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Naval History and Heritage Command

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Letter from James Wright to his parents, October 2, 1945


Letter from James Wright to his parents, Oct. 2, 1945, page 1

Letter from James Wright to his parents, Oct. 2, 1945, page 2

Letter from James Wright to his parents, Oct. 2, 1945, page 3

 

R/S – Navy #140 c/o F.P.O.

San Francisco, Calif.

Tuesday AM 2 Oct. ‘45

Espiritu Santo, N.H.

Dear Folks:

Here I am again! Still in these “beautiful South Seas.” As yet there is no sign of a ship and we have an idea that there won’t be much of a chance of any of us getting moved for some time to come. With the Fleet returned to the States for Navy Day I doubt if there will be any out this way again until after the middle of November.

Admiral Halsey was quite “cheerful” in his press release which said that all men who wanted to get out of the Navy would be out by September ’46. So – WHO’S IN A HURRY? (P.S. I am!)

Our mail was all fouled up because someone had checked our draft as “shipped” and our mail has been forwarded to S.F. to await our arrival. We got it all straightened out now so I’ll get any mail that comes this way.

I sent a box of books by Parcel Post this morning. None of them are particularly valuable but I do hate to destroy them. The whole lot are worth more than the 90¢ postage so it isn’t too foolish.

On last Thursday we moved about 1/8th of a mile from our tents to the old CB area so we are now living in Quonset huts and now have HOT water for washing clothes, showers and shaving. That certainly is a treat after the last few months when a cold (70˚F) water shower was really chilling and didn’t encourage too much bathing. There are 26 cots in a hut 20’x56’ and while there isn’t much extra space; we all have enough room.

Friday and Saturday we went back to the old tent area and cleaned out the vacated places and sent the rubbish to the dump to be burned. The work wasn’t hard and I rather enjoyed having something to do for a change.

In the cleanup I found an old handbag which still had a good heavy zipper on it. So as you have already guessed my new bag has lost the flap and now sports a zipper closure. I washed it again yesterday and it is quite white; but will never be a true bluish white.

We’re experiencing another cold spell. Of course there’s no frost but we feel as if we’re freezing when we get up in the A.M. (64˚F at 0545) It seems funny to be cold at those temperatures but it certainly is true. In the daytime the sun is warm but the nights are absolutely clear and the air cools quite quickly.

I got a couple of old letters (mid August) from Aunt Mary and Eleanor. Someone up at Base 3 saved them out rather than forward them to the R/S so I got them.

Hope you are all well and happy! I’m in excellent health and not busy except for the projects I arrange for myself.

Lots of love –

Jim

 

From the Papers of James Wright, Archives Branch, Naval History and Heritage Command

 

Published: Mon Mar 08 13:54:41 EST 2021