2 July 1945

 

In this letter, Jim writes about his day's activities on the ship. Throughout the letter, he calls Margaret Shrimp, Bundle of Blondness and Brat. I think he feels quite homesick because he writes he wishes she was there to help him "forget all about the dam Navy". Some of his humor come out when he writes about not being capable of sending letters while at sea because the seagulls will not take them to land and he is not part of their union.

Post marked | 3 July 1945 7:30pm from Boston, Massachusetts

SERIAL NO. 3

Monday night,

2 July, 1945

Dearest Shrimp..

Well, my little bundle of blondness, I'll bet you are hot as blazes right now down in the Florida July weather. It's nice and cool up here. You'd have been better off to have come up here when it comes to the weather. Sun burnt yet? I thought maybe I'd have a letter from you before now, but guess you have been waiting for mine. This is No. 3, but I should have written more. This morning I went over to the Navy Yard and got in to see a dentist. He found two very small cavities and filled both of them. I was back in the office at 11 o'clock working and baby, I have not stopped until just now and it's 1130 at night. I took ten minutes off for lunch, and ten minutes off for dinner, and the rest of the time I have just been pounding this daggummed mill for hours on end. The captain and I wrestled with the complement setup for about two hours, then he gives me a rigamarole of fact, information, and stuff and told me to make it in a letter from and get right off to Hqtrs. That was the hardest letter I have ever tried to write, but I finally turned out a very passable one. He liked it and we squared that away. Then one thing after another, monthly reports, quarterly marks, and in- port letters and reports to make. Next war I think I'll sit out. The whole rush up job all boils down to one thing angel. We're shoving off before long. If you don't get any letters from me after Monday, wait about a month and you'll hear again. Meantime, don't stop writing. There's no post offices at sea, and the sea gulls wont take the letters to land for us and we dont belong to their union, so we'll have to wait. Anyway, it will be nice to have mail waiting for me when I do get in some place.

Sweetheart, have a nice time. Forgive me for not writing as often as it seems I should, but as you can see, I really turn to when we're in port. I'm so tired now that I can't write a very nice letter. Can't concentrate. I just know that it would be so nice to have you here with me and then I could and would forget all about the dam Navy and the ship and concentrate on making love to you. Save your money. I may be back in the states before too long, and I believe I will take leave in this port and have you come up and spend it with me. Nothing exciting happening around. Let me have a letter telling me all about what you're doing and how you're enjoying yourselves.

Be as sweet as always. I love you brat.

Jim

Use same address as top page.
Never use the address I might put on the outside envelope.