Received your card and gift today and I want to thank you very much. I am going to buy some pipe tobacco, cigars, and a new field scarf.
Golly, it surely doesn’t seem like Christmas to me. No gifts to wrap and it is the first time I haven’t sent any cards out in a long time. I am just going to answer all the people with a letter when I am able to find time.
Had to work today but have the evening off. When I finish this I am going to wash out some hose, a belt, shine my shoes, take a shower and go to bed.
Dad, we don’t get any leave at all as you know the Marines have to stand by and be ready to move out at a moment’s notice.
Expect the Beatty’s wish they were back in the middle west. I know that I do. But, now I am glad I am in because I would have been drafted later anyway. Surely do hope that this war will soon end. Don’t hardly see how it will though for some time unless they turn the Marines lose on the Japs, Germans and Italians.
Got the papers and magazines and thanks a lot. Surely is some good reading in the Boy’s Life.
They surely are coming in fast here at the Base and it won’t be long until we have a very large Marine Corps. They are enlarging it by about 50,000 men.
Want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and I want you to know I think of you a great deal and I am living for the day when we will all be together again.
Just a line to let you know that I am O.K. We had a little scare last evening as they sighted 60 Japanese airplanes over San Francisco headed for San Diego. We all were issued 60 rounds of ammunition and had to get out in the open and not be in the barracks. To make matters worse it started raining about midnight.
I haven’t been to bed since Saturday evening and it is now Tuesday morning. We are very busy getting things ready to go. I will keep in touch with you from time to time and let you know how I am getting along.
Am not able to write much now and I have to get busy on the issue of some more equipment and clothes. Surely will say that the Japs took us quite by surprise. But don’t worry we will take care of them.
I can surely sympathize with the British now since we were warned as to an air attack last evening. It really gives one quite a thrill to realize how it could be.
I am enclosing two dollars. One is for Bobby for Christmas and the other one for Mary Alice. That is about all I will be able to do for now as I had to get some extra things in case we do make an Expeditionary Force and I might as well be honest with you it isn’t very far off.
I’ll say one thing the Marines spirit is very high. If the civilians hold up as well as we do we can’t help but win out.
Hope this letter finds you all feeling fine. Dad the reason I am down at the base is I am detached.
It looks very much as if they are going to transfer me to the paymaster branch of the service. That is the reason that the letter Dean Cleland wrote has to be notarized. The Major General Commandant’s office sent it back because it wasn’t. Then of course the Captain of the Tank Company had to give it back to me to get it notarized. Then I realized what they wanted with my degree and the letter. So many things happen on the spur of the moment in the Marine Corps that one never knows what is going to happen. Well any way I thought I would let you know what they have in mind. You see each Company or rather I mean each Battalion has a Paymaster. It would be a very good branch of the service to get into and I imagine that is where I will end up.
Monday when we get paid I must do some more Christmas shopping. This payday I will receive $10.00. You know it is a funny thing but here in the Service you never think about money. If nothing else it teaches you how to be conservative. For example on payday you get your laundry, your smoking supplies, your stamps, stationery, tooth paste, just whatever you need in the way of supplies until the next payday. It learns one how to budget.
By golly I forgot that Elizabeths birthday is this month. I must get busy and send her a card as she never forgets me. By looking at the card I notice that it was December the 4th. Well I’ll get busy this afternoon and get her a card and get it in the mail.
Tomorrow I am going to the service here at the base. I like the Chaplain better here than the one out to Camp Elliott. He appeals to me more. He seems to have a better way of getting his sermons across. In other words he comes right to the point, and I like people who do this.
Surely will miss all of you this Christmas and I hope next year to be with all of you at this time. I imagine that I will be able to go up to the Whitemans. I might even get a week off. Don’t know for sure yet.
Received your letter Bob and I’ll try and make it to your house for Christmas. The way the situation now looks in the Pacific we are liable to move and move fast any day now. At least we drew supplies today for an Expeditionary Force.
I am now located at the base in San Diego with the Division of Special Troops Quartermaster. Although I imagine I will be transferred to the Paymaster branch any day now at least that is the way it looks. I still however receive my mail at the same old address through the tank company at Camp Elliott.
We are having one of those unusual California rains this evening.
Here I am living in barracks with steam heat and already I have caught a terrific cold. Since I have been living like an Indian in a tent I can’t get used to steam heat.
Since last writing you I have been promoted to a P.F.C. Now I will start drawing $36.00 a month the 14th of December instead of $30.00. Oh well every little bit helps and the stripe on my sleeve lets me get by with more in Marine Corps. At least the boots jump when they see it.
It is swell of you kids to ask me down and don’t think for one minute I am not looking forward to eating those onion sandwiches.
Bob, maybe you should go back to Monmouth and take over the job of cashier at the 2nd Nat’l what with Everett deceased, Dell at camp and Dell Cable ill.
Received a letter from Arizona offering me a round trip ticket but I’ll stay away as I am afraid that gal is determined to get me. Oh! yes I also received quite a letter from Leota. Beats all hell how these old gals go for me.
Will dr0p you a line latter letting you now whether I can make it or not. You can bet I’ll sure try
Sara, I sure do miss that salad of yours.
As ever,
Leo
P.S. The are filming the show “From the Shores of Tripoli” in front of the barracks I am now quartered in. Randolph Scott is the star. He used our head this morning.
Well this morning I moved into the base at San Diego. For the present you may still address my mail to the old address at Camp Elliott. I am on what is known as detached duty from the Tank Company. They sent me to the Quartermaster Division of Special Troops but I am still attached to the Tank Company.
This has been a beautiful day. The sun shined all day and it was quite warm.
Received a letter from Elizabeth today. Golly: I am always glad to hear from her. I don’t hardly see how she has time to write and take care of those three children. She is a wonderful woman.
It surely won’t be long now until Christmas. It doesn’t hardly seem possible that it is so near at hand. Will be a tough one for me being away from all of you.
In the Quartermaster Department you have charge of all the purchasing and disbursing of supplies from gasoline to tents. It should prove to be very interesting. But there surely is a great deal to learn.
Was surprised to hear about the Beatty’s. Seems sort of strange to me with all of their property being in Monmouth.
I’ll bet Myrtle hates to leave. Hope Ed has luck out here. If he wants to live here I guess that is his business. What happened to his other job?
They are filming a movie here at the base. The name of it is The Shores of Tripoli. The movie set is right in front of my barracks on the parade ground. Living in barracks surely has its advantages over tents. The barracks are very modern and very clean. We also have steel lockers to keep our clothes in. Then we have a game room (ping pong table, radio, large overstuffed leather chairs & magazines). Quite a bit different from Camp Elliott. The post exchange is also near the barracks.
Will have to mail this in the morning as the P.X. is closed for inventory and I am out of stamps.
Also I received a letter from Aunt Ella this week. Was glad to hear from her. I’ll drop her a line latter this week as well as all the rest of you.
I am enclosing my warrant which shows my promotion. If you will keep it for me.
Had my stripes sewed on my shirts and blouse today. Oh: yes and also my overcoat. Cost 10 cents per pair. I had six shirts, one blouse and one overcoat.
Received a letter from Robert today. I’ll write him over the weekend. It has been quite chilly here today. Had to wear a sweatshirt under my shirt.
Tomorrow will be another busy day. A parade in the afternoon and in the morning I’ll have to check over the payroll.
I imagine that Monday I’ll be transferred into the base at San Diego to the Quartermaster Division of Special Troops. That is I’ll be detached from the tank company to the base. By this I mean I will still be on the pay roll of the tank company.
Yet this evening I must shine my leather goods and also take a shower bath. Then I’ll read for awhile and retire.
Robert sent me a dollar in his letter. Gee: one doesn’t realize how little things like that puts pep into an individual. He also said he wanted a picture of me so I’ll send him one. Will have some printed and should be able to get them by Monday.
Mr. Hardin surely didn’t last long. I imagine it was a pretty big funeral.
Not a great deal of news but a line to let you know I am thinking of you and to let you know I am advancing rapidly in the Marine Corps.
Received the transcript and the letter of Dean Clelands. Thanks a great deal. It is going to prove a big help. Today I got my PFC warrant. I’ll send it to you as soon as I get my chevrons. Have to have it to get them from the quartermaster department. I guess I must be doing o.k. You are supposed to be in four months before you even take the exam. Well, I made it in three months. However I won’t get my pay increase until the 14th of December. Then my pay will start at $36.00 per month instead of $30.00 per month. In other words it is a $6.00 a month increase in pay as well as the increase in rank.
Wouldn’t be a bit surprised but what I will be transferred to the base at San Diego this coming Monday to the Quartermaster department of the Special Troops and take my preliminary training there before being transferred to the school at Philadelphia in March.
Just finished taking a good hot shower. It is now 2000 or 8 p.m. After I finish this I’ll do some reading and then go to bed. They also have had me start reading chapters 14 to 23 of the Marine Corps manual as all of it deals with the Quartermaster department and what I mean there is plenty to learn. But I believe I can get it in this thick noodle of mine.
Don’t know what I would do if I hadn’t brought my pipes along to smoke and also get to smoke a cigar now and then. Golly: I surely do love to smoke and read.
See by the paper where the Marines visited Monmouth. Did they recruit any?
Oh: yes I’ll also drop Dean Cleland a letter and thank him. He surely did give me a good send off.
Not much news but a line to say hello and let you know I am thinking of you.
Hope all of you are feeling fine and I also hope that some winter you can spend it in California.
What a beautiful day this has been. Have been running around in an undershirt most of the day. My clothes dried in less than an hour. That is how hot is it.
This morning I went to church with J. Miller. He is a chap from Waterloo, Iowa. He happens to be a Catholic so I attended church with him. However, I’ll attend Protestant services from now on as I don’t particularly like the way they do things.
After services I washed six pair of government issue hose, two pair of my own hose, three towels, one sweatshirt and four pairs of skivvies. Dad, I agree with you I don’t see why Roosevelt couldn’t buy each company of the Marines a washing machine instead of us having to chip in and buy our own.
Well I suppose Elizabeth told you I have started my Christmas shopping and also that I was promoted to P.F.C. or Private first Class. So now on my mail will be addressed P.F.C. McLoskey instead of Pvt. McLoskey.
Oh: yes I also washed my elephant hat and it came out very nice. Couldn’t put it in the machine though. Had to wash it with brush and water.
Golly: the flys surely are bad today. They are about to eat me up. Am sending you an envelope. Keep it and I’ll put it in my scrap book. I mean the envelope I am mailing this letter in.
For dinner today we had fried chicken. But it surely doesn’t taste like the chicken I get at home.
This evening I think I’ll go to a show and than read my landing force manual and retire about nine pm.
Sent Bobby and Anne a picture. Thought they might like it.
I don’t see where the Wilson’s think they are going to get any place. Around Christmas I hear we get five days off so I am going to try and get up to see Joe and May. Maybe I can get some more information from them. Mother, did you ever answer May’s letter?
Would like to see all of you. Sure will be glad when we can all assemble again at home.
Glad both of you are able to continue to go and enjoy yourselves. I want you to always do it.
Suppose you two are busy thinking about your Christmas shopping.
Will send this letter by regular mail as I sent you the last one air mail special delivery. I like to do it once in awhile.
Well here it is Thanksgiving. It surely doesn’t seem like it to me with the sun shinning and none of the family here.
This morning I got up at 7:30. Went over and got the mail, sorted it and returned to my tent as today is Holiday routine in the camp.
Although we are not together today I realize more than ever that we have a great deal to be thankful for. I know that I have the swellest family in the entire world. We can also be thankful that God has spared us the death, destruction and greed that is now going on in the European Continent.
Mother, I received your letter with the dollar in it and I want to thank you very much for it. It makes tears come to my eyes when I get little gifts like that and the stamps Dad sends to me.
My Bunkie and the fellow who works with me in the office got a letter with a dollar in it from his mother this morning.
Am sending you some pictures. Hope you will like them. The one in the helmet with the goggles is what I wear when I go out in the tanks. The one with the rifle and trench helmet is the prone position we use when firing the rifle. The one with me setting on the locker box in my tent shows you the box we keep our clothes in. This box we use as a chair & also as a writing desk at times. The other is a picture of the other fellow who works with me in the office. Before his entry into the service h was a photographer for the Des Moines, Iowa newspaper. Later on I will have some snaps made of me in my other uniforms.
Mother, you ask me how much weight I have lost. Well I expect I have lost about twenty pounds.
The reason I need my college transcript is that they are now planning on sending me the first of March to Philadelphia, Pa to the quartermaster school to finish up my training and then leave me in the quartermaster department. But they change their minds so often you don’t know until about two hours before you go. If I do get to go I am going to plan on stopping off at home either on the way out or the way back. The school lasts for four months. I hope they do send me as I believe I would like it very much.
Dad, have you been notified yet that you are the beneficiary on my government insurance policy?
Bobby doesn’t think any more of his Uncle than his Uncle thinks of him. I also think Robert has one swell family.
You haven’t told me what you folds want for Christmas. As for me you & the rest of the family can just pool your interest and send me the money as what I need I can buy at the camp post exchange so much more cheaper than you can buy on the outside. Such as shaving soap, tooth paste, cigars and etc.
I am also enclosing a match folder for you to give to Wilda to give to Donald.
Hope all of you are feeling fine and I surely do miss all of you.
After I eat dinner today I am going to the movie.
Love to all,
Leo
P.S. As I can’t mail this letter until tomorrow I am also sending you our menu we had at eleven this morning. On top of that Phillip Morris gave each one of us a package of cigarettes, Baby Ruth candy bar and also a sack filled with nuts and hard candy. The meal was really good and we had a large variety of food as you can see from the menu. Save the menu as I’ll want to put it in a scrap book I am starting. Show the pictures & menu to the rest of the family.
