Month: July 1944

28 July, 1944

Dear Folks & All:

Just another note to let you know that I am ok and that I hope you are the same.  Maybe in another four or five months I will get to come home.  I know I am praying that I will.

My mail will probably be more spotty than before due to the fact that I am much more busily occupied and every opportunity that I get I try to get some rest.

By the sound of the news they surely do have the Germans on the run and things in the Pacific are looking better every day.  Perhaps, when I do get back I will never have to come out again.

This month will soon be gone.  By golly the time seems to pass plenty fast.

Wish I could write you more but that is impossible.  We surely will have plenty to talk about.

Be sure to give all the family and my friends my best regards.  My old gang gave me a scroll which they said they would mail to you for me.  Let me know when you get it.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

I am the commanding officer of H & S company Capt. L.J. McLoskey in the Tanks Bn.

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25 July, 1944

Dear Folks & All:

I finally arrived at my destination.  My new commanding officer I knew as a 1^st Lt. When I was a Sgt in Tanks.  As yet I haven’t been assigned my duties but when I am I will let you know.

I came to my new post by plane and I flew quite a few hours.  Guess I can tell you that I am south of the equator but that is about all.

Surely I’ll get home before many more months.  Hope this finds all of you well.  I am feeling fine.  My new address is:

1^st Marine Division

1^st Tank Bn, FMF

c/o F.P.O.

San Francisco, Calif.

Must make this brief so I can get myself bedded down for the evening.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

Cap’t L.J. McLoskey

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19 July, 1944

Dear Folks:

Dad, the cigars arrived today and I was glad to receive them as I was just about out.  Also, I received yours and mothers letter of 8 July.  Thanks for the stamps that were enclosed in it.

Mother, I am sorry you have not been feeling so well and I trust you are much improved when you receive this.  Now, I want you to take care of yourself.  I think what you need is to have me with you so I can rub your head.  I remember you used to love to have me do it.

The old sweat is pouring off of me and it is 4:30 pm.  Has been mighty warm the past week.

My garden is coming along in pretty good shape.  How I do miss my fresh vegetables and what I wouldn’t give for some good old Oquawka watermelons, and cantaloupes.  Guess I will always be a country boy at heart and that is just the way I want it to be.

I must get ready to go to chow.  Mother, I could surely use some of your chow.  I can smell those potatoes cooking with those roasts now that I always liked so well.

Hope we will soon be able to end this conflict so we can return.

I probably will have a new address before long as they are putting me back into Tanks.  I probably will join a division.  Now as soon as I get all the dope I’ll be sure to let you know.  I am now awaiting a message as to where to report.  I was ordered by Headquarters U.S. Marine corps to go back to them.  I imagine they lost so many of their officers on Saipan.  Don’t worry, I’ll write you all I can when I get the dope.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

Cap’t L.J. McLoskey

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16 July, 1944

Dear Folks:

Another Sunday and another week has gone.  I trust that it won’t be many more until I will get to come home and spend a little time with you.  I would rather that the war would end so that I could come home for good.  However, I feel as if we still have a long hard road ahead of us.

I received a letter from Geneva Simmons and she told me you had been down to call on her and that you looked fine.  I am glad you go to see her as I can tell from her letters that she is very lonesome.

Had a couple of radishes out of my garden.  They surely aren’t very large yet.  I just couldn’t wait.  It has been a long time since I have had any fresh vegetables.  I have two tomato plants that look as if they might survive.  Boy! I surely hope so.  I still like my tomatoes.

The mail has been rather spotty again lately.  Considering how far it has to come and how many hands it passes through we do quite well.  I know one thing mail is surely a large morale builder.

Not much news.  I am ok.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

Cap’t L.J. McLoskey

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12 July, 1944

Dear Folks:

Not much news but a line to say hello and to let you know that I am thinking of you.

My dog Boot now has a girl friend and it won’t be long I am afraid until his gal friend will be having pups.  The bad part of it is that she sleeps under my tent where my office is.  The bitch is a Japanese dog and all it will eat is coconuts.  I’ll bet the pups will really be something.

I am feeling much better although I will admit that I surely would love to get home and visit with all of you to get home and visit with all of you.  You know the way I sort of figure I’ll be home this Christmas of course it will make me happy if I get home before then.

It is now 0425, and I am on watch and have been on since 0200.  I will get relieved at 0630.  Makes a pretty long night especially if you don’t rest well before coming on watch.

Hope this finds all of you feeling well and write to me whenever you have time.

Oh yes my garden is coming along pretty well and even my tomato plants are still growing.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

Cap’t L.J. McLoskey

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9 July, 1944

Dear Folks:

Another  Sunday and another week gone.  Loren Hay’s visited me over the week end.  We discussed Monmouth and all the people that we knew.  I was glad to have him visit with me.

I am glad that Bobby likes to stay with you.  He must be quite the boy.  Also, Anne & Mary Alice must be very lovely.  I tell you Robert has a wonderful family. 

I’ll be you were glad to see Wilda and Donald.  Let me know who won playing croquet.

Golly I hope I keep on feeling as well as I have the past few day’s.  Glad Loxley Eckles boy got home.  They surely will give me a thirty day leave before many more months pass.

The picture of Elizabeth taken at the convention didn’t look like her to me.  Who is the old gal over Robert’s right shoulder?

Dad you asked if I heard the convention over the radio.  No I didn’t but we have a little paper that keeps us posted with the news and they carried the convention in it.  Also I haven’t received the cigars as yet but they will be arriving one of these days.

The pictures of Grandfather Shawler, Mae, and you were very good.  I think that Grandfater looked well.  Perhaps he is correct and I would be helping him with his corn if I were home.  You know farming looks like a pretty good life as a matter of fact it looks better every day.

By the way I received a letter from Ada today.  They were fine except that Homer has been having the toothache and had to go to the dentist.  Ada says she is going to vote for Dewey.

Hope this finds all of you well.  Your letters have been coming through better lately.

Oh: Yes I should have some radishes out of my garden in about a week.  I’ll let you know what they taste like.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

Cap’t L.J. McLoskey

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2 July, 1944

Dear Folks:

Yesterday, I received the letter from Mrs. Carl Peterson that you were asking me about.  Dad, you gave her the wrong address.  You gave the 2^nd Def. Bn.  She enclosed your note which I am in turn sending on to you.  She wrote the letter on March 23^rd and I just received it.  I will try and answer it before long.

I wrote Aunt Ella a letter the other day and mailed her five dollars for her birthday which is this month.

Just finished reading the casulties of Saipan.  The Marines surely are bearing the brunt in the Pacific.  I’ll surely be one happy man when all of this foolishness is over and we can all return to our homes.

The fourth of July will be with us in a couple more days.  Golly! How I can remember how we used to look forward to that day.  It most generally meant picnics, then fireworks in the evening.  Guess I must be getting old the way my mind keeps wandering back to the past all the time.

Thanks for the stamps you are always enclosing.   They come in handy.

The ants are very bad this evening. They seem to want to keep crawling on my arm all the time.

Not much news but a line to let you know that I am o.k. and trust you are the same.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

Cap’t L.J. McLoskey

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