15 July 43
Dear Folks:
Received a letter from you this morning dated 6 July 43. I suppose the others you mailed in the meantime are some place en route. This mail out here is a very funny proposition. I also received a letter from Aunt Ella, Anne, Robert, Elizabeth and Leota. You haven’t any idea how that boosts my morale.
Mother I mailed you a package this morning with a fan in it. I picked it up on another atoll. I had to fly down to the atoll on business, spend the day and return. The atoll was named after the father of our country. It was like living in another world for a whole day. Will tell you all about it when I return. The aviator (the pilot of the plane) and myself were the only white people on the island. It was very mysterious and exciting as well as fascinating.
Tell all the others that I received their letters and that I will return them (I mean answer them) as soon as possible.
Mother, it is very hard for me to read the writing in pencil on the thin paper. Will you write on it in ink? Not complaining, but I do love to hear from you and dad and sometimes the mail gets wet and then it is very hard to read and I have been having some trouble with my eyes. Nothing to be awfully alarmed about except I have to wear dark glasses all the time now as the coral and sun do not agree with them.
Dad if I remember correctly I sent you the other certificate of my first $5000.00 insurance but I am going to check on it and I’ll get the policy number and send to you. My pay account shows an allotment for two five thousand dollar policies which equals ten thousand dollars.
Robert told me that Oscar Nelson was asking about me. Well I always liked him to. You never did send me Galbaughs address and I should drop him a letter.
Dad, by the sound of your letter you sound as if and I know you are as busy as I am. I’ll bet you were tired after painting the screens and I know mother an you both are working yourselves too much at home but your son is very proud of you and the home you have. Leota tells me that the house looks very good with the white trimmed in black. She says it makes it look much larger. What I wouldn’t give to be home. This life is a plenty tough one and making me age I am afraid too fast. I just hope I am able to keep my sense of humor and my smile.
What did you think of me loosing my cuspidor? Mother I won’t chew when I return.
Libby’s letter sounded as if you surely did have a grand fourth of July dinner. Well I am counting on having them with all of you when I return.
Must get busy and censor a stack of mail. Hope this finds all of you feeling in the best of health and I want you to know that your son has the grandest people in the world and if they were all like you we wouldn’t have these damn conflicts.
All my love,
Leo
1st. Lt. L.J. McLoskey