Transcript 3/6/53Hi Doll, Received a chipper letter from you this evening, which I’m enjoying right now. Yes, you might say I’m sick of the Army and vice-versa, but I’m still living and enjoying it. Glad to hear you’d like to help, and it doesn’t sound stupid at all. I don’t know what you think I’m thinking, but if you want me to think what you think I’m thinking, I’ll think it. Doggoned if you aren’t giving me a hard time. Here I am biting my fingers off waiting for pictures...

Transcript 3/7/53Hi Doll, Nice letter from you last nite, so with a free man (myself) and a minute I’ll scribble a few sounds as though you’re on a sort of vacation whirl what with running and scouting all over the place. All that swimming and sunbathing has me jealous, but I imagine I’ll be getting my licks in before too long. I really hate missing the romance part, though. Not that it probably means too much to you, but after being here for a year I’d give my left arm for just...

Transcript 16/5/53Hi Doll, Lovely letter from you this evening. Did a wonderful job of brightening up an otherwise lousy day. Seems as though all the days lately have been poor but I guess it’s just because I’ve got only a short time to go and am getting sick of this place. Doggonit all. When I say that you are undoubtedly a sweet young lady why I mean that you are undoubtedly a sweet young lady. You no doubt will gate me for this but I honestly had to smile when you said you’d...

Transcript 17 July ‘53Hi Doll, Back again with the usual tired feeling. Seems as though I’ve been that way for the past week, but guess it is because of our moving around. Two days ago we moved and now occupy a miserable position halfway between Christmas Hill and the latest Chinese break-thru. To our direct front the main line is about 5200 yards but to our direct left it is only 1700 yds or less than a mile. The distance doesn’t mean anything because we’re in an extremely...

Transcript 29/7/53 0400Hi Doll, Goodness but you certainly worry an awful lot about me. Right at the present I wouldn’t mind if you did a little of that worrying on my shoulder but I guess that isn’t too logical. War, or at least the fighting appears to be over. We’ve still got a war going with the army brass, but nothing that can’t be won eventually, I guess. Practically as soon as the armistice was signed everybody started outlining stuff we’d have to do. Naturally the...

Transcript 26 AUG.Hi Doll, No, I probably won’t give an arm for the privilege of a kiss, but I do feel that way, especially after 13 months over here. Only good suggestion I can give for not going to the dentist is either a bullet through the left temple or a knife thru the heart. Both are relatively quick and simple ways with much less pain than the dentist. However, I’ll leave the choice entirely up to you. If you really want to write me after I get home you know dad-burned...

Transcript 30/8/53 5am.Hi Lil’ Doll, official word in the CP that I should be leaving here within 30 days and probably in about 2 weeks. Can’t say I’ll be overly sorry to leave this place. In fact you might say I’ll be damned glad to leave. Got another field problem tomorrow that should be a dandy. The exec. Officer should be down to the rear getting the pay so I’ll be all alone figuring up the data to deliver the fire. On top of that a survey has to be run and I’ll be the...

Transcript 6/8/53Hi, you lovely little doll, A letter from you this evening, which was a great help to my morale. I hope you notice that there is an E on the end of morale. You spoke of my morals in the letter but that is an entirely different subject alltogether. You check the dictionary and I’m sure you will find quite a difference between morale and moral. My morale is quite high and my morals are even higher considering the circumstances. At present I don’t have any...

Transcript 3/7/53Hi Doll, My goodness, but you certainly worry about me, young lady. Not to say it isn’t flattering to have so much attention, though. Don’t stop, I love it. And as for being mad – heavens no! Get hot, maybe, but that’s just looking at those pictures. Still roosting in the same place and doing nothing out of the unusual. Only good thing that’s happened in the last few months was my promotion to Sergeant First Class. Can’t say’s I earned it, but anyhow it’s...

Transcript August.17.1953Hi Darling, Boy today ime sort of missing you quite a bit ive ben thinking of you all the time we were up here. We were going to try fore a pass last night but our darn company wasn’t issueing any so we might try tonight. Ime in the rocket launching now tomorrow we git to fire em. I wouldn’t be a bit mad if I didn’t infact I hope I don’t. I just got through eating now I wish I could go to sleep but we got to go back out this afternoon, boy will I be glad...

Transcript Uyong bu Korea. Jan 30, 1954.Dear Aunt + Uncle, I can just hear you now, Well it’s about time he wrote. I sure’m slow getting around as you can see. I recieve your box. I want to thank you for it. I really enjoyed every thing. Even the snake you st[?]. I sure had fun with it, after I got the scare too. Who’s Idea was that? Jerry. The weather here has finally been nice. We have about an inch of snow, but it won’t last. Its gets around zero at night, warms up a...

Transcript April 17, 54.Dear Ila, Today is Easter Sunday, I bet your all dress-ed up in your Easter clothes, really looking like a Queen. I didn’t attend church today. I have no excuse for not attending. But for sure next year when I’m home I’ll be in church. Art told me he recieve your letter. Did he answer it as yet? I don’t know. He is quite a guy. Well the Writes have move, it’s all going to seem funny and having them around, Mother will sure miss them. ...

Transcript Ila,Well here it is time to leave, so I thought I would write while I had the chance. I’m not leaving with Duane. I’m going two days later. What rotten luck. Here I thought we would be together. What I really want to tell you, is that Duane had some clothes to send home so we sent ours together to my house. They wouldn’t let us send them home in our traveling bags. The reason for that, I would like to know myself. This Army does some of the strangest things. I sent a letter to my...

Transcript Hi Ila, Now are you and the rest of your family feeling these fine spring days? I don’t feel to bad but I sure wish I was at home, and I think Bud feels the same. All we have been doing is work and more work. Boy I’ve just about had my fill of the Army too. I don’t know how any man can stay in the Army for twenty years. I think I would go crazy if I had to stay in over two years. The only thing that is messing up our getting out of the Army sooner is the Korean war. If that was...

Transcript Monday 9th, July 1951 U.S.N.S. General R.E. CallanHi Ila, How is my best girlfriend feeling today? I hope you feel alright. We are having a pretty rough time. For the last two days now, we’ve been in the center of one heck of a storm. The ship is shaking just like a leaf that lands on a puddle of water. A lot of guys strap themselves in at night so they won’t fall out of their bunks. We ran out of straps down where we are, so I got a piece of chain holding me in. I’ll...

Transcript 22nd August, 1951 Mannhiem , GermanyHi Ila, Well I thought it was about time I sent you all a letter. Well it’s finally happened Duane and I are going to be split up after being together so long. Duane is going to stay here with A company and we are going to move out, I will be anywhere from 65 to 100 miles from him for the rest of my stay in the Army. But if I never do get the chance I’ll see him when I get out. That is if you don’t care if I come out to your place....

Transcript Sunday September 2nd, 1951 Bad Krueznack, GermanyPersonal LetterHi Ila Baby How do you feel today? Okay I hope. Well Dwayne and I are split up again, for how long I don’t know. He is down in Mannhiem yet while I’m up here at Bad Krueznach . Maybe we’ll get together when we get a three day pass. We are living in Barracks now, they are really beautiful, the rooms are painted two tone light green half way up the wall, the ceilings are white and so are halfs...

Transcript Friday October 26th, 1951 Bad Krueznach, GermanyHi Honey, How are you today? As good as usual I bet. The rumors are really flying around here today. About what I can’t say, but I hope they aren’t true. How are things, Sweetheart? also how are you coming along with your cooking lessons? I’ll have to sample your cooking in order to make comment on how good a cook you are. But I know that if you make anything, it is bound to be good. The only thing I would like to make...

Transcript Sunday 11th November, 1951Dear Ila, Just got back from my three day pass. Had a lot of fun, but would much rather have been home. There where three of us that went. Your brother Duane, a kid named Pfeffer and myself. We met some people over here, I don’t remember if they were related to Pfeffer or not, but he got the address from home. So after a lot of running around we found were one man lived, but it seemed that he left for work. So we looked up the other people,...

Transcript Monday November 12th, 1951 Hi Sweetheart,Just got your letter today dated the 5th of November. | guess | told you in my letter that | wrote Sunday that we didn't go to Paris, we didn't have enough time. Just a little old three day pass. We will put in for a furlough in January or February. Say Sweetheart don't be afraid to write anything in your letters, no one else will read them, if they are just for me. | really want to know how you feel about me, because | tell you how much |...

Transcript Friday September 21, 1951 Bad Krueznach, GermanyHi Honey, Just recieved your letter the other day and I was really glad to hear from you. My mail has really fallen off lately. No kidding I didn’t recieve any mail for 14 days straight. Then all of a sudden I got two letters one from my Dad and one from You. Please Honey keep on writting, it really makes me feel good to get a letter from you. Duane always told me he had a sister when we were in Basic Training but I...

Transcript Tuesday 9th October, 1951 Bad Krueznach, GermanyDearest Ila, How are you today? Alright I hope. I would have wrote sooner, but I was pretty busy. Tonight is the first night, I’ve had off for five days. It seems nice just to be able to lay around, doing nothing. I suppose it is pretty cold down there now, huh honey? It won’t be too long before it snows, then the long dreary winter begins. I hate to see it come over here, because it’s always way below zero around here,...

Transcript Saturday 13th October, 1951 Bad Krueznach, GermanyDear Ila, Guess what happened? Duane and I are together again. All the guys that were out of the company were called back. Gee it seems swell to have him back again. Crowell came back too, even though he doesn’t hang around with us too much. Gee whiz but it is getting cold out. Frost every night. I probably told you about the weather. So I’ll not talk about it again. Those pictures didn’t turn out that I had taken. So...

Transcript Monday Dec. 24th, 1951 Bad Kreuznach, GermanyDearest Love, By the time you get this letter Christmas will probably be forgotten already. Gee whiz how the time really flies by. Just think January and I’ll be starting on my last year in the Army. Getting all that much closer to getting home to my family and to the one person I love the most. Oh how I would love to be holding you in my arms right now. To feel your soft lips under mine. Just to hold your hand would make...

Transcript Tuesday October 14th, 1952 Bad Kreuznach, GermanyHi Sweetheart, How is everything going for you today? Fine I hope? I’m beginning to feel better every darn day, because I’m getting closer and closer to the day that we start for home. It shouldn’t be too darn far away now, just a matter of 15 or 20 more days. That is according to the latest rumor anyway. A guy just can’t believe anyone, some of the guys told me that I was scheduled to sail November 5th, but when I...