Year: 1943

7 Sept 43

Dear Folks:

I suppose that Anne and Bobby started to school today.  If only they could realize what school means to them.  The happiest days of their lives.

Mother, please send me the Shawler childrens address so that I can write them a letter.  I seemed to have misplaced the one they wrote to me and I must answer it.

Leota sent me a picture of you folks with Mary Alice, Elizabeth and Robert.  Believe me all pictures are welcome and Leota has been one swell girl to me ever since I have been overseas.

Mother, you might just as well know it will be months before I get to return unless a miracle happens.  They seem to think that I am doing a good job in this district.  Mother, if my work and what I can pass on to the men under me will help end this war I must stay out here for God, my family and my country.  You see Mother the Marine Corps doesn’t operate like the army if it did I am afraid the war would never end.

Dad, I am enclosing a letter that I received from Ed Hughes, Sec. of State.  I applied for a war ballot as I believe that the men overseas should be entitled to vote.  At least he took time out to sign it himself.

The war news has been very good here of late.  Hope and pray that it continues to be the same.  It will still be a long old trail but I know that God will see to it that the Christian people win out.

Honestly! I don’t need anything for Christmas.  You might send me some chewing tobacco.  Lets just hold out for anything else until we can all be together again.  As it now stands you folks have done far more than your share for me.  I will more than likely just have to send you money the same as I did last year.  I trust you will understand that we have no stores where I am now located.  However if I get an opportunity to get to any I will send you something so please let me know what you want.

They have been feeding me that sulfa drug for awhile but I am still on my feet and batting a thousand per cent so don’t worry about me.

Hope this finds all of you in the best of health and my God bless all of you.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

1^st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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4 Sept 43

Dear Folks:

Dad, your package with the cigars and candy arrived yesterday.  Thanks a great deal.  Everything in it was swell.

Mother, I see your birthday is 24 September so I am enclosing a five dollar money order for you.  It looks as if I won’t be able to get up to the H_______ before your birthday so I wanted you to get yourself something.  I want to wish you a very happy birthday and I am sorry that I can’t be with you.  Maybe next year I will be able to.  The money order is just some blanks we have.

I am feeling ok and most of my men are the same.  They took some pictures at our church service yesterday.  Hope they turn out ok.  I’ll be sure to send you some.  It will take I imagine about six weeks.  If I happen to leave the chaplain said he would forward me some.

I suppose the children are about ready to return to school.  Leota told me Anne had the mumps.  They surely do have a time.

Not much news but wanted to tell you I got the package and mother I wanted to send you the money order.

Hope this finds all of you fine.

All my love,

    Your son, Leo

1^st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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2 Sept 43

Dear Folks:

Received your letter dated 23 August yesterday.

I am enclosing a fifteen dollar money order to be applied to the balance at the 2^nd National.  Next month I should clear that up.

Mother you surely did have the correct hunch but as I say they cancelled it at the last moment but I expect it any time.

Received a nice letter from Mr. Scott at the Trust & Savings with the cashiers check.  I wanted to let you know that I had received it.

My goodness they evidently sent that photograph of Luker and I all over the States.  If you happen to have an extra picture I would like it to give to Luker.  He is my blitz buggy driver.

The war news continues to sound better.  Wow! Would I be happy if it ended today.  This job of training men to kill and hate sort of goes against my grain at times.  Especially, when some of the former men I had under me have been killed in action.  You wonder if you gave them all the training that you possibly could have.

Dad, as yet I haven’t received the packages but I know I will before long.  It just takes time.  The mail service has been much better though lately.

I suppose the children are getting ready for school.  Bobby should be getting his emblems before long.  He surely is the apple of his Uncles eye.

When I do leave I intend to take Radio with me.  She surely has been a wonderful companion to me.  I throw cocanuts in the water and she retrieves them to me.

Mother is it swell that you can help dad at the office.

Not a great deal of news but a few paragraphs to let you know that I am ok.

All my love,

Leo

1^st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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28 August 1943

Dear Folks:

My plans have been delayed for awhile.  Can’t tell you why you will just have to wait until I am able to get home.

As to the money from the Trust Bank.  If we go where I think we are I want that with me for reasons I also cannot state in this letter.  Am sorry you are worrying so much about my financial status.  Personally, I think I have done very well.

Was sorry to hear you didn’t get the farm.  Perhaps you will be able to get one latter on.

Thanks for sending me the clipping only I don’t see how they figure it was taken at the base in Diego.  Oh well: guess it doesn’t make any difference.

How come my picture was up the Trust Bank?  I don’t get it.

So Bobby has come to the conclusion that the dark skinned gal is ok if Uncle Leo wants her.  I at least have one ardent supporter in him.  I am mailing him today some Marine Corps emblems.  He needn’t worry about her.  When you find out why I did take that trip you will realize why the picture of her and I.

Hope this finds all of you feeling ok.  I and my men are fine but I must admit a little nervous.

Am sorry that I cause you so much worry but I want you to know I love you and I hope to prove that I do know what I am doing.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

1^st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

PS What did the bank do? I haven’t heard from them. 

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22 August 1943

Dear Folks:

Received a letter from you yesterday.  As to the farm I don’t believe that you would be making a mistake in purchasing it.  Property is always tangible and heaven only knows what will happen when all the smoke has cleared from this conflict.  Dad, I think you and mother have done wonderful.  Everybody makes mistakes in life.  It is from the mistakes we make that we learn.

Mother, if I were killed tomorrow or even yet today I am ready to meet my maker and I am not afraid to die.

As to the officers habits, yes, some of them do drink to much.  But the service is the same as life.  In the service they only get away with it for so long a time and then they are given a general court martial which is the greatest mistake and horror any man can ever receive.  On this atoll all they have is beer and all any man is allowed is two beers per day officers and enlisted men alike.  It is generally served with the noon and evening meal and it is advised by the doctors to be drank on account of the teriffic heat in the tropics.  Mother, you need not worry about your son but it makes me happy that you do because I know you are very fond of me.

Again as to the picture of me and that dark skinned gal.  You will get a bang out of the story when I see you.  She is from the Marshall & Gilbert Islands and is known as Gilbertese.  They are owned by the Japanese and it was taken on W island.

Today is Sunday but it seems like any other day to me.  Except that I mark the days off on the calendar as they go bye.

Surely was a blow to the Ryan family about their son Jack.  He surely could not have been paid a higher tribute by his commanding officer.

If other people I mean the people that are going on strikes had to change places with us for even a month they would soon be willing to work and work hard.  We need all the supplies we can possibly get.

Received a letter from Anne which I will try and answer some time this week.  Tell her I received it.

I am feeling ok and my men are all ok.  Hope this finds all of you in the best of health.

No other news as to what I told you about in the previous letter.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

1^st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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8/16/43

Dear Folks:

Rain and more rain that is all we have had the past week.  I guess we should thank God though that we do.

As yet you haven’t told me what you expect to do about the farm.  Or maybe you have and the letter hasn’t arrived as yet.

Suppose that Anne & Bobby are getting ready to go back to school.  Believe me I surely do miss those children and all of you.  The way things now look it probably will be another year or so before I return if then.

No pups from Radio yet and the men surely are worried.  She probably will have them about three in the morning like she did before.

Not much news.  The war in Europe is looking better every day but it will still take time.

By the looks of the last snap shot of Robert he is also loosing his hair.  He looks as if he doesn’t have as much now as I do.  Well maybe as much.

You know just about all my old gang are gone.  I now have almost an entirely new group and it surely is a great deal of work.

I am ok and so are all the men.  Hope this finds you the same.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

1^st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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13 Aug 43

Dear Folks:

Will drop you a few lines this morning as I have a few seconds due to the heavy down pour we are having.  If we don’t float away I mean our bivouacs, everything will be fine.

Haven’t heard from you since I dropped you a letter about the farm.  I am sort of anxious to find out what you intend to do.

Believe me mother I could surely go for some of your good old home cooking.  No matter how hard anybody trys they can never beat their mothers food.

In the near future I will probably be moving again.  Now don’t worry as I will be ok and if you don’t hear from me for awhile you will know I am at sea.  I probably will get a little rest before departing.  My first stop by which I will go by air will be where I was in Feb. when I called home.  From there I think I will go toward Yokohoma.  That is about half way.  Write and tell me where and I will tell you if you are correct.

Hope this finds all of you feeling fine.  I am ok and so are my men.

Am anxious mother to see what you thought of the pictures.

Dad, don’t worry to much about the mints.

All my love,

    Your son, Leo

1^st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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6 August 1943

Dear Folks:

Received your letter postmarked 31 July 43 this am.  Exceptionally good service.

I think it would be very wise for you to buy the farm with the improvements.  That is the 160 acre farm that sells for $12,000.00 or $75.00 per acre.  Let me know what type buildings it has on it and whether or not it is bottom land.  You know farm prices on grain and etc should be very good for the next six to ten years so in my opinion now is the time to buy.

Mother, I am glad you received your fan and I know that your friends have never seen any thing quite like it.  Glad that you liked it.

Dad, I received the stamps and thanks a million.  Will also be looking forward to the package so thanks again.

Am enclosing some more snaps that I thought you might be interested in.  Don’t get any funny ideas about the one taken with the dark skinned gal.  Will tell you all about it when I see you.  We surely will have plenty to talk about.  I mean just he pleasant things and incidents that happened to me and my gang while overseas.  Will try and have some other pictures made to send the rest of the family like the ones I am enclosing.

You surely should get some mail as this is the third letter I have written you in three days

I think it would be a very wise move on your part to buy the 160 acre farm.  Please write and let me know what you did do, whose land it is and who is now farming it.

Am ok as you can see by the pictures and my men are also all ok.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

1^st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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5 Aug 43

Dear Folks:

A year ago today we arrived on the atoll which we are now stationed on.  I just often wonder what the next year will bring for me and my men.

I also received a letter from you this morning that was postmarked 20 July 43.  Golly: I hope that my letters have started to reach you by the time you receive this.  I simply can’t understand why you haven’t been receiving my mail.

Still no pups from Radio.  I am almost convinced that she probably had a miscarriage while swimming in the ocean.  She doesn’t miss a morning or evening swim.  The Colonel said maybe she had them while swimming and they all drowned.

Thanks for Ada’s & Homer’s address.  I will try and drop them a line some time.

I take it that Franz Ahlstrand must be back in the Army.  What branch of the army is he in?

Mailed you a letter yesterday but I wanted to let you know I had received your letter and thought I would see which of my letters reached you first.  Be sure to let me know.  I am ok.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

1^st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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4 August 43

Dear folks & all:

Received your letter postmarked 24 July 43     this am.  I can’t understand why you haven’t been receiving any mail from me.  Last month I wrote to you on the following dates 7/1, 7/8, 7/15, 7/19, 7/21 or a total of five letters.  Please let me know if you get them.

Am enclosing another $15.00 check for the bank.  Will have that all cleared up by the end of October thank heavens.

Wow: it is so damn hot here today the ½ of my men are sacked out.  It is terrific.

Merillat must have had quite a fire.  It surely must be hard for him to get equipment these days.

Yep.  I sure will be glad when this is all over and I know there are thousands that feel the same as I do.

Am glad Aunt Ella enjoys the shells.  I will try and send her some more.  It keeps me so dern busy though with my job I should say jobs that I hardly have time for anything else.

Radio as yet hasn’t had her next family.  She surely doesn’t feel very good on these awful hot days.  By awful hot I mean 120 degrees in the shade.  

We are getting dug in more and better situated every day but it seems as if we never get caught up with our work.  Always something bobbing up.

Am glad you had a good time up to Sams & Beaulahs.  My that is pretty late hours isn’t it?

I’ll write you twice a week this month and see if the letters arrive any faster.  When you don’t get mail for awhile remember that the allies are doing o.k. and – well I’ll tell you all about it when I return. 

Am feeling o.k. hope this finds all of you the same.  Incidentally, have been out of chewing tobacco for over a month and none on the island.  If you 

can send me a couple lbs of Masterpiece.

All my love,

Leo

1^st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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