Party of Five

Every letter she had written to our soldier had been opened by ripping the envelope down the side and sliding the letter out the end.  Every. One.  When I went to read this letter, there was no tear.  And the flap was sealed.  Could it really have never been opened and read? By the time these letters found their way to our soldier, might he have missed opening one?  I carefully open the flap and began to read a letter that may  have never even been looked upon by the eyes of who it was intended for... My Dearest Darling Husband,      Hello my dear, hope these few lines find you feeling your best.  I'm fine myself only a little sleepy.  That's why I never got to write you yesterday, and I'm sorry Darling, Mother doesn't want me to leave her so I just called home and told Vaughn I was going to stay all day, and if the roads were any better to come after me tonite and let Gertie stay tonite.  Mother isn't feeling too well ...

**A few more letters to end this month, and none are from her sweetheart soldier husband.  She awaits the mail delivery every day, just hoping - not only to receive a letter from her new husband, but also her brother whom she hasn't heard from in many weeks. February 25, 1945 My Dearest darling husband,      Well Sweetheart here 'tis Sunday night so must try and write you a few lines.  Just got home and Vaughn said this was a heck of a time for a married woman to be coming in.  It is after 12:00 but hon, I've been a good girl believe me.  We took Mother to the hospital this afternoon and when we got home Jean wanted me to go to the show with her so we went and then I went down to her house and stayed till Less come home.  I was going to write you while I was down there but Jean got to showing me some pictures and things so just didn't get around to it.       Darling I love you so much.  Just seems like every...

Converse, Indiana My Dearest Darling Husband,      Well honey how are you this evening.  Fine I hope.  Guess I'm sorta tired or something this evening. Darling there isn't much for me to write about but Darling just a few lines anyway to let you know I love you more than anything in this world.  I'm playing cards with Gertie and Sticky.  I started to write this and they wanted me to play.  So Dear if this doesn't sound just right maybe you can understand why and honey I'm ahead so far.  Remember the night I beat you in a game of Rum?  Sorta got you didn't it Honey?  Sure do wish you could be here Darling.  But I have my least of doubt that we would be playing cards.       Honey please excuse this writing and for writing on the back of this but I've only got two sheets of this paper.  Well honey the game is over and Sticky won.  Well Darling here is is Thursday morning so will try an...

**The next letter has a return address from our soldier's father, written in pencil as he always did - and yet...the handwriting was not his.  Curious, I began reading... Dear Son & Warren - (Huh?  That's a weird greeting from a father to his son...and this writing is NOT our soldier's father's writing.  His writing was...well in a word, atrocious.  This letter was written very well.  I kept reading...)       We receive your most welcome letter Sat was more than pleased to hear from you.  Glad you received our letter sorta though perhaps you would not get it.  Dottie  & your Mother & Ezra were over Thurs eve to tell us about their trip to see you, we were to the show when they came.  Your Aunt Bertha told us that they wanted to see us.  So we went up to Art's and found them up there.  We had a nice time together.  Dottie said she was coming over to say a few days with us.  But I am not goin...

**Amidst the letters I most recently came across a "change of address" card for our soldier.  Not from the U.S. Postal Service, but actually the War Department - and it was "to advise you that my correct address is now": Co.C, 22nd BN, 6th Regt. Ft George G. Meade, Maryland This is where his most recent letter to his bride had come from, so no surprise there.  But what confuses me is that for days... weeks even, our soldier's family continued to write to him at a military address in New York city.  Of course, being that it was the wrong address - these letters all have the mailing addressed crossed off, and they're stamped and initialed and dated "Return to Writer", "Missing", and  "No Record".  Some of them dated over a month past the original postmark! Could you imagine?  During a war - when stories abound of loved ones overseas who have come up missing, and your letters are being returned looking like how I described. ...

Our soldier reported to Camp Maxey in Texas on December 9th, 1944 - just 5 days after getting married.  His new bride stayed in nearby Paris, Texas, renting out a room to stay at another couple's home while he was busy with his training on base.  Only a small number of letters (that have already been shared) exist for this time period.  Whether it was because there weren't many, or they weren't kept, or perhaps both - is anyone's guess.  The next letter is no longer address from our soldier in Texas, nor is it addressed to anyone in Texas.  But rather, our soldier has relocated to Ft. Meade in Maryland, and his letter is addressed to his wife at her mother's home in Converse, Indiana. Ft. Meade My dearest wife,      Well beautiful I will try to drop you a few more lines.  I don't have anything to talk about so don't plan on much.  I did go to Baltimore yesterday and made it back all in one piece just a few minutes ago.  Oh ...

A handful of letters from a wife in Paris, Texas to her new husband at Camp Maxey- a distance of only a few miles separating them as he continues his training in the U.S. Army. January 21, 1945 My Dearest Darling Husband,      Darling I just don't know exactly how I want to start my letters to you cause there are so many sweet things I could call you and you mean so very much to me.  I love you Darling and you know it I'm sure and I'm telling you I get so lonesome for you I nearly drive myself batty trying to find something to occupy my time.  But I guess I'll manage.  I went to a show this evening about 5:00 and got home around 7:30.  I saw "Alone with a Lonly Heart" or something like that.  Carry Grant played in it But it sure was a dumb picture to my notion. I wanted Myrtle to go with me but she was afraid Bob would come home and she didn't want to be gone if he came.  Well I don't want to be gone when you come in eithe...

** I don't know the circumstances that led to, or perhaps U.S. Army protocol that led our newlyweds to be separated.  He was now stationed at Camp Maxey, and she was residing a short distance away on West Cherry St. in Paris, Texas.  And so, their letters continued... My Dearest Darling      Well Sweetheart here it is Saturday nite and I'm so lonesome I could almost cry if I'd just let myself.  We are part of each other now and I'm so very very proud to be your very sweet little wife.  Lord knows Darling how I feel about you and he will take care of you while were apart.  I'm feeling better tonite than I have been feeling but I guess nature has to take her course.  I just wrote mother and your mom and dad a letter.  I want to try and get all the letters answered I owe.  Sweetheart I sure hope you can get these letters I'm writing.  This makes three I've written.  I'm going to try and write one every ...

According to our soldier, he was leaving Ft. Bliss at midnight on November 23rd and heading north to Indiana to his sweetheart, hoping to be with her again by Saturday (the 25th).  I often wonder what their reunion and time together might have been like.  I'm sure part of our soldier's furlough was spent travelling from Converse, Indiana and on up to Ft. Wayne to visit his mother, and further yet to northwest Ohio where his father was.  But before long, he returned back to the home of his sweetheart, and on December 2, 1944.....    I love this group photo - I don't know everyone but I can pick out the newlyweds, as well as her sister, Gertrude, who is standing on the other side of our soldier.  His father is kneeling down in front on the right, her step-father, Vaughn Lane, on the left.  Our soldier's mother stands behind the woman in the black coat, and the photo defect leaves me wondering for sure who is unknown in the photo but w...

 An earlier pic, taken probably 1943 or  early '44 in Indiana.  **I write today with absolutely NO disrespect towards my grandparents.  But I just couldn't help but wonder what might have happened with our sweetheart's former beau, referred to earlier in these letters as "Paul D."  Oddly enough,  the same day that she most likely received the last letter from Ft. Bliss before her soldier returned home to her, she very possibly also received this letter on the same day - A letter from PFC Paul D. Brookshire, stationed in Oahu, Hawaii. Thursday Evening November 16, 1944 Oahu, Hawaii My Dear Dorothy,      Well may I say hello to you once more?  I expect you are pretty busy now days so again I won't take up to much of your time.  My self I have the duration, and six to go so I have plenty of time to myself.  One of these days Uncle Sam is going to put my time to a good use, I'll be glad when he does just that....

My Dearest and Darling      Sweetheart I suppose you have given up all hopes of ever hearing from me again but here I am.  Next Thursday at this time I hope to be in your arms.  I had about given up but while ago shipping orders came thru with my name on them.  I am suppose to ship the 23rd which is next Wed.  I don't suppose I will be free till midnite but 10 minutes after midnite I will be at the airport.  I am pretty sure of getting a plane home and I sure am glad.  That way I can get home in 7 or 8 hours.  Mabey we can have Thanksgiving dinner together.       Darling I do love you so much.  You see in the army it isn't what you know it's who you know that counts and I just happened to meet the right person.  I'll tell you all about him of course when I get home but I will tell you this much now, he is the one that will make it possible for me to come home by plane.  He is the one that wi...

November 6, 1944 Monday morning Good morning darling, I have been pretty busy but I have a littel time now so I will try to scratch you out a few lines.  It won't be long till I will have to tell you to quit writing me I sure will be glad when that time gets here.  Honey don't get me wrong I don't mean that the way it sounds.  No I sure don't, that sounds like I didn't appreciate your letters don't it honey.  Boy I don't know what I would of done all the time since I have been in Texas if you hadn't written  me so often.  Darling you are so sweet and good to me I love you so awful much.  Honey I bet you was mad when they told you that you had to stay there but you know what everybody says "Dr. knows best" mabey that's right too.  I suppose if you went home you wouldn't stay in bed 15 minutes till you would decide that you had to help mom clean up the house or something.   Darling I want you take it easy and get to feeling OK as quick...

(Somewhere in N. Mexico) My dearest and darling:      Will try to get you a few lines now.  I know it sounds funny but I didn't have time yesterday.  I started a letter to mom yesterday to let her know I got my money O.K. and only got about three lines written.  Ten minutes ago the sun was shining and I had the doors open on my truck and was sitting here in just my undershirt. Now I have my jacket on and my cab all closed up tight and you can't tell the sun ever shined - it sure does look like rain.      Sweetheart brace yourself for believe it or not I am going to church pretty soon.  I have to take a load of boys into camp to go to church so guess I will go.      Honey as I said before I didn't get to write you yesterday but I did get you a littel somethin but I have to get into the post office to mail it and I don't know when I will get a chance to do that.  It won't be long though.  Don't get excited now...