My dearest wife,

I just received all my mail that was stranded at Farragut. There was about 6 letters from you and the story of my leave. They were swell to read, even if they were a little old.

Darling, your story of my leave was really good. It made me laugh as well as cry. You certainly did a good job in writing it up. I’m going to type it up and send you a copy.

Dearest, I’m so in love with you, dear. I hope and pray all the time that nothing will ever come up to hurt our marriage. Please dear don’t ever forget that our marriage is our whole life. You know I’m very forgiving and understanding but I hope that you don’t figure that you should do things I might not like and take advantage of me. I don’t really think you would ever do anything like that dearest, I guess I’m just sentimental tonight. I’m pretty lonesome and blue. I hope things work out so you can see your way to come out here soon. In one way I’m going to be very very happy to have you near me. But you’ll have to be very careful of the wolves. I know you can be trusted because I trust you with my life.

I have done much today. Worked a little but not too hard. It’s really a pretty good job. Ten times better than the hospital. I’m not half as tired out, except when something special comes up.

How is your work coming along? I hope O.K. Don’t work too hard so you get all exhausted. Take good care of yourself, wife. Because when you are feeling bad I feel bad too. Forever my whole life.I love you with all my heart and soul and I shall always do so. I know you love me as much.

How is everyone back home? I hope fine. In one of the letters you said you had heard from Bud and he had congratulated us. That’s swell. Say hello to him for me next time you write.

I hope our Mother isn’t feeling so bad now. I hope Ed and Helen come to their senses soon and come over. It isn’t fair for them to take it out on her. That’s one thing she’ll never have to worry about. We’ll always try and make her happy. I hope she knows that.

Well, my eyes are a little tired tonight so I’ll close.

Bye bye wife. I hope I’ll see you soon.

Your loving husband (it’s real),

Joe

P.S. May god protect both of us. XXXXXXXXX

Dearest wife,

How is my little wife tonight? I hope in the best of health. I’m feeling just fine. I haven’t had any more colds since I moved. That’s one good thing.

It has been quite a lonely day for me. I was on duty but didn’t do very much. I put up some capriles and treated a few patients, but most of the time I have been thinking of you. I was wondering what you were doing this Sunday? I sure hope that this thing ends soon so we can be together all the time.

I wrote Hi and Alice a letter today. I gave them heck and told them to lay off. It’s our business and if I don’t think it is half way right, you can always count on more than hearing about it. I also got a letter off to Mother Albright. She probably will get it the same time you get this one. I hope it makes her feel better. I certainly hope that our marriage didn’t break up the whole family. Oh! I think they’ll come to their senses soon. Just wait and see. Things will work out for us. Darling, at least we have each other and that is really all that counts. I’m very sure we’ll make a go of our marriage and have much happiness. There are a few things to be worked out, but as time goes on, they’ll be all settled. We knew what we were getting into when we got married. I’m not sorry one bit that I married you and I’m pretty sure that’s the way you feel too. I hope so.

Darling, try and have a few dollars with you when you come out. I’ll try and send you some out of my pay if this allowance hasn’t gone through yet. I’m going to try my best to get a place for us to live but it is quite a problem. Don’t you worry too much about it. I’ll do the worrying. Do you think you’ll be able to stand all the wolves out here? At times they get pretty vicious but they can be held off. I’m sure you’ll be as fine a wife always, as any man can wish for. What do you think of the idea of working on the same job with me? Well! We’ll see into that when you get out here.

Darling, God as my witness that I love you very, very much. I only hope that you know if you really love me that way too. I believe you do. I’m sure nothing will ever happen again to give people a chance to talk.

Well! I guess I’ll close and go to bed. Take it easy and be good darling.

Loads of love from your sailor hsuband,

Joe

P.S. Always 10 XXXXXXXXXX

(Letter begins on March 26, 1943)

Hello my Darling,

I received your most wonderful letter of the 22nd. It sure is swell to come home all tired and have a letter to relax in. That is one thing we both experience. Receiving letters and the happiness they bring. We are working long hours in the factory 10 hours a day today and this Sunday. I can’t say I mind too much as it is money towards that trip to see you. I’ll make $14.00 alone Sunday. That isn’t hard to take along when you have such a good place to put it.

I was glad to hear your job doesn’t keep you so busy. It makes me happy to think you can relax and still get out and play ball once in a while. I’m sorry to say I haven’t talked to Mother Ackert for a few days, but she never does sound too pleased to hear from me. I know she doesn’t mean it to sound that way, but I really don’t know how to approach her. She doesn’t try to make it easy by any means.

Darling, I need your help so much I could die. It may be a good month before I can make the trip, but I can’t jump into this too fast. I’m sure we both feel the same about being together but we also agree about getting things paid up to date first. I’ll use my head until I get there and then it’ll be your worry. I don’t really mean that. We’ll just work things out together.

Sunday, March 28, 1943

Hello my Darling,

I have an apology to make for not writing but I don’t feel up to it. We are working 10 hours a day and I’ve got all I can do to write at all today. I want to write believe me, but I’m on the job until 5:30 and that is good. I’m only doing it because today alone brings me $14.00. That helps to make our other dreams come true.

I don’t know if I’ll stay to live when I come out, but I’m not saying I won’t. I have considered waiting for someone, a traveling salesman or who ever it may be, driving out to the coast. If I had the cash I could have gotten a ride out for $20.00 and meals. I think it would be much cheaper that way. How about you? I mean what do you think?

I’m glad you like your new work. It sure sounds better than the hospital stuff. As long as I know you’re happy and waiting for me to hurry out I don’t mind working like a fool. Maybe if I worked more I would get into less trouble.

I and Mom an dDad and Mr. and Mrs. Anderson went to the Ships and Johnson Ice Show last night. It wasn’t as good as I expected it to be, however it was very nice. I met O. Johnson as the Andersons know her.Anyway, I shouldn’t have gone, but I did enjoy it. I don’t know if it’s enough to suffer the effects that I do. To say the least, I’m limp.

It is all of 8:15 and I’ve already slept 1 1/2 hours on the couch and know I’m going to be. I can’t think anymore so I’ll close. Please forgive me. I’ll do my best to improve my writing. This temporary hour business is may be over the 1st.

God bless my wonderful husband. I love him with my whole heart and please understand. The folks all say hello, Mom and Dad and Mrs. Lehner. By the way, Millie’s Bruce is home for a 15 day leave from Florida. He thinks he is going across shortly after he gets back. I’ll try and write tomorrow. You can see that happy in some of my future attempts.

Love,

DeLores

My dearest wife,

How is my sweet wife tonight? I hope not too tired out. But I suppose you’re tired out as well as still down on people.

Please, you know I have always said that it’s our life to live and not our relations. If they didn’t like the thing they shouldn’t have poured it on so heavy. Darling, I know that you didn’t mean anything by it but people are funny. Especially relations.

I believe nothing will ever happen again to give them a chance to make you feel badly. I’m sure that even though I didn’t give you much heat, you’ll know the things that go with being a wife. I love you with my heart and soul and I know you do too. It’s our life together that counts. We’ll make a go of it. I’m sure of that. Please don’t let them get you down too much. It’s a hard thing to take, but you know that I’m standing by you always. I know that many small things like that will come up in our lives but all I’ll do is squawk some and always love you. That’s something I can’t help and don’t want to.

Darling, look at the date on the top of this letter. It’s exactly one month on the date, and on the day that we became man and wife. Our really first anniversary. The oddest thing was that one of the Marine Sargents here married just a little while ago. It was a beautiful military wedding. Not as beautiful as ours. It made me think of ours. I bawled because I want you here so bad but the housing will be difficult, but I’m sure we’ll find something.

I already talked to the officer in charge of housing civilians and you have a job here on the depot when you get here, so don’t worry about us being able to make a go of it. Be sure before you come to have enough to take care of us for a while. I’m sure we’ll be very happy together, won’t we?

Well, I guess I’ll have to close for tonight as I’m exhausted and am going to hit the hay. I’ll write more tomorrow night. Bye and be good my dearest. Say hello to Mom and Dad for me please.

Your loving sailor husband,

Joe

P.S. XXXXXXXXXXXX
always until we get together.

I think it’s important to name that although this is a blog about love letters — war is not romantic.

At this point in my grandparents’ letters — March of 1943 — my grandpa is still on U.S. soil out in Washington state. He’s still training and waiting to find out if and where he’ll be sent overseas.

Admittedly, I know more about the timeline and politics and atrocities happening in Germany and Europe during this time. Knowing my grandpa ends up spending time in the South Pacific, I wanted to better understand that landscape.

National Geographic has a helpful and brief interactive timeline on their website. It’s obviously not all encompassing, but gives a bit of a frame for understanding the U.S. and Japanese war conflict.

Grandma and Grandpa were in their senior year of high school at Johnson in St. Paul during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Grandpa enlisted in the Navy on December 7, 1942 — exactly one year after the bombing. The letters continue into 1945.

During this time (from February 1942 – June 1946), the U.S. relocated more than 100,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry into internment camps. Many of these Americans lost their homes and businesses and financial savings — and their liberties.

Additionally, this is the war where the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs to end it — causing devastating and long-lasting consequences. Was there another way? Some argue Japan would have surrendered that August anyway.

So, war is complicated.

These letters are a glimpse into the lives of a couple of humans during this time. But the broader context is important too.

Dear DeLores:

Greetings once again, and may I congratulate you on the new step in life. Mother wrote me that you and Joe were married when he came home on leave and that she was having a reception for you. All I can say is, the best of luck to both of you for anything you make undertake.

Things have really changed since I came back from leave. It’s something new and different to us all and there’s never a dull moment. I haven’t told mother because I think it’s best not to. She still thinks I’m at the same old place and that’s the way I want it to be.

By the way, where is Joe now?! Perhaps in time we’ll get to see each other. Sure hope so!! I suppose you heard that Ken and I were finally split up. He left around the 20th of Feb. and as yet I haven’t heard from him. He’s still at the same old place he was a year ago.

Well, guess I’ll have to close for now, but I’ll write again when I get the chance. Give my regards to Joe when you write him.

As ever your friend,

Will

W.S. Lehner
U.S.S. Ward (A.P.D.16)

My Darling Husband,

How is my darling husband in grand evening? I received your letter of last Saturday from U.S.O. You sounded lonesome in it. You aren’t going to be lonesome for long. I received your wonderful letter. It lifts me as mine do you. That’s why they are wonderful. You said you might be there 6 months. Well I hope to be there at least 4 of that time. If I can be with you one day of each week that’s enough. If I can l have that, I’ll be well paid for the trip.

I hope by now you have seen Dorothy. I can’t imagine how it is to be so alone but I want to come out and keep you from being so lonely. Stop.

I didn’t finish my letter last night as I started some fancy work and worked until I wanted to go to bed. It is morning relief and I’m sitting outside on a paint pail. It is really spring weather here. I’m working hard but that I don’t mind because I think about when I’ll be going out to see you.

I talked to Mrs. Lehner the other night and I may talk her into going alone if Dorothy isn’t home by the time I go. That would be rather nice. I hope my letters have been getting through and aren’t too disappointing. I do so want to keep you happy. You might think that I don’t love you but it isn’t at all that. I know you won’t even believe that I’ve stopped for even a minute loving you. I’ll mail this on my lunch so it won’t be long.

By the way, did you get the story of your leave yet? Correct it and send it back as I want to put it away.

By the way, I have the bedroom set paid up to date again and I got the rest of it home. It looks awfully nice. I’m not buying anything so I can come out in a hurry. Relief is just about over so I must close. I love you and will write more tonight. God bless you and keep you.

Love,

Your Wife DeLores

XXXXXXXXXX in return

Dear Joe,

Just another line to tell you to meet me at a different place. How about meeting me at the drift Inn instead of Bowman’s? It’s on Fifth Avenue between Union and Pike. Right next to the Blue Mouse Theater. You can’t miss it.

Please meet me there about 7:00. Really can’t wait until I see you again. It will really be swell. No kiddin? See you then Joe.

Just me,

Dottie

Dearest Wife,

I received your wonderful letter of the 18th this evening. It certainly was swell to get another letter out here.

I’m very sorry that I didn’t get a letter off to you yesterday. I know I shouldn’t have an excuse, so I haven’t. We weren’t very busy during the day and I played a little kitten ball. It was fun for a change. I went into town for a little while in the evening, but I didn’t do anything. It was just one of those days when I wanted to write but just couldn’t sit down and get a letter off. You know what I mean, don’t you?

Darling, I hope the letters you have received since I wrote that someone explains my work. It does look like I might be stationed here for a few months, maybe even longer. You really can never count on anything in the Navy.

Darling, I think I would be the happiest person alive if I could have you with me. I know you want to come so I think it will be. I’m not impatient at all, I know there are many things to straighten out, so don’t hurry too fast in getting here. Don’t think that I don’t want you right away. I do, but try and get things set a little. I know you won’t have any trouble at all in finding a job here if you want to work. The housing is a slight problem, but I’m sure that can be taken care of.

I’m glad to hear you get to talk to Mother now and then. I know that letters she got were short but at the time I didn’t have any information on the place. I was going to myself. I’ve written her since explaining the deal I have.

Don’t you even go saying things like you did. I mean about giving up a swell mother for you. I understand completely why you didn’t send me a present. I know I’ve got the finest wife in the world. I’m not a bit sorry I married you and I don’t expect to be. I know our lives shall be very happy.

It’s too bad that Mother sent a cake and cookies to Farragut. I suppose it will be stale by the time it catches up with me out here.

I’m glad that your mother doesn’t mind you wanting to be out here with me. I was kind of worried that she might object. She looks at it with a very level head. It’s just as she said. If it is possible for us to be together there isn’t any reason that I know of why we shouldn’t be. We both love each other so very, very much and Man and Wife are supposed to be together. I’m sure we’ll have loads of love and happiness and fun together when we are together out here.

Have you heard anything from Bud lately? I sure hope he is OK and writing home now and then. When you write him, give him your husband’s best regards and good wishes.

Well dearest, I guess I’ll have to close for this evening. I just received a card from Dorothy and will probably see her Wednesday night. I’ll say hello to her for everybody back home. I’m going to try and get a letter off to Mother Albright tonight or tomorrow. Say hello to her and dad for me please.

Don’t work too hard and I love you with all my heart and soul and will be so happy when I see you.

Bye bye for now dearest wife.

Your loving sailor husband,

Joe

P.S. XXXXXXXXX

My Wonderful Husband,

I wrote you a short note in my relief today. I expected to enclose it to this letter but the other girls and I went over to the Ad. Building for lunch today and ate so I mailed it from there. Darling, please try and be not too mad at me. I didn’t think I was doing as much as is being made of it. I admit I was in the wrong, but as usual I’m being well punished at home without getting a lot more from my honey. Mom even felt badly at me and says if I even get anymore crazy ideas like that she is going to put her foot down. She also says she doesn’t think it right of Hi and Alice to make a mountain out of it. After all I didn’t sit in a corner and neck and act like a rowdy. I didn’t have even a glass of beer and Alice can’t remember several things that went on but she can still find plenty wrong with my dancing.

You’re my judge and I tell you the facts. The truth and the whole truth and nothing but the truth. As you probably gathered from my note written on my relief, I didn’t have such a good day at work today. I was crying on the home. The boys were all trying so hard to make me smile. They all told me to divorsce my relations and devote myself to you. Do what we think and tell them to jump. I know now I don’t ever want to stay and live in the cities.I’m in agreement about living away from the families. I got a swell letter from you today. That helped to cheer me up except you didn’t sound so favorable about me coming out. Darling, I’ll let you in on something. I’m coming. I’m going to stay until you leave and if you go where I can follow, that’s what I’m going to do. It won’t even do you any good to say no. I don’t think. You want me and that’s where I want to be. I can’t take it alone. I could if I had to, but I still have you to lean on and I’m going until they take you as far away that I can’t follow you anymore. I love you and I want to be near you.

I know I can get a job if you’re near to help me. Your $35 are sure a swell start. I just called the depot. It will cost me $65.85 coach, $20 more for a pullman. I’ll set for $10 bucks a night. I’ll leave 8:25 :35 or :50 one morning and arrive 8:00 2 days later. That sure isn’t bad. You see, I’m really coming. So much for that.

I just called Mrs. Lehner and no one is home and I called the hospital to see how the baby is. He is ready to go home whenever they want to take him. I’m sure glad he came out of that ok.

Have you seen Dorothy yet? How does she feel about my coming out there? Perhaps she would have something to say. I must close for tonight so God bless you darling.

Love,

DeLores

XXXXXXXXXX. I hope you want these.