Family History

[RussTJ]

My Dad was a WWII veteran enlisting in the USMC after Pearl Harbor. He passed away many years ago but I think of him often. I’m fortunate to have the letters that he wrote home during his years in the service. Last winter, I started typing all of these letters and I’m really happy how this project came out. I was able to send copies to my family members, some who remember my Dad, and others like his grandchildren who never got to meet him. I write a journal for my granddaughter now and hopefully she’ll enjoy it someday. Thought I’d mention this as a way to share the family’s history from one generation to the next. I’ll leave you with the ending from my eighteen-year-old Dad’s letter to his buddies at home.

February 10, 1942 - Parris Island

I never saw such a clean place as it is down here and we have to keep it clean. I sure miss all of you up there and all of the places I used to hang around. Maybe we’ll meet again someday. I sure hope that we do. I don’t know where I’ll be shipped when I get out of boot camp. I’m in hopes of being put in the Fleet Marine Force. Our Platoon Corporal was in there and told us some of his experiences in there. If we qualify at the rifle range we might get a beer party on the DI. We’re sure going to try hard. We are too busy to think about anything much but around about evening I get a little lonesome for home and all of you. I wish some of you boys were down here. I think you all would like it. Well, there isn’t much room left and it is almost time for taps so I’ll shove off for a while.

 

[Chris]

Very cool! My grandpa was a WWII veteran with the US Army Air Corps as a pilot for the famous Flying Tigers.

I've got some amazing photos of him, but I need to ask my mom if he by chance has any letters he wrote. I'm confident that she would have some. Things like this need to be preserved for future generations, otherwise it will be lost forever to the sands of time.

 

[Rich1961]

Thank you for sharing this with us. I enlisted in the Marines in January 1981 at the age of 19. Reading your Dad's letter brought back some memories for me. I'm sure my Mom still has the letters I sent home from Boot Camp.

Rich

 

[Moab]

Here's one from the paper of my Grandfather. He lived to 86. Raised me. Was a mans man.

 

[Cisco Kid]

My Pop is 94 and still around. He Joined the Navy Dec. 8 1941 at 17 Yrs in KCMO.
Served on Destroyers in the Aleutians and South Pacific.
In 44 he was a BM1C in the Fletcher Class USS Wren DD 568.
Bombarded Northern Japan and then went to shoot it out with Kamakazies at Okinawa.
He was Mount 51 caption 5 inch.
When Japan surrendered the Wren was anchored next to the Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
What a Sailor.