LETTER #73 - 24 APRIL 1945

Cartoon that Uncle Louie included in his letter.

My Little Notes:  Well sounds like he will be wrapping up his training soon.  I still have 5 more letters from Pope Field (where he is now) before he ships out.  Looks like in June, 1945 he will be leaving.  He also mentions about his friend Al (Alvin Lloyd).  We will hear from him again very soon, in fact the next letter blog will be from Alvin.  I am thinking his furlough will be in June too.  Uncle Louie is correct in that he will be going to the Pacific Theater.

The cartoon with the cat being kicked out was included in this letter that he sent.  Perfect description of how his Dad probably felt about more cats in the house!

LETTER #72 - 15 APRIL 1945 TO HIS KID BROTHER, TOM

My Little Notes:  I love all the big brother advice!  Being over a 5 year span between them, can definitely make a difference.  He does give good advice though. Not sure why my Dad did not go to Lane Tech, but I know that he went to Steinmetz High School for two years and then to Washburne Trade School as mentioned in the previous post. My Dad stayed with his carpentry skills pretty much throughout his life like his father did.

Yes, it definitely was an untimely death for President Roosevelt with WWII still going on. Just 16 days later Benito Mussolini was captured and executed; 2 days after that Adolf Hitler commits suicide; and on May 8, 1945 Victory in Europe is declared.  Also, interesting they declared a Day of Mourning for the President...something I did not realize. 

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt dies April 12, 1945.

Chicago Newspaper Front Page

The Newspaper talks about Day of Mourning, probably the day my Dad had no school.

Death of a president link

This Day in History, FDR dies

1945 WWII Timeline Link

LETTER #71 - 3 APRIL 1945

My Little Notes:  Seems like Uncle Louie was quite impress with the recent care package!  He talks about my Dad and his parents wanting to send him to a school in St. Louis.  I am guessing it was an Art School or a Technical School.  Lane Tech in Chicago is a technical college prep high school that he also mentions.  My Dad went to neither.  He ended up going to Steinmetz High School where Uncle Louie did; however, my Dad only went to High School for 2 years and dropped out (pretty common back then).  He did enroll and went to Washburne Trade School where he was learning his carpenter skills (like his father's profession).  In January, 1951 he enlisted in the US Navy in the Seabees.

Uncle Louie also mentions about plane crashes and one fatality as one man fell 10,000 feet.  I could not find anything on this, but there is a cemetery at Fort Bragg and it was customary at the time that any accidents that occurred there, the soldier would be buried there.

He also talks about his friend Al is in Europe (European Theater) and he thinks he will end up in China.  I am not sure about China, but Uncle Louie will serve in the Pacific Theater.


History of Fort Bragg Main Post Cemetery according to Find-A-Grave website:
"Fort Bragg Main Post Cemetery was established during the 1918 influenza pandemic for interments of civilian workers (most Puerto Rican) whose remains, for a number of reasons, could not be shipped home. Between the wars the post was an artillery base, and the cemetery was mainly used for the burial of dependents. In 1940 Fort Bragg was designated as a Selective Service Reception Station, and in 1942 Fort Bragg and nearby Camp Mackall became major airborne training sites. A number of interments from that period were from training accidents, but there are also several German POWs buried here (Row 26) who either died accidentally or from disease. After the war, the cemetery took on its main responsibility as a veterans' cemetery for the central North Carolina area. The cemetery was closed to new interments after the nearby Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery in Spring Lake was established in the 1990s."

Link to Find-A-Grave memorials from Fort Bragg Main Post Cemetery

LETTER #70 - 22 MAR 1945 TO HIS FATHER

My Little Notes:  I think it was very sweet that he wanted to buy an Easter Corsage for his mother.  I remember Easter was such a big thing for those big orchid corsages for the Mothers and Grandmothers!  He sent this letter on March 22 and Easter that year was on April 1, 1945, so he planned it well.  I sure hope she got one!  And also very thoughtful that if there was enough money left to get a "Big Easter Egg" for his brother!  He also mentions about the radio again and how he built and painted a new cabinet for it.

1940s photo of Ladies and their corsages.

Corsage

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the flower bouquet. For the article of clothing on which the flower was originally worn, see Corsage (bodice).

Prom wrist corsages

Consideration is often given to selecting similar colors for the corsage as in the outfit.

A corsage /kɔrˈsɑːʒ/ is a small bouquet of flowers worn on a woman's dress or worn around her wrist to a formal occasion, traditionally purchased by the woman's date. Corsages are now most commonly seen at Prom or similar events.

Originally named after the French word for the bodice of a dress to which it was attached, they were originally thought to be lucky or ward off evil spirits ^[1] It has become a customary practice and a demonstration of affection from a date. It is thought that originally the gentleman would bring a gift of flowers for the parents of his date, and would select one flower to give to his date which would then be carried or attached to her clothing.^[2]

• In some countries, corsages are worn by the mothers and grandmothers of the bride and groom at a wedding ceremony.^[3]
• The flower(s) worn on a young woman's clothing or wrist for the homecoming celebration or other formal occasions such as prom in some schools around the world.

Portable radio styles in the 1940s.

Zenith Portable Radios, 1940s.

LETTER #69 - 15 MAR 1945

My Little Notes:  I was pretty excited to find this paper article with the letter!  Very interesting to see the pictures and for him to show his parents and brother.  I am assuming this is from the military base newspaper.  Not much else to add.  Sounds like he is enjoying his new radio and riding in Jeeps!  Great that he is still in touch with his Army buddy, Al.  Plus, with Spring approaching soon, warm weather will be there soon enough....with the heat and big bugs!

LETTER #68 - 2 MAR 1945

My Little Notes:  It appears that his mom typed her letter to him.....with mistakes!  He seems to be quite determined to get a bracelet!  He talks about his father's birthday.  This letter was written in March and his father's birthday was actually February 17, so he must be responding to a previous letter to this  Also, he mentions Long Lake.  Long Lake is about 55 miles north of Chicago.  They will eventually buy a summer home there.  This summer home will also be my home and where I will grow up....

My grandparents' typewriter ~ Underwood #5.  This was probably the one she was using to type her letters.

History of Underwood Typewriter #5


VINTAGE LONG LAKE POSTCARDS:  These postcards were my grandparents probably dated around 1930s.

This is in the subdivision that my grandparents bought their summer home (my future home).

Photo taken by my grandparents of Long Lake, Il in the subdivision where their summer home was.  Probably late 1930s/early 1940s.

LETTER #66 - 25 FEB 1945 TO PARENTS & LETTER #67 - 25 FEB 1945 TO BROTHER TOM

Letter to Parents.

Letter to brother, Tom.

My Little Notes:   Well good thing he got the letters yesterday from the family!  A shame that his pictures did not turn out from his recent visit.  Also, I guess he learned a lesson not to drink malted milk before a flight!  The letter to his brother Tom talked about the "cool things" in the Army like driving a jeep around in mud and seeing flighter planes.  Also, telling Tommy to be a good boy and do his chores, so he can get use to KP when he joins the Army.  It will be 6 years later that my Dad will enlist......but it will be in the Navy!

Photo from the book, "Finding Your Father's War" by Jonathan Gawne, from his collection.

Postcard titled US Army Paratrooper training, 1943

WWII Poster for the Air Corps

Typical WWII paratrooper gear