Thursday, February 20, 2014

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. 15th?
  How do you know about the article in the April 14th 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


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