A PERSONAL ACCOUNT FROM WALTER GILBERT LITTLE UNITED STATES MARINE

FOREWORD Our family comes from many names. Myself, Im an Evans, which connects me through my fathers mother to the Little family of Hughson, California and to my Uncle Walter Gilbert Little, Gib. You do not have to be an anthropologist, traveled to the farthest reaches of Africa, to catalogue complex family relationships and clan systems. The Little family makes up a large clan of families across multiple generations. Its family relationships stretch the far edges of blood kinship to embrace everyone however far removed left, right, up, or down the family tree. In reality, Gib is not my uncle but my cousin. Everyone is either a cousin or an uncle/aunt in our larger extended family. A great portion of the Little family still remains in and around the State of Missouri. The California Littles represent the portion of the family that came out to hopes of a better life during tough times in early 20th-Century America. Trying to compare our family to those depicted by John Steinbeck is not reality. While Steinbeck captured an extremely small niche of California life in his writings like Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, there were many, many other examples of families who came out West never having faced Steinbecks depiction of Depression Era California. For sure times were tough for the Little family but they built success and lived. They grew their farms and businesses despite the grim pictures presented by popular media. The California Little clan gathers regularly but only as near as possible to a whole at Thanksgiving and at our annual Little Family Bike Trip. Both events often find more than 80 or 90 of us in attendance during the family head count. The Thanksgiving gathering required the family to rent a local hall because we were just too many for any one of the family homes. The family bike trip was a bit easier. During the weekend gathering and ride, we all slept out under the stars with tarps to keep the dew off our sleeping bags. As a young man, I first met my Uncle Gib at these family gatherings. My 1

best memories of Gib were from the family bike trips. He was rail thin, even gaunt looking, with muscles of steel from years of work on his farm, and still a very imposing man. During our bike trips, Gib always wore a pith helmet and carried a whistle like a drill sergeant. The whistle came in handy as he was in charge of organizing the morning calisthenics. In true Marine fashion, hed form the whole family up and lead us in a preride exercise. My most vivid memories of Gib came during my time at university. Gib invited my cousin Kelly, also attending the same university, and I on a backpacking trip into the Sierra Nevada Mountains just north of Yosemite National Park. Theoretically, we were hunting deer but we just ended up carrying our bows around for a weekend of hiking. After meeting up at Gibs farm, my cousin and I were promptly schooled on the art of ping-pong. We always held out a hope that one might overcome Gibs prowess in the game, but he handily won every match we played. Shortly before we headed to bed, Gib had a review of our equipment. While my cousin and I sported a healthy kit laced with the industrys finest packing equipment, Gib carried only a WWII Marine issue pack with original wood frame, a simple sleeping bag, WWII-era military messkit and canteen. Gib also took care of our meals: one can of Vienna sausages each and a slice of bread for lunches, one can of beans or chili for dinner to be cooked in the can over the fire with his wire hanging device attached to a stick, hobo-style. Local water only, no treatment devices or chemicals for Gib. About half way up the trail I realized how much I wished for Gibs Spartan pack, wondering why I needed so many things on my back. After setting camp, we made an evening hunt to the top of Arnot Peak, just over 10,000 feet high. At the top, Gib introduced me to a hiking tradition of peak-top caches. The mountain was named after Californias first Superior Court Judge of Alpine County, Nathaniel Dubois Arnot. Judge Arnots family had placed a memorial plaque and a small cache box with Arnot family pictures. The cache also held a hikers logbook for all those who made the ascent and happened upon the cached box. Gib had made the Arnot climb for years and through the logbook had carried on conversations with other hikers and hunters from around the world whom he never meet. 2

After our first hunt, Gib cooked our beans over the fire and told us a story of Ernest Hemingways fowling exploits in Paris. As Gib understood the story, Hemingway used to feed the local Parisian pigeons, gaining their trust, so he could grab and wring their necks as he passed them into his bag for a later meal. True or not, the story got my cousin and I thinking about the campus ducks at our university. Lovely fat fowl, fed many a sweet slice of Wonder Bread. Well, it did not take much for us to find our way to the university arboretum with a loaf of bread. In short order, we had the fattest ducks eating out of our hands, and then just as quickly into our packs for a duck dinner later that night. Our guests for the evening meal would never had been the wiser, had not one of our girlfriends joked about the ducks coming from the campus ponds. Too bad that we could not help but laugh and gave away our secret. To this day my cousin, a respected State Department embassy doctor, and I, an officer in the Air Force, have never lived down our campus duck hunt. At each family gathering since our fowling days, the campus duck hunt story has been told and retold with ever increasing aggrandizement and theatrics. Im sure Gib would have gotten a kick out of it. In October of 1991, while day hiking a loop from Yosemites North Dome to Yosemite Falls, Gib made a wrong turn and fell to his death just as he neared the valley floor. It was a hard day when my cousin and I returned to Arnot Peak the next year to write Gibs memorial in the Arnot Peak cache book. Gibs letters and diary entries provide wonderful insight into Gib Little. Gib had a knack for poetry that went right along with his sense of humor and teasing that all the nieces and nephews experienced time and again. In his writings to his sisters, I can see that we were not the only ones to take Gibs teasing. Those letters show the great love he had for his younger sisters, Rayetta and Vera. While the Little family did well in their move to California, Gibs many references to the amount of food and eating well in the service showed that times were still hard and money a bit tight. His letters revealed great frustration in not being able to help out during the family harvest and his inability to get into the fight while other Marines went forward. Gib found himself in a support role,

guarding P.X. supplies and working at airbases, always one or two islands back from the action. Gib began his Marine Corps service in California. In January of 1944, Gib Little arrived in San Diego California at Recruit Depot Marine Corp Base and began training for his eventual deployment to the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. As Gib wrote in his letters, he was able to see some country while island-hopping: New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, New Hebrides, Bougainville, Tulagi, Green, Munda, Russel, Treasury Group, Los Negros, and Emirau. The family noted that Gib spent time on several ships; however, family memories sometimes fail to accurately remember the names of those ships. Some of the ship names are correct and exist in the records, while others have no matching ship name or reference from the historical record. As related from the family, Gib spent time of the following ships: USS Rochambeau, SS John T. McMillan, USS President Tyler (no matching historical reference), Navy Ship K-9 (no matching historical reference), USS Cape Meyer (no matching historical reference), and the USS Charles Carroll. If I look out from the point of my relationship to the Little family and all its clans, the U.S. military and war have been part of our family from the earliest days. Two Little brothers fought in the U.S. Civil War, one on each side of the conflict. Gib and his brother went to war in WWII along with my fathers father, his brother, and his brotherin-law. My fathers fathers sister worked in the Richmond Munitions facility of California, adding to the Rosie the Riveter mystique. My fathers stepbrother continued that tradition with service from Viet Nam, to Desert Storm, and multiple rotations with recent operations in Iraq and Afghanistan before he retired from the U.S. Army. My service began in 1999 and has taken me around the world from South Korea to Europe, with multiple rotations to the Middle East. Until I joined the service, I knew very little about our familys wartime service. War just was not talked about. Once I wore a uniform and had put a few deployments under my belt, it is as if I had passed some fraternal organizations rite of passage. My uncles began to talk about their service time with me. My Uncle Mac and I have spent many a night over homemade beer talking 4

about his service in Viet Nam, and our time spent crossing paths in various Middle Eastern countries. The early death of many of our familys war veterans has left a great gap in our family history. I know that my fathers father served in WWII with the 89th Infantry Division in Europe. I have walked his companys route to their crossing points at the Mosel River and the Rhine River and their eventual advance through Germany to the old Czechoslovakian border, now the Czech Republic. His brother saw service in one of Pattons divisions; however, little else is known of my great uncle. They just never talked about the war, at least with those who would never understand. All we have now are discharge papers, a few training records, and some faded medals. I have been able to piece together some of their histories but have lost any chance of their personal insights. With Gibs sudden death in 1991, we never had the opportunity to talk about his WWII experiences. His letters provide a moment to make up for some of the missed opportunities. I wish I had had that opportunity, and not just his wartime letters and poems. Gibs experience represents a different perspective of WWII rarely seen in popular writing, if at all. War and the warfighter have been spoken about, volumes written, and miles of film portray the archetypal superhero. Depicting the warrior, the special operator, the dramatic, and the exciting make movies sell for Hollywood. The Private Ryans, the John Waynes, and the Navy Top Gun pilots have become synonymous with the military. In reality the majority of military service is spent supporting those very few archetypal figures. Gibs writings represent a culture in and of itself that few scholars have embraced, few outside of the support community have written about such mundane aspects of military life. Never the less, they are a fundamental part military life, one that has changed little in the last 65 years of the U.S. military. It is not to lessen what these heroes have done; Gibs account is an account of the other service member. It is the story of a quiet, professional man who spent his service time in the kitchen, on guard duty, on details, and in the service of those who went forward into battle.

Gibs wife, Bonnie Little, transcribed his original letters after he passed away. As Bonnie typed Gibs letter just as he wrote them, I have done no less. Gibs letters, postcards, diary entries, and the notes from Bonnie Little have been retyped just as she had typed them years ago. For reader clarity, I have taken the liberty to annotate each entry with the type of correspondence: letter, postcard etc.

Michael Evans January 7 2012

ORIGINAL FOREWORD This is a compilation of letters Gib wrote home while he was in the Marine Corps. Some are repetitious and some boring and he admitted some were written because he didnt have anything else to do. However, I didnt leave anything out. His time overseas was mostly spent on Bougainville the largest of the Solomon Islands, not Guadalcanal as was stated at the memorial service. He was really disgusted to have spent all his time there and it shows in the letters. This was more of less part of the occupation forces and they were supplying arms for the war going on up ahead. He once wrote to me that he was going to volunteer to go to the front lines but as he said what he wanted to do didnt necessarily happen. Bonnie Little

A SELECTION OF PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE LITTLE FAMILY

Date of Photograph Unknown.

The Little Brothers Posing after WWII when J.Don Returned from the Korean War. From Left to Right: J.Don Little (U.S. Air Force), Darl Little (U.S. Navy), Gib Little (U.S. Marine Corps), and Dallas Little (U.S. Army).

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Gib Littles Farm Truck and Trailer Outfitted for the Annual Little Family Bike Trip. Gib Little, in his Pith Helmet on the Left

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Gib Little, in Pith Helmet on the Right, Getting Ready to Start the Annual Little Family Bike Trip.

Gib Little, and his Pith Helmet, Leading the Family in Morning Calisthenics Before the Days Family Bike Ride. 12

Gib Little and His Wife, Bonnie Little

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Gib Little in Later Years on His Farm in Denair, California.

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Gib Little on his Last Climb of Arnot Peak and Final Deer Hunting Trip with his Nephews Kelly Briden (the Embassy Doctor) and Michael Evans (the U.S. Air Force Officer), August 1991.

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WALTER GILBERT LITTLE, GIB UNITED STATES MARINE

Postcard

San Diego January 4, 1944

Hi Folks, Got here o.k., have been waiting around all day. Got here this morning about six. Just got done shaving. Its about time to turn in now. Dont know anything for sure. Have no definite address yet so dont write till you hear from me again. Think I will have about seven weeks boot camp then maybe furlough. Dont know anything yet. Had good feed today. Will write again when I can give you my address. My bunk mate is from Georgia and he sure talks like it. Gib Letter January 6, 1944

Hello Folks, Well another day gone by. Feeling fine. Got two shots in the arm. Kind of sore. Have a lot of equipment now. There are 63 guys in the platoon Im in. We will not have any time off for at least 7 weeks and probably no for 12. Havent had any trouble so far. Saw a little excitement on the train I caught from L.A. A negro tried to choke his girl friend. She swiped his money. But nobody got hurt. By the way when you happen to be in town wish you would get me a combination lock if you can or some small lock with a key. No special hurry but the drill instructor said we would need one before too long. Had a little too much money so bought a bond ($18.75) and $3.00 worth of stamps. Will probably send them home before long. Shipped my civilian clothes home today but probably be a long time getting there. They will come collect so you keep down my bill and I will settle up. They say you dont have much choice as to what you want to do so dont be surprised at anything. Got a new bunk mate. He came from Idaho. Boy, they come from all over. Havent done much yet 16

as far as exercise but will start pretty soon. Boy, do we get plenty to eat. Have an address now so you can write. Thats all for now. Heres my address: Pvt. Walter G. Little Plt. 8, R.D.M.C.B. San Diego 41, Calif. The Plt. means platoon. The R.D.M.C.B. means Recruit Depot Marine Corp Base. 41 is the zone. Be sure and get it right. Am going to get hair cut tomorrow and I mean they really give you a butch. Neck is beginning to feel like leather already. Well, guess I better get ready to turn in. Gib Letter January 7, 1944

Hello Again, Well, havent got much time to write so will make it brief. Still doing fine. Am practically bald headed now and so is everyone else in the platoon. Dont send the lock that I wrote about. Ive got one. We have plenty to do now. Got rifle yesterday. Dont know what will get into yet. We wont have much time for anything for the next seven or twelve weeks which ever it is. There are a lot of guys here that have been drafted into the Marines, it seems that they had no choice at all. We are grouped according to size. I am in the short group, there are about 20 or 21 of us. Dont be too surprised if you dont get a letter when you expect it because we may not have any time to write. Well, thats about all for now. Keep writing. Will give you my address again: Pvt. Walter G. Little Plt. 8, R.D.M.C.B. San Diego 41, Calif.

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Letter

January 12, 1944

Hello Folks, Got your letter today. Thought was never going to get it. Besides having a cold and a lot of sore muscles I am doing okay. Boy, they do everything on the run around here. The way they eat would make dad look awfully slow. You really have all you want to eat, plenty of milk most of the time, but no biscuits or cornbread. I am living in a hut now. There are about twenty of us in it. There are about 60 men in our platoon. We have three huts. We are arranged in huts according to size. I am in the small size. The drill instructor calls our hut the feather merchants. The guys are a pretty good bunch, they come from most every state. We have double deck beds, I have an upper deck. My mate got sick yesterday so I am all alone. I mean on this bunk. There are about 19 more guys in here, too. Boy, I thought it was supposed to be warm down here. It is pretty cool when we get up in the morning. We get up about 5:30. We have one minute to get dressed and lined up in front of our huts. We sleep with our socks and sweat shirts on. We have two blankets and a large overcoat so I dont get cold. After we line up we do double time for five minutes, that means trot. Then we come back and shave, wash and fall in line for mess (breakfast). After breakfast we come back to huts and clean them up and make up our beds and they have to be made just so so. Then we go out and drill for about three hours, that is marching and learning how to handle our rifle. We come in for dinner between 11:00 and 11:30. After dinner we go back and drill some more till about three then we come in and shower and do our washing. About 4:00 or 4:30 we eat again then come back and hang out our clothes. Then we have a little time to write or study or clean rifles and shoes. We usually have something to do at night. Last night we went swimming. You have to be able to swim 50 yards. Some of the guys couldnt swim at all so they have to take lessons. Before we get out of boot camp we are supposed to be able to swim it with a 50lb. pack. I will be here in the hut for about three weeks then we go to the rifle range for three weeks more then we come back to the huts for one more week. We are supposed to get a ten day furlough then but they do not promise for sure so am not counting on it very strong. You are supposed to only have about 5 to 7 dollars in cash so bought a bond and some stamps. You dont 18

need to send the lock, I got one now. Glad to hear about the clean milk and be sure and get the trees in right. Yes I saw Jimmy Haffner on the train. He went to Los Angeles. Sorry that Dal came down after I left. So he is just an ordinary soldier. My bunk mate is from Georgia now. We have changed around several times. All of our equipment is in a large canvas sack. It is called a sea bag. It is sure hard to keep everything in order. Well, I have had to stop and start writing again about three times. It is time to fall out again so I will close for now. Be sure and write. Will try and find more time to write later. Gib Letter January 14, 1944

Hello Again, I am sending home some war stamps, a bond and insurance certificate. The insurance is made out in moms name. I told them I would like to have it made out to both your names but they had some kind of an excuse. They do things so fast around here you hardly know what you are signing or doing. But I dont have any intentions of collecting any insurance on me. Besides, I think my hide is worth more than ten thousand dollars. I am doing okay except have still got a cold. We sure are getting tough down here now. We use spike mails for toothpicks. ha I am wondering if my clothes have got home yet. They say it sometimes takes a long time. Its about time to fall out to go to a show so will close for now. As far as going to see Helen we wont even leave the base until we finish boot camp. Write whenever you can. Got a letter from Speedy yesterday. If Dave or Spike writes home, be sure and send it on down. Be sure and write if you get these. Should have them insured but have not got time to go to the post office. I almost forgot to tell you, I had some teeth filled yesterday. Boy, when they do that drilling it sure raises you up in the seat. They filled 8 of them. I was surprised that my teeth were so bad. Most everyone had some filled. Guess thats about all for now. Gib 19

Letter

January 16, 1944

Hello Folks, Well, today is Sunday and we didnt do very much today. I got to catch up on my sleep a little today. They sure dont give you much sleep around here. We dont go to bed till about ten and get up about five thirty. We just got our wash done and brought in. You guys would probably get a kick out of watching me wash and sew and make beds. Some of the guys sure have a heck of a time. I am sure glad I came from the country instead of the city. I have gotten pretty well acquainted with a fellow who used to teach chemistry in high school. We march next to each other and eat together. He was plenty soft when he got here but he is doing better than I expected him to. He was drafted in. He has a wife and baby at home. Most of the fellows in my hut are between 18 to 21. There are a few married ones. I think I wrote that we were called the feather merchants because we are so short. We had our picture taken today. I think we will have a chance to get one so if I do will send it home. We are dressed in dress greens, combat jackets and cartridge belt bayonet and rifle. By the way I have learned how to tie my tie now. I imagine we will be plenty busy this week so may not get much time to write. They tell us we have a lot to learn in the next 6 weeks. I guess it will only be 6 more weeks until we get out of boot camp but dont know where we will go after that. I guess it all depends on where they need men at the time we get out. There are about fifteen thousand Marines here. But have never seen any fights yet. No one seems to get mad but at the drill instructors and the mess men. The drill instructors are pretty good all but one and no one likes him. The Corporal who is our head man was on the Wasp when it was sunk. That is what the other D.I. said. One of the guys asked him if he had ever been across but wouldnt answer. Well thats about all for now. Write when you can. Gib

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Letter

January 20, 1944

Hello Folks, Just a few lines to let you know I am still here. Was glad to hear that Alpha is getting along alright. Tell Helen that I dont think Leroy would get to see me if he came over here so he better not come at least until boot camp is over. Tell dad that rifle I got is a Garand. The best. It will shoot seven miles. It has a speed of 2680 feet per second. We will shoot at a 20 inch target at five hundred yards when we go to the rifle range. Ill be surprised if I hit it but most everyone does they say. We dont shoot it yet. Started practicing with bayonet yesterday. Boy, these city fellows are sure finding it tough but it isnt so soft. We got some platoon pictures so I am sending two home. I guess you will recognize me. I am second from left in second row. Boy, I sure was frowning. The three men in the middle without rifles are the drill instructors. Most fellows like two of them but the one on the right (Andrus) no one likes. All three of them have been marines for quite a while. The one in the middle was the one on the Wasp when it was sunk. Tell J.Don not to let a little thing like the flu get him down. Thats what he told me. We had a parade today. We had fifty pound packs, our rifles, bayonets and canteens. There were about a thousand of us in the parade. We marched for a while and then had pack inspection. You have to take everything out of your pack then repack it in short order. Well, just got back from chow. Sure feed good. Gib Letter January 23, 1944

Hello Folks, Well, today is Sunday and we dont have so much to do so I will write some more. Tell Rayetta that I was kind of surprised to get her letter but any time she can to write some more. Besides I think she needs practice in typing by the mistakes she made even though she claims to be head of the class. 21

I will be here at the base for one more week then we go to rifle range for three weeks. Then we come back here for one more week and then we break up. That is we go to line camp or the place where they need us. The drill instructor said about ninety per cent of us would probably go in the infantry. You get a chance to say what you would like to get in but they put you where they need you. What did you think of the pictures? They are quite a bunch of guys. Most of them are okay. Some of them do a lot of complaining because most of them were drafted. We got some more shots yesterday so no one feels too ambitious. Most of the guys are cleaning rifles or writing letters or shining shoes. There sure have been lots of guys that have got sick since we started. We have lost about one third of the guys that started with this platoon. I still have a cold but it is getting better. I volunteered for visitor duty this afternoon. Dont know exactly what I will have to do but I heard that we go to the visitors section and then when someone comes in to see someone we go find them. I hardly know my way around here so I may have quite a job. Well, I dont seem to be able to think of much to write so will close. Gib Letter February 2, 1944

Dear Rayetta, I will write this to you but it will have to count as a letter to everyone. So Hughson beat Ceres, good. I got a letter from Bonnie and she said they got beat. Boy, will I kid her. Darl must be getting on the beam or something. But tell him 5 points is not very many. You asked me if I had gotten a letter from Geneva. No, I havent. Tell anyone that has spare time to write me. I will answer everyone I can because there is nothing better here than mail call. I got a letter from Alice Orr and David Baptista. David wrote that he was on emergency call for overseas duty. He sent a picture of himself and another fellow. What did you mean you are getting better grades than I used to get? You never did see my report cards when I was a freshman and 22

sophomore. After I started playing sports they kind of dropped. Honor points. Phooey. Teachers pet. Tell those guys to get those trees in right. By the way have they got the pipeline completed yet and how is the feed holding out for the cows? Bet it is getting kinda low. I have been on the snapping line all day. This is where we learn to aim our rifles. Boy, they sure get you in some cramped up positions. You do as they say too and not as you like. We may fire real ammunition tomorrow. They dont know for sure yet. They sure have different ideas here how to fire a rifle than they do in civilian life. So they thought I was Jack Brown when I wrote about our rifles shooting seven miles. Well, all I know so far is what they say and thats what they claim. By the way we clean and take care of them, they should. They are a pretty wicked looking weapon when you fasten your bayonent on the end of them. I have a magazine here that I will send home. I wont have time to read it anyway. Maybe you guys will. That part on Boot Mary page 62 and 63 is a little example of what we do. By the way tell Mary Jo I think she should write me a letter. Shes got lots of time. Well, write when you can. Gib Letter February 7, 1944

Sent to Rayetta Well, Did you get ant sense out of the other side of this? This is what they call a moron letter. I got it in the mail and thought you might understand it. Besides I dont have much place to keep the mail I get. Tell mom I didnt get the letters she wrote while she was visiting Alpha. Maybe theyll come yet. Today is Sunday and we are having it easy today. I am writing this laying on my back on my bunk and writing on my knee. I imagine you guys are probably sleeping or you probably have gone down to see Mary Jo. Do you still go see her every half hour? Maybe you guys have gone to the show. How is the gas holding out? 23

I should quit writing and go out to the range and practice snapping in, but my arm is too darned sore. Some guys just came in to our hut from Georgia and are talking to guys in our hut from there. Boy, do they have the southern drawl. I think Im doing pretty good, a letter last night and this today. Youll probably get them both the same day. Today is my day to clean the hut. We take turns cleaning it. There are four guys each day to clean it. Well cant think of much else so will close. Your Big Brother, Gib P.S. They call me Chic Little. I dont know why.

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My Dearest, I sat myself down, pencil in hand to write you a letter in ink. (Please excuse the typewriting.) I dont live where I lived before, because I moved to where I live now. When you come to see me you can ask anybody where I live because no one knows. Im sorry that we are so close apart. I wish we were farther together. We are having more weather this year than we had last year, arent we? My Aunt Nellie died and is doing fine. I hope you are the same. I started to San Diego to other day to see you. I saw a sign that said This sign takes you to San Diego. I got upon the sign and sat there for three hours and the darn thing never moved. Im mailing you a coat by express. I cut the button off so it would be lighter. They are in the pocket of the coat. If you dont get this letter, let me know and Ill send it to you. The girl next door swallowed a bottle of ink but shes doing nicely now. The doctor told her to eat ink blotters. Our neighbors baby swallowed some pins, but the doctor fed it some pin cushions so its doing o.k. I would have sent you the money I owed you but I didnt think of it until I had sealed the envelope. Loads of Love Me P.S. Im sending you a picture of our little dog but for fear it would get lost, Im taking it out.

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Letter NAME Barnett Hubbard Kelly Kodedek Stallings Sutton Davis Adamson Kimbrell Little Roberts (bunkmate) Haley Roach Bergman Brennan Wilcox Swindle Snow Haworth STATE Calif. Idaho Georgia Illinois Idaho Idaho Oregon Idaho Texas-Calif. Mo.-Calif. Calif. Georgia Georgia Georgia Georgia New Mexico Florida Mass.-Calif. Calif.

Undated DESCRIPTION Biggest on in the hut About my size, quite Oldest, uses big words Cull of hut, smart alec Young kid, tall & slender Quiet, young & married Went to sick bay. Pretty big Likes to sing, going to get married on furlough Small, redheaded, wirery Only guy with pillow Noisy, smart, sleepy. tough (Dont laugh) Educated, helpful, trys hard. 34 looks 25 Quiet, divorced, false teeth, small Jolly, fat, snores clumsy, nice guy Blond, wears glasses, 19, kinda noisy Small, 20 yrs., talks a lot, went to military school Slow talking, homesick Married six months Older fellow, dont know much about him 32, noisy, false teeth, spoiled well off as a civilian Quiet, slow, my size young

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I never saw anything like this before but maybe youll like it. Tell me if you do. The guy with the pillow stole it from another hut. We use coats for pillows. Well guess I better seal this up before I get another brain storm. Gib Letter February 10, 1944

Hello Folks, Well, I just finished polishing my shoes and have some time before bedtime so thought I might as well write. Boy, was I lucky today. There were about 68,000 bullets that flew around me today. The farthest not over two hundred yards and not on touched me. You see I was working the targets. Its quite a feeling to watch those bullets hitting against the hill. There are 100 targets on the range and behind every target is a regular cave where the bullets have hit. I bet you guys would like to see how this range is run. Did you understand those diagrams I drew in the last letter? We figured the cost of todays firing. At four cents a shell they fired about $2,700 worth of shells. So you can see why we pay taxes. We start to fire our Garand rifles tomorrow. A week from today we fire for record. We fire about two hundred practice shots before record day. Hope I make out okay. I didnt get Rayettas letter today but may get it tomorrow. I never have got the letters you wrote while you were at Alphas. I would like to know if dad learned to dance. ha Dal seems to get off quite often now. Sure too bad about Eugene. You asked if I had much hopes of a furlough after boot camp. Well, not much. We may get mess duty for about thirty days after boot camp. Thats working in the mess hall. Where are you getting this hay from and how much? Im sure sorry about the horse. I hope you guys dont feel like I ran out on you with so much work to do. I really didnt feel right when I was home and all the married men were getting drafted. My bunk mate, the high school teacher is a father of a six months old baby. He sure hated to leave but he is doing 27

pretty good. He is a really nice fellow. He sure has got an education. Im learning a lot in here. By golly I sure wish mom was here to hem up my dress greens. Some of the guys are sewing theirs now. I havent done mine yet. Thats going to be the toughest thing Ive done yet. I had a heck of a time sewing the pads on my jacket for shooting. Its sure a funny looking thing. The rifle coach ripped the back all to heck because it was too tight and kept me from getting in position. Well, guess thats about all for now. I was looking through those addresses last night and so I thought I would write to someone so I wrote to Cledia Byrd. Guess shell be surprised to get it. I have written to almost every address I have down. Havent written to Helen yet. Is she here or at Alphas? Well, write some more. Gib Letter February 14, 1944

Dear Rayetta, Guess I will answer your letter. So Hughson has a pretty good basketball team after all. But didnt I tell you the girls games would not be worth much. So J.Don and Jimmy Orr tried to dance. That reminds me of Spike and myself trying to learn. Ill bet dad sure enjoyed the dance. So you think we have to be pretty fast. Well, you cant go to sleep exactly. I have fired 52 shots with my Garand rifle and got 24 bullseyes. Thats no so bad. We have to adjust our sights the first few days. We fire for record Thursday. I should qualify if I do as good as I have so far. These rifles are sure nice guns. So mom was worried about me holding targets while they fired at them. Well, we dont hold them, they are on a platform that works up and down. You are behind a hill with steel and concrete between you and the guy firing. You couldnt get hit is you wanted to. I got a letter from Mary Jo yesterday. I already answered it. I addressed it to you, I didnt know about Al. 28

So you think I do pretty good at writing. Well, I think so myself. But you sure like to get letters when youre here. What do you think of that wild idea describing the guys in the hut? Well, its about time for chow and I dont want to miss it because I saw a whole lot of roast chicken in the kitchen this morning so I better cut this off. Dal may have a long wait if he waits till I get a furlough. We dont have the least idea when we will get one. Write again. Gib I had already sealed this up and was ready to mail it. I started to clean my sea bag and found the targets we shot at with the twenty two. Thought dad and Darl might be interested to see what I did and this will show them the kind of targets we fire at. Of course they are a lot bigger than these but the same shape. These were fired at with the twenty two at 25 yards. The idea was not to hit the bullseye but get a group. That is to see if you aim all shots the same. There are ten shots in the bullseye target and fifteen in the silhouette. Of course they were not all this good but I dont think they are so bad. This is another wild idea I guess. Well, I think I better go mail this now. Gib Letter February 15, 1944

Dear Folks, Seeing as I dont have anything rushing to do I might as well answer your letter. So you are having pretty cool weather up there the way you wrote. We had quite a lot of rain here last night and this morning. Whats the matter with you guys letting Denair beat you? I got a letter from Alpha yesterday. She didnt write much, said Ed was going to write some later. So you dont understand why the drill instructors dont just say left, right, left. The way they do it is supposed to be easier on the voice. They have a lot of little short cuts. Instead of saying platoon attention 29

they say toon ten shun. For forward they say ford hut. You soon learn what it means. You had better learn. The name of the camp I am in now is Camp Matthews. Im getting kind of short on paper so better use both sides. The article on colds mom sent back to me sounds good but Im afraid if everyone went to the doc every time he thought he was going to catch cold there wouldnt be enough hospitals and you are told what to wear and when to hit the sack. Maybe when you get out of boot camp you can do like it says in the magazine. My cold is practically okay now. It doesnt bother me now. We fired preliminary records today. I didnt do so good. I made 284 points. That would qualify me but I would rather make sharpshooter. It was awful muddy and rained some while we were firing. I think I can do better Thursday. The coach also made some adjustments on my sights. I thought it would be hard to fire16 shots in a minute but the coach gets on me for getting through too fast. I got three bullseyes at the 20 inch target at five hundred yards. I got 4 fours and one three. I lost most of my points in the slow fire at 200 yards. That was when it was raining. I am not very steady in the off-hand position. I also dropped several points at 300 yards rapid fire. I had a group but they were high so the coach lowered my sight one click. They should be better Thursday. Well, Rotty I dont suppose you get much sense out of the firing. So you are still head of the class in typing. Keep it up some day you may be as good as your big brother. We signed the payroll yesterday. I dont know how much I am going to get but dont think it will be very much the first time. Some of the married men will get only about five dollars. Sure seems like not enough. Ive about run out of anything to write about and I havent got any wild ideas tonight. We have ten more days of boot camp before the platoon breaks up. We have heard all kinds of tales as to what we are going to do after that but I dont think anyone knows yet. I wont be surprised at anything. Most of the guys think it will be mess duty for 30 days. I should get fat if thats the case. We really eat good here. We had pumpkin pie tonight but it was cut like Aunt Lu cuts them and no whipped cream. Well, guess I better close this up. The guys are getting into an argument about the firing today 30

so I better get in it and straighten them out. hm You know I never get anything wrong. So Long, Gib P.S. Did you hear of the couple that named their baby Weatherstrip because he kept his father out of the draft. Letter February 20, 1944

Hello Folks, Well, guess I will write some more. It is raining like everything right now. The roof leaks so we have buckets all over the place catching the water. We are at the base now. Tomorrow we are to get some more clothes. We get our dress greens this week. We have the trousers already. You wanted to know if I dreaded the thirty days in the mess hall. No, I dont think it would be so bad. We dont know if we are going to get it or not. There are 22 platoons that are breaking up and 11 are going to get mess duty. If we get mess duty we get three nights a week liberty for 6 hours. The trouble is I dont think there is much to do in San Diego. We had payday the other day. I got $35. Some of the married men didnt get anything. We got quite a kick out of the way they did it. We all lined up in alphabetical order and marched through the hut for our money. They sure go fast and you dont ask any questions. Some of the married men were told that they were over paid. They sure didnt understand how they were over paid when they had never got anything. It will be different after we finish boot camp. Glad to hear you got clover all sowed. I guess that hay hauling is quite a job. Guess it sure hurts the profit when you buy the hay. Boy, are we having a regular rain storm here today. I thought Arch said it would be like spring down here. The out of state boys sure rub it in about sunny California. The way those articles read they are really going to draft a lot more men. I wish Darl could finish high school before he has to go. I dont know much about the merchant marines or the navy. Guess there isnt much difference only the pay. 31

About the platoon picture I dont think you had better send it because it would get awful wrinkled because we have to keep everything in our sea bag. Ill get furlough before to long and then I can tell you about them. There are not many left that were with us when the picture was taken. A little over half I think. Everyone is trying to train their hair again in case we get liberty but most of our hair sticks straight up. About that sewing, I didnt cut any off but they dont look too good. They wear them awful long and they dont have any back pockets which I dont like. I got your letter and your card the same day. I just heard the chow call so I better close. I guess we will have to wear our ponchos (raincoats) to chow because its still raining like everything. Ill write when I find out what we are going to do next. Gib Letter February 25, 1944

Hello Folks, Well, I just found out where I am going so as the marines say I will cut you in on the dope. I get 30 days mess duty and no furlough. There were about 42 of us got mess duty. A few got into some special branch. My bunk mate is going to get 10 days furlough and then to a photography school in Virginia. He is sure happy about it. We are going back to the rifle range for mess duty. We turned in our rifles and bayonets today. We get or we are supposed to get a few hours off three nights a week. But we will be quite a ways from town. The range is about 20 miles from San Diego. The D.I. read off our names and where we were going. There were a lot of frowns and smiles. You remember me writing about the aircraft plant being so near our hut. Well, one of the planes overshot the field and it has been lying with one wing through the fence. It is about 50 or 60 yards from our hut. It seems the runway was slick and it started skidding and one tire blew out. No one was hurt. I was wondering if you heard the Kay Kyser program Wednesday night. He was here at the base. We didnt get to see him but one of our platoon was on the program. He won second prize. 32

It has been raining here every day this week. We got out of an inspection today because of it. We learned to use and throw the hand grenade this week. We also had to dig a fox hole with our mess kit. We dug up to our shoulders. That is quite a job with a little man and in the rain at that. The ground was sandy or I guess we would still be digging. We have one more inspection tomorrow before we break up. Maybe I better explain an inspection. This morning we had rifle inspection. We stand at attention and when the officer steps in front of you, you bring your rifle up and throw the bolt open. He then takes it and if he finds any dirt on it, it is just too bad. Tomorrow we are going to have pack inspection. I will sure be glad when it is over. I dont know if my address will change when we go to the range but if you write it will get to me. I will write as soon as it is changed. Well, guess thats about all. Gib Letter February 28, 1944

Hello Folks, Well, I am at the rifle range mess hall now. I was just made a commander. I am in command of the pots and pans department. I have four assistants. Boy, do we have a lot of things to clean. There are about 2,000 men here to feed so you can imagine how much we have to wash. The messmen bring in the pans and stuff and throw them in the middle of the floor. We take a hose and squirt hot water on them and wipe them off. The little things we wash in a sink with soap and water. It is awful wet in there. We have rubber boots to wear but we still get wet. It should get easier as we get used to it and get a system worked out. During the meal time we serve food on the line. That is a pretty good job. We have lots of fun kidding the guys coming through for food. One nice thing about it is we get the best eats of anyone. We practically eat when we want and what we want. We are supposed to have thirty days mess duty. We turned in our rifles before we came up here. I dont know what we will do after 30 days. There were about 42 of the platoon that got mess duty. But there are only about 10 guys from our platoon here at this mess hall. 33

Is Helen here at San Diego? We will get nights off no so I might get to see her. It is almost time for the noon meal so I better close and get to my office. hm Ill try to write more later. Gib Letter Hello Folks, I just happened to think as I wrote the date down that it was Darls birthday so happy birthday to Darl. Guess he should feel like a man now. Before I forget it what about my income tax? Did you get it figured up yet? There isnt much time left so see if you can fix it up. I am getting along okay with my command of the pots and pan department. We get up at four and eat and serve to the recruits then scrub till about nine. Then two of us stay there and the other four have of till 11. Then we serve dinner and get done about 2 and have till 4 off. We alternate staying in. The sargent put me in charge. I dont care much for the job because I get the blame but it dont worry me much. We sure do get plenty to eat. I havent gained much weight since I have been a marine. About 3 lbs. I think. It gets pretty hot in the room. The room is called the scullery. I had liberty from 6 till 4 in the morning last Monday. We could go to San Diego if we wanted but I only went to the main camp to the show. We were supposed to get every other night liberty but the inspecting officer caught the guys shooting dice so we are restricted for a while. There isnt much to do in San Diego so it dont bother me much. The mess hall where we are is not exactly the same as the one where I fired. It is about a mile from the main camp. We are at F range. I fired on E range. The F range is about 100 yards back of our barracks. It gets rather noisy at times. But you get used to it pretty soon and I can sleep right through it. Those Grand rifles dont make as much noise as you would think by the power they have. They sure do cook on a large scale. For example they fill three flour sacks with coffee and put them in tanks when they have coffee. 34 March 1, 1944

There is quite a bit of food wasted. We have a lot of fun serving the food to the recruits. For instance if you are serving salad or gravy or most anything you may say be careful when you eat that Mac because I just found some tacks in it. They always have some remark similar to that. Some of the guys just coming in sure look funny. The reason I used the name Mac is because the marines call everyone Mac if they dont know his name. You always hear somebody hollering Mac. So J.Don has a basketball team. Sounds like they did pretty good for the first game. Well I cant think of much else so guess I will close for now. Gib Letter March 3, 1944

Dear Rayetta, So Peggy is about to take away your typing championship. You better get more practice so you might write more often and longer letters. But to tell the truth I am surprised you write as often and as much as you do. By the way you tell Jo if she doesnt write me some more letters, she will be sorry when I get furlough. I just finished my little job of dish washing. Boy, I am sure getting tired of greasy pots and pans. Just for an example of what we wash hows this? We have 24 pans which they use for serving, they are about 1 ft. deep and 2 ft. long and 15 inches wide. We have to wash then after each meal. We have about 13 kettles, they a 2.5 high and 3 ft. in diameter. We wash at least six of those each meal and some times all of them. We have 36 baking pans, they are about 4 inches high and 3 ft. square. We use about an average of 30 each meal. Also about 20 cake pans about 2 by 3 ft. We average about 10 of those a meal. We also have dippers and paddles from a teaspoon to about a gallon dipper. They use a lot of them each meal, about 50-1 gal. pitchers each meal. Also about 30 plates and knives and forks and spoons, platters, dish pans, butcher knives and milk cans most every morning, about 15. So you should never complain about 8 or 10 plates and a few knives, forks and a couple of bowls. ha If I get furlough after this 30 days I dont want to even as much as wash a spoon. 35

We get up at four and if were lucky get to bed about 9:30. We get about 3 to 4 hours off during the day except we have to have two men on duty at all times during the day between meals. There are six of us. During the time off we amuse ourselves by showering or washing clothes. Sometimes we take a nap or write a letter. As you might guess I am getting dish pan hands. ha So you are still trying to learn how to drive. I wonder if I can still drive. Maybe if I ever get a furlough I will teach you to wash dishes and you can teach me to drive. If you know how by then. I am sending a picture of a range where I fired. It only shows the 200 yard line and only part of the targets. There are 100 targets altogether. My target was 92. I may be in the picture but dont think so. I dont know when it was taken. Maybe dad and Darl will get an idea how the range is. The target works up and down. Well, guess thats all for now. Gib Letter March 15, 1944

Dear Rayetta and Jo, I havent got very much time so in stead of writing to you both Ill write both of you at the same time. I havent got much to write about anyway. Still washing pots and pans. We won first place last week for having the cleanest mess hall on the range so I guess we do okay. The sergeant said we had the scullery cleaner than it had been for a long time. I just finished washing my clothes. Im sure getting kinda tired of scrubbing stuff. When I get through with this I should make some girl a good house-husband, dont you think? We are supposed to have pay day today. Everyone is sure needing it. They do quite a bit of gambling and some of the guys lose all theyve got in one night. I am not broke but Im badly bent. We get liberty every other night now. I went to a small town about four miles from here last Sunday night. Went to the service club or U.S. O. and saw a pretty good stage show. There isnt much to do in San Diego. I went to a show at the main camp last night. Saw Sahara which was pretty 36

good. Almost froze while I was watching it for it is an open air theater. Also played a few games of ping pong at the P.X. I never got beat either. brag It is a mile to the main camp and I run back every night I go to try and keep in shape. I am getting a little heavier I think. But no wonder for you should see the stuff we get to eat. Well, it seems as if Hughson had a pretty good basketball season this year. I was surprised for they didnt look so good when I left. Maybe they didnt have any competition. Ill bet those girls teams were something for the books. Especially with birdlegs and bowlegs on them. Im glad Im not where you can reach me right now. ha Well, I just went over and got paid. Got $30. Nobody can figure out the payroll system they have here. You just take what they give you and wonder why didnt get more. So you gals didnt think much of the pictures. Well, what did you expect, Clark Gable? I intend to have some big ones made some time later. As for a furlough I dont figure on one for some time yet. But you dont know anything about it. The guys just got paid and they have started a poker game already. Half of them will probably be broke tomorrow. Well, rowdys I guess thats about all I can think about for this time. Hope you dont mind this two in one letter but I figured you both read them if I wrote separate so I saved paper and time. Tell Red Top I am expecting a letter from her. As for what I might do to you if you didnt write, well, Im not sure but dont wait and find out. Well, so long. Gib

37

Letter

March 17, 1944

Hello Folks, I got your letter today and you said you thought I might be sick or something because I didnt write. Well, Im a long ways from being sick. Right now I am at the U.S.O. hall. The guy I came down here with wanted to dance but I dont think I could with these shoes on. We are at a little town called LaJolla. We played a game of miniature golf a little while ago. I won. Were about ready to go back to the camp so Ill write some more Sunday. Gib Letter March 23, 1944

Hello Folks, Well, Im still here and doing okay. We got out pots and pans all done for another day. Its about 8:15 now. I thought I might as well write you a few lines because you cant get to sleep until about 9:30 or 10. I am kinda sleepy tonight because I went to a show last night in San Diego. Got here about 12:30 and got up at 4:30. We had a little excitement in the mess hall tonight. One of the stoves leaked out some oil and it caught fire. We were working in the skullery about 15 yards from the stove and we didnt know anything about it until the fire truck got there. We were really washing pots and pans and we heard the siren blowing. We looked out the window and saw the fire truck coming up the road. We began wondering where the fire was and it was right in the kitchen next door to the skullery. Boy, they sure have things efficient. There were M.P.s and Majors and everything else there in no time. We were expecting to get off of mess duty about Saturday but may not until Wednesday. I wont be sorry when we finish. Ill let you know when I find out where I go to from here. Well, I guess thats all for now. I am sending another one of these Leatherneck magazines. Gib 38

Letter

March 25, 1944

Hello Folks, Well, I got off a little early tonight so I will write now instead of tomorrow. I will be on duty most of tomorrow. We had some of the recruits to help us tonight. We had a little radio here and just got through listening to the Grand Ole Opry. It still sounds the same. Me and one of the guys in the skullery tried to get a pass to go to Mexico but we didnt get it. The other four guys in there have got 60 hour passes but we havent yet. I dont know if we can get across or not but if we get a pass we may try. It is only about 20 miles from here. This fellow I may go with is from Idaho. He has been in the same platoon as I have all the way through. He is only 20 years old and has been married about five months. Hes a pretty nice guy. He sure is getting fat here on mess duty. I have gained some myself. Last Thursday we had field day and thats when we are on duty all day. Well, we got the skullery all spick and span so we decided we would take turns two at a time and take a little rest. So two of the guys took off and slept for about an hour and so Keith Moss (thats the guy from Idaho) and I started to take our turn. We are gone about five minutes and here comes the sarge. So we spent the rest of the day shoveling sand mixes with oil. The other guys in the skullery sure got a kick out of us getting caught. Its the first time we tried it and got caught. Some of the guys get away with it all the time. The sergeants here are pretty good bunch of guys. I havent had any trouble with any of them yet. The sarge that caught us didnt get sore or anything. I think he got a kick out of it. You asked about whether I thought I would get a furlough or not. Well, I doubt it if I go to the infantry. If I happened to get in aviation I might but dont think there is much chance of that. We hear lots of different stories about furloughs. I think you are supposed to get one before you have to go across but some dont. We hear all kinds of rumors about where we will get training. Some say we may get two months training here and the rest over there but I dont think anyone knows. I dont worry much about it. I dont think you better come down here now because I am liable to be moved any time. Maybe when I get in 39

line camp I will find out more definitely what I am going to do. We got the extra week of mess duty alright. We will break up Thursday. It seems to me you had better get rid of the renters. I still think the rent money isnt worth the trouble and bother. So Henry Ford thinks the war will be over in two months. Well, I hope hes right but I dont think it will be that soon. I know less about how the war is going now than I did when I got in. You said something about eating potatoes. Well, I doubt if I eat any that you plant but we eat lots of them. There are five guys working in the spud shack all day. They peel potatoes, carrots, onions, etc. They have a lot of machines to do most of the work. Some of the spuds came from Keiths home town in Idaho. He was sure surprised when he picked up a sack the other day and it had a fellows name on it he knows. I guess Eugene feels pretty big now. I guess Ill have to salute him now. We salute all officers of Allied nations, Army, Navy, Maries, Wacs and everything else. But we dont salute when we are in San Diego. I havent had to salute a woman yet but I may one of these days. I sure going to feel silly Im sure of that. Are the strawberries getting ripe yet? And how about Topsys leg? Well, I guess I better close this up and go to bed. Ive got liberty tomorrow night again. Probably go to the show here at camp. It takes to long to get back and forth from San Diego. Tell that Red Top I am still waiting for her letter. Well, goodnight. Gib

40

Letter

March 30, 1944

Hello Folks, I am back at the base again. Was sure glad to get off mess duty. I sure got some sore hands. We dont know what we are going to do yet. We will find out Saturday. So Ill try and write Sunday. But dont get worried if I dont write for a few days for I may be too busy. We are living in tents now. I dont know what my address will be so maybe you better wait until you hear from me again before you write. I dont know when they are going to call us out so I better close this up. Ill write again when I can. Gib Letter April 2, 1944

Hello Folks, Well, just a few lines to let you know where I am. I am in the Aviation Training Station. In other words the Marine Air Corp. I dont know what part of it I will be in as yet. Probably in the ground crew some place. We have been taking tests today and from what they say we will take a lot more tests before we find out what we do. I feel pretty lucky. I thought sure I was going to the infantry. It seems they had the air corp closed for a month and then opened it up for trainees again. We just hit it lucky. Several of the guys from our old platoon are here. I guess thats all for now. Ill try to write some more later when I get time. Note my new address. Well, I better hit the sack. My head is whirling from the tests we had this afternoon. Gib A.T.S. 131 M.C.A.B. MIRAMAR San Diego 45, Calif. 41

Letter

April 4, 1944

Dear Rayetta, I suppose you guys are all wondering what I am going to do and where Im going. Well, I am too. We had tests and then we were told to make three choices of what we would like to do. Then they would look over our tests and see if we were qualified for what we wanted. Well, I chose aviation, metalsmith as my first choice. That is sheet metal work, such as patching up holes and wrecked planes. Then I chose aviation ordinance my second choice. That is taking care of guns and loading bombs and all around work on the plane. My third choice was aviation machinist mate, that is motor repairing. Well, after we make our choice, we have an interview with the captain. He has all your records from the time you were born to when you went to the toilet last. Well, almost that much. Anyway he has all the records of what you made on all your tests. He looked at my choices and at my records and then asked me if I had had much mechanical experience. I told him not very much. He said well your choices seem very logical so I will put them in the order you chose. Now thats all I know. From what I hear they wait till they get an opening in a school and then send you there. Or maybe send you some place else if they need men at that time. I dont think it means an awfully lot what you sign for. It is where they need you the most if you can qualify. So you see I still dont know a whole lot about what I am going to do. I would kind of like to get in a plane some were as a radioman, bombardier, navigator or gunner. I dont know what chance I will have. Probably not much. While we are waiting to find out where we go we are practically going through boot camp again. We are getting a lot more drilling and marching. We also get a lot of work details such as sweeping out buildings which I just finished doing. We are in four companies, A,B,C,&D. One company has what they call police duty every day. The other three companies have liberty from 4:30 till 6:30 the next morning. Well, we got here Saturday and nobody had liberty the first night. The next night C company had duty which I was in. So we swept out wash rooms and mess halls and a little of everything. Also when a company is on duty they have air raid drill. They call you out at any time of the night and give you three minutes to get dressed and out on the parade ground which is a bout two hundred yards from here. So you 42

see you learn to wake up pretty fast. Well, we had been drilling all day and we came in at 4:30 expecting to have liberty and we find out we have been changed to D company so we have duty again tonight. When you have duty you eat chow at 5 and fall out for duty at 20 to 6. Then you are sent to wherever they need men. Tonight I helped sweep out the carpenter shop. It only took 45 minutes so we got off early. We have to fall out for duty again at 8:40. Probably have something else to clean by then. Then again tonight we will probably have an air raid drill. So you see we have lots of fun. Weve been drilling in the sun all day with only skull caps on and my face is sunburned as the dickens. After working inside the mess hall for thirty days I was kinda white. Well, I guess I better close this up. I almost wrote a book. You said mom had a sore throat and Darl had one. I hear there is lots of scarlet fever going through the country so they better be kinda careful. You also said Susie got bloated and died. Thats not so good. What did she do get in the alfalfa? So you guys get out of school for Ester vacation this week. I wouldnt mind a week vacation myself. I have heard rumors that some of the guys get furloughs but havent got my hopes up yet. I dont know if I got my address right the first time or not. So you had better check it again. Write whenever you can. Gib P.S. Heres a stick of gum for you. Pvt. Walter G. Little A.T.S. 131 M.C.A.D Miramar San Diego 45, Calif. Letter April 17, 1944

Dear Folks, Well, I got here okay. I had quite a layover in L.A. Got there about 3:30 and couldnt get on a bus so got a train. It was 8:15 and had to sit in the aisle on the train. I never saw so many people. They were only letting 43

service men on and they still didnt have enough room. Filled two trains with service men and I mean full. There wasnt enough room in the aisle. They were even laying up on the rack where they carry baggage. I got to San Diego about 12:00 and got here about 1:30. Got up at 5:30 and been working in the P.X. this morning. I had some sandwiches so I didnt go to chow. I dont like to wait in line so long. Well, here it is night again. I didnt get this letter finished at noon. I just got thru sewing up my jacket which came unsewed again. Been working in the lumber yard this afternoon and I sunburned my nose again. You know I was afraid I had left one of my sheets out. Well, I didnt. I was glad I found it in my seabag. I dont know how long I will be here. They told us today that we would be gone from 1 to 6 weeks. I hope it is one. Well, guess I will go to bed for Im kinda sleepy. Write and tell me how Darl made out. Ill write if I get moved soon. I got a letter from Dave Baptista. His address is in care of New York Postmaster. He will probably go to England. Gib Letter April 22, 1944

Dear Folks, Well, Im still here. I still dont know any more about what Im going to do than I did when I was home. Weve been pretty busy around here getting things ready for inspections. I never saw such a place for doing things so perfect. We had a locker inspection yesterday and boy I mean you had to have everything folded perfect or its extra duty. We have another inspection tomorrow. If we pass we get liberty from noon Saturday till 6:30 Monday. I think I will go down to San Diego and go out to the zoo again if I pass inspection. I didnt figure I would have much time to write Sunday so thought I would write tonight. How did Darl come out with the draft board? Well, Im getting sleepy so I better go to bed. Gib

44

Letter

April 26, 1944

Hello Folks, Well Im still here at Miramar but in a different company. I am in the Aviation Regulation Squadron. I just got in today so I dont know exactly what it is. At least I am glad to get out of that A.T.S. 131. They had too many inspections to suit me. There are not supposed to be so many inspections here. You wrote in your last letter that Darl and the rest of the guys from school got in the Navy. Does that mean he wont get a deferment? When are they supposed to leave? I sure was sorry to hear about P.K. Points. I was talking to him the night they had the party up there. He said if he couldnt get in the Air Corp he was going to try the Marines. It must have been a pretty bad accident to kill two and injure two more. So Helen is going to live in Modesto. Is Sibbee Miller going to live with her? Im afraid they wont live there very long. By the way have the renters been back lately? You wrote that Aunt Lula wrote for my address and said she wanted my picture I promised her. I dont remember promising anyone any picture. I dont know exactly how many were late getting back off of furlough. There were not so many I dont think. I dont think they got the brig unless they were 24 hours late. Keith got back from Idaho okay but he is in a different company. Most of the guys in the barracks Im in now are new to me. There is two from my old platoon. Well I guess thats about all for now. Ill try and write again when I find out what Im going to do. Gib P.S. My address is a little different now. A.R.S.-1 Sec. 9 M.C.A.D. Miramar San Diego 45, CAlif. 45

Letter

May 2, 1944

Dear Redtop, I guess I better answer the long letter you wrote me. I was glad to get it even if it was kinda short. Where did you learn to spell such big words? I just bought this fountain pen over at the P.X. I also got you a little bracelet. So you see it pays to write once in a while. I dont imagine you can read this so I might as well answer moms letter. We are still expecting to be shipped out at any time. Still dont know where we go or when or what we do when we get there. Most of the guys would like to go to Australia but I dont know if we will or not. I got moms letter today telling about Eugene getting married. I was sure surprised. Not so much surprise at him getting married but to a lady with a baby. I never thought it of him. I wrote him a letter the other day. Dont know if he got it or not. You wrote that you liked for me to write what I was doing. Well, this morning I helped sandpaper a semi-truck, one that was built for hauling butchered beef. They were going to paint it. This afternoon I have been washing windows. Yesterday we did some drilling with our rifles. Also did some combat exercises. I twisted my ankle and its pretty sore but I got it taped up so think its okay. We had to pick up another person on our shoulders and run with him about 75 yards. I happened to have a guy that weighed 175 lbs. and when I went to sit him down I stepped in a little hole and twisted my ankle. I was the first one to go the 75 yards though. He had to carry me back but he only got about 3/4 of the way and put me down. He was only 18. I got a little extra duty coming up tonight for leaving my bayonet on my cartridge belt instead of on my pack. Probably have to water some lawns or go to one of the mess halls and do some scrubbing. This is the first time I got any extra duty. Well, its almost time to report to the sergeant of the guard from my extra duty so guess I will close. Ill write again if I find out anything and am allowed to tell. I dont imagine we will know where we will go until we get there. 46

I am getting kinda tired of this waiting around wondering when were going. It seems they dont keep them overseas but so long so guess the sooner we get going the sooner we get back. Well, Redtop write again when you can. I think I got some gum also. Will send the bracelet in another package. Your Big Brother, Gib P.S. Just got back from extra duty. Had to scrub on some stoves for two hours. Got off pretty easy. Letter May 6, 1944

Hello Folks, I havent got much to write about except Im still here and still dont know when were going. We hear rumors that were going to go in a day or two but we havent gone yet. We may be here for another month yet. We took a hike the other day out across the hills for about six miles. It was pretty hot and we werent very used to it but everyone made it. Some of them were pretty well pooped when we got in. I made it okay. The only trouble was coming down the hills over the rocks because of my sore ankle. It is about okay now. I just got through taking a shower. Been down to the gym playing basketball. We can go down any time and play when we get time off. The theater is only about fifty yards from the barracks so we go to the show quite a bit. I went last night but theyve got the same show on tonight. We had a parade today. There were about 500 or better in it I think. They decorated seven men for action in the South Pacific. Three got the Distinguished Flying Cross. Two got some kind of air medal. Two got the Purple Heart for wounds. The parades are pretty nice to watch but not so much fun to be in. We have to stand at attention so darn long and it is pretty hot. After the parade we had an inspection. I get quite a kick out of the inspections. Everyone tries to do everything just so so and some of them pull some boners. When the officer stemps in front of you, you are supposed to bring your rifle up and throw the bolt back. I was all set when 47

he came in front of me and started to bring it up and the darn thing caught on the edge of my pocket but I got it up and he didnt say anything. Well, Its time to hit the sack. Ill write again if anything happens. Gib Letter May 10, 1944

Dear Folks, Well, Im still here but we have everything packed but our Blankets so looks like we are going to shove off pretty soon. We got our final equipment yesterday and they took our liberty cards so we cannot leave camp so guess they really mean were going. Dont know where to and couldnt tell if I did. There were about 500 came in from overseas the other day and I talked to some of them. Some of them say it is better over there than it is here. They say you dont get so many inspections and so much bossing around. I dont know for sure but everyone thins we are going to be on what they call general duty. That from what they say is working around an air base so dont think Ill be in much danger. As a matter of fact I will be kinda glad to get started and see the country. I sure am sorry to hear about Alpha. Surely she is not as bad as they think. It wont seem right without her and what will Edd do. Im not much good at writing this kind of letter but I want her to know that Im pulling for her. Look mom, take some of my money and buy her some real nice flowers or something and tell her old Gib is pulling for her. We signed some cards that will be sent home when we leave and when we get where were going. There is a chance that I may not be able to write so if you dont hear from me for quite a while dont get worried. They told us that we better write and tell our folks that sometimes the mail gets tangled up form overseas and dont get through very fast. We had a payday today and they told us we wouldnt have much use for money so I am sending home a money order for $50. Ive still got about $35. We will get 20% more pay for overseas duty so should get $60 a month now. According to what they say you get rates pretty fast also so should have enough to get by on. The guys that came back from overseas had more money than they knew what to do with. 48

Well, guess thats about all for now. Dont forget to get Alpha something real nice. I still cant believe it is as bad as they think. Ill write again when I can but dont worry about me and be sure and write how Alpha is. Tell Rayetta Ill answer her letter later. Some of the guys are wondering if theyll get seasick and I wouldnt be surprised if we all do. Well, so long for now. Gib Letter May 12, 1944

Hello Folks, Well, were all set to go now so thought I would write again. We leave to load on the boat at six in the morning. Dont know where we will go. There are 120 of us in the company Im in and none have ever been over before so there will probably be a lot of sick marines before we get there. A couple of kids just came through the barracks wanting to shine shoes but they didnt have any luck here. They let the kids in every morning and night to sell papers. This is the first time I ever saw shoe shiners. They do a pretty good business selling papers. They get lots of tips. I got moms letter yesterday. I sure am sorry about Alpha. I could probably get a pass to go home if we werent shipping out. Ill bet this will sure be hard on Edd. Wonder what he will do now. Redtop said something about maybe Dal was going overseas. Is he still working the operating room or not? Well, dont know much else to write so guess Ill go take a shower and shave and go to bed. We get up at 4:30 in the morning. Im sending mom a little present for Mothers Day. Im afraid it will get there a little late, but they say better late than never. I dont imagine I will get to write until I get to where Im going and the sergeant said we may be on the boat for three weeks. It probably takes quite a while for mail to get across so you may not hear from me for quite a while. You will probably get a card from the marine corp before long telling my new address. I guess the mail will follow us anyway. So 49

dont worry about me, Ill be okay. Im kinda looking forward to seeing some country. Gib PRE-PRINTED POSTCARD FROM THE MARINE CORP: My address is being changed this date, May 8, 1944. Please do not write to me until I send my new address. Signed Pvt. Walter G. Little The card was mailed on the 13th of May, the day 5,000 Marines sailed from San Diego on the USS Rochambeau, a French liner converted to a troop ship. Note: On the back of one of the letters, Mrs. Little had made this note: Gib shipped out Saturday. Got a card from war saying not to write until heard from them. Dallas is going too. Since Gib couldnt tell in the letters where he was while overseas, Bonnie Little went through the small diary he kept after he shipped out and have interspersed those entries as they fall between the letters. After Joe Alvernaz wrote his letter, of course the family knew where he was. Diary Entry Saturday, May 20, 1944

One week at sea, will sure be glad to reach port. Saw several flying fish, sure is hot and crowded. Diary Entry Sunday, May 28, 1944

15 days at see. Boy, will sure be glad to see some land.

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V-MAIL

June 2, 1944

Dear Folks, Thought I had better write and let you know I am okay. We had quite a trip coming over. I got pretty sea sick the first two days but soon got used to it. I was sure glad to get my feet on land again. I dont know if Darl will like the navy or not. I dont care for it myself. You get kinda tired of looking at water. I will be glad to get some mail as Ive been wondering how Alpha is. You should get a card telling what my address is. We dont know what it is yet. I will write as soon as I find out what it is. I dont know if our mail that was sent to our old address will be forwarded or not so when you get the card with my address on it how about having Rayetta sending it to Bonnie so I can get some mail. Her address is Bonnie Ellington, General Delivery, Ceres, Calif. The mail system may be slow so dont get worried if you dont hear from me for quite a while. Ill be okay. Im getting a good experience out of this. So long for now. Gib Diary Entry June 6, 1944

Now on ship again. Spent three days at New Caladonia. Dont know where we go from here. Note: New Caladonia is owned by the French. Diary Entry June 11, 1944

Now at New Hebrides, living in a tent on a coconut plantation. Am expecting to be transferred right away. Left the U.S. four weeks ago yesterday. Got four letters yesterday from Bonnie. First mail Ive gotten since we left. Be glad when we can write again. The food is good here there are lots of mosquitoes. They have a show every night. Been reading magazines most of the day. Right now I should go wash some clothes. 51

I just kicked a football into the top of a coconut tree and had to climb after it. Diary Entry June 12, 1944

Am now aboard ship again, dont know for sure where we are going. Am getting tired of packing and unpacking to get on ship. Will be glad when I get in a squadron. Was told I am in Headquarters Squadron, First Air Wing. Letter Hdq. Sqd. F.M.A.W % Fleet Post Office San Francisco, Calif. June 16, 1944

Dear Folks, I guess you are wondering why you havent heard from me for so long but we didnt get to write whenever we wanted to. We have an address now so think I can write a little oftener. But let me warn you again that if you dont hear from me for quite a while dont get worried. I got a letter from you today that was written May 12. Its the first I have gotten from you since I left. I got some from Bonnie also but hers were air mail so they got here a lot quicker. Also got one from Spike Orr. I still cant believe Alpha is so sick. One of the letters I got from Bonnie she said that Edd was going to start thinning peaches where her dad was working. Her letter was mailed the 31st of May so I dont know what to think. I should get some more mail from you soon so maybe Ill find out. From the way you wrote I guess there isnt much hope for her. It sure wont seem right when I get back not to see here but I will always remember her anyway. I guess school should be about out by now. I am wondering if Darl has gone in the navy or not. Tell him to get in some kind of school and learn something if he can. As for me I cant tell you much except Im okay. Cant tell you where I am except in the South Pacific. We live where there are lots of coconuts. The other day I kicked a football and it stuck in the top of a coconut tree and I had to climb after it. I dont make a very good monkey. 52

Well, guess thats about all I can think of to write so guess Ill close. Write as often as you can and tell Rayetta and Vera and Mary Jo and everyone else to write for there is nothing better than getting mail over here. As Always, Gib Diary Entry June 20, 1944

Am now on Guadalcanal, Im on guard duty. It is raining very hard right now. My first hour of duty the supply tent for the mess hall burned down. Boy, it is really raining. We swim in the ocean a lot. Letter June 24, 1944

Dear Folks, I thought I better write again and let you know Im okay. I thought I would get some more mail from you and find out about Alpha. The last letter I got from you was mailed May 22. If you would use air mail I would get them in about 7 to 10 days but if they come by boat sometimes it takes months. There isnt much I can write about for we cant write about what we do overseas. Im not in any danger so dont worry about me. I guess the peach fuzz has begun to fly around home. I still start to itch when I think about it. ha How about the apricots, do they have any this year or not? I could go for one of them. Im getting tired of eating coconuts. We have good chow over here. A lot better that I expected. Also can go swimming in the sea when we get off. It is sure salty though. Not like the canals at home. I guess everyone around there should be pretty busy right now. I am still wondering how they are going to get all the peaches picked. How about dads trees are they still alive or not. They looked pretty good when I was home. I guess everyone was glad to hear that the invasion has started. I know everyone over here was. I dont see how the Germans can hold out very long but maybe theyre stronger than most people think. 53

I guess thats about all I can think of to write. Ill sure be glad to get some more mail from you. Im wondering about Alpha and whether Darl is going in the navy or not. I ran on to a fellow over here that used to live in Oakdale. Hes the only guy I know from around home. He knows some of the guys that I knew when I went to J.C. Sure good to find someone from near home. Write when you can and dont worry about me. As Always, Gib Diary Entry Undated

Am still at Canal. Still doing guard duty. We have moved to a different camp near Henderson Field. Had a little excitement yesterday. Ammunition dump caught fire and big shells started going off. The dump is just on the other side of the hill from camp. We dodged shrapnel all day. Saw some natives and lots of battle scarred coconut trees. Gets pretty hot here, chow is good. Letter June 30, 1944

Dear Rayetta, If I remember right I owe you a letter, so will try and write some. There isnt much we can write about over here. I have seen a few natives here but they arent exactly handsome. Been swimming in the sea several times and Im getting a pretty good tan. Got a nice sunburn first though. I guess you have been swimming quite a bit by now. I have been wondering if Darl has gone into the Navy yet or not. Guess if he goes you will have to learn how to milk. ha I can just see you hauling hay and getting kicked across the barn by a cow. If Im not wrong you should just about be through picking youngberries by now. And how about strawberries? I could sure go for some shortcake and lots of whipped cream. I heard you were a waitress at the junior-senior banquet. Guess you wonder how I found out way over here without getting any letters from home but things travel pretty fast some times. Also heard Hughson beat 54

Ceres in the baseball game. Guess you have an idea now how I hear so much. I have only gotten one letter from home since I left and it was written May 12. Ive been expecting to get a bunch of them all at once but havent got here yet. Wish you would write airmail or V mail. The trouble with V mail you cant get much writing in a letter so I prefer airmail. Ill try to write at least once a week but dont be surprised if you dont get one every week for something might happen that I couldnt write. Well, I guess Ill close this and go to the show. Yeah, we have shows over here too. Theyre not in fancy theaters and some are kinda old bur theyre better than none. Write when you can and tell Mary Jo and Vera to write, too. As Always, Gib Diary Entry July 2, 1944

Still at Canal and still on guard duty. Took a ride in a truck and saw a lot of the island. Went swimming in the sea and had a lot of fun riding the breakers. Am in the guard company. I am the oldest. Diary Entry July 4, 1944

Still at Canal and still on guard duty. It is midnight and I am guarding a pile of Cokes. Am writing this by moonlight. Havent got any mail for 2 weeks or more. Letter June ?

Dear Gib, Will answer your letter written June 2, which we were so very glad to get. We received it June 13th which was 1 month from the time we got your other letter. We have not received the card yet letting us have your new address but hope to soon. Im going to see the Red Cross about it if we dont get it this week. I am here at the hospital with Alpha. She just sleeps most of the time, just gets weaker all the time. She is a bit mixed up in her mind this week but had been o.k. that way for a long time. I dont 55

see how she can last much longer but the doctor says you cant tell much about it. Edd and Helen are still staying at Opals. They may get possession of their home the 1st of July. Edd thinned peaches one week and sat up some at night with Alpha. He made $127. Lots of people make more than that this year. I didnt know what to get Alpha with your money. One day I was trying to comb her hair and she said Else wish you would bring your hair brush up here. That gave me the idea to buy her one. I told her about it and that you had given the money. She didnt want me to spend your money. I said now listen, Gib didnt tell me to ask you if I could buy you something, he just told me to buy you something nice, so you see I have to do it because Gib is away from home and expects me to do as Im told. Alpha told Hazel about it one day while I was home. When I cam back, Hazel had it up here. You see they are hard to get. Hazel told the woman how bad we needed it and etc. and talked her out of one. Alpha was sure pleased with it. You know she always liked Red Top to comb her hair, some times brush her hair for almost an hour. She said the brush was the very best present I could have bought. You see its been weeks since her head was washed and the brush cleans it. It cost $3.60. She told everyone about you buying it. It made her feel real good. Edd is working in Stockton this week. He makes over $11 a day but he hasnt got to work much the last six weeks and his expenses are high, about $70 a week. Darl left the 8th of June with five more from Hughson. Dick and Don Snyder, E.L. Howard, Kenny Lundell and Gordon? Don joined the Marines and they sent E.L. back home. The others ent on to the same place Spike Orr did and two others from Turlock that they know. The six of them are still all together through boot camp. Darl wrote that Dick sleeps in the bunk under him. They seem to be having a good time. I hope they all get to come home on furlough together. He wrote about the short hair cut and Mary Jo had a good laugh thinking of Darl combing his hair minus the wave. Lloyd also tried to get Darl deferred. I would of meant $1,000 to Darl if he could have been here until October. Dad and the Hughson doctor are the new board members of the high school. Dad got the most votes. Ill send you the piece out to the paper about it some time. The Sunday School class gave Darl a nice party at Lindbergs with hot dogs, two big cakes and lots of ice cream. They also gave him a nice 56

leather case to take with him, also a navy testament. Mrs. Snyder gave them all a turkey dinner and there were several other parties. He had a good send off. J.Don says dad still has the best boy left. haha He ought to do pretty good by himself with all the dress clothes you guy left him. Joyce Miller said everyone in the 8th grade in Hughson was tickled to death because J.Don goes to high school next year. Says they think theyre going to win all the games. She was in 7th grade. Dal was home a week ago last Sunday. He is back in the Operating room after training for several weeks for overseas duty. They told him and seven others they have to stay until they get someone trained to take their place. He says he wont believe he is going until he is on the boat. He sure likes his job. J.Don and dad are getting along very well. The milk came to around $400 for the last two weeks. Of course were buying some hay now. Lots of little things go undone such as a garden and weeks and etc. I have canned 54 quarts of berries this year. We get 10 a pound for them this year and people do their own picking. We dont have enough berries to go around. They are 29 a box in the stores. Were sure having cool weather. Hows the weather where you are? We sure to wonder where you are. Im sorry about not knowing your address. Its going to be so long before you have news from home. We will send it on to Bonnies as soon as we get it. Alice Orr was down after you address. Said Spike had written you at the old address but wanted the new one. Everybody is always asking about you. Edd was riding with some men to work. Someone said something about you. Edd said Why do you know Gib? He said yes, his daughter went with him. It was Bonnies father. Well, I cant think of any more news, besides this is eleven pages. I may not get it all on the V mail sheet even if I do use the typewriter. Try and take care of yourself so you wont get sick. Write every week if you can. Love, anxious mom P.S. Wish you could write about your work, etc.

57

Letter

July 7, 1944

Dear Folks, Thought I had better write and let you know Im still okay. I am still waiting to get some more mail from you as its been about two months since I heard from home. The last letter I got from you was written May 12. There isnt much I know to write about. I just finished reading a paper from Stockton. It had something about the county track meet at Modesto. Said Hughson came in fifth place. The fellow that gets the paper is from Oakdale. Well, cant think of anything to write so guess Ill close. Maybe I can write more when I get some of your letters. Be sure and write by air mail or V mail. As Always, Gib Letter July 14, 1944

Dear Folks, I have some time off so thought I would write some. I got a letter from you yesterday that was written the 15th of May. I got the V mail letter from Rayetta and she said that you had written about Darl going in the Navy but I havent got it yet. I still havent heard about Alpha and I will sure be glad when your letter gets here. I have gotten several letters from Bonnie and I cant figure out why I havent gotten yours. I also got a letter from Grandma Little that was written the 15th of May. She said Leon Riley was somewhere in the Pacific. Also said that Bob Swadley and Lelas husband had bought the farm they were on when I was visiting them. I got Doriss address so I am going to write to Bob and send it to her. She said he had a deferment but might have to go. So Eugene Penney flew over the house and Browns thought I was in it. Thats pretty good. By the way how is him and his wife and baby getting along. Well I guess I better close. Write and give me Darls address and maybe I will write him. I guess dad and J.Don are having plenty to do with 58

him gone. Tell them they better teach Rayetta and Vera how to run the milking machines. ha Well dont forget to write. As Always, Gib Diary Entry July 22, 1944

Am still at Canal on guard duty. It gets pretty hot here some times. Dont have to work very hard but it gets awful monotonous. Going to have a ball game this afternoon. Letter July 18, 1944

Dear Folks, I finally got your letters so thought I would answer them, I got the one you wrote first about two days after the last one you wrote. Im sure glad Alpha like the present. I guess its hard for you to have to stay up with her so much. I sure do wish she didnt have to go so soon. So Darl and the other guys are still together. That should make it a lot better than if they had been separated. With Don Snyder joining the Marines and Dick the Navy and Bill already in the army they are about as well represented as the Little family. Im sure glad to hear about Bill getting the Air Medal. Too bad about Bud Hudelson but if he is just listed as missing he may still be okay. I was kinda surprised to hear dad was elected to the school board. Hes getting to be quite a politician in his old days. ha This fellow I ran on to from Oakdale is named Brennan. I dont know his first name. The fellows I stay with are a pretty good bunch of guys. There are seven of us living together and Im about the oldest one. We do lots of arguing about one thing or another mostly about states. We are all from different states so we never agree. Two of the guys are married. They saw the name on one of the letters I got from Bonnie the other day and they all started singing My Bonnie lies over the ocean. Things dont get very dull with them around. WE get to see lots of movies but lots of them we have seen before. 59

You said something about having a picture made. Well Im afraid there isnt any chance over here. Well guess thats about all I can write about. We cant write about the weather or what we do or where we are so guess youll have to wait till I get home. I got an Easter card from Cledia yesterday. It was mailed April 7 to my boot camp address. I dont think you read the instructions about the V mail. You dont put them in an envelope. As Always, Gib P.S. I got your V mail the same as if you wrote them. Dont put them in an envelope or they dont know what they are. Letter July 22, 1944

Dear Folks, Thought I would write and let you know I finally got your letters. Also got one from Dal which I was kinda surprised to get. Also got one from Mary Jo. I also got one of the letters you wrote when you were in San Francisco and I was on mess duty. Your addresses are okay but the mail gets mixed up somewhere along the line. Everyone else here gets their mail all mixed up. Just use the address I put on the outside of the envelope and Ill get it sooner or later. Dont need my serial number. LaterJust got the afternoon mail and I got a letter from Eugene Penney and Alice Orr. They were both written quite a while ago. The way Eugene wrote I dont think he is very happy about his marriage. He talks like he has a pretty easy job and said he was getting $327 a month. I got your letter the other day saying Alpha had passed away. Guess if she couldnt get well its just as well she went as have to suffer. Guess it will be pretty tough on Edd and Helen. We had a softball game this afternoon but we got beat by one run. I got three for five but made two pretty bad errors. I signed a card the other day so that I will be able to vote so tell dad he better give me a little tip on who to vote for. As Always, Gib 60

Letter

July 27, 1944

Dear Rayetta, Got your letter yesterday also got the one dad wrote so guess Ill answer them both at once as there isnt enough to write about to write two letters. Your mail seems to be coming through okay now. It took nine days for yours to get here. The way you wrote about surf board riding on the reservoir I am wondering if they opened it up again. Should be lots of good fishing up there if they have. Ive been reading several magazines about hunting and fishing so when I get home Im going to show you how to catch fish. You know how I used to catch them, huh? By the way tell J.Don if he uses my fishing gear not to tear it up for Im figuring on using it some more. So you have started to work cutting cots. We have them over here once in a while and also peaches. Every time I start to eat a peach I can imagine peach fuzz burning me. I wonder sometimes if some that I eat could be some that we dried. Sure does seem funny not to be working in them this year. There is a fellow here from Georgia and we get in arguments sometimes about which state grows the best peaches. I dont know if I wrote about meeting a guy from Livingston. He knew David Baptista and a few other fellows from Hughson. Dad wrote that Hap Aldrich had gotten married. I wasnt much surprised to hear that. By the way Mary Jo and mom wrote this Bob Manning is getting to be quite a case. How about it? What about the Wap Versanni or something like that? ha Dad wrote about seeing several softball games. Weve been playing a little over here. Ive still got a sore arm from a game we had yesterday. I might add that we won. Well, guess Ill close. I didnt think I would write half this much when I started. Dont work too hard and write again every time you can. As Always, Gib

61

V-MAIL

August 4, 1944

Dear Folks, I dont know much to write about but thought I had better write and let you know Im okay. I got a letter from you today and also one from Vera and Rayetta. I also got one from Rayetta that was mailed July 7. Ill try to answer theirs later. I guess the peaches should be about ready to pick by now. Sure seems funny not to be working in them. You said in one of your letters that Darl might get a furlough about now. Sure hope he did. How about telling him to write me and send me his address. Well, guess I better go to bed. As Always, Gib Letter August 11, 1944

Dear Folks, Thought I better drop you a few more lines. Im still ding fine, in fact I got some more mess duty and I think I have gained a few pounds. In some ways duty over her is better than duty in the states. We have quite a time arguing and playing softball. The fellow that sleeps next to me is from Louisiana. Hes only 20 and hes been married two years. Hes quite a guy, always telling me something about his wife. We sure kid him a lot about writing every night. They do lots of singing about My Bonnie lies over the ocean. The fellow that sleeps on the other side of me is the bugler. We razz him a lot about the way he blows his bugle. He also has real white blond hair. We call him the peroxide blond. Hes only 18. Pretty nice fellow. Hes from Illinois. There is also another fellow in the hut from Illinois. The other two are from Indiana and Minnesota. WE do lots of arguing about states. I use either California or Missouri.

62

Well, I guess thats about all for this time. I think Im getting your mail okay now. Some take a little longer to get here than others. Whitey (thats another name for the bugler) is getting his bugle down to play taps so guess I better go to bed. As Always, Gib Letter August 14, 1944

Dear Rayetta, Seeing as how I got six letters today I thought maybe I had better answer some of them. I got one from you, mom and Vera. Also Mary Jo, Grandma Little and two from Bonnie. Not bad for one day. I got the picture you sent of Darl the other day. I would have liked to see what he looked like with his hat off. Guess he got peeled about like I did when I came through boot camp. According to your last letter he should be home on liberty about now. I guess he will see a little peach fuzz this summer after all. You sound like those motor boat rides are lots of fun. Ill bet you wouldnt get so much fun out of it if you went over some of the waves we did coming across. My stomach starts turning over to think about it. Mary Jo said in her letter that she was getting fat. Too bad it isnt you. Or maybe you are. Well, I cant think of anything else so guess I might as well close and write a little to Red Top. Ill answer moms letter a little later. As Always, Gib

63

Letter

August 14, 1944

Dear Vera, Well, how are your puppies by now? Boy, you sure got a bunch of them havent you? I was just wondering if some of them might go hunting like your kittens did once. You better watch them pretty close. Mom said you wanted 12 of them but seems to me 8 ought to be enough for the first time. Well, its almost time to turn the lights out so guess I better close and go to bed. Write and tell me about the pups some more. Gib Letter August 17, 1944

Dear Folks, I got your letter yesterday with the pictures and poems in it. I had already seen the picture of Darl and Eugene and P.K. I saw them the night I went to the party at Points. Theyre pretty good. I showed the one of J.Don holding my pants to some of the guys here. They got quite a kick out of it. Ill send them back. You said in your letter the other day that you and dad and Rayetta needed some teeth fixed. Well, you better get it done. No use putting it off. I was just wondering if you ever got the $50 I sent home just before I left. I dont remember ever writing that you got it. You wanted to know if I could have a Kodac picture made. Well, there is a chance but not very good as it is awfully hard to get the films developed. Two of the fellows in the hut have cameras. Ill see what I can do. You said Edd was having a hard time getting his house. What kind of work is he doing? How about he renters you have, do they bother you any more?

64

Well, I cant think of much else so might as well close. Everything is going fine with me. I got your last letter in nine days. You wanted to know why my letters were post marked two or three days after I write them. Well, I usually write at night and dont mail them till the next day and then they have to be censored. As Always, Gib Letter August 21, 1944

Dear Rayetta, Ive got about an hour before taps so thought I might as well write you a few lines. I dont remember just when I wrote you last. I got a letter from you again today. I guess Darl has been hoe by now. I hope he gets in to something he likes. By the way you guys never did send me his address. I heard about opal working with Bonnies aunt. She keeps me informed pretty good about al the news around Ceres. Guess maybe she must of fallen for my uniform. Dont know what else it could be. ha So dad is going to vote for Dewey and Bricker. I dont know much about the election so I may not even vote. Although I guess since this is my first time. I better use it. So youre going to be an acrobat. Sounds to me as if you are trying to break your neck. You better be careful. By the way we had two baseball games with the Army yesterday. We won one and lost one. Kinda hard to take a beating by the Army but guess they were a little too good for us. I guess you call tell we arent having it very hard over here. In lots of ways its better duty than in the states. Well, guess I better close and go to bed. Dont eat too many peaches. Gib

65

Letter

August 26, 1944

Dear Folks, I thought I better write a few lines. Everything is still going okay with me. By the way I got weighed today and weighed 172 lbs. This south sea island life seems to agree with me. ha I only got one letter this week and that was from Rayetta. I think I know we arent getting any mail but afraid I cant write it. I think well start getting it right away. I guess peaches should be going full blast by now. I try to explain to some of these guys how peaches are dried. I tell them about working in the shed with lots of girls cutting fruit and all I had to do was sit up fruit trays. I think they believe its a pretty easy job. Id like to work with one of them one summer. Im the only guy in the hut that lived on a farm. Two of the guys worked in the shipyards, one worked in some factory and used to play in a band. (Hes the bugle boy.) The other did a little of everything or I think not much of anything. Well, cant think of anything else so guess I might as well close and hit the sack. As Always, Gib Letter September 1, 1944

Dear Folks, As its raining outside and we arent doing anything I thought I had better do some writing. I hadnt got any mail for about ten days until yesterday and I got a letter from Spike Orr. Hes been away from the states about eight months and he said he would sure be glad to get back to civilization. I got a letter from you today and a couple from Bonnie. I am getting your mail okay. Sometimes it takes quite a while for them to get here. Glad to hear Darl is home. I was wondering if Navys boot camp is like the Marines. I have my doubts. I thought the picture you sent of him was pretty good. Some of the guys in the hut saw it and would hardly believe we were brothers. They said he didnt look much like me. 66

You wanted to know if I had ever been sick since I left. No, I havent been sick except a bit seasick the first couple of days when we left. Ive had it easier as far as work is concerned than I ever did in a long time. We have it pretty nice, a lot better than a lot of other guys in the infantry. So Vera is trying to give away her pups. We have a few chickens in camp that are sort of mascots. There were six when I got here and now we have about twelve. The old rooster starts crowing every morning about half an hour before the bugle blows and some of the guys throw rocks at him but hes pretty smart and knows when to take off. Guess there isnt much else to write about so guess I better close. As Always, Gib Letter San Diego September 2, 1944

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Little: Just a few lines concerning you son Red whom I had the good fortune of meeting in the South Pacific a few weeks ago. First of all a bit about me and where I hail from. As you can tell by the return address I am Joe Alvernaz of Livingston, Calif. Im in the Marine aviation and have just returned from nineteen months over-seas. Got into Frisco on the 16th. You can imagine my delight when I ran into Red as it isnt often meets someone who comes from that close to home. I met Red in mid-July on Guadalcanal while we were engaged in a softball game with a guard company from the first Marine Wing. I was pitching and watched this red headed guy sock three of my offerings out for hits. So afterward I got to talking with him and presto we were friends. P.S. We won the game 14-13 (pitchers duel) but they took us in a second game 5-2. It was fun so what the heck. Red is in fine health and doing a fine job. Naturally he misses home and his farm and we talked for hours about farming and of people we both know. You see I used to grow sweet potatoes around Ballico, Delhi and Amsterdam before coming into the service. Some racket. 67

By now or very soon Reds outfit will go to Bougainville for some time. That is now one of the best islands for duty in the Solomons. Clean and Beautiful. So dont be unduly worried about him. He seems to be the sort who can take care of himself and Im sure Hell do just that. Before you know it hell be back in that tractor seat. I must close now. So Long. Sincerely yours, S/Sgt. Joe F. Alvernaz U.S.M.C. Id like to hear from you. Diary Entry September 6, 1944

Am now on Bougainville, am on the bull gang. Lots of rain here. Still a lot of Japs on the island but they cant do anything. Been away from the states four months. Doing o.k. Letter September 11, 1944

Dear Rayetta, If my memory is right I think just about the time you receive this you have reached the ripe old age of sweet sixteen. And seeing as how a person only reaches this stage of life but once in a lifetime, I take pleasure in offering you a little present to celebrate this festive occasion and wishing you a happy birthday and many more. And if I were home I think you would probably feel (and you know where) what I mean. But maybe J.Don and Vera took care of the necessary stimulant for a birthday. ha I figure as its about time for school to start you can probably find a better use for it than I can over here. By the way when does Hughson school start? I heard Ceres didnt start till the 25th. Seems sort of late. I was kinda surprised when mom wrote that Darl and Jo had sprung up another romance. I guess you got rich cutting peaches didnt you? You usually did if I remember right. 68

I guess youll probably be glad when school starts. Tell J.Don to do a little studying when he goes to high school and if I were him I would take plenty of math. I sometimes wish I had taken more than I did. How about it is the Gratton School teacher going to teach this year? I forgot her name. Well, I dont know anything to write about so guess Ill close and go mail this. Im afraid it may be a little late but guess its better late then never. Dont forget to write. As Always, Gib Letter September 12, 1944

Dear Folks, Got a letter from you today and I have some money orders I want to send home so thought I would write. Your letter was written the 2nd and I got it the 12th. Most of your letters average about 10 days getting here. Sometimes a little quicker. From the letters you sent that Darl wrote it seems as though hes liking his new training. Guess its something different anyway. Hope Darl gets in something he likes. I wrote him a letter the other day to his old address but dont know id he will get it or not. You can send me his address when he gets located. Everything is going okay with me. I met a fellow here the other day that used to pick peaches for Boggeris. Its right this side of Hughson High School. His folks live south of Turlock. His name is Lee. He came from Oklahoma. Also just met a guy that got here today that came through boot camp in my platoon. Havent got to talk to him much yet. Hes the only guy here that was in the same platoon as I. There were four of us that came over on the same boat but they all went to different squadrons. It will be four months tomorrow since I left the states. Seems like the time has gone by pretty fast. Hope it all goes by as fast as these four months. Guess peaches are about all harvested by now. Guess you can put this money in the bank. If you ever need any of it dont be afraid to use it. Well, guess thats all for now. Gib 69

Letter

September 19, 1944

Dear Folks, Thought I had better write a few lines and let you know Im still doing okay. I got your letter two or three days ago and got one from Rayetta yesterday. Sure glad that Darl got stationed so near home. Hes pretty lucky. Also glad you got the letter from the Sgt. from Livingston. I didnt know if he would write or not. Hes the Sgt. I told you about that knew David Baptista. So Eugene is trying to get his marriage annulled. I thought from the letter I got from him that it wouldnt last very long. I guess he wont be in a hurry next time. I got a letter from Bonnie the other day and she said Opal was showing her some pictures of Eugene. Said we looked enough alike to be twins. I dont think you had better tell him that. ha Rayetta said in her letter something about dad going to the board meeting. How does he like his new job? By the way, is Hallman still coach at Hughson. I was just wondering. The last time I talked to him he didnt know if he was going to be deferred or not. Well, its about time to go to work so I better close. As Always, Gib Letter September 22, 1944

Dear Folks, Thought I would answer your letter I got yesterday. It was mailed the 13th and I got it the 21st. I may not be able to write for a few days so if you dont hear from me dont get worried. I got a letter yesterday from Ruth Dameron. I was kinda surprised to get it but you said in one of you letters that you had given her my address. Im afraid shes wasting her time writing to me. Too many other girls to start picking second hand ones. ha She should have known better than to marry a guy old enough to be her dad. Boy, Darls having it pretty nice. That picture you sent of him looks pretty good. I took it out of the letter and one of the guys asked me 70

who the picture was. I said it was my little brother. He looked at it and said He dont look so little to me. He looks about as big as you. Sounds like J.Don is right in the money. Guess hes getting a pretty good workout by milking and working out for the neighbors. You asked if I was still with the six other guys. No, we are all split up. There are only two of us here together. The others were transferred to different squadrons. They are on the same island and we get to see them once in a while. I was sorry we split up as we had a pretty good time but it doesnt take long to get acquainted with some more guys. I dont think there is much chance of me getting any pictures as the guy that had the camera isnt here any more. You wanted to know if my nickname was Red. Well, some of the guys call me that but not many. Most of them call me Little. One of the guys used to know a guy in Illinois that was named Rufus Little so he calls me Rufe most of the time. Well, I guess I better close. I just happened to think I believe I owe Rayetta a letter so I guess I should have addressed this to her. But Ill write to her later. As Always, Gib Letter September 29, 1944

Dear Folks, I thought I would write you another letter. Chances are I wont be able to write for several days so dont get worried if you dont hear from me. I dont know much of anything to write about as its been a week since I got any mail. I guess Rayetta and J.Don and Vera are going to school by now. It doesnt seem like very long ago that you wrote about them getting out. The time seems to go by pretty fast over here. I was just thinking about this time last year I went deer hunting with Jack Brown. I didnt have any idea then that in a year I would be over here. By the way is he going again this year of not? I still remember while I was working for him how he used to tell me about how many deer there were up there and we wouldnt have any trouble at all getting out limit. Then we go and ten of us get one deer. I have to laugh every time I think 71

about it. Has he still got the white faced steers or has he found another way to get rich by now. He used to have some wild ideas. Well I cant think of anything else so guess I might as well close. As Always, Gib Diary Entry October 1, 1944

Am now aboard ship doing guard duty on PX supplies. Ten of us flew down from Bougainville to New Hebrides and we are going back aboard ship. We are really enjoying the trip as we dont have much to do and we get good meals. Letter October 12, 1944

Dear Rayetta, Thought I had better do some writing as I got about 12 letters yesterday. I hadnt had any mail for about 18 days and I was glad to get some. I guess you are wondering why it took so long but Im afraid if I tried to explain it would get cut out so I wont try. I guess I might as well answer yours and moms letters at the same time as you both read them. So you were glad to get the 10 dollars. I figured you could probably find some use for it. you said you and Jo were in Stockton buying things. What did you do buy everything in Modesto and then had to go to Stockton to get the rest. ha Mom seems to wonder how come I had so much money to send home. It was the first time I got paid since Ive been overseas. We get 20% more pay over here and there isnt anything to spend it for except shaving gear and tooth paste and etc. Im getting $60 a month now. Dont think Im doing without anything I need. Some of the guys gamble it away but most of them send it home. By the way how about sending me the exact figures on how much Ive got in the bank and how many bonds Ive got. Ive forgotten how much it is. I was sorry to here about Darl getting shipped out so soon. I was hoping he would go to some kind of school. Sounds as though Dal is getting a pretty good workout down in Texas. Be pretty nice if he could go to Springfield for a few days. 72

Bonnie sent a piece out of the paper about the Gratton Grange adding mine and Dal and Darls names on the honor roll. What do you think of the Grange? Have you and dad learned how to dance yet? ha So jack Brown got 4 deer this year. Guess I must have brought them bad luck when I went along. I still figure on shooting on when I get back to the states. I cant think of anything else so guess I might as well close. As Always, Gib Letter October 22, 1944

Dear Folks, I dont remember when I wrote you last but I thought I had better write again while I can. Im doing guard duty aboard a ship and I cant write any time I feel like it. Im not getting any mail either and wont until I get back to camp and I dont know when that will be. So if you dont hear from me for several days dont get worried as I may not get a chance to write for a while. I was just reading over one of Rayettas letters. She said something about J.Don being kinda a sore as the freshmen and got initiated the day before. Whats the matter J.Don did they get pretty rough? ha Also said J.Don had been elected class president. Id like to see him conducting a meeting. By the way what kind of a course is he taking? I was wondering if he was taking agriculture. Rayetta said she was taking bookkeeping so why dont you let her keep all the books that you keep just for practice. I think that would be pretty good practice and she could probably get all as. How about it Rayetta? Ive heard the bookkeeping course at Ceres is pretty tough. I dont suppose you can guess how I heard that. ha Well I cant think of anything else so guess I might as well close. Ill write again as soon as I can. As Always, Gib

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Letter

November 1, 1944

Dear Folks, Thought I would write to you again and let you know Im still over here. Im still doing guard duty and havent gotten back to camp yet so Im not getting any mail. I dont know when well get back but I dont think it will be much longer. Weve been having a pretty good time and we really have been getting good eats. Im afraid if I dont hurry up and get to doing a little work Im going to get too fat. ha One of the fellows Im with is from Pittsburg and hes lived in the city all his life. Last night he got to asking me about farming. Boy, I never saw a guy that knew so little about farming. He sure could ask a lot of questions. He hardly knew a caw from a horse. He wanted to know all about dairy cows and how milking machines works and I had quite a job trying to explain to him. I told him that lots of times when one of the cows had a bull calf that we would just kill it because you couldnt afford to feed it. He said You mean you wait a year for a cow to have a calf and then hit it in the head. Darned if that makes sense to me. Anyway I finally explained everything as well as I could and he had about decided that farming would be a good business. So then I tell him about the work to hauling hay and irrigating and the mud and flies and milk inspectors and so forth. After I got through I dont think he thought it was a nice a business as he first thought. I ran on to some of the fellows that lived on a farm back east but they dont know anything about irrigation. So they ask me all about it and I try to explain about the reservoir and canals and ditches and checks and levees and gopher holes and so forth. Some of the guys seem to think its okay but most of them say they would rather have rain. The best I can figure it should be about pheasant hunting time. Just wondering if dad had shot any or not. Did you have any milo this year or not? How about it are you going to plant any more peach trees this year of not? (seems like maybe I wrote that before but Im not sure.) Well, guess thats about all I can think of so I might as well close. Ill try and write again as soon as I can. As Always, Gib 74

Diary Entry

November 5, 1944

Am now at Emirua on guard duty aboard ship. Tonight most of the ships crew are drunk from some drink they made. One guy let one of the lifeboats loose and they had to get another one to go get it. Yesterday we caught three sailors stealing beer and they got some extra duty and now the whole ships crew is mad at us 10 Marines. Theres been a few words but no action as yet. Am expecting some fun before we get off. Oh well it breaks the monotony if nothing else. As the Marines say its a tough war. ha Letter November ??, 1944

Dear Folks, I just finished writing a letter to Darl and thought I better write you one. Im still doing guard duty aboard ship and havent got back to camp yet. Ill be glad to get back and get some mail even though we arent working very hard. I cant think of anything to write about as I havent had any mail for a while. In one of your last letters you said Helen was expecting the stork right away so guess it should have been there by now. Im wondering if its a he or she. My guess is it should be a girl this time. This is going to be a short letter because I cant think of anything to write about. Ill try and write again soon. As Always, Gib Letter November 28, 1944

Dear Folks, Well, I finally got back to camp so I thought I better write a little. I only had about thirty letters and a couple of packages of candy and nuts from Bonnie and Alice Orr. You wrote that you were sending a package but I havent gotten it as yet. If its got candy in it I dont know what well do with it. Everyone in camp has been getting candy and now you cant even give it away. 75

You said for me to notice the numbers on your letters to see if I was getting them all. I think I am as Ive gotten all the numbers from one to eight. You seem to think maybe I was near where the fighting was going on but I wasnt and I dont think there is much chance that I ever will be. I was sure sorry to hear about Bill Snyder missing bout think maybe he will come out of it okay. Hes the kind of a guy that you dont think could get hurt. I guess David Baptista saw things pretty hot. I havent heard from him for some time now. I hope he isnt wounded very bad. By golly, Dal was pretty lucky getting a furlough and getting to see Missouri. I got a letter from Grandma Little that she wrote when Dal was there. You asked how the Marines felt about the election. Well, I think theyre pretty satisfied as I havent heard any complaints. I never did get my ballot filled out but I guess it didnt matter much. I was looking at those figures you sent telling how much money I had saved up. Down at the bottom you had $240 that you said you had owed me for some time. You know good and well you dont owe me anything. If anything I owe about half of what I got to you. So you can mark that off right now. Looks like maybe I will have over $3000 when the war is over. I understand we get about $300 mustering out pay when we get discharged. Well, I guess I better close for now. I doubt if Ive answered your questions but havent time right now. Dont worry about me having a hard time as Im having it plenty easy. Ill write again soon. As Always, Gib Letter December 3, 1944

Dear Rayetta, I thought maybe I better address this to you as I believe I owe you some letters. I dont know much of anything to write about. If you look at the date on this you will see that it is the 3rd which by chance happens to be the day that I reach the ripe old age of 22. I was laying on my bunk this morning when the mail came in and I got a birthday card from Bonnie. It was timed pretty good I thought. Anyway, when I opened it up one of the 76

guys saw it what is was and so he came to the conclusion that it was my birthday. He asked me if it was and of course I couldnt say no so he told Mac (the other guy in the tent) and they decided to paddle me. They grabbed me and after a little struggle they decided that it wouldnt be worth the effort so they gave up. I guess if there had been several guys around I would be a little sore in the rear. ha I was kinda surprised to see that poem Dal wrote. It was pretty good. The funny part of it was that while we were on ship I acquired the name of a poet myself. I got to making up little verses about some of the guys that were with me. I would send some of them but as you dont know the guys, they probably wouldnt make sense to you and besides I doubt if the censor would let some of them pass. Ill think up one some of these days and send it to you. Here Ill think maybe youll get a kick out of this one I wrote about the sergeant in charge of us which the rest of the guys liked pretty good. Ill leave one blank space but you can probably fill it in. THE SERGEANT IN CHARGE Now the sergeant in charge is really quite smart. The only trouble is hes such a wee little f Ive seen little men and Ive seen great big guys But hes the first Ive seen in the extra small size He could stand on a box and raise up on his toes, But he still wouldnt come halfway up to my nose Now I wouldnt make fun, but I keep wondering why God ever created such a wee little guy. Henry Wadsworth Little Thats about the way my poetry goes. It isnt very fancy but most of the boys liked it except of course the sergeant. When I wrote about the sergeant I gave the poem to another guy to read in case he got mad but he didnt. Hes a pretty good sergeant. He came from Maryland. His name is Percy Dardin Cox. Thats some name but everyone calls him P.D. By the way Rayetta have you bought Bonnie a present yet? Ever since I wrote and asked you to get something for me, Ive been trying to think of something she might like but I dont know what it would be. The best I could think of is a dressing table set. I think thats what theyre 77

called. They have a mirror and a comb and brush and fingernail fixeruppers and etc. I remember Norval used to have them lots of times in a great big box. But you use your own judgment about what to get as you should know better than I. Well, I better close. As you say pretty long letter for me huh? As Always, Gib Letter December 7, 1944

Dear Folks, Thought I would write to you as I got paid the other day and have some money orders to send home. Im sending one for a hundred dollars and one for twenty five. And that twenty five is a Christmas present to you so take it and buy yourselves something as there isnt anything over here to send you. And I dont want you writing back and saying you didnt use it as I know you can find something you can use. I got a letter from Rayetta yesterday saying you had a big Thanksgiving dinner. Although I missed the turkey dinner, they had here at camp I got pretty good chow on the boat. I weigh more now than I ever did, about 172. Got a letter from Darl the other day and he said he weighed about 160. As I wrote the date on this letter I happened to think this is the third anniversary of the war. Most people never thought it would last this long when it started. It surely wont last three more I hope. Im sending back Darls letter that you sent as you said you wanted it back. He seemed to have had some real training in Texas. Well, I cant think of anything else so Ill close. As Always, Gib Letter December 15, 1944

Dear Folks, As it is raining tonight I didnt go to the movie so thought I would write to you. I dont remember exactly when I wrote you last. I am getting all your letters okay as the numbers are all here. I havent gotten your 78

Christmas packages yet. I guess theyll get here before long. I got a Christmas card and a letter from Arch and Opal the other day. I would like to have seen dad shooting both barrels at the pheasants. Thats one way to get them anyway. As for me Im still doing okay. I dont know if I wrote I was on mess duty or not. Well I am and the other day one of the guys I was on the ship with asked me if I had made up any more poems. I said no so he said why dont you make up one about mess duty. So I did and as I dont have much else to write I might as well write it to you. Its called Mess Duty. As Always, Gib MESS DUTY I once wanted to fight so I joined the Marines. But what do I do? I dish out the beans Of course everyone knows that Marines have to be fed So I stand on the chow line and hand out the bread I should have stayed home and married somebodys daughter Instead Im over here on the chow line dipping out water The cooks are behind us to see that we dont cheat And try and give a buddy an extra piece of meat As they come by the line they never smile or say please They just give you a dirty look and say Gimme some cheese You scrub on the deck till youre tired and youre sore But the mess sergeant comes along and says Scrub it some more So you scrub and you scrub till the floor shines like glass Then you hope that the mess sergeant will slip and fall on his A. Though we sweat and we swear we still do the job With some soap and some rags and a broom and a swab Its a thirty day stretch and Im here to tell It may be called mess duty but its just thirty days in hell Im afraid I kinda stretched things a little in that poem as mess duty really isnt bad over here. I think that poem would apply better to the mess duty I had in the states. 79

As you will probably get this about Christmas, I better wish you a happy one. Hope Dal gets to spend it with you. It dont look as though Darl and I will be there. ha Maybe next year. Guess I better close for now. Diary Entry January 17, 1945

Am still at Bougainville, did one month of guard duty and now doing another. Were expecting to go to the Philippines any time. Now have eight months overseas. Letter March 5, 1945

Dear Folks, I thought Id better write you another letter tonight. I have been away from camp on another guard detail for about a week so didnt have a chance to write. I got back to camp today and had nine letters when I got here. One was from Bob Swadley. Hes at Navy boot camp at Great Lakes, Illinois. The way he wrote he wasnt minding it so bad. Said he sure didnt like to wash clothes. Sorry to hear about Grandma Wilson being sick. Maybe shell be okay. As long as I can remember her this is the first time I ever remember her being sick. You guys seem to be getting around quite a bit lately going to all the meetings. So Mrs. Preston said she remembered me. Im not surprised that she remembered the whole class as it was sure some class.

80

Well theres nothing much to write about so guess I may as well close. By the way my address is a little different now. Im still in the same outfit but they had us change our address to Marine Headquarters Squadron One instead of Hdq. Sqd. F.M.A.W. because our mail might get mixed up with the Fourth Air Wing. I also came back to camp and found out Id been promoted to P.F.C. I thought I was going to be a P.F.D. (Pvt. for Duration) but I guess not. Well Ill close. As Always, Gib P.S. I almost forgot I wrote another little poem the other night about Rayetta and Jo. RAYETTA & JO This poem is about two girls that I know My sister, Rayetta, and her friend Mary Jo, Theyre always together these happy looking girls, With their troubles and nonsense, lipstick and curls. At a dance or a ballgame, a party, or a show, If you see Rayetta youll also see Jo. Ones legs are a bit slender, the others a little bowed, (oh, oh), Of course its not their fault, its the way that they growed. I doubt if there ever was a happier looking pair, When theres smiles on their faces and ribbons in their hair. They make very nice companions with their little moron jokes, And you can keep them quite happy with ice cream and cokes. I have known them both well for a number of years, And though theyre usually smiling, I have seen then shed tears. One is my sister by the help of my mother, The other could be if its left up to my brother. They both have younger brothers who are also good pals, And their greatest enjoyment is teasing the gals. As I sit here writing this across the blue see, Just to think of them laughing is a pleasant memory. In this verse theres a hint and a I hope they dont get sore, 81

Their letters are swell and I could sure use some more. Ive seen lots of girls but this much I know, There is none any better than Rayetta and Jo. Poem My FAMILY The head of my family of course was my dad, A very kind man who seldom gets mad. Hard work he has known all of his life, As has my mother whom he chose for a wife. My mother I know has spent many a restless night, Worrying and wondering if her children were alright. I have one older brother who with the army now serves, Words dont describe him the way he deserves. And then Ive a brother just younger than me, Who left home and school to serve on the sea. Nest is my sister very gay and full of life, Some day shell make someone a very sweet wife. And then another brother who seems to grow like a tree, It looks as though some day hell be larger than me. Redtop is the last, her real name Vera Lillian, To describe her Id say, shes one in a million. That is my family whom to me are so dear, And whom Ive not seen for almost a year. As I write this little poem I have this to say, When were all together again, itll be a great day. Gib Pvt. Walter G. Little U.S.M.C. Undated

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Diary Entry

April 29, 1945

Still on Bougainville, am getting tired of doing nothing. Wish I was in the line company instead of the air corps. Have been overseas eleven and a half months and havent seen a jap. Maybe I dont know when Im well off. But sure wish I could get in the war. Letter June 3, 1945

Dear Folks, Its time to write again so Ill try and write a few lines. Had a letter from you last week. Also got one from Grandma Little. She said that Carls wife had got a divorce and joined the Waves. She said Carl was going to Alaska. Said he would have had to go in the army or else to Alaska. I cant figure what he would be going to Alaska for unless its some kind of government job. Theres nothing much to write about as far as Im concerned. Im doing mess duty again this month. Its pretty easy duty but gets sort of monotonous after so long. I sure didnt know when I joined the Marines that Id spend all my time fighting the war by doing mess duty. We had another baseball game this afternoon with the Seabees but got rained out in the third inning. I guess its a good thing though as we were behind about four runs. The score was 4 to 0 in their favor. J.Don must be quite the athlete to win three letters his first year. Also him and Bill must be quite the lady killers. had a letter from Alice Orr not long ago and she said Jim was six feet tall now. Sure cant imagine him growing so tall in such a short time. Well, theres not much else to write about so I may as well close. You asked about that R in my address. It means Marine Corp Reserve. The guys in the regular Marine Corp signup for four years while we only signed up for the duration and six months. Well, Ill sign of for this time. As Always, Gib

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Letter

June 10, 1945

Dear Folks, Its Sunday again so thought Id better try and write a few letters. I had one from you last week. That was the one you told about Darl writing about his ship shooting down a plane. He must have been in one of the landings on the Philippines. I havent had a letter from him for quite a while. He may not have gotten my last letter so I think Ill write him another tonight. Seems kinda funny to think that here I was overseas before he was even in the Navy and Ive not seen any action at all and he probably saw quite a bit. Im not anxious to get shot up or anything but Id sure be willing to get in some battles if it would help end this war. Things are going pretty good now and if they keep bombing Japan like they have been, they might see how hopeless it is and give up. But I dont know if they have that much sense. I guess Wilburn is feeling pretty good if hes going to get a discharged. So Edd got married after all. Did he marry the woman with the three kids? You said something about them deciding not to get married. By the way where is Edd working now? By the way I got a little job Id like Rayetta to do for me. Its a matter of getting a birthday present for Bonnie. I should have written about it a little sooner as she may not have much time by the time she gets this letter. Her birthday is June 24. I dont have any ideas as to what she would like so tell Rayetta to use her own judgment. She should know more about such things than I do. I havent drawn any money for a couple of months so tell her to use some Ive got at home. In case you shouldnt get this letter until after the 24th or if she doesnt have a chance to get anything, tell her not to worry about it as it doesnt matter too much. Just thought Id like to get her something as shes always sending me packages and she writes me lots of letters which are pretty nice over here. So tell Rayetta to see what she can do and maybe some day I can help her out.

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Well, I may as well close for this time. Nothing new ever seems to happen around here. I still have hopes of getting home before Christmas but anything could happen. Thats all for now. As Always, Gib Letter June 17, 1945

Dear Folks, Here it is Sunday again so I better write a little. Had a letter from you yesterday. Also got a couple from Darl. One of his was written in April. It got lost somewhere along the line. Today I got an Easter card from Alice Orr dated the 17th of March. It came by boat so you can see why I like air mail. Sure glad to hear Darl is getting his diploma. I think a fellow that has three years in and goes in the service should get a diploma. Tell that Freshman Dream Man that Id like to see a picture of him to see just what it is all the girls go for. ha In the letter I got from Darl he wanted to know if I wasnt rushing things with him and Jo a little in that poem. I wrote him tonight and said when a guy goes to having his folks buy a girl a ring that maybe Im not rushing things so much after all. ha That was quite a coincidence about Wilburn and Hobart Hare getting in the same day. Sure wish something like that would happen to Dal and Darl if I ever get home. Ive still got hopes of getting home for Christmas. Darl said he might get home in January so we might be home together. Sure sorry to hear that Bill Snyders folks have about given up hope of him being alive. Sure will be a different Hughson I guess after this war is over. We had another ball game this afternoon and got beat 6-0. We are having bad luck winning a ball game. I know we had better players than they did but we had too much bad luck. I guess you think thats a likely story huh? By the way are those ping pong tables still there. Ive been playing quite a lot lately and Im getting pretty good. Tell the Dream Man to 85

start getting some practice as Im planning on beating him. You might also tell dad and Edd and Glenn to keep in practice at barn yard golf (horse shoes) as Im one of the best in camp. ha Well, I guess I may as well close as I got to write a couple of letters. Got to write to Bonnie and Alice Orr. Ask Rayetta if she ever found out what a double date is. She didnt seem to agree with my version. Oh, by the way I sent a Jap rifle home last week. Dont know when youll get it as it will go by boat. It sure didnt cost much to send it. Only 28. One of the other guys sent one to Indiana and it cost him $3.30. Well, thats al for now. As Always, Gib Letter June 24, 1945

Dear Folks, I didnt receive a letter from you last week but as its Sunday I thought Id better write anyway. Our mail seems to be hold up again somewhere. There isnt much of anything to write about. Today the Seabees invited us down for a chicken dinner and then a ball game. The dinner was okay but they beat us again in the ballgame. I dont know what it is but they have beat us every time in baseball but we beat them easy in basketball. Well, Im afraid this is a pretty short letter but theres nothing to write so I may as well close for this time. As Always, Gib Letter July 1, 1945

Dear Folks, Thought Id better try and write you again. I still havent had any mail from you for about two weeks. Our mail seems to be mixed up again some way. I had one letter from Bonnie last week that came in eight days. 86

But theres still some that Ive never got from her and there should be some from you some where. Maybe itll come through this week. I dont know of anything to write about. We played a couple of basketball games this afternoon and won one and lost one. We played the first game with another team here in camp and then right after that we went over and played a navy team. We only had five players and it was pretty hot so we were all pooped out for the second game and got beat. Were going to play them again this week and Im pretty sure we can beat them next time. Our baseball season isnt so good as it rains about every afternoon. We worked all morning on the baseball diamond one day last week for a game in the afternoon. And then before the first inning was over it started raining. And when it rains here it really rains. Now the ball diamond has a big gully right through the middle of it were the water ran through. I think that about took all the spirit out of the ball players. Well, theres nothing new to write about so I may as well close for this time. Hope I get some mail this week. As Always, Gib Letter July 8, 1945

Dear Folks, Its Sunday again so Ill try and drop you a few lines. Finally got a letter from you last week. It was mailed the 25th of June and the last one I had had before that was mailed the 2nd of June. So I figure that must be about two or three that never got here. I noticed the last letter was postmarked in Waterford. Guess you must have mailed it from there. I had a letter from Bonnie thanking me for the present. She seemed to like it okay. Said she wished I wouldnt worry about getting anything for her. I wrote and told her that it wasnt any trouble to me as all I had to do was write and tell Rayetta to get something and that it was Rayettas worries and not mine. ha We had another baseball game this afternoon and we finally won a game. The score was 7 to 2. They have formed a league here now and weve played three games and lost two. We got off to a bad start but got hopes of doing a little better. 87

We had a pay day last week and I had three months pay coming, so Im sending some of it home. I also bought myself a watch. Its a seventeen jewel Swiss make and I think its a pretty good watch. I believe moms birthday is the twenty second of this month. So instead of sending her any present Ill do this. She said she was planning on taking a trip to Missouri on the Santa Fe bus. So instead of taking the bus go on the train and Ill pay the difference in the tickets. Im telling you its no fun to ride those busses day and night. Youll be so tired when you get there you wont enjoy your visit. So dad, you and Rayetta and the rest see that she goes on the train. Well, theres nothing much new to write about so Ill close for this time. As Always, Gib Letter July 15, 1945

Dear Folks, Its Sunday again so thought Id better write a little. Had another letter from you last week. It was dated June 30th. I still think there are two Ive never gotten. Also had a letter from Dal last week. Said he had been to Manila but guess he probably wrote that to you already. You wrote that Roy Foster was in the navy and Jim Lamb was in the army. Seems funny to me that they would take Jim now that the European war is over. Does he have two kids or three? I know he has two and seems like you wrote that they had another. I doubt if Rayetta will like to hear this but tell her I dont think much of the idea of her traveling all alone from Palo Alto to Modesto. Maybe shes grown up quite a lot since I left be me thinks shes still a young girl. Theres a lot of service men traveling around back there now and some of them been overseas for a long time. Some of those guys that get back to the states are pretty wild. Not many of them are very bad but Ive seen a few guys out here that Id never even let speak to a girl I knew. So Rayetta you be careful or someone some day might see a certain Marine turn his little sister over his knee and the little sister might need a cushion when she went to sit down. ha 88

We had a ball game yesterday which we won 4 to 3. That makes us two wins and two loses in the league. We have another game this afternoon which we should win. In fact we should have won the two games we lost but we had bad luck. Well, I guess I may as well close as theres nothing more to write. As Always, Gib Letter July 22, 1945

Dear Folks, I almost postponed writing this letter until tomorrow as some Australians came over and put on a stage show for us tonight. The stage show lasted about one and a half hours and then they were going to have a movie. But the movie didnt sound like it would be very good and it would take about half an hour to clear the stage and get started so I thought I might as well write some letters. The stage show was pretty good. At least it was something a little different. Ive seen so many movies since Ive been over here that they all seem about alike. Had a letter from you yesterday and another this afternoon. One was written the 7th and the other the 12th. I was surprised to hear that Darl was at Okinawa. I thought he was on one of the Philippines. I guess he saw plenty up there but it shouldnt be so bad there now. Seems funny to think that I was already overseas when he went in the Navy and now hes been in one of the biggest battles and I havent done a thing. I sure wish I could do a little to help anyway. In one of your letters a while back you said something about worrying about writing that Id like to get in a battle as you were afraid they might give me a chance. You dont need to worry about that as the censors that read these letters dont have anything to do about that. I wish they did or anyone else for that matter. Ive seen lots of guys try to get transferred and its next to impossible. So Ill just sit here and twiddle my thumbs while the rest of the boys fight the war. About that Jap riffle. I had to take it apart to get it in the box but dad ought to be able to put it together. I put quite a lot of oil on it when I sent it so it wouldnt rust but it may have anyway. Wished I could have sent some ammunition but were not allowed to. 89

In one of your letters you said Okinawa was where Emmet Terrell and one of the Hamlows were killed. Thats the first Id heard about them. Maybe you wrote about it before and I never got the letter. I still think theres two or three I never got from you. So J.Don has started practicing ping pong. Well, hell need all the practice he can get and then some to play in my class. ha We played an Australian team in a baseball game yesterday. We won 5 to 0 but we only got one hit and they got six so I figure we were pretty lucky. They really had a good pitcher but their infield made too many errors. Well, guess thats about all for this time so Ill close. As Always, Gib Diary Entry July 26, 1945

Still on Bougainville but expect to leave tomorrow. Sure not sorry to be going either. Should be home in a month but can hardly believe it yet. Met lots of nice guys here. Wish some were going home with me. Goodby Bougainville, California here I come and Ill sure be glad to get there. Letter July 29, 1945

Dear Folks, Thought Id better write you another letter. Havent heard from you since I wrote last and wont be getting any more mail which makes me very happy. Guess you wonder why I said that but before I finish this letter youll know why. I dont know just how much Im allowed to write so Ill put it this way. Tell Rayetta that the day she is seventeen to expect to get her exterior spanked by a Marine. I think you can figure out by that why Im glad I wont be getting any more mail over here. So dont bother to write me any more as I wont get them. And you wont get any more letters from me after this one. I got a letter from Darl a few days ago. He said things were pretty good there now, said they hardly ever have any excitement. 90

I also got a letter from Les Orr. I hadnt heard from him for a long time but he didnt write much. Altogether I got about six more letters last week that I should answer this afternoon. Got a letter each from Alice Orr, Les, Darl, Norma Jean, Hazel Wilson and Bonnie. I dont know if Ill get them all answered or not. I dont know much else to write to you so I may as well close. Dont get worried if you dont hear from me for a long time as it may be longer than I think. So Ill be seeing you. As Always, Gib Note Undated

The plane load of Marines left the air base on Bougainville and the guys all waved goodby to Old Smoky a volcano on the island that smoked continuously. After being in the air a short time, they saw the volcano on the other side of the plane and they thought something was wrong. The plane was having engine trouble and landed back at the air base. They worked on it a while and took off again. They boarded a ship but I dont know where or what ship they came back on. Dairy Entry August 13, 1945

Am now aboard ship heading for the U.S. Today makes 7 days at sea. 15 months ago I left the U.S. In some ways it seems longer but in other ways it seems shorter. Dairy Entry August 19, 1945

Still aboard ship. Supposed to hit Frisco in three more days. Its hard to believe that the war is over. Am wondering how things will be in the U.S. now. Guess Ill find out pretty soon.

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Post Card

August 22, 1945

Dear Folks, Am now at Treasure Island in S.F. Got here about noon. Tomorrow we catch a train for San Diego and well probably be there at least a week before we get our furloughs. Sure good to be back in the U.S. Dont have much room so I better close. Ill be seeing you as soon as possible. Gib Letter August 26, 1945

Dear Folks, Thought Id better write you a little more. I guess you got the card I sent from Frisco. Im at Miramar now and they told us we would get our furloughs the first of September. I dont know why theyre holding us so long but theres 800 of us that came home and it takes quite a while to issue us clothes and pay us. 92

Yesterday I found out where I was going to be stationed after my furlough. They said I would go to Santa Barbara. I feel pretty lucky because thats only about 300 to 350 miles from home. They asked us which coast we wanted to be stationed on and naturally I chose the west. Some of the guys live on the east coast but they are going to be stationed on the west. Doesnt seem fair for some of them but theres nothing they can do about it. Sure is good to be back to civilization again. And boy, this fresh milk really hits the spot. When we got to Treasure Island one of the first things we did was go to the P.X. and buy a bottle of milk. The chow sure is good here and plenty of it. I weighed 165 yesterday and I may weigh a lot more before long if I keep eating like I do now. We were sure surprised to hear the war was over. They announced it over the loud speaker on the ship and there was quite a lot of cheering for a while. Well, dont know anything else to write. Havent had any mail for over a month. We thought wed have some when we got here but they said we would get our back mail when we get to our camp after furlough. Theres no mail service here so guess you neednt answer this. Ill be seeing you some time after the 1st. Gib Letter October 7, 1945

Dear Folks, Thought I might as well write you a few lines while I have some time off. I think I told you in the post card that I caught mess duty. So far I havent had very much to do but I imagine Ill be getting more to do before long. So far all Ive had to do is clean out two little offices and a big hallway. We get liberty every night if we want it. Last night I went and saw this base play a navy team from San Francisco. It was really a good game. The Marines won fourteen to twelve. Both teams did lots of passing and there were several long runs. They got pretty rough and both sides got lots of penalties. I work with a guy in the mess hall who plays right end on the team. This morning when he came to work he could hardly walk. He 93

injured his leg and had to be pulled out of the game. I dont remember his name. There are three other guys here on mess duty that used to be in Headquarters Squadron on Bougainville. Two of them came back to the states with me. They are both Mexicans but not bad guys. The other one left about two months before we did. There are about ten guys here that were in the same outfit I was and there are still some that havent got back from their furloughs yet. This camp is sure scattered out and I had a hard time finding my way around at first but Im doing better now. The barracks I live in are a mile from the main gate and we have to catch buses to get down there. I dont know if you say it in the paper or not but they lowered the points to sixty for the Marines. There are a lot of guys going to Miramar where they get their discharge. Most of the guys think they will lower it to fifty next month. If they do there will be lots of guys getting out. I dont know how long it will be before they lower it down enough for me to get out. I talked to some of the guys that were with me overseas about that star. Nobody seems to know for sure if it will count or not. Im a little afraid it doesnt though. If it doesnt then I only have about thirty six points. I may still be eligible for occupation duty but most of the guys say if a guy has been over once he wont have to go again. I dont know much about it but Im not worrying much about it. Well, I dont know much else to write about so I may as well close for this time. Ill try and write again next week. As Always, Gib P.S. Who won the Hughson-Ceres football game? Letter October 15, 1945

Dear Folks, Im a little late in writing to you this week. I intended to write to you yesterday which was Sunday but I got off work at noon so I went and had a look at Santa Barbara. Out camp is about eight miles from Santa Barbara and we have to hitch-hike in or else catch the bus. As for the city there isnt much to see, at least I didnt see much yesterday. Maybe I dont 94

know what there is to see yet. It reminds me a little of Modesto. I dont know what the population is but it has about four or five theaters and from the size of the business district it seems about the same size. They grow lots of lemons around here. At least theres lots of them along the road to town. Also lots of walnuts. And there must be quite a few tomatoes because several of the Marines that have quite a bit of time off work over here at Goleta at a tomato packing shed. This Goleta place is just a little broad spot in the road. This camp is really all fouled up. And talk about rumors (or scuttlebutt) this is the place for it. You can hear anything around here. Mostly its about getting discharged. I got my points checked officially today and I got credit for the star so I have 41. That makes me ineligible to go overseas again which doesnt make me very mad. ha Ive heard all kinds of scuttlebutt as to when guys with 40 points will get out. Some say theyre going to lower to 50 then start discharging guys with two or more years. Ive also heard lots of guys say wed be out before Xmas. So I dont know what to think. I guess Ill figure on staying till March and then I wont get disappointed, at least I hope it wont be any longer than March. As for mess duty it isnt so bad. Some days we have to work pretty hard, such as hauling supplies and other days we dont. Today I got transferred to another mess hall. It seems there are a lot of guys coming here from Mojave so theyre opening up another mess hall which has been closed. I worked in the Spud Locker today and I guess Ill be there the rest of the month. All we do is prepare vegetables for the cooks. Its a little better here than overseas as we have a spud peeler and other machines which we didnt have over there. I saw in the paper where they had quite a typhoon at Okinawa again. I guess Darls ship was probably struck again. Hell have lots to tell about when he gets home. I havent written to him yet but I will in the next few days. Bob Swadley is really getting to see the world. Send me his address and Ill try to write to him also.

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By golly seems to me Hughson better start practicing football on Saturday, Sunday and every other chance they get if they cant do better than they did against Ceres. Well, dont know of anything else to write about so I may as well close. As Always, Gib P.S. I almost forgot to tell you about my return address. When you see that % Fleet Post Office on the envelope you may think Ive gone overseas again. But it seems that is our official address. But they say it takes a lot longer to get your mail if it comes thru Frisco so everyone uses the Santa Barbara address. I really dont understand what the score is. There is supposed to be an order out where you are not supposed to use Santa Barbara as your return address so everyone puts the %F.P.O. address on the envelope so it wont be returned and then tell who theyre writing to to use the Santa Barbara address. As I said before its really all fouled up. But until I write otherwise heres the address I want you to use: Pfc. Walter G. Little S.M.S.-48 M.C.A.S. Santa Barbara, (Goleta) Calif. Letter October 21, 1945

Dear Folks, Its Sunday afternoon and I am off work so Ill try and write to you. I got your letter Friday. You said to let you know what I think about me getting a thirty day furlough for Nov. and prune. Well, I dont really know what to say. In the first place I have my doubts that they would give me a furlough. And also Im afraid that if you go to the Red Cross and try to get me out after youve already turned in to get Darl out it might hurt his chance of getting out. And also there is a small chance of me getting out for good right away. Some guys here say that Vandergrift, hes the Commandant of the Marine Corp or in other words the top man said that all men in the Marines that wanted out and had over 40 points would be out by Xmas. I really dont see how we can get out so soon but maybe 96

theres a chance and if they did lower the points down to 40 next month Id like to be here and ready to get out. There are some guys here with over 70 points that cant get out because of some records that have been lost and they have to go through Washington D.C. to get some more. I really dont know what the trouble is. All I know is theyre being kept here for some technical reason and theyre really fuming. So maybe you better not try to get me out and go ahead and get Darl out. I would lots rather be pruning than this mess duty but it isnt too bad. If I find out anything definite about when Im going to get out Ill let you know. If I find out that it will be March before theres a chance of me getting out, well then Id be glad to get out and prune. You wrote that Hales were bringing Arthur Lee down here the 25th and they would try to call me or see me. I wish I knew what time they would get here then I could try and meet them somewhere. Otherwise they might have to wait quite a while until I can get off work. I have their address so Ill write them and tell them how to get in touch with me. I guess you guys are kinda anxious to hear from Darl. I read about the typhoon in the paper but the last I read, the casualties werent as high as expected. I guess one of those things wouldnt be anything to laugh at. I guess he felt pretty good about seeing Junior Wilson and those other guys he knew. I know I would have sure liked to see someone I knew when I was over there. You better take it easy on the nuts and dried apricots. Good thing Im here in the states because if youd had another package to fix up you might have eaten to many. ha Well, guess I may as well close for this time. Ill write again if anything comes up before next Sunday. There is still a little talk of some of us guys with less than 50 points getting transferred so if I hear anything definite Ill let you know. As Always, Gib

97

Letter

October 29, 1945

Dear Folks, Its Monday afternoon so thought Id better write you a few lines. I was going to write yesterday but went to Santa Barbara instead. We got through working pretty early today. The spud locker is not a bad place to work because we just have so much to do and then when we get finished were through. We dont have to serve chow like the other mess men. I may volunteer for another month as it seems to be about as good a job as there is here. One of the fellows here with 46 points said he was talking to a sergeant down at the office and he said as far as they knew they would lower the points to 40 next month. I hope hes right. Glen and family got down here Thursday night about nine oclock. They had trouble with the fuel pump on their car or they said they would have gotten here about five. I went in to Santa Barbara with them. They were going to get a cabin but couldnt find one so they got a hotel room. Its Tuesday night. I didnt get finished yesterday because I had to go to get my tooth pulled. I got it pulled and I hope I dont have to have any more like it. It took him an hour to get it out. He was prying on it and let it slip some way and knocked a piece out of my lip. They made me stay in the hospital last night and this morning when I got out and went back to work everyone thought I had been in a fight. They saw my skinned lip and swollen jaw and I guess it did look like somebody had socked me. It feels pretty good now though. I went down to the main office today and told them Id like to volunteer for another month of mess duty. But they said they had the mess men already and that they were going to send me to the P.X. I dont know what Ill be doing at the P.X. but guess Ill find our pretty quick. Im supposed to go to work there the first which is a day after tomorrow. Most of the P.X. personnel Ive seen are those women Marines. I just hope I dont have to work under one of them. Well, dont know much else to write so guess I may as well close. As Always, Gib

98

Letter

October 24, 1945

Dear Folks, I thought I better send these money orders home before I lose them. The forty dollar one is what I owe you and the other hundred you can put in the bank or just put in the box with the bonds, whichever is the easiest. They started checking on the guys with fifty points today. From what I hear the guys with fifty points arent eligible for discharge until the first of the month when the order becomes official. They check the guys here and then they go to Miramar for the final discharge. The latest scuttlebutt is that after the fifty point guys are out theyre going to let guys out with the most time in and not count points any more. I hope they dont because Ill probably be in until the first of the year if they count time instead of points. Theres nothing official on that yet, however. I guess the Marines are pretty lucky on this discharge business because I saw in the paper where the army wouldnt let men out with sixty points until Dec. I went over and saw the dentist this morning about that wisdom tooth they told me to have it pulled when I was at Miramar. Monday I go back and have it pulled. I saw the picture they took of it and we may have some fun before he gets it out as its laying sideways instead of straight up and down like the rest of them. The mess sergeant called me in the office the other day and asked me if I wanted a week-end pass. Naturally I said yes. So he turned my name in. Today I saw an order on the bulletin board that no weekend passes would be given this week-end as Saturday is going to be open house to the public. The public is invited to come in and look at the planes and etc. Bit it really didnt matter a whole lot about the passes being canceled because what they call a week-end is from Saturday noon until Monday at eight in the morning, which is about 44 hours. If I left here Sat. at noon I could probably get home about 2 Sunday morning, thats figuring 14 hours which it took me to get down here on the bus. And then Id have to leave home right after noon Sunday in order to get back by eight the next morning so I dont think it would be worth it. Besides if I was late getting back Id probably get the brig, and also youre supposed to say where youre going on the pass and they wouldnt okay a pass to go that far. Id have to tell them I was going to L.A. or some place. I dont 99

know why theyre so darn strict now that the war is over. There are several different squadrons here on base and some of them give 72 hour passes but they dont in the one Im in. I talked to some of the guys in the squadron and they say its easier to get a discharge than a 72 hour pass in the Service Squadron 48 which I am in. Well, I guess thats about all for this time. As Always, Gib Letter November 5, 1945

Dear Folks, Thought I would drop you a few lines and let you know I made it okay. Got here at six this morning. Had to stand up all the way to San Jose but made it okay after that. I thought Id be pretty tired today but I slept pretty good on the bus and I feel pretty good. I guess J.Don found the car okay. I just got there in time to catch the bus as it left right on 4:30. Well, I dont know anything else to write so I may as well close. Gib P.S. Use this address when you write Pfc. Walter G. Little M.C.A.S. Post Exchange Santa Barbara, Goleta, Calif.

100

Letter

November 13, 1945

Dear Folks, Thought Id better write and let you know I made it okay. I got here at six thirty this morning. I almost got stuck at Salinas but one of the drivers got me on another bus. There were sure an awful lot of people traveling and I guess I was pretty lucky to make it. I didnt get much sleep but I felt pretty good today. I dont think Ill have to be rocked to sleep tonight however. ha I got your letter today that you wrote last week. Dont know anything new so guess Ill close and go eat some chow. Gib Letter November 18, 1945

Dear Folks, Thought I might try and write you a few lines. Dont know anything new. Heard that the army was lowering their points to fifty-five in December. Im afraid the Marines will only lower to forty-five so I probably wont be getting out till after the first of the year. Im still filling Coke machines. Dont think there is any chance of me getting home for Thanksgiving. It looks like we will only get one day off so I cant make it in one day. I came so close to not making it on time the last time Id be afraid to try it without at least three days off. I finally got a letter written to Darl the other day. Hell probably be surprised to get it. This is sure a drowsy place here today. Everyone is either asleep or reading the paper. I dont know anything new so I may as well close. Gib

101

Letter

December 6, 1945

Dear Folks, Thought Id better drop you a few lines and let you know my new address. We flew down here Monday. Took only about an hour and a half to get down here. We were put on mess duty Tuesday. Guess well be on it till we get discharged. All the guys that I came down with had from forty to fifty points. They all think they will lower the points next month and I hope they do. I met two guys here that I went through boot camp with. I hadnt seen them since we got out of boot camp. They just got back from overseas. I also saw the guy that I told you I tried to let come home in my place. He just got in five days ago. Guess it was a good thing they wouldnt let me trade with him. Ive met quite a few guys here from Hdg. Sqd. There really are a lot of guys here and when some go home on furlough some more come in. I doubt very much if Ill get to come home for Xmas but if theres any chance I intend to make it. Well, I guess I may as well close as I dont know anything else to write. Been wondering if youd heard any more from Darl. I sure hope you can get him out because I know it is plenty monotonous over there now. As Always, Gib This is my address: Pfc. Walter G. Little M.A.C.S.-1, Personnel Grp. Bks. 81 M.C.A.D. Miramar, San Diego 45, Calif. Letter December 10, 1945

Dear Folks, Thought Id better write a few lines and let you know Im still here. I got a letter from you Saturday and also one this morning.

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From the way you wrote this morning you sounded like you were expecting Darl to be on the way home. I hope he is but my guess would be hes on the way to Japan or Korea. There isnt anything new around here. Havent heard anything more about dropping the points. Theres so many guys here that just came in from overseas that are waiting fro discharge that theyll have all they can do to get them out by Xmas. Im still hoping fro them to drop the 1st of January. Im afraid my chances of getting a pass for Xmas is pretty slim but Im going to try. Well, this is kinda short but guess I may as well close. As Always, Gib Letter December 16, 1945

Dear Folks, Its Sunday again so Ill try and write you a few lines. Got your letter last week. Too bad old Darl wasnt on his way home, guess you guys were pretty disappointed. Well, I had a little good news yesterday. We are going to get off four days fro Xmas or four days for New Years. Half of the guys will get off for Xmas and half for New Years. But theres one thing wrong with it. So far Im supposed to get off at 4:30 p.m. the 21st till 7 a.m. the 26th. If thats all they give me in order for me to get here by 7 oclock the 26th, Id have to leave home Xmas morning which isnt so good. But Im going to try and see if they wont give me until the 27th. Ill have to see the Mess Officer and maybe several more but it wont do any harm to try. Id hate to spend Xmas day on the road back to camp. If I cant get them to change it I think Ill try to get off New Years instead. I dont know how Ill get up there because there will be lots of guys on liberty and it may be impossible to get a bus or train and the hitch-hiking will be plenty crowded. Especially from here to L.A. as thats where most of the guys are going. According to the papers there are thousands of discharges in L.A. that cant even get a train to go home. Its said some had been waiting in the station four and five days. So if I dont show up youll know I couldnt get any transportation. We havent heard any more about when well get 103

out. Yesterday in a paper the Marine Corp puts out once a week had an article about Vandergrift (Hes the Commandant of the Marines Corp) saying that the Marine Corp was way ahead of schedule in getting men discharged. So all of us guys with forty points are kinda worried as to whether theyll drop down next month or not. I wish to heck theyd set a certain date instead of letting everyone expect them to drop anytime. Seems you did pretty good on the almonds. I didnt think youd get more than about $100 or $125. Guess Helen will be pretty happy if Leroy gets home for Xmas. Well, theres not much else to write so I may as well close. Ill do my best to get home for Xmas but dont be surprised if I dont make it. As Always, Gib Letter December 26, 1945

Dear Folks, Just a few lines to let you know I made it okay. Got to L.A. about 6:30 but had to wait there for a train until about 9 then another wait at San Diego to get a bus to camp. Got to camp at 2 this morning. Guess you guys had quite a feed. Theres nothing new here about the points. Ill write when I hear anything official. As Always, Gib Letter January 1, 1946

Dear Folks, Thought maybe Id better drop you a line or two. I didnt write Sunday because I thought maybe there would be some word on the points. But we havent heard any more. Guess theyre not going to drop for a while yet. I sure cant see why they dont as there sure isnt anything for the men to do. By the way I havent got the package you sent yet. But they say the mail is a little behind because of the Xmas rush so maybe Ill get it in a few days. 104

Well guess there isnt much else to write about. Guess Dal will be getting home before long if he left before Xmas. Ill write again if I hear anything official about the points. Gib Letter January 6, 1946

Dear Folks, This is Sunday morning so Ill see if I can write a few lines. Well, it looks like Im going to be a Marine for a while yet. Yesterday the Marine Corp paper here at San Diego said that the points were not scheduled to drop in the near future. It said that the rumor was that the points were going to drop to forty this month but they had official word from Washington and they were not scheduled to drop. So I guess Ill be here fro a month at least and probably more. There sure were a lot of disappointed guys when we read about it yesterday. Almost everyone on mess duty has 40 or more points and everyone thought they would get out this month. Some of the guys have been on mess duty four months already and theyre not very happy to think theyre going to be on mess duty for another month or two. I figure now that it will probably be March before they drop and then theyll probably let out men with two or more years. But guess theres nothing we can do but wait. I got your letter last week. Also got the box of nuts but they didnt last long as some of the guys here seemed to like them. You said you were wondering what happened between Bonnie and me. It wasnt about grandpas condition. It wasnt anything serious and I guess everythings okay now. Well, guess I may as well close. Sure wish I could have gotten out this month and helped prune but guess I wont make it. As Always, Gib

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Letter

January 13, 1946

Dear Folks, Its Sunday afternoon so thought Id better try and write to you. I got a letter from you and I guess you probably got my last letter by now. In your letter you said you had seen where the Marines had cut their points to 45 beginning February 1st. Then you said you understood I could get out on less points if I didnt have to go back overseas. I dont know where you got that information. Maybe its that way in the army but it isnt in the Marines. I believe the army will let a person out if hes not eligible to go overseas and he can prove hes not essential. But here you dont get out if you havent got the points. And I only have 41 so I dont know when Ill make it. Im hoping by March but Im not counting on it too much. I thought they would go to 40 the first of this month so now Ive quit guessing. You said something about me trying fro a furlough. Ive already thought of that along with a lot of other guys but its no soap. This outfit we are in is not a permanent group so we are not eligible for furloughs. I doubt if you understand what I mean because the fact of the matter is we dont understand either. But we cant get any furloughs. It sure gets a guy pretty sore when he sees hundreds of guys down here doing nothing and still they wont let us out or even give us furloughs. The work we have to do isnt very hard but it gets pretty monotonous after so long. Im afraid Dal is going to beat me out by a month or more. I doubt if hell be held for 90 days as he was already replaced by other men so he should get back right away. Those riots dont sound too good but at least theyre getting some action out of Congress. Well, Its almost time to go back to work so I may as well close. If Dal gets home right away Ill see if I can get a three day pass and go home. As Always, Gib

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Postcard

January 21, 1946

Dear Folks, Made it o.k. Got here at camp at 11:45 last night. Got a ride from L.A. to San Diego for four dollars in a car. Guess thats about all there is to write. Gib Letter January 27, 1946

Dear Folks, Its Sunday afternoon so Ill see if I can write a few lines. Got your card saying Dallas had gotten home. Boy, he sure didnt waste any time getting discharged after he got to the states. Id like to get off a few days and go home but I doubt very much if I can. I may get another week-end off next week-end but its not for sure yet. Also the guys that got off this week-end only had from Saturday noon until Monday morning and I couldnt make it there and back very easy on that. We had an inspection of the mess hall yesterday and it didnt go off so well. We may not even have liberty at all next week. Ill try to get off but I doubt if I can make it. I had a letter from Darl last week. Also got the pictures you sent. Ill send them on to Darl when I write to him. I also had a letter from Earl Lowdes. Hes the guy that wrote to you and had you send the letter to me. He said he had a furlough coming up next month and Mackenzie, hes the other guy that lived with us, was on furlough then. I wish I could get one but we arent even eligible for one. Well, I dont know anything new to write about. I havent heard any more about when Ill get out. It doesnt look like it will be very soon. Well, guess I may as well close. As Always, Gib

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Letter

February 10, 1946

Dear Folks, Its Sunday night so Ill see if I can write a few lines. There isnt anything new around here. Some of the guys think the points are going to drop to forty next month. But theres nothing official yet so I doubt it. I figure maybe April but it may not even be then. We had to feed four meals today as there were about 800 men that came in from overseas this afternoon about two. Noon chow had just been over about an hour and a half when they came in so we had to set everything up and feed them. Well. I dont know anything to write so I may as well close. As Always, Gib Note And you through the Little family was big. Letter February 17, 1946 Undated

Dear Folks, Its Sunday morning so Ill try and write some. I guess you probably heard on the radio or read in the paper that the Marine points will drop to forty two the first of March. And of course I only have forty one. Talk about guys being disappointed. There were quite a few of us with 40 or 41 points that felt like tearing this camp apart. Ever since the 1st of February there had been quite a bit of scuttlebutt that the points would drop to forty the 1st of March. I didnt have very much hopes until a few days ago when this M.A.C.S.-1 outfit Im in transferred all men out except guys with over forty points. There were only two barracks full of us guys with over forty points so it looked like maybe we were going to get out the first. And then they announced that they are only dropping to forty two. It was very easy to walk through the barracks and tell who had forty and forty one points by just looking at their faces. ha I dont know how mine looked but I sure was surprised. I never had the least idea that theyd only drop three points. But if they drop again Ill sure as heck get out. Im a 108

little afraid that instead of dropping the points again they might start letting the guys out with the longest time in. But they may not. After what they did, I wouldnt be surprised at anything. I had a couple of letters from Bonnie. She had been in bed about five days with the flu. I also got a letter from you last week. You said something about renting Elmers place and asked what I thought about it. Sounds like it might be okay. I guess you really would like to know if you could count on me being there to help. I think Ill be there until the fruit season in over. After that I wont make any promises. I dont know what Im going to try to do when I get out of here. My biggest worry right now is getting out. ha Well, I dont know anything else to write about so I may as well close. As Always, Gib Letter February 24, 1946

Dear Folks, Its Sunday again so Ill see if I can write a little. Nothing new to write about around here. I was transferred to another squadron so my address is a little different now. Instead of M.A.C.S. 1, its Hdg. Sqd. I have the weekend off. From noon yesterday until tomorrow morning. I didnt get up till nine oclock this morning. I had a last Sunday off and another fellow and I went to San Diego and went out to the zoo. I dont know what Ill do this afternoon. I have quite a few dirty clothes so I wash them. We moved over to some barracks that the women Marines used to live in and theyre pretty nice. They have some automatic washing machines which is a lot better than a bucket and a brush. Also have a small bowling alley and a pool table and bath tubs. When we moved over one of the guys said What the heck are they trying to do, move us into these barracks so well re-inlist? ha Im afraid it would take a lot more than that to get me to re-inlist. Havent heard any more about the points going down again. Ive got a little hope about the first of April but Im not figuring on anything more.

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So J.Don bought a motor cycle. I imagine it would be pretty tiresome to ride from here. Also would be pretty cold. I dont know anything new to write so may as well close. As Always, Gib Letter March 3, 1946

Dear Folks, Its about time I wrote you again. I got a letter from you last week and you said you hadnt got a letter from me. I dont know why you didnt get it as I wrote on Sunday like I usually do. I guess youve probably got it by now. I went over to the squadron office Monday and tried to get a furlough but I didnt make it. I went back three different days and did lots of talking but they told me I had too many points. I argued with about four sergeants, a warrant officer and finally the major. The major told me he couldnt give me a furlough because I had too many points. He said the points would drop to 40 within 15 days. Personally I doubt it. I dont figure theres much chance before April. He was only trying to make me believe that so I wouldnt want a furlough. I let him know that I didnt agree with him but that was all I could do. He was pretty nice about it. He really didnt have the final say as to whether Id get a furlough because he wasnt the C.O. Anyway, I didnt get it so Im still on mess duty. I got a good racket over at the mess hall now. All I do is take care of the civilians that eat here. There are only about 60 of them and they only eat at noon except about 6 or 8 that eat breakfast and supper. They are mostly carpenters and construction men and a few women that work in the P.X. and telephone center. I guess you guys read that article in the last Life magazine whats wrong with the army. I read it last night and I think he hit the nail right in the head. I was surprised that an officer wrote it because he really poured it on the Brass Hats. You said you had heard from Darl and he was expecting to be on the way home by the first of April. If he does we might get home about the same time. Ive been expecting a letter from him because I wrote him one 110

about a month ago. He had his 20th birthday the 1st. To think of him being 20 makes me feel old. ha Well, guess thats about all for this time. Ill write again if I hear anything official about the points. Although youll probably know about it as soon as I do because we hear about it over the radio or in the paper. Im a little afraid that they might not drop the points again but let the men with the most time in. Im just hoping they drop once more. ha Gib Letter March 10, 1946

Dear Folks, Well, its Sunday morning so Ill try to write a few lines. Ive got a little news this time that is pretty good. The points are dropping to forty tomorrow, so I should be out in a bout a week. Boy, we were pretty surprised. I never had any hope theyd drop before the 1st of April. That major I talked to when I tried to get a furlough was right when he said theyd drop within fifteen days. I dont know just how long it will take to get us out but shouldnt take over a week or ten days. It was kinda funny the way they dropped all of a sudden. Friday night we had a little meeting in the mess hall. A new mess sergeant took over the mess hall and he thought he could scare us I guess. Anyway, he left word for us to clean up the galley so we got together and said we werent going to do it. They called the officer of the day over and he told us wed better do it or wed all go in the brig. He promised if we did it he would go see the colonel and see if he couldnt get things straightened out, So we did it. Yesterday morning we went over and we were all expecting to catch heck. I just walked in the mess hall and a guy I knew that works in communications said the order had just come in over the teletype that the points would drop Monday. That was a pretty nice surprise compared to what I expected. The mess sergeant was raising heck but nobody payed any attention to him because most of us had forty points so we werent much worried about what he could do to us. I got the week-end off from yesterday noon till in the morning. I should get relieved from duty tomorrow and go over to the separation squadron. I think Ill go down to 111

Mexico this afternoon. Im this close so I may as well go see what Mexico looks like as I may never be this close again. Well, I guess there isnt anything else thats new so I may as well close. I hope to be seeing you in a week or so. As Always, Gib Letter March 13, 1946

Dear Folks, I dont have anything to do so thought Id drop you a few lines. From the way I wrote Sunday you are probably expecting me home the last of this week. But I wont make it this week. We just got relieved of duty and tomorrow were supposed to go over to the separation squadron. It takes about four days after you get on what they call scheduled to get discharged and it may be two or three days before I get on schedule. Theyre not as fast as the army on discharges. I figure I may get out next Tuesday or Wednesday. I got a letter from you Monday. You had a six cent air mail stamp on it which isnt any good except overseas. I dont know if it came by air mail or not. The post office closes Saturday at noon until Monday so I dont know how long it took to get here but I got it Monday. Ill send this air mail and see if it gets there any faster. I had a letter from Dwain Martin yesterday. Hes one of the guys I went overseas with. He wrote that Mac was a civilian already. Said he got out when the points dropped to 45. I dont know how he did it as he came in a month later than I did and we were together all the time overseas. He must have gotten credit for a battle star that he didnt deserve because we only rate one. Well, guess thats about all. Dont bother to write me because it will only come back. I hope to be seeing you some time next week. Gib

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