World War II Letter 3-7-1945 from Lt. P. E. Guckes to wife Eleanor Scott

[Envelope]

Lt. P. E. Guckes USNR. Stamped: U.S. Navy Apr 9 1945

CASU 31

c/o Fleet PO. San Francisco.

PASSED BY NAVAL CENSOR (initials added)

[2 page letter]

65

CASU 31

C/O Fleet P.O. San Francisco

7 March 1945

Sweetheart.----

  This letter is dated a day ahead of when I'd write you on the regular every other day schedule, but I happen to have some free time so I'm getting ahead . I'll probably not finish it until the 8^th any way.

I've just finished dinner, and have about ¾ of an hour before we go to the movies. Had a very nice dinner tonight, as the skipper had had [sic] flown in a lot of oysters which we had fried, and the navy cooks did a good job on them.

  Two of the advance officers from Maui are down here for a few days informal leave. They arrived this afternoon, and we all entertained them with cocktails before dinner. Tomorrow is my day off, and I have a jeep for the day, so I will be taking the pair of them on a personally conducted tour of the island, which ought to be fun for all of us. Provided it stops raining.

  Later --- Cain [?] and I are just back from the movies --- and I need a mouth wash. Don't even go to see Rosalind Russel in Roughly Speaking. We both got roped in to seeing it because it became we thought it was a comedy. There just isn't any excuse to make such junk. The damned thing starts out with a scene of a funeral and from then on the troubles and [nouans?] just keep piling up for forty years. Phoooie!

  Later – it's Sunday morning, my day off, and not a thing to do in the dismal rain. I've had breakfast, and as soon as my room is made up I think I'll stirp [sic] off my wet clothes and go back to bed for the rest of the morning. We've had no mail for five days, and there isn't a magazine on the station I've not read, so there is nothing to do but sleep. It's a hell of a life. Maybe the war will be over some day.

All my love

Exton

World War II Letter 3-4-1945 from Lt. Philip Exton Guckes to wife Eleanor Scott

[Envelope]                                                                                   [stamped]  U. S. NAVY APR 4 1945

Lt. P. E. Guckes USNR

CASU 31

C/o Fleet P.O. San Francisco

                                                        Mrs. P.E. Guckes

                                                               Orchard Way

                                                                      Wayne

                                                                             Pa

[stamp]

PASSED BY[initials of census printed]

NAVAL CENSOR

---------------------------

[3 page letter]

63

CASU31

9 Fleet P.O. San Francisco

4 March 1945

Darling -

  Since writing you last several of your letters have caught up with me 12-63-64-65 – telling of getting ready to go to Woodstock – two from there, and one after you got back. I don't immagine [sic] the trip was much fun. I'm terribly sorry about the whole thing.

  In one of your letters you mentioned our engagement anniversary and I'll frankly admit that the date went by. That's not because the occasion has dimmed in my memory, but rather that no date means any thing out here. Usually you don't know the date, or even the day of the week, and I always have to look up a date to put at the head of a letter. I've told you before that the seasons of the year mean nothing at all to us and there is nothing to look forward to.

  You speak of seeing 'Our hearts were young & gay” and I saw it a couple of months ago at Kaneohe. Good Show! Some of our movies are quite up to date and some are very old. Did I tell you that a few days ago we had a news reel telling telling us to be sure and mail our packages to the boys over seas before Oct. 15^th?

  How do you know about the article in the April 14^th issue of the Post? Did you see the proofs ahead of time? I'll look for it, and will probably get the issue about 3 weeks late.

  Awfully glad to hear the little tidbits about various people at home first mention of familiar names is welcome when you get so completely out of touch with home! Glad to hear that Betty Shroeder's husband is back again. She's been alone for a long time. From all I've heard he's a swell guy, and I'd like to know him. Have you met him?

  I went up to Maui for the day yesterday, intending to see Roger Miller & Slim Louisville, and saw them both, all right, but it wasn't much of a visit, as both of them had most horrible hang overs after three days of informal leave at Honolulu. After the noon meal they were a little better, but neither was interesting company. Had a very interesting trip back, riding in the cock pit of a Lock heed Lodestar, and getting the word on how to handle all the gadgets in a transport.

  Went over to the Gartley's for a late swim and supper, and had a fine time except that I got mixed up with a bed of sharp lava rock in the surf and got scratched and bruised a bit.

  Tried to standup, and gashed my foot, so that today every time I step on it the darn thing starts to open up, and I limp around like a veteran. I'm headed out to the pistol range in a few minutes with a couple of the boys, as this is all for the present.

Be good and don't stop loving me!

                                           All my love

                                                  Exton