Year: 1942

29 December 1942

Dear folks  & all:

It happened yesterday.  My dog Radio had thirteen little radios.  So far three of them have died but the rest look very healthy.  I’ll tell you it was quite an event here.  I even passed out cigars and my mess sgt also baked me some small dog biscuits that I passed out with the cigars.

What I mean she really is getting a great deal of attention.  If only I had Libby to take care of them.  The worse trouble we have is the supply of milk.  We have nothing but powdered milk and carnation cream.  We mix it with water and thus far Radio laps it up.  When the pups get a little older I am going to try and get some pictures taken.

Thanks dad for the advice about the accounts.  I am enclosing two letters which you may take to the banks.  

Received a nice Christmas card and letter from Prof F.M. McClanahan.  Also one from Mrs. Ethel Keister.  Be sure to give me her address as I want to drop her a line and thank her.  Tell Mrs. Hayes I got her card and letter and I will drop her a letter one of these days.  You never did give me James X Galbaugh’s address.

The cocanut fleas are really bad this evening.  By golly they are about to eat me up.

It looks as if we are getting more on the offensive hear of late.  Glad to see it.  But, we still have a long way to go.  I’ll tell you one thing all the Axis powers combined will never stop the U.S. Marines Corps.

Mrs. Dickson sent me a book entitled “Strength For Service to God and Country.”  It is a wonderful book in that it contains a daily prayer and message from the scriptures in the Bible.  I must write and thank her for it.

Not much news except that I am well and all my men are ok.  Also, I think of all of you all the time and miss you very very much.  Hope you have a healthy and prosperous New Year.

All my love,

Leo

Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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25 December 42

Dear Folks & All:

Today was Christmas and I don’t mind telling all of you that I was plenty homesick and lonesome.  This is the second year I have been away from all of you & I hope and pray that next year I will be back with all of you and way before Christmas.

Had a pretty good meal for my men.  They had turkey, canned ham, a few nuts and cherry pie. I assure you that it wasn’t like me and my men would have had in our respective homes.

One nice thing I received mail today from you, Libby, Mary, Mrs. Dickson, Prof McClenahan, Mrs. Hayes, Leota and the Whitemans.  It surely did make me feel good.  One surely knows who there friends are at a time like this.

It looks to me as if the war will last until about 1945.  I figure Germany will fall late in 1943 and Japan in late 44 or early 1945.

Believe me I really know what our forefathers went through and I assure you that the Marines will fight to the last man.

My dog hasn’t had her pups as yet.  The way she looks it will be any day now.

Had my picture taken in the trench coat and if they turn out ok I should have them in a month or so.

The Colonel and two other officers ate with me and my men.  They seemed to enjoy it and the Colonel and the surgeon gave me a box of cigars each which were surely appreciated.

Not much news except that I am ok and my men the same.  Hope this finds all of you the same.

Good night I must now retire and try and get some sleep.

Love to all,

Leo

Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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19 December 1942

Dear Folks & All:

Here it is another Saturday evening.  How I would love to be spending it with you.  Honestly I get so tired at times that I feel as if I couldn’t go another second.  But, somehow I manage to keep awake and drive myself on.

Received your letter dated 2 Dec 42 yesterday and as usual I was glad to hear from you.  I also got two from Elizabeth, two from Mary and one from Elizabeths mother.  Believe me mail is always welcome and my men as well as I always look forward to receiving it.

Glad to hear that you helped Everett and Mable and I was also glad to hear that they are trying so hard to make a go of it.  We finally got a chaplain.  He has agreed to hold services for me and my men every Friday morning.  We held our first one yesterday.  We hold Catholic at 0730 and Protestant at 0830.  We don’t have any elaborate temple.  They are held outdoors right beside my blitz buggy.  But, I never did believe that the Lord meant for us to build expensive churches to worship in.  

I know that I enjoy the services and I am quite sure that my men do.  Today when I censored there mail they all wrote and told there families how nice it was.

It is still about the same here.  Work and alerts never seem to end.  Perhaps, we will soon be able to end this awful conflict but in my heart and soul I know that it will not be easy.

Don’t worry about me as I am getting along ok and I hope to be with all of you next Christmas.  Hope that this finds all of you in the best of health.  Give my regards to all.

Love to all,

 Leo

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12 December 1942

Time 6:20 pm

Dear Folks & all:

Received the trench coat yesterday and I have worn it 19 hours out of the past 24.  You never in all your life have seen such rains as we have here.

Although the package said, “Do not open until Christmas” I couldn’t wait and believe me I am glad that I didn’t.  It was just exactly what I needed for the tropics and I surely do want to thank you but I believe you spent more on me than you should have.

Life goes on here about the same as usual.  Although I must admit I am about worn to a frazzle.

The way my dog Radio looks it shouldn’t be very long before the pups get here.  What an event that will be for me and the men.  Believe me she really is getting a great deal of attention and we have a pool as to how many she will have, what hour, how many males and how many females.

Golly! How I would like to drop in on all of you at Christmas.  Would you be glad to have me?

I got my men some turkeys but heaven knows how I will be able to keep them until Christmas.

The platoon sergeant and I went together and bought us a short wave radio.  One of the skippers on a ship that brings us supplies brought it to us.  We get programs every evening.  Although some of them are even a month old we still enjoy them very much.

Got a Christmas card from Beaulah & Sam and Beaulah had some good jokes in with it.

This being entirely separated from civilization isn’t all that it is cracked up to be.  But then somebody has to defend this atoll and it is a very important one.

The war news has been better here of late.  Then on the other hand I figure that it will take some time to crush the Axis.

The gang I used to work with in Chicago sent me a big box.  It had cigars, chewing tobacco and magazines in it.  I don’t know when I will get a chance to read the magazines but the men will enjoy them.  I really have a swell group of men in my outfit.

Have been receiving the papers and thanks a lot.

I finally got my men a volley ball court built and also a horseshoe court.  If I do say so they really do get a great deal of enjoyment out of them.

It is very hard to write and describe this atoll that I live on out here in the Pacific surrounded by the ocean.  You all know how I love the water but I finally have my fill of it.

Again, I want to thank you for the trench coat and all the other gifts that you have sent me.

Should have some good pictures to send you in a couple of months and don’t be surprised if you don’t see your son in the news reels and magazines one of these days.

Must close now as it is about time to stand general quarters.  May God bless all of you and I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Hope this finds all of you in the best of health.

Love to all,

Leo

Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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5 December 1942

Dear Folks & All:

Here it is another Saturday evening and another week has gone past.  Time surely does fly, especially when one is busy and heaven knows I am plenty busy.

Am enclosing a check for fifteen dollars.  Put it on my a/c at the 2^nd Nat’l Bank.

Today I received a letter from you that you wrote on Thanksgiving, one from Libby and one from Mary plus a Christmas Card.  Beaulah and Sam sent me some good jokes and I might add the first ones I have heard in a long time.

I do hope that all of you have a splendid holiday season and don’t worry about me because I will get along ok.

It has been awful warm here of late and for a few days it was about to get me down but I am feeling much better here of late.

Surely wish I could be with all of you during the coming holidays.  Perhaps this will be the last year that I will have to be apart from all of you.  I may have some more pictures for you one of these days if things turn out ok.

Will we ever have a great deal to talk about when I return home.

Libby ask me how long you had to be in the Marine Corps before you get a furlough tell her since I have been promoted to the rank of an officer it is a leave and that we have a war to fight.  Also, remind her that I am only kidding but I am not kidding when I say that this war is serious business and we must all unite with an all out effort to beat the Axis. 

Good night and I hope this finds you all well.  Oh! Yes I got a letter from Leota.

Love to all,

Leo

Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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1 December 1942

Dear folks & all:

Here it is the first day of December and it looks as if your son will miss sharing another Christmas with all of you.  Just remember I will be thinking and praying for all of you as I always do each day.

Received a letter from Elizabeth mailed Nov 17^th in which she tells me she got the check I sent them for Christmas.  Did you receive yours?  Please let me know.

Well I got your package with the gum, mints and nuts in and thanks a million.  I got Leota’s package with the cigarettes, gum, and the pictures.  Bob oh boy! Did those pictures ever make me homesick but you people look swell and it was very thoughtful of Leota to send them.  They surely were appreciated.  I got the kids gifts the knife and the sewing kit and I needed both of them very bad.  Elizabeths mother sent me towels, wash cloths, shaving cream, stationery, finger nail clipper, file and they were appreciated and needed.  Oh! Yes she al so sent me some handkerchiefs.  Mary sent me a large photo and a cigar lighter.  Allan McCaslin sent me some cigars, chewing tobacco and a fruit cake.  I open my packages as I get them and so do all the rest of the men.  We all smile and say we better open them because we might be busy as all heck Christmas Day.  But, the main reason as usual is curiosity.

Things are about the same here. I am ok.  Plenty I could tell you but nothing I could write.

I will write to you as often as I can.  Don’t worry about me as a Marine can always take care of themselves.  Hope this finds all of you feeling ok.

Love to all,

Leo

Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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25 November 1942

Dear folks & all:

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  Golly! How I wish I could be home with all of you.  It seems ages since I last saw you and believe me I surely do miss you.

Thanksgiving will just be another day to me although I did get enough turkey to feed the men.  It is so darn hot and rainy here that I am seldom hungry.  The temperature now and it is 6:15 pm is 94 so you can see it gets rather warm.

What do you think?  My dog is going to have pups.  On one of the ships that came in they had a police dog for a mascot and Radio (my dog) and the police dog went a courting.  It will be a big event here.  At least the first birth of dogs on this rock.  Maybe I’ll be able to have a dog fro each of my blitz buggies.  

I am having the men build her a dog house as I am sure I don’t want them born under my cot one of these evenings.  I’ll have to write Libby and get the dope from her on how to raise them.

I got a box of candy from Beaulah & Sam and I also received a box from the kids with a hunting knife, sewing kit and they were just what I needed.  I have the knife plenty sharp and I carry it with my pistol all the time.

Let me know if you got your check for Christmas and also if the kids got theirs.  I am sorry I can’t get you something but it is impossible where I am located.

I dropped Aunt Mabel a letter.  I received a very nice letter and Christmas card from her.  I enclosed a small picture for her. 

For one I will be glad when this conflict is over but I am afraid that it will last for quite a spell yet.  But, I have no doubt that we will win the war and when I say we I mean the Marines.

Hope this finds all of you in the best of health and please write often as I love to hear from all of you.

Not much news but a line to say hello and that I am ok.

Love to all,

Leo

Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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18 November 1942

Dear Folks & All:

Am sending in another envelope a book with $4.00 worth of postage stamps.  I mean war savings stamps.  Thought you might be able to fill it out.  We can’t get bonds or stamps where I am at.

Dad, you ask me if I could get a check cashed where I am. Yes Up to $25.00 the post exchange office cash’s them for the officers.  At times some of my men need 2 or 3 dollars a piece to buy supplies for themselves so I cash a check and loan it to them.  You see they are only allowed a small amount of cash and then at times they don ‘t get that for a couple of months.

Let me know if you get the letter with the check in it for your Christmas and also let me know if the kids & Aunt Ella get theirs.

It has now been raining here for 36 hours and what I mean it isn’t a drizzle.

Lately I have even been sleeping with my clothes on as I have had to be up and down so darn much during the nights lately.  Great deal of activity at the present.

I am feeling ok and hope this finds you the same.  We haven’t had any mail for 16 days.  But, I wanted to let you know I am always thinking of all of you.

All my love, 

your son Leo

Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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8 November 1942

Dear folks & all:

Got your letter and the stamps and thanks a million.  I am always glad to hear from you and I want to thank you for the stamps and also for writing as often as you do.

Received three letters they were dated Oct 18, 20 and 27.  Wish I could have gone to Peoria with you.  I for one will be plenty glad when this is all over.  Surely will have plenty to tell you upon my return.

Dad, the holster would be swell.  It is a shoulder holster isn’t it?  Let me know the cost and I will mail you the money.

I am enclosing a check for $25.00 to you for Christmas.  Sorry I couldn’t get the two of you something but you will just have to buy yourselves something.  I am mailing the kids a check in the next few days.  I already mailed Aunt Ella one.

As for the hunting knife I know it can be mailed because my men have gotten some.

Mother I get so hot at times that I have to take my shirt off.  Believe me the tropics were never meant for a white man.

Hope that this finds all of you feeling fine.

You mentioned about the 2^nd package.  I wrote and thanked you for it but maybe the letter got lost.  Anyway I got it and thanks loads.  Yes, I receive the papers after so long a time but a month old news is new down here.

Now don’t forget I want you to use the check for what ever you need and can purchase with it   and I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Wish I could be with you.  I want all of you to know that I love you and miss you.

Tell Leota I got a letter from her and I’ll answer it soon.  I also got one from Mary & Elizabeth.

Hope this finds you ok.  I am ok outside of having a couple of sore arms.  I had a vaccination, yellow fever and tetnus shot all at once.

Love to all,

Leo

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4 November 1942

Dear folks & all:

At last we got some mail and I received four letters from you plus a raft of newspapers.  Thanks a million.

Also, thanks for giving me the data on my deposits at the National Bank.  Just write and tell them to me as you get them.  I keep track in a book of mine and when you affirm them I check it off in the book.

I am enclosing a check for $10.00 for the 2^nd National.  I will send some each month and get that paid off.

You haven’t told me what you want for Christmas so I am going to send everybody money and you can get what you want.  Will mail it later on in the month.

It is still about the same here.  Plenty of work to do.  Not much excitement lately but look out we expect it any day.  Had my first trouble with one of my N.C.O.’s today.  Had to reduce him from a Sgt to a Corp.  At that I let him off easy.  As a whole I have a fine group of men under my command but as I once told you I am going to have the best blitz buggy outfit in the Marine Corps and you must have discipline.  Believe you must have discipline.  Believe me the Marine Corps has taught me several good lessons.

Mother, I can’t tell you what we eat but I can tell you we get plenty of it and as I told you I am now mess officer in addition to my other duties so my men won’t go hungry.  Will surely have plenty to tell you when I see all of you and that is the day I am fighting and living for.

Hope this finds all of you feeling fine.  Write whenever you can as letters pep one up.  You should have received the letter by now telling you that I received the 2^nd package but in case it got lost I did and everything was swell.

Must get busy now on an ammunition report.

Love to all,

Leo

Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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