilots up yonder. A real interesting evening.
    Just had breakfast--there were two other officers besides myself for breakfast. The place is really deserted. The swimming pool is open though and I may go over there this afternoon. It’s a nice pool--about seventy-five feet long and thirty feet wide. Filled with water too. -- I’m out at the airstrip again and it’s real hot here. It’s nine-thirty and the temperature is 89° already. It should be brutal this afternoon.
    I’ve been daydreaming off and on and most of it has been about us and in Hawaii. Imagine on a beautiful evening dancing under palm trees or drinking a tall cool drink or walking along the beach under the (advertised) moon. Sounds real swell to me. And it’s only fifty-seven days away too.
    For the next three days we have a Corps inspection by Gen. Kean. He’ll be in tomorrow. We’re all set for this inspection though and we know what to expect.
    Gee I’m lonely. I’d call you now but I don’t have the money and I can’t cash a check until the PX opens this afternoon. Incidentally hon, after our call the operator asked me how long we talked, as she hadn’t kept the time. I guessed about fifteen minutes and she said she would charge us for thirteen minutes. It was probably about twenty minutes.
    Princess I love you. And I’ll see you Thursday night. So bye for now--I miss you terribly sweet.

Letters: May 16, 1952

    Hi Wife, Hon, I love you. Today it’s more than ever. So there. This morning went off okay with one or two exceptions--which I shall tell you later. I guess there were around a thousand people or so out here but I don’t know where they came from. We had a big parade plus use of our exhibits (tanks, vehicles etc.) and our demonstration of firing, of which I was a part. It was pretty good--at least that’s what the General said.
    The exception I told you was this: the airstrip had quite a few visitors too, especially children and one of them, about six or seven years old (not mentally) was especially and definitely precocious. The little bastrap was bound and determined to take home the propeller off my plane. At first I laughed--then pleaded and cajoled, finally threatened. I finally got him away from the plane and forgot him until I heard a hammering. Honest, the little son of a --- had gotten a hammer from our tool box, taken a small ladder out to the plane and reached up to the prop and was gleefully hammering away at the safety wire and the bolts. I ran out to the plane (a mere fifty yards but I was so mad I didn’t get tired) and a woman, the boy’s mother I guess, ran out too in time to save: (a) him from strangulation, (b) me from electric chair for murder. The boy was really serious about taking the prop home but gave up when I told him the cost of the prop and also the fact I’d club him over the head if he got near the plane again. --A very trying afternoon. In fact the rest of the day was anti-climactic.
    This afternoon practically everyone has gone. I gave all my boys the day and night off and I’m now here at the airstrip. It’s real quiet here and I’m alone with you. Oh yes--you’re here with me, in case you didn’t know--you may be there but you’re here too--always.
    So my darling, another weekend gone. Next weekend will be here real quick but I wish I were starting out right now. Oops, have to go--have to fly down to Victorville to pick up some stuff for the G-3 section. Bye for now.

Letters: May 13, 195

    The whole shebang plus the reception for the General was a notable success except for a few minor details which were as fouled up as a Chinese fire drill, but were passed over. As for our air section--we had it spic and span from five o’clock this morning and we even polished the crash truck and fire extinguishers. In fact, our General even made a special trip down to the airstrip to thank us for our job. And--here’s what kind of shook me. At the reception at the officer’s club for the General’s party, in the receiving line was General Kean from Ft Mac who remembered me and asked me where my wife was. I told him that we are to be married in July so he said to give his best to Barbara. I said huh, sir, and he said wasn’t that your name. I finally recovered and said yes. He told me he thought we were married but he remembered the name Barbara. Next I quickly downed a few Manhattans but I thought that was swell of him to send his regards. -- What a day it has been. I’m really beat.
    It was wonderful talking to you hon but I’m looking forward to talking to you Friday night and you’ll be more coherent. Not that it makes much difference whether you’re coherent or not as long as you tell me “I love you John”.
    Do you know that as of today it’s only fifty-nine days until our wedding and I wish it were fifty-nine minutes or better yet, fifty-nine seconds. I miss you toxan Princess and I love you so much I hurt. Tomorrow I’ll love you more than today but it’s an awful lot today though.
    Goodnight my sweet. All my love forever.

Letters: May 4, 1952

    Today I received two of the cutest and sweetest letters from my honey and I can’t get over them. In fact I’m in sort of a delirious stupor for two reasons--one is that you wrote a letter like I had hoped you would, and two is that I received two letters from you on the same day. I was reading the letters walking from headquarters and I bumped into a P.F.C. [Private First Class] I said “pardon me sir” and almost saluted him. I caught my hand in time and scratched my nose but the PFC stood there with his mouth open and probably thought that 1st LTs are odder than ever. So you see what your letters do to me. I managed to make it back to the ROQ without further trouble but when I got there and read your letter over again I just sat and stared at nothing with my mind about four hundred and fifty miles away in San Fran and fell in love again more deeper than ever. Now there’s something--I’m so much in love with you it hurts yet when I get a letter from you or talk to you I seem to fall deeper in love and I know there’s no end to it--nor do I even want there to be an end.
    I got in about ten last night and got a good night's sleep, which was a good thing because I had to fly the General over to Yuma and it was kind of a long trip and now I leave for Camp Cooke tomorrow and another long trip staring at me. But at the finish of this trip I get to see you and that makes it alright.
    So my darling--I’ll talk to you Thursday night and see you Friday. Be real good and careful--and--well, I guess you might as well know. I love you with all my heart, forever and ever.

Letters: May 1, 1952

    This letter should reach you Saturday or Monday and I’ll talk to you on Sunday--which is something that I haven’t figured out but something I do know is that I miss you something awful and love you terrifically more and more. Barbs--I get a little giddy inside when I think of you--maybe some people would think that’s kind of silly but I don’t and I do have the feeling. Have you ever woke up on a Sunday morning with a perfectly swell day ahead of you, and the contented feeling that you get? Well, that’s the way I feel, thinking about a perfectly swell life ahead of us--’cause that’s what it’s going to be. So I have this glow and a giddy feeling with an overall contentment which is the result of being in love with you.
    On this next weekend--I’ve sent a letter to this hotel requesting rooms for Friday and possibly Saturday nights. I didn’t know whether you wanted to spend Saturday night there in Monterey or not--and drive to San Francisco Sunday. I don’t know how you plan to get to Salinas but possibly the Bus would be better. Get an express straight through to Salinas.
    The temperature today reached 100° and it’s goddamn hot. I started to go out into the sun but started seeing spots and decided to stay indoors. After the boys revived me they informed me that the spots were bugs flying formation after having filed a flight plan. Ha-- I then considered giving the boys a little close-order drill as punishment but they talked me out of it by suggesting a pot of coffee, and now -- Seriously hon everything’s real swell. I received your real cute and sweet letter and I’ve read it toxan times. Bye for now and I’ll see you real soon. Say hi to Shirley and Peter and be real good because you’re my honey and you mean everything in the world to me.

Letters: April 29, 1952

    I wanted to write last night but I was so tired I didn’t even undress when I got in--just hit the bed and passed out until seven this morning. Got in about seven-thirty too. On the way down from your school I stopped off at Peg’s [my father’s younger sister] and had a cup of coffee. Decided not to go back the way I intended because it was longer so I went back the same way I came up. This morning I had to report to the Colonel and he asked me what had happened. I decided the straight approach was best and told him I had gotten engaged and needed to spend the extra day. I thought sure I’d be confined to camp for the next six years or so but he came up with this beauty. “Believe it or not LT., the Army does have a heart occasionally, so congratulations.” He shook my hand and that was it. I’ve been in a fog ever since.
    Barbara, why aren’t you here? How do you expect a man to work or even fly a plane with you on his mind. I even debated driving around the block after I left you just to say hello and kiss you again but maybe Mrs Cannon would think I was skoshi demented. [“skoshi” = Korean for “a little bit”]
    Did you get to wave your ring around like you wanted to and what were the reactions? I’d still give anything if I could see you do it. You don’t know it but you had such a cute expression on your face when you were showing the ring this last weekend. Every time you did and I looked at you I loved you more.
    So hon--I’m going to write your mother and to Virge today to say hi etc. Write now please. Are you feeling okay? And if you need anything just holler. Bye for now, and I love you real great big.
P.S. 74 days left!
P.S. jr. Toxan too [written arrow pointing to “love”, Japanese for “very much”]

Letters: April 21, 1952

    Received the card and your letter today and they were real cute too. Got in this morning around two or so from a very pleasant weekend. Spent Saturday and Sunday morning with Pete and Marge (had a penny-ante poker gram with them and another couple Saturday eve and lost the staggering sum of $1.30.) I was very rash I’ll admit. Anyway Sunday P.M. I went down to Newport Beach and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening (to nine-thirty, when I had to leave) with your parents. It was real swell. We had several small libations, of the old-fashioned variety, talked a great deal about you and you and me and then went over to the Yorbas for dinner. Mrs. Yorba, Marge and Bernardo plus five, and Jack were there and we had a real sweet time. Incidentally, this talk with your parents and I had brought out a few things of which your Mother and Father--and myself are still in the dark. But your mother said she had written you a bunch of questions to answer and if you didn’t get around to answering them, would I find out the answers and give them to her when I see you this weekend. But hon, she would rather you tell her, I know.
    This week will go real slow for me until Friday comes around and then it will whiz by--oh yes, I’ll have to drive up now because the 28th and 29th of this month, that’s Monday and Tuesday after the weekend coming up--I have to attend a two day technical staff conference for air officers at Camp Cooke which is down near San Luis Obispo, and I don’t have to be there until noon of the twenty-eighth. Swell huh. I can even drive you back to San Fran.
    So all for now sweet. I’ll see you Friday evening in time for dinner, and I have a surprise for you--write soon please and take care of yourself real good. I love you Barbs--more than anything.

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.