Category: Letters

29 May 1943

Dear Folks:

Another week gone and also another month.  I wish this war would soon end.

Dad, I received the cigars the other day and what a pleasant surprise the picture was and a darn good one, thank you for both.  Mother, when are you going to send me yours?

I am mailing you a magazine called “Fighting Hawaii” in it is a picture of me and also of some of my men.  They are in the Marine Corps section and taken where I am now located.  Received a letter from a fellow officer friend of mine and he told me he had seen the news reel of me and my gang in the news.  I will send the rest of the family a copy later on of the “Fighting Hawaii.”

Was sorry to hear that it rained on you while at Des Moines.  Well it rains on us every day.  You never did give me Ada’s and Homer’s address.  I’ll bet you enjoyed your visit and I know you both deserved a vacation.

By the looks of things it probably will be at least another year or so before me and my outfit return to the mainland and maybe not then.  Would I ever love to see all of you.

Have had another duty added to me.  I won’t be able to tell you in the letter but I won’t forget to give you all the details when I do get home.

Received a letter from Leota and she was telling me that Earl McKinnons son had been killed.  I am very sorry to hear about it.  He always seemed like such a nice lad to me.

When I think of Doc Parli my blood boils.

The last few days I have had to go without my shirt due to a fungus and rash infection on my chest.  It is called everything from Guam itch to prickly heat.  About ten in my outfit also have it.  I have to stay under the shade of the cocanut trees.  You can imagine what I would look like in about 120 degree tropical sun.

Suppose that Anne and Bobby are glad that school is almost over.  They will probably be just as glad to return.

See they are having some more strikes in the mainland.  That sure doesn’t help the men any on these tiny atolls when they get that type of news from home.

The 15^th of next month we will have been out of the mainland one year.  Maybe you think we don’t chalk the days off on the calendar.

My dog and pups are doing fine.  It won’t be long now until she has her next family.  Hope she doesn’t have so many the next time.

Hope this finds all of you well.  Keep the old chin up and we will soon end all this nonsense once and for all.

All my love,

Leo

1st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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22 May 43

Dear folks:

Received your letter with all the jokes in them and they were very good.  I’ll be darned Dad if I almost don’t have about as silly questions ask me at times.

Yes, I’ll bet the house looks swell.  Hope that you both got that much deserved and needed rest while visiting in Des Moines.

Another week gone.  It won’t be long now until I have been overseas a year and no relief in site.  All I can say is that the tropics were never made for a white person.  The heat is simply awful.  I have to take three salt tablets a day now.

In the pictures Libby sent me of the children it looked as if Mary Alice had an overseas hat on with a Marine Corps emblem, did she?  It is the one taken of her in the swing.  You can see the devil in Bobby’s eyes and Anne seems to be getting to be such a young lady.

Haven’t received the cigars as yet but they will be in one of these days.  I see now that the army can also receive packages.

Would I ever love to drop in on all of you.  Believe me many a moment during the night and day I think of all the pleasant times we all had with each other.  

Dad, it looks as if you are just about the permanent Chairman for Memorial Day.  I think it is swell that you take so much interest in all the civil activities. 

Just finished taking my bucket shower.  It surely doesn’t do much good as the sweat is rolling off of me again.  I imagine I will really freeze when I get back to a colder climate.  Time out while I pick some ants off of me.  They bite to be the devil.

Am feeling ok in spite of everything and my men the same.  Not much excitement lately.  Give me regards to all.

All my love,

Leo

1st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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17 May 43

Dear folks & all:

Received your letter dated 7 May 43 this evening.  Pretty good service.  Some times we get it and then again some times we don’t.  Believe me I am always glad to hear from all of you.

Had an experience today that I would surely like to tell you about.  But, it will have to wait until I see all of you.

Thanks a lot for the stamps.  I can always use them.

Your son will be very happy when all of this is all over and I can return to 609 E. 2^nd Ave. at least for awhile and see all of you.

The flys and mosquitoes are again about to eat me up this evening.  It also is really raining and has been for quite a spell.  My men and I are all ok.  The dog is also doing fine.  I also got a letter from Libby today and in it she had some snaps of the children.  My how they have all grown.  They surely did look in the pink of condition.  Leota sent me the clipping of the high school children.  You know what a Marine officer would do, well he would try all of them for treason and they probably would end up in the reformatory.  I also blame the parents of the children for not giving them the proper training.  Isn’t Joe Dixon liked very well by the students?

Surely do hope you have a nice trip to Des Moines.  Wish I could go with you.  Give my regards to all of them.  By the way, what is Homer’s and Ada’s address.  I will write them a letter.

Oh: yes I got a letter from Hazel Sorensen and she tells me that her mother hasn’t been so well but that she is moving to Monmouth.  I am glad as I always liked Pearl.  Mother I’ll bet that you and Myrtle will have some great times together.

Dad, haven’t gotten the cigars yet but they will get to me eventually.

I’ll bet you had a big time keeping the children.  Would Bobby ever have fun for awhile with his Uncle Leo.

Mother, let me know if you got your Mothers Day check.  Hope this finds all of you feeling fine.

All my love,

Leo

1st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

PS Mother, the card you sent to me on a Mothers Prayer for her son was wonderful.

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12 May 43

Dear folks & all:

Yesterday I really hit the jackpot on mail from you.  I got the letter that all of you wrote Easter, the card you sent me mother, your letters dated April 27 and May 3.  Gee: was I ever glad to get all of them.  Also, thanks for the newspaper clippings.  I am sweating so much that it causes the ink to blot on the paper.  However, I think you will be able to read it.

This Saturday I have to give a lecture to all the men and officers in the battalion on my blitz buggies.  I can’t give you the number of men and officers and also Mother I can’t tell you how large this atoll is.

Believe me I am surely tired this evening but I will be up most of the night as I have the duty.

I understand you have started to mow the lawn but that you also have a fire yet in the furnace.  Believe me we surely could go for some of that cool weather.

What’s this about Doc Parli getting out of the army.  Couldn’t he take it.  I always thought he was the great outdoor type of man.

Am glad you liked the flowers. I only wish I could have sent more or at least have been with you.  Dad, the cigars haven’t arrived as yet but I imagine that they will before long.  Ran out of ink had to refill and I see I got into the mapping ink but I don’t guess that it makes any difference.

Yes, I could go for a good old fashioned fish fry.  We get plenty of fish but it is all saltwater and I don’t go so much for it.

I’ll bet that Bobby is quite the boy.  Would he ever have a great time with his Uncle.  Here lately I am grease from my head to my toes about all day long.  Mother, you would never recognize your sons hands now.

I think I wrote and told you that Radio is expecting again.  She is quite the topic of conversation.  Why wouldn’t she be, the only female on the island.

Hope this finds all of you in the best of health and don’t forget to write often.  I miss all of you.

All my love,

Leo

1st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

I feel ok and my men are fine.

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5/9/43

Dear folks & all:

Today is Sunday evening.  My how I can recall the Sunday evening we used to spend with each other.  I sincerely hope and pray that those evenings are not to far removed.

Friday morning of this week my men and I held church service.  We have a new chaplain and he is going to hold it every Friday morning for us.  He is a very young man but gives very good sermons.  My men and I are going to build him an altar to use.  Now we either have it in the recreation hut we just finished or outdoors under the coconut trees.  I enjoy it outdoors with just natures and Gods surroundings.

It has been quite a spell since I have heard from you.  Expect they will all come at once.

I took out $5000.00 more of Life Insurance which is payable to you.  It becomes effective the first day of June.

It will soon be almost a year since my men and I sailed from the mainland.  Might add all of us are anxious to return.

Received a letter from the Aunts and the kids the other day.  They mentioned about the flowers.  I am glad all of you enjoyed them.

Leota mentioned in a letter about you having a great deal of rain.  Now, perhaps you understand what I mean when I say we get it.  The heat and rain are still pretty bad here.  When the sun is out one has to wear dark glasses all the time.

I am afraid that my dog Radio is going to have some more pups.  Guess I’ll have to have the surgeon perform an operation on her for me if he will.

Hear the house looks very, very good.  Believe me you folks surely do have a nice place and I am proud of you because you have worked for everything you have. 

I am feeling fine and my men are all ok.  Don’t forget to write to me as often as you have time.

All my love,

Leo

1st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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3 May 43

Dear folks & all:

It has been quite a spell since I last heard from you.  I trust that all of you are in the best of health.  The past two arrivals of mail on the island me and my men haven’t done so well.  I expect it is piling up someplace along the line and that we will receive it all at once one of these days.

Dad I am enclosing a ten dollar check for the second national bank.

Mother, I am enclosing a five dollar check for you for mothers day.  I wish I could be home with you and I also wish that I was where I could get you something but that is impossible.  I do hope you have a very pleasant mothers day and I want you to know that I love you and miss you a great deal.

It is the training that both you and dad gave me that has made me advance as far as I have and it is the training that thousands of men have had in our armed service from their parents that keep us going in times like these.

You know with men going on strike in the U.S.A. it makes us men out in the combat zones wonder.  I know that I would like to be able to turn my men loose on them.  Who do they think they are anyway?  Time will tell.

This heat is teriffic.  It almost makes one sick all the time.  Heaven only knows where we will go next.  I hope and pray that this bloody affair will soon end. 

My dog and pups are getting along fine.  King is the most independent dog  I have ever seen in my life.  You call him and he just sets and looks at you.

Don’t forget I am thinking of all of you all the time.

All my love,

Leo

1st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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4/25/43

Dear folks & all:

Today is Easter Sunday but it doesn’t mean a great deal to me and my men and several others who are over seas.  We did however take time out for prayer.

I am enclosing a picture that was taken on Christmas day in our mess hall.  The gentleman sitting next to me is the Colonel.  They snapped the picture just as I had a fork to my mouth.  It will give you an idea of our galley and by the looks of the table you will see we had pie and I might add we haven’t had it since then.

The sun is still teriffic here.  No fooling in the afternoon when you get out from under the coconut trees you feel as if you will faint away any second.  Sweat, boy I’ll bet I sweat a gallon of water per hour.

My dog and pups are getting along swell.

I received a nice letter from Aunt Ella and I am always glad to hear from her.  Say Mother why don’t you suggest to her that she take the necklace I made you to school to show her pupils.  They should enjoy it.

Received the wall paper the samples of the wall paper in it.  I liked the paper very much and I know it will look very nice upon completion.  Oh: yes I also got the stamps and thanks a million.  I can always use them.

Tell Leota I received a box of cigars from her yesterday and that they are swell and I have saved them for Sunday evenings and Wednesday evenings.

Glad to hear that Robert’s are all on the road to recovery.  Hope this finds you feeling fine.  

Remember, I think of all of you every day and pray that we will all be united together again some day.

All my love,

Leo

1st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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4/21/43

Dear Folks & all:

Received your letter dated 4/11/43 and Dad I just knew you would be elected.  You almost had a complete landslide didn’t you.

Mother, I hear you are having quite a time with the plastering.  I’ll bet it will look swell when you get it finished.

My shirt and trousers are soaking wet from sweat.  To me this past week has been the worst I have ever experienced as far as heat is concerned.  It seems as if one just swelters twenty four hours a day

Nothing much new down here.  Still the same old stuff.  Waiting, watching, working.  At times it gets bad on ones nerves.  One thing I am so dern busy all the time that I hardly have time to think about the heat & etc.  Believe me I have a great responsibility on my shoulders and I pray to God every evening that I will be able to perform them faithfully, honorably and when we really get in the toughest of the fight for freedom to be able to lead my men to victory.

My dog and the pups are really getting huge.  My dog is the favorite pet of all the Marines on this atoll.

Hope that you will get the flowers for Easter that I sent money to Arling’s to send to you.  Mother, did you buy yourself a new Easter bonnet.  Wish I could be home with all of you.

I also hope that you both will be able to take a trip someplace this summer to some quiet place so you can relax.

Heavens! I do hope that when you receive this that all of you are in the best of health and nobody ill.

I received a nice box of cigars from Mary today.  Was I ever glad to get them as we have been out for about a month.  Leota also tells me she has sent me some.  As yet I haven’t received them but they will be in before long. 

Dad you have your troubles as a counselor and guide with your people and I surely have the same with my men and I have found that you have to be firm in dealing with people and I now realize why you deal firmly with yours.

All my love,

Leo

1st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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4/14/43

Dear folks:

I haven’t dropped you a line since the 8^th so I guess it is about time I took my pen in hand and dashed off a few lines.

Received a letter from Leota this morning and she told me about you getting lost while you were going to Peoria.  Mother, it looks as if your son will have to give you a course in map reading, the compass, scouting and patrolling.  Surely wish I could have been with you.

Dad, I am anxiously awaiting the news of the election.  I know you will win but I just wonder by what majority.

The 25^th is Easter Sunday. I do hope and pray that you have a pleasant one and my thoughts will be with all of you as they are every day and night.

It is now 3:30 pm and we have been out all day and in water up to our fanny.  We have to keep in good shape because these blitz buggies are tougher on you than anything else including aviation.  That is one thing I do, keep my men in good physical shape because the day is coming again when it means life or death to them.

My dog and pups are fine.  King is getting to be a big fellow and a very good looking dog.  We kept two pups and we named one King (male) and Queen (the female.)

Suppose by now that it is getting to be beautiful in Illinois.  How I wish I could be there with all of you.  Will be glad when all of this is over.  For the fellows in the mainland it is soft but when they get out they will find that the going is pretty tough.

Hope those children and Robert are feeling much better.  Mary Alice won’t even know me.

Am sweating so much that I stick to the paper.

I am fine and so are all of my men.  We have our chins up.  Hope this finds all of you feeling the same.

All my love,

Leo

1st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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4/8/43

Dear folks & all:

Dad, when I saw that letter postmarked Savannah, Missouri I couldn’t imagine what you were doing there.  My first thought was that Mother and you were on a little recreation trip.  Thanks a great deal for the stamps.  I surely can use them.

Mother, I received two letters from you this morning.  The one was postmarked 15 March 43 and I couldn’t make out the other one.  Oh: yes I also got a letter from Robert and I was glad to hear from him.  They surely have had quite a spell of it this winter as well as several others.

Don’t you think I have forgotten about your wedding anniversary being this month because I haven’t.  Congratulations and may you have many more.

The last group of mail seemed to have nothing but bad news in it for my men and I have busy all day giving advice.  I hope that the Lord guided over me while I was giving it and that he will always guide over me.

Mother, perhaps I did make a mistake in not getting married.  But, there is a lot worse things in this world than a bachelor.  As to saving my money, I now have more money in the bank than I ever did and I believe I am doing a pretty good job of it.

You see my food and clothes cost me as it does all officers.  I also have helped some of my men financially which I know I’ll get back some day.

Yesterday I took my men on an eight mile hike through the jungle.  I must keep them in good shape physically as you have to be in order to be in the type outfit we are in.

I was sorry to hear about Algie.  As I told Roberts in a letter I wrote to them – what he needs is a good tough Marine officer over him for awhile.

I got a cute Easter greeting card from Leota and also a letter.  She has been grand about writing to me.

We had a little excitement around noon today but it didn’t last very long.

Robert told me Herbert Merillat was due home.  You see he is a Marine correspondent and they get quite a few breaks.  I am hoping that I will be able to get home before all of this is over.  I am afraid this war will last for a long time yet and there isn’t any use of us building up false hopes.

I will drop Mintie Shawler a line and thank her for her kindness.

My dog and pups are doing fine.  Leota said she hadn’t seen the last pictures I sent so show them to her.

This evening I am invited out to dinner to one of the other islands.  It is about four miles from where I am located so I will jump in my jeep in a few minutes and go on out.

I wrote Robert and told him I got the cigars but just in case he didn’t get it relay the message on for me.

Hope this finds all of you feeling fine.

All my love,

Leo

1st Lt. L.J. McLoskey

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