WW II Letters: Glenn Miller Entertained the Soldiers

Posted on October 4, 2011 by John

Glenn Miller and his orchestra were in England for a performance while Dad was there.  In this letter Dad mentions having heard  the 45-minute concert given by that great orchestra, even though Dinah Shore was unable to make the program that night.  Dad and Mom remained huge fans of the music of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Stand Kenton, Harry James and other stellar performers from the 1940’s, who all brought a very American sound to band music during WWII. Later Glenn Miller’s plane was lost while he as on a mission, and he was never found.  The brass blend was like gold velvet.  There is no music like it today, maybe because orchestras are difficult and expensive to maintain.  Here are three YouTube links to Miller’s orchestra performing three of his most famous pieces, Moonlight Serenade:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjq1aTLjrOE&feature=related    

 and another signature piece, SERENADE IN BLUE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2f_TBxagQY&feature=related

And finally, I’VE GOT A GAL IN KALMAZOO:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFv_PoZ2iP0

Judging by the almost half a million hits on this song and others by Miller’s orchestra, their sound hit the right note during the war, and their music is still remembered and enjoyed today.  JB

                                                                                                                              7 Aug. ‘44
                                                                                                                              England

Dear Mom & Dad,

     I’m terribly sorry for the long period of time I couldn’t write this month.  Same old thing again, huh?  How are you?  I just received another letter from you today, ad it is the first one in about nine days.  I got one from you and one from Vi.  I was sorry to hear Carl left the states.  I’ll bet Grace is almost going crazy isn’t she?  Gee Mom, I never knew you fell and hurt yourself.  I had been wondering when you said you were healing up so nice, just what had happened.  Will you have any scars from it?  I sure hope not.  Poor Dad, I can just see him, when he first saw that you were hurt.  I remember how he worried and couldn’t sleep when you were in the hospital for your operation.

     Yes, that is another prayer answered for Eddie to have made school.  I was so darned worried about him, but now I can rest easy for about six months and maybe by then, we’ll be together exchanging big stories about how close we’ve come to getting hurt in the chow house, huh? (brrfsssk).

     Glenn Miller and his orchestra were here the other day and played for us for 45 minutes.  It was really wonderful.  Dinah Shore was supposed to have been here but she didn’t get to come.  We were sure disappointed, but when he started to play, we forgot all about her.  He sure has a grand orchestra.

     I’m glad you liked that picture.  I thought it was pretty bad, but I sent it anyway.  One of these fine days you’ll get a big one from me.  Oh yes, I received all three of those packages, and the shoes couldn’t have been better.  Now if I can only find an insignia for my cap, I’ll be all set.  Don’t forget to send me those pictures you took of Eddie, will you?  I’m still hoping Jesse won’t have to go into the service.  Maybe I shouldn’t, but I am.

     Well, I’ll close for now.  I hope you can read this, because I can’t.  Thanks a million for the packages.  Be careful. God bless you.

                                                                                                          Your loving son,
                                                                                                                Elwood

             p.s. Tell everyone I said, “Hello.”


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World War II Letters: a post card from Elwood to his Sweetheart Bonnie

Posted on October 3, 2011 by John
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World War II Letters: an April 1944 Letter from England

Posted on October 2, 2011 by John
US Postage Stamp, 1943

   In this letter the reader can detect a yearning on Dad’s part for a child.  I like his description of the English kid he thought was so cute and his comment about his chance with Bonnie to have a child.  This was still before the marriage, which would be December 26, 1944.  There is also a photo of Mom with Dad’s army buddy, Hyram, taken the summer of 1944 when Dad and Hyram were on a furlough.

   A Little Case of Jealousy

A side note to the photo of Mom with Hyram is that Hyram made many copies of the photo and sent them to every Tom, Dick, and Harry he knew in order to show off Mom as his own girl.  Dad was not happy about that, even though he was proud that his friend should find Mom so beautiful that Hyram actually gave in to the temptation of implying that she was HIS girl. Mom’s reaction was to laugh about it and to feel flattered, and I think she may even have enjoyed the healthy jealousy that Dad showed in the little snit that followed.  You can still read Hyram’s signature in the lower left hand corner of the picture.  I love the whole story!  This was still before Elwood and Bonnie were married.  JB
April 13, 1944
                                                                                                                                                      England

Dear Mom & Dad,

     I received a letter from Bonnie telling  me that Earl was drowned and Chet was killed in action.  I can’t tell you how bad I felt when I heard that.  That sure must have been a terrible day for the Murphys to lose both of their boys within twenty-four hours.                                                                                      

     I hope you aren’t worrying a lot about me because I can’t write often.  If you are, please try to understand that I’m in no danger here, and the only reason I’m not writing as often as I used to is because I am working.  As yet, I haven’t been able to work at the job I am trained for and hold in the company, but I hope to within the very near future.  But remember, I’m not in any danger here and I probably never will be.  All we have to worry about is the Jerrys coming over, and I’m used to that.  They don’t worry me anymore.

     Well, I heard from Ed Starks, and he is only about 140 miles from me.  I was planning to go see him, but I guess I’ll have to wait until I get a furlough and Lord knows when that will be.

     I do hope I can see him pretty soon, because I haven’t seen him since the day he left for the army.

     Gee, I was glad to hear that you’re sending me another box.  They not only mean a lot to us but also these English kids don’t get any candy or gum, only what the Yanks give them.  We go in for our rations once a week and in our rations we get two candy bars and a pack of gum.  The English kids are getting so they stand outside of the PX in a crowd and wait for us to give it to them.  The only thing that worries us is that we may be making beggars out of some of them, because a lot of them are just little kids that seem not to be old enough to walk.  There was one little kid here that I used to give mine to, but I haven’t seen him for a couple of weeks now.  He was the cutest little kid I ever saw.  I was playing with him one afternoon and watching the way he smiled and laughed and I thought then if Bonnie & I were married and had a boy like that, I would be the happiest guy in the world.  He is so darned cute that I used to just leave my work to go watch him.  I wish I knew where he was.

     Well, it is 05:00 now , and I am almost dead tired.  I’ll soon have to get the company up.  I am on CQ again (some fun).

     I guess I’ll have to close for now.  Tell everyone I said “hello” and tell Dickie I said thanks for the two flags he sent me.  I’m saving them.  I’ll write again soon.  Be careful and please don’t worry.  I’ll be right back here when this is all over and be in A1 shape to go to work again like I used to.  Bye for now.  God bless you.  I love you and miss you more every day.

                                                                                                                                    Your loving son,
                                                                                                                                         Elwood


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World War II Letters: Rationing!

Posted on October 2, 2011 by John
Participation during World War II  by citizens on the American home front was extremely important.  There was a strong sense that the nation was together in its quest for victory, even as issues were still unfolding on the horrors existing in Europe at the time.  There was a willingness to make sacrifices in terms of rationing gas, oil,  and food.  There were rubber drives and metal drives to collect materials badly needed on the fighting front.  American civilians who were still going to movie theaters were reminded at the ends of films to buy war bonds.  There was a powerful movement that was based upon the collective belief that we were all a part of the war effort and that together we could all make a positive difference.  Even the smallest victory garden was significant.  The nation had a feeling of shared purpose that it has probably not enjoyed since.

 
  World War II Scrap Metal Drive
Rubber drive!
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World War II Letters: a 1944 letter from England

Posted on October 2, 2011 by John

By 1944 Dad was stationed in England.  Apparently, he didn’t enjoy the journey by ship to that country and was a bit seasick.  He wanted to meet up with Mom’s brother, Ed (Edgar) who was only about 140 miles from where Dad was in London.  Every letter and box of goodies was important to Dad as it was to very other soldier far from home.  Letters were examined on both sides of the Atlantic, which you may note on the envelope, where the EXAMINER stamp is found.  In this letter Dad included a 1944 cartoon of Sad Sack, who was a very popular character among the soldiers. 
 
Feb. 19, 1944
Dear Mom & Dad,

      I received your letter today that you mailed on Jan. 25, but as yet I haven’t received that box of candy.  I have been sweating it out from day to day.

     Well, how are you?  I hope you feel better now, Mom.  I was sorry to hear you had the flu.  I am OK, only homesick, and that’s plenty.  Gee, this sure was a nice long letter I got today.  I received one from Vi too.

     Oh, yes, you asked me if I got sea sick.  Hah!  All I have to say is “Phooey on the navy.”  I guess I am just a natural for keeping both feet on the ground, except, of course, when I step off a curb or something, but still I have one foot on the ground even then.

     Say, you know, on the evening of Jan. 24th I smelled something funny, that must have been the evening when Pop was eating that garlic and blowing his breath in your face.  Gads, what an odor.  Tell him to switch to Limburger, will you?

     I’m going to try to send you a cartoon of the “Sad Sack.”  I don’t know whether I can or not.  If not, they will take it out of the letter.

     Mom, your mail coming to me isn’t censored, so don’t be afraid of putting names and things in it.  Tell Bonnie that too, will you?  You said Ed is here in England.  I hope Bonnie send his address.  Maybe I can find him.  I’ll tell her to send his company APO number.  It sure would be swell if I could see him.  I think I told you about running into Milford McFarland over here.  He sure was glad to seem me, but not as glad as I was to see him.  I’ve never liked him, but when I saw him , I could have kissed him, just because he was from home.

     Well, I guess I’ll close for now.  This is an awful short letter, but I want to write two more tonight.  Just always remember, I miss you both an awful lot.
You’ll never need to tell me what “home” means, believe me.  I’ll bet I’ve aged 5 years in the last five moths.  Well, bye for now.  Write soon and tell everyone I said “hello” and I hope they re all right.  Tell “Dickie” his Uncle Elwood is proud of him for the grades he is getting school.  I’ll write soon.  God bless you.  Be careful.  Good night.

                                                                                                                                                             Your loving son,
                                                                                                                                                                    Elwood

 

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World War II Letters: August 1943 to Parents in Highland, Indiana

Posted on October 1, 2011 by John
 Dad had his picture taken to send home to his parents, his siter Vi and her husband, “Moonie” (Norman), his twin brother Eddie and his wife, Marge, and his older brother Jesse and his wife Bee, and of course to Bonnie, his fiancee.  I don’t know what happened to that photo, but I can’t find copies of it.  Eddie’s daughter Dianne, who now lives in Florida, gave many photos to her daughters but said she would try to track down some photos from that time.  If she finds them I’ll use them eventually in the blog.

August 6, 1943
                                                                                                                                    Friday night

Dear Mom & Dad,

     I’m sorry I haven’t written but I just didn’t have time to write more than a note, and they don’t do any good.  The reason I haven’t had time you know is I started my technical school, don’t you?  Well they gave us a four weeks course in the one week, and sometimes we had to pull detail in the evening, so with the details, we were pretty busy trying to keep up our book work.  I’ve been trying to make good in this school because now we are done with classroom work and will do the actual work in the shops for a while.  I passed OK but was only a few points above average.  I passed with only an 80% average, so I guess I’m still no place in this darn place.  I guess I’ll be either parts clerk or requisitioning clerk in the company.  It will be a good job anyway.  You remember that carton of cigarettes you sent me?  Well today I finally was able to get over there and sign for them.  The post office wasn’t open in the morning and at noon I didn’t have time to get them and in the evenings, I didn’t get out of school until 5:30 and the P.O closes at 6:00 (some fun.)

     Well anyway, I’m hoping again now that we can relax a little.  How is everyone there at home?  OK I hope.  Tell them I said “hello” and I’ll write as soon as I possibly can.  They get tired of hearing that, I know, but I haven’t even had a chance here lately to write to my honey.  It’s terrible.  I’m going to hand in my resignation to the C.O. in the morning (bfsssk!)

     I wish I had a definite date to plan on getting my next furlough.  We’re supposed to get them when we leave here, and we are supposed to be ready to leave by October 1st.  That’s all I can plan on.  I do know that we are supposed to ship east, so maybe I’ll be able to end up only 400 or 500 miles from home.  Wouldn’t that be swell?

     Oh yes, I’m going to have some pictures taken at the camp photo studio, and I’m going to send you, and Jesse & Bee, and Eddie & Marge, and Vi & Moonie one.  It only costs $6.50 for 6 pictures, 4”X5”.  I’ll go in about next Tuesday or Wednesday, and it will be about two weeks after that before I’ll get them.

     Well, I guess I’ll close for now, but I’ll try to write everyone real soon.  Bye for now.  I sure wish I were there.  Write again soon, and thanks a million for the cigarettes (butts in the army).

                                                      Your loving son,
                                                            Elwood

This will be me in another five minutes!!! (Haak bifssk.)

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World War II Letters: July 1943 Letter from Arcadia, California’s Camp Santa Anita

Posted on October 1, 2011 by John

   As of this letter from early July of 1943, Dad was still a private, then stationed at Camp Santa Anita in Arcadia, California.  Knowing that Dad was an even worse typist than I am, I feel impressed by what I suspect was a true labor on his part to do this letter.  He at this time is becoming more and more homesick, and I think the reason for his being CQ (confined to quarters) was once again that he hadn’t made his bed properly.  A quarter was supposed to bounce off the tightly arranged sheet and blanket, and I’m pretty sure my mother would confirm the fact that Dad could never make a bed.  He was closer to being an Oscar Madison than a Felix Unger.  Still in training, he was taking technical courses on mechanics.  London and Guam were yet to come.  JB

July 25, 1943
                                                                                                                                                     Friday night
Dear Mom & Dad,

     I received your letters and pictures and I sure am tickled.  I’ve waited a long time for them and I’ll sure keep them on me.  I’m sorry again I haven’t written to you but you know why.  We were given a test the other day and I guess we passed all right, so maybe we won’t have to keep up this stiff training much longer.  I hope we won’t anyway.

     I guess you are wondering how I rate writing with a typewriter, don’t you?  Well I’m on CQ tonight and I’m enjoying the lieutenant’s typewriter very much. How are you and everyone else at home?  I sure wish I were there with you tonight but I’m not, so I guess that is that.  We are leaving in the morning on bivouac until Friday morning.  We will be on the desert for those four days.  I hear we can only have a canteen full of water each day and only our helmet full to take a bath in.  They are pretty smart.  The water we drink out there has been treated with a chlorine solution and can be drunk, but the water we are given to wash in is poisoned to a certain state and will make us sick if we drink it.  That way the men won’t be filling their canteens out of their wash water.

     Gee, Pop, I’m glad you feel better since you gave up some of that hard work in the mill.  You may not have the money you were making, but now maybe you can enjoy yourself a little more.

     Say, how did you like the headlines about old Mussolini getting kicked out?  I hope those other leaders follow him now by getting kicked out too.  If they do, I’ll get a nice long furlough. (The duration and six months would be around the corner.)  I’m getting tired of army life now and want to come back there to Indiana and never leave again.  California is OK and so is the army but I know now what “There’s no place like home” means.

     I haven’t written to Bonnie for the last three days either.  I hope she understands why.  This is one of the toughest training centers in the United States, and they have had us going until we didn’t know what to do next.  the whole thing is they are trying to give us a couple of months training in a couple of weeks we’ve been here, and when the army makes up its mind to do something, it’s done.  If we can start on our technical training now, we’ll be able to leave this field that much sooner and maybe be come back east again.  I sure hope so anyway.

     Well I’ll have to close for now, because I’ve taken so long trying to type this letter that I’ll be too sleepy to write to Bonnie in a little bit.  If you don’t hear from me again for a couple or four days, please don’t worry about me.  This isn’t as long as I wanted to write but I’ll have to write to Bonn or she’ll “moider” me.  Bye for now.  write again soon.

                                                                                                                                  Your loving son,
                                                                                                                                       Elwood
                                                                                      

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World War II Letters: Present to a Sweetheart

Posted on September 30, 2011 by John

Dad found this Mexican silver and tigereye bracelet for my mom, in a shop, near his Battle Creek, Michigan army base in 1943.  Dad knew mom’s taste.  Mom was tall — 5’9″;  large, striking pieces, like the bracelet, suited her perfectly.  I remember Mom’s wearing the bracelet all the time, when we kids were growing up. As babies, my brother David and I teethed on it. She wore the bracelet until her death, in 2008. It’s interesting to consider that, low army pay, soldiers were able to buy beautiful presents, for their sweethearts.

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Posted on September 29, 2011 by John

                                                                                                                            March 17, 1943
                                                                                                                            Wednesday evening

Dear Mom & Dad,

     How are you this fine winter day?  I sure hope you are all right.  I got back OK and everything is going nice here now. I sure had a wonderful time while I was home and I sure hated to come back here.  Dad, I didn’t realize you worked 4 to 12 Sunday and I’m awfully sorry I didn’t get to say good-bye.

     Well the weather here was swell when I came back but yesterday it turned cold and now everything is frozen again.  I hope they have arm weather down her in the summer time.  This morning we fell out and were carrying lumber for board walks and we almost froze to death.  About 9:30, sergeant Smith called me in the office and told me from now on, for the next four weeks I am to report to the gym at 9:00 in the morning until noon, and I asked him why and he said a lieutenant from the base was holding a class teaching jiu jitsu and there was supposed to be one man from each company there.  Then when the course is over, we are supposed to be instructors in judo in our respective companies.  I’m really enthused because I knew some of it and this lieutenant is a judo artist, so when he teaches us we’ll know the stuff pretty well.  He taught us wrist locks and how to break bear hugs today.  In a course of four weeks we should know plenty because we go up there every morning six days a week, and that would be 24 lessons.  I am supposed to get gym shoes and trunks now so when these guys pay me, I’m going to town and get some.

     How is everyone else there at home?  Tell them I said “hi” and to write to me.  I’ll close for now, hoping to hear from you soon.  I’ve quit writing this letter four times to play ping-pong, so if i is hard to read, you know why.  Bye for now.

                                                                                                                                   Your loving son,
                                                                                                                                        Elwood

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Talk of Marriage, a World War II Letter from Elwood Bolinger to his Parents

Posted on September 29, 2011 by John
John’s Parents Bonnie and Elwood, during World War II,
not yet married!

In this letter, Dad talks of his plans to marry Bonnie, whose consent he already has.  It turned out that the two would have to wait more than a year because of finances and the war, but the mere thought of marriage to the girl he loved so much filled him with joy.  JB

Feb. 17, 1943
                                                                                                                                              Battle Creek, Mich.

Dear Mom and Dad,

     How are you?  How is everyone else there in the little towns of Highland, Griffith, Gary, & Hessville? I am just fine.  My cold is gone and I am all settled in my new company.  I’m getting used to these guys now and they seem like a pretty good bunch of men.  We are doing the same thing in the company as we were in the 1801st.  I am even working with the same guys over at the garage that I worked with before.  We went to work this morning, but this afternoon we stayed here for driving instructions and practice.  We kept taking turns driving a truck around over the field.  Some fun!  I received three letters from Bonnie today so I am very happy with army life.  The only thing is that I haven’t received any from you or Eddie, or Jesse, or Vi.  Tell them I want them to write and if they don’t, I’m going to flip my lid.  Boy, I just got a laugh.  De Grazio was restricted to camp for a week, and he was just now playing ping pong with the 1st sergeant.  He thought he was getting good so he says, “Sergeant, I’ll play you a game of ping pong for my restriction.  If I win, you forget about keeping me here and if I lose, you restrict me another week, only you have to spot me ten points,”  so the sergeant says, “ I’ll give you a better chance, I’ll spot you eighteen points.”  They played the game and De Grazio won, so he left with a big grin on his face.  After he left, the sergeant told us he was going to lift De Grazio’s restriction tomorrow anyway.  There isn’t a better 1st sergeant in the army than him.  He was my 1st sgt in the 1801st but he isn’t now that I was transferred.  Did I tell you I have a steel bed now?  Well I have.  No more army “cots” for me (for a while anyway).  I’m resting better now than I was before too.

     Mom & Dad, I have some good news for you.  Bonnie & I are going to try to be married this summer.  Isn’t that swell?  I’m about the happiest guy in the world right now.  I called her last night and it sure seemed good to hear her voice again.  I haven’t been gone very long but it sees like a long time to me.  Oh yes, I took that ticket to the train depot here in Battle Creek, and Ill bet you’ll never guess how much of a refund I got on it.  I got exactly 13cants, and it cost me 20 cents to ride the bus in town and back to get it.  I was so mad, I couldn’t see straight.  Well, did the battery charge up in the Chev, or was it ruined?  By the way, next payday, I’m going to send you $10 for my 1943 license plate.  I’m sorry I couldn’t get it while I was there, but it is a good thing I didn’t.  Well, I’ll close for now, but I’ll write again soon.  By for now.

                                                              Your loving son,
                                                                  Elwood

(I hope you are as happy over Bonnie’s & my hopes as we are.  Bonnie & I have been praying for three years now that we could be married.  I only hope our prayers will be answered.  So long. 

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