Year: 1943

29 July 43

Dear Folks:

Received your letter postmarked 20 July 43 today and I do not understand why you haven’t heard from me because I have been writing regular.  Perhaps you will receive them all in a group as I do yours at times.

Mother, I’ll bet you get a kick out of working in Dad’s office and I am glad you get to once in awhile.

Received a letter from Elizabeth with some swell pictures of the children in it.  That Mary Alice is surely plenty cute.

Dad, yesterday afternoon four of us officers went fishing.  You surely would have enjoyed it.  We caught to sand bag sacks full of red snapper, lu lei’s and three sharks.  Of course we shot the sharks with our pistols and then turned them loose.  They surely do put up a great tussle on your line.  Believe me I enjoyed myself and all of us needed the relaxation.

Mother, my mouth simply watered when you told about the roast and the potatoes.  As far as cooking foods that I like well you know the recipe for all of them and you are absolutely correct we will have some grand meals as well as grand times when I return.

The war news looks very good but the people should not get to optimistic as we have a tough old row ahead of us yet.

Remember if anything should happen before you get the other certificate for the policy all you have to do is have them refer to my pay a/c and the allotment is registered on it.

Mother, I am anxious to see what you will have to say about the fan.

There are so many things I would like to tell all of you but censorship will not permit.

I am feeling ok.  My men are in the best of health and spirits and I trust this finds you in the same.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

1^st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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27 July 43

Dear Folks:

It has been quite some time since I have received a letter from you.  The mail is very funny at times so I probably will get three or four letters at once from you before long.  You people surely have been swell about writing and it means a great deal to me.

The war news in Europe has sounded very good lately.  The sooner it is all over the happier I will be.

By the way I mailed Dr. Simmons one of the magazines and I also answered Beulah & Sams letter.

Was glad to hear that Bobby’s temperature was nothing serious.  I got a letter from Anne and Robert added a note onto it telling me they had Bobby to see the specialist.

The temperature is the same but I am getting used to it by now I imagine that cold weather will really make me shiver.  I am ready to shiver.

Am checking into the insurance and should know before long what happened to the policy.  Anyway my pay account has me credited with then thousand and that is where it counts.

Believe me I surely do miss all of you and the happiest day of my life will be when we are all united.

All my love,

Your son Leo,

1^st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

PS I am feeling ok and hope you are the same.

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24 July 43

Dear Brother & family:

Here it is another Saturday.  The time does go by rather rapidly.  It is because I am kept so dern busy and what I mean busy.

Tell Anne I received her second letter and that it pleased her Uncle very much.  Tell Bobby I miss him and all the rest of you.

Golly I surely do hate it about Bobby’s temperature but I am glad you are taking him to a specialist.  Don’t forget I have some money in the bank and you are welcome to all of it if you need it.

You know I am quite proud of my outfit and I’ll tell you all about them when I see you.  As the Colonel says don’t step on McLoskeys men because when you do you will have to answer to McLoskey.  As yet I haven’t had to take many disciplinary actions.  My men know I desire and require it so we all get along well.

After all of this is over though I believe I have had my military career.  Will also go into that in detail when I see you.  But, while I am in it I will give Uncle Sam all I have got.

You probably read of the death of General Upshur and Charley Paddock.  They were here in May for four days.  They wrote a report which stated that my outfit and bivouac was very exceptionally outstanding and well trained.  It made me feel very good because I then knew my efforts have not all been in vain.  They even had chow with me and my men.

Things look much brighter all around but I still think it will take a couple more years yet and this depends on whether the strikes seek to exist in the U.S.

I am feeling fine in spite of the weather and my eyes are getting along much better.  Hope this finds all of you in the best of health and I am anxiously awaiting the time when we will all be together again.

All my love,

Bud

1^st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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21 July 43

Dear Folks:

Dad, I am glad you got the five dollars and I hope you could get yourself something with it.

Mother, Leota says that your home looks lovely.  Believe me I am really proud of you and dad the way you take pride in your home.

Got another letter from Anne today.  She is getting to be quite the correspondent.  I also got a letter from Libby telling me they are going to take Bobby to a specialist.  Surely do hope that nothing is wrong with him and I am glad they are having it tended to.

Mother as bad as the ants are this evening I could use some of that magic ant paper you used to use.

It is now 10:00 pm.  I just finished going through my bivouac and I will get up at three am and make another round.  We always must be on the alert.

The war news sounds much better lately but I am afraid that it will still take another two years out here in the Pacific.  I know that several thousand men will be as happy as I will be when this is all over so we can return to the ones we love.

Must close now and get a few winks sleep.  Wanted to drop you a note to let you know I love and miss all of you.  Am feeling ok and hope you are the same.

All my love,

Leo

1^st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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July 17, 1943

Dear Anne & family:

Anne I received your letter and I thought the envelope and the stationery were very cute.  I am looking forward to receiving another letter soon.

I’ll bet that you and Bobby had a big time at Granny’s.  Am also glad that you were able to have such a nice fourth of July.

Tell your mother and daddy that I have received letters postmarked 29 June, 6 July and 6 July from them.  And what do you think.  I got an RCA Radiogram from Aunt Mary on the 15^th of July wishing me a Happy Christmas and new year.  I think the company was a little late in delivering it don’t you?

Elizabeth those meals you are putting out surely does make my mouth water and don’t you think I am not counting on setting my large feet under your table when I return to some of your good chow.  

Yes Robert it will soon be two years since I have seen you and your family and don’t be surprised if it is two more before I get to return. If only I could talk to all of you and let you know some of the things that are happening and of course which you know I cannot write due to censorship regulations.  As to my making Captain the Marine Corps doesn’t promote as fast as the Army and I think I have been going up pretty rapid for the first two years anyway.  I’ll let you in on a secret my ambition is to make Captain and brother I honestly believe that once I set my mind on doing something that hell and high water can’t stop me.  Also, I will tell you I would rather be a Sgt in the Marine Corps than a Cap’t in the Army.  As to my prophecy as to the unlikely prospects of me not returning for a couple of years it seems they like to get you indoctrinated to the tropics and then keep you for awhile.

I sent mother a fan you can read the letter look at the map and I believe you will be able to tell where I got it.  When I tell you of that trip – well it was living in another world for a day as a matter of fact I have lived in several of them the past 14 months.

They can end this affair any day now and I imagine that the Axis powers are getting well fed up with it all.

Am feeling ok and my eyes are much better.  Funny all I sweat I still continue to be a little on the heavy side.

Hope this finds all of you well and write often.

All my love,

Leo

1^st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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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 

1^st. Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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7/8/43

Dear Folks:

Received the cigars, gum, peanuts and cough drops yesterday.  Thanks a million.  I surely do appreciate them.

The weather is rainy again this evening and it has really been coming down.  Honestly! You people just can’t realize how hard it rains and how awfully hot it gets.

The clipping I sent to you was about me loosing my cuspidor out of my jeep.  It was so small you might have dropped it.  If I am not mistaken I believe that I sent Roberts one so you can look at theirs.

Mother, that surely was a swell snap Leota sent me of you in your Easter outfit.  You surely do look swell. The pictures of the children were also very good and so was the two of Leota.

Suppose you had a big time the fourth of July.  We had a little better chow than usual that evening.  In other words it wasn’t all taken out of cans.

The latest dope I have gotten it will be some time before I return to the mainland.  Guess they figure my men and myself are made out of steel or else they figure we are rugged like our blitz buggies.

We are gradually getting in better shape each day on the atoll but still life isn’t any bed of roses.  I have gotten so used to ants and insects crawling on me that I don’t even pay any attention to them any more.  All of us kid each other and as a whole we are folly in spite of what we know the future has in store for us.  I try to run my outfit as a family and of course I am the father.  I call all my young lads son and part of the time they call me pops.  When I have to be military I really can and all my men know when I am joking and when I am serious.  As you know we can’t be serious all the time.

Was it possible to have any fireworks at all for the children?  I don’t imagine it was but was just curious.

My goodness that storm you had must have been a bad one.  I always liked “Rusty” Williams and I know the community will also miss him.  Monmouth has surely had its share of deaths recently.

Did Aunt Ella get the shells I sent her?  Golly I sent them over a month ago she surely has them.  I also sent Prof. McClenahan at the college a box so he could use them in his Geology class.

I am feeling ok and I hope this finds all of you the same.  I try not to worry to much about all my responsibilities.  Although I will admit some nights when I have a chance to get a little extra sleep I have a hard time sleeping as I keep wondering if I have done all I was supposed to during the day and if I could ease the burden on my men any or how I could make their living quarters more cozy.

  Glad you liked the magazine.  I thought it was quite a compliment to have my outfit represent the Marine Corps in it.

Write whenever you have time and again thanks for the cigars and the other merchandise in the box.

All my love,

Leo

1^st. Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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1 July 43

Dear Folks:

Will drop you a line to let you know I am ok and that it begins to looks as if they have forgotten me and my men on this atoll.  Even to the extent that none of us had had any mail for quite a spell.

The flys and mosquitoes seem to be getting worse.  I don’t like them in the tropics as they carry some very bad diseases.

Suppose that Anne & Bobby are having a great time in the country.  Wish I could be with them.  I believe I will need a little rest when all of this is over.  Maybe all of us can take a little trip together.

Am anxious to hear what you thought of the magazine and my outfit’s pictures.

Dad, I can see how you want to get away from everybody and everything every so often.  At times I feel as if I would go insane.  Will tell you and mother all about it when I see you.

My dog is getting along just fine.  She surely is a wonderful companion and a good watch dog as well as a good mother.

Will close for this time.   Hope I hear from you soon.

All my love,

Leo

1^st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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27 June 1943

Dear folks:

Today is Sunday but here on this atoll it is just another day.  As we have our services on Friday today seems to me as if it should be Tuesday.

Received a nice letter from Dan Frain which I answered pronto.  He will probably be over to see you one of these days.

Received your letter of June 15^th the other day and I am always glad to hear from you.

You ask if it gets cooler here in the evening.  I would say only about 2 degrees and two degrees isn’t very much.

We have now had a continuous rain for quite a spell and what I mean a rain.  My shack is about to float away.  All I am now wearing is my skivvies and even going barefooted.  It rained so hard that even my trench coat started to leaking so I had to place it in my dry locker to dry out.

I will send Robert a check the first of next month for his birthday, wedding anniversary and Mary Alices birthday.

Did I tell you that I received a letter from Algie’s children that attend Harding school.  Be sure and let them know that I received it and that I appreciated it.  Tell them I will try and answer one of these days.  It seems as if I am more busy every day.  Will I ever be glad when this is all over.

I now am getting some of my men a little rest and recreation.  Hope to get all of them some before too many months roll by.

This makes the sixth letter I have written to you this month and I will always try to write twice a week.  At times there won’t be much I can say except that I am ok and that my men and I are getting along ok.

I imagine that the Bolin funeral was quite large.  I surely do feel sorry for Merle.  I dropped her a line but as yet have not heard from her but I realize how she must feel.

My dog Radio is getting larger by the hour.  She insists on sleeping under my bunk.  Hope she doesn’t decide to have her litter under it.  I think I will tye her up to her dog house in a few days.

Hope that this finds all of you in the best of health and give my best to all my friends.

Why didn’t you put a picture of me in a blitz buggy at the college?  I don’t remember the picture you referred to.  Be sure to save it so I can see it on my return. 

Must close now.

All my love,

Leo

1^st. Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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19 June 1943

Dear Folks:

If it is as hot in Monmouth as it is here you will need an ice box to cool yourself off with.

As tomorrow is fathers day I am enclosing a five dollar bill dad and it is for you as it is impossible for me to get you a gift here.  Hope you have a pleasant day and I am sorry that I cannot be with you.

It looks to me as if we are now starting to close in on the axis and it should be over within the next two years.

The last few days I have really had the trots and what I mean the running trots.

You should have the magazine by now.  Be sure and let me know when you receive it.

What did you think of me loosing my cuspidor?  My men built me another one out of a huge shell and presented it to me.  Believe me I have one swell group of men.

We have a new chaplain and he held service for us yesterday.  He is a young man and is going to be ok.  You know we leathernecks call the chaplains and Padres “Holy Joe.”  Every person in the corps has a nickname.

Received a letter from Beaulah the other day.  Tell her I will answer it as soon as I find a little time.  They still have me on the go all the time.

Thanks for the stamps and  also for giving me the data on the 2^nd Nat’l.  Also, thanks for the newspaper clippings.  Dad, you are getting to be quite the lecturer.

Mother I am glad that you still have the spirit to have clubs and go to clubs that is what keeps you and dad so young looking.

Isn’t Roberts birthday some time this month, or is it July?  Let me know.  You never did send me Ada’s and Homer’s address.

Hope that this finds all of you feeling fine and write to me as often as you can as I am always glad to hear from you.  I must close now and get my nose stuck into some technical manuals.

All my love,

Leo

Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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