Month: November 1942

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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1 November 1942

Dear Folks & All:

Here it is the first of November.  You no doubt are burning coal and shoveling snow.  Well I am just the opposite.  The sweat is rolling off of me.  We haven’t had quite as much rain lately and the water problem is beginning to be a little acute.  Well, we can always boil salt water and add some iodine to it.

Didn’t get my check today but I expect to get it tomorrow and I will in turn send you some to apply on the note at the 2^nd National.  As yet I haven’t heard from you as to what the balance is but I’ll keep sending some every month.  As to the money I have on deposit at the Trust & Savings if you need any go ahead and draw it out.  I am also going to send Aunt Ella some money this month.

We haven’t had any mail in quite awhile but I know when we do I will have a letter from you.

Have been very busy getting the mess set up and straightened out but I believe I finally have got the bull by the horns.  The cooking mother still isn’t like it was at home.  Our food of course is nothing fancy and it all comes out of cans even our potatoes.  But, we get along ok.  You say my pictures look as if I haven’t lost any weight.  Well, I have.  I am just getting more solid.

The bugs are very bad this evening.  Am getting so they can crawl all over me and it doesn’t bother me.

Surely do miss all of you and I appreciate the pictures of Mary Alice.  How about some of the rest of you.  Send me all the snaps you have taken as they help out a great deal.

It is now ten pm and I had better retire as I have another heavy day ahead of me tomorrow.  They really are giving me the work but I don’t mind as it keeps your mind occupied.

Remember I think of all of you and that the Marines will whip the Axis powers.  I am ok just keep the chin up.

Love to all,

Leo

Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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