Category: Letters

May 24, 1944

Dear Folks:

Got the letter with the pictures this evening.  They certainly were marvelous and as soon as I finish this I am going to put them in my family album.

My hw those children have grown.  Anne is surely developing into a very attractive young lady and Bobby well he is plenty good looking.  Mary Alice just seems to be full of the devil.  Whose child is Dickie?

I also got a letter from Homer & Ada and the Whitemans.  Ada says she hasn’t heard from you for almost three months.

Mother, I am sorry that my gift to you hadn’t reached you by Mother’s Day.  Yes, Elizabeth is surely a wonderful woman and a wonderful mother.  Hope I am as fortunate as Robert or do you still think I will always be a bachelor?

Dad, you and mother must be working yourselves to death.  I think you had both better slow up a little.  I mean a great deal.

My cucumbers are growing but, my lettuce and tomatoes aren’t doing so well.  Remember when you panted the cucumbers in a barrel?

Dad, your trip through the prison’s sounded very interesting.  It also seems as if you have a permanent job as Chairman of the Decoration Day Committee.  I think it is a great honor and I am glad you take an active part in civil affairs.

I’ll bet Grandfather Shawler is plenty happy about the electric lights.  I am glad that he rented his farm land.  I wrote him a letter.

I have a new address which I am enclosing.  However, I am still at the same place.

Hope this finds all of you in the best of health.  I am fine but I must admit homesick to be with all of you.

All my love,

    Your son, Leo

Capatain L.J. McLoskey

H & S Bty

First A.A. Bn. Rein.

5^th Amphibious corps

c/o Fleet P.O.

San Francisco, Calif

H&S = Headquarter and Service

A.A. = Anti aircraft

Rein = Reinforced

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May 16, 1944

Dear Brother & Family:

Robert, I got your letter written May 6, 1944 and I was plenty glad to hear from you.  Yes, Ted and I do quite a bit of reminiscing.  He is one grand fellow.  Old Jim Galbaugh is getting plenty of publicity.  Haven’t seen Bozz in almost a month.  Will be glad to receive the pictures you were telling me about.

Guess the folks house must look plenty o.k.  Surely would like to see it.

Received a letter from Geneva Simmons.  She surely does miss Dan and I can readily see why.

What’s all the dope about the draft board resigning, also about Dr. Joe and about Camp and dad.  Dad tells me the Camp tried to tell him that he couldn’t hire a County Dr.  Boy, they will have to get up early in the morning to outsmart Dad.  I don’t give a damn if they have an M.C. LLB. BS. PHD. Before a mans name.  Personally, I think dad has done one swell job.

Libby, I got a swell letter from Mary.  She is one swell gal and I don’t mean perhaps.

I will have plenty to tell all of you if and when I return.  

It won’t be long now until the children will be having summer vacations.  How I used to look forward to that.

My cold still seems to linger on.  My eye is o.k. and I trust that I will not have any more trouble with it.

Not much news but I wanted to let all of you know that I miss you and I pray for the war to come to an end.  My postwar plans are not definite but I do know that I want a wife, home and family.

All my love,

Leo

Cap’t. L.J. McLoskey

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May 16, 1944

Dear Folks:

I’ll say you have been having some very peculiar weather.  Snow in May.  I surely wish I could have been home to see it.  As much as I know all of you must have hated snow in May I surely would have enjoyed it.

Dad, I will also be able to tell you plenty when I return.  It makes my blood boil at times and I occasionally explode as Bill Green put in his poem about me.  As I once said before, I intend to do my job and fear no man.

Am enclosing a letter one of my former men sent me.  He finished #one (1) in his officers candidates class.  I recommended him and it made me feel good to know that he would remember me.  Some people in this day and age soon forget one when they leave after you do them favors.  I try to treat all my men the same.  I never forget that I was once an enlisted man.

My eye is completely healed, my cold seems to linger on.  We have been having rather dampish weather.

Received a letter from Geneva Simmons.  She surely does miss Dan.

Hope this finds all of you in the best of health.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

Cap’t. L.J. McLoskey

Copy of letter mentioned above:

30 April, 44

Dear Sir:

Just a line to let you know how things came out and again to thank you for all you did.  I’m deeply indebted.

I finished O.C.S. the 12^th April, 44, and had the good fortune of leading my class, lucky days.  The Mrs., mother and my baby were here for graduation, so it was quite an occasion.  I hadn’t seen mother or Bonnie Jo for 26 mos. (no furlough as yet).

How’s the old 1^st Defense.  I miss the old bunch.  What’s this I hear about you being with Motor Transport now?  I also hear according to the new L.O. that there are no more light tanks.  I’ll try like hell for mediums then.

I’m surely anxious to get started.  I’ve two more months of R.O.S.  Then I want to clear out.  They don’t know there is a war on here, at least you get that impression.

Do you remember a Lt. Karkalitis?  He was here for awhile.  They transferred him to New River.  He said he knew you well.

I got stuck with the duty this week so I’d better turn to.  I hope this reaches you alright.  I wrote once before, but I guess it got side tracked.

Joe

P.S.  The wife sends her regards.

48 R.O.S. M.C.S.

Marine Barracks

Quantico, Va.

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14 May 1944

Dear Folks:

Mother, today is Mother’s Day, how I wish I could be spending the day with you.  Perhaps next year and the rest of them I will be able to be with you. I know that my check to you for Mothers Day will be late in reaching you and I am sorry.  We did not realize that today was mother’s Day until it was published on our bulletin board.  Honestly: one day to us out here doesn’t mean any more than the next.  We all pray each day that the war will soon end in order that we may return to the ones we love and that days will again mean something to us.

It is now 0940 and I have the duty at the Bn. C.P.  Before I go off duty I will write Grandfather Shawler a few lines.

I know that your kitchen and the rest of the home must look wonderful and I am anxiously awaiting the day to return to all of you.

Dad, I hope you have a happy birthday and I am also sorry that I can’t be with all of you.

My cold is somewhat better.  I hope this finds all of you in the best of health.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

Cap’t. L.J. McLoskey

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12 May, 1944

Dear Folks:

Mother, I know that my check to you for Mothers Day is going to arrive late as Mothers Day is this coming Sunday.  Regardless, I want you to know that I will be thinking of you not only on Mothers Day but every day.  Hope you will have a very happy Mothers Day and that I will be with you on all the rest of them.

Dad, I see your birthday is 21 May, 1944 by my calendar so I am sending you a heck also.  As I have written Mother in the paragraph above I will repeat to you not only do I think of you on your birthday you and mother are in my thoughts constantly and will be all my life.  Hope you have a Happy Birthday and that I will be able to be with you on all the rest of them.

The weather is getting worse here every day as far as living is concerned.  It is getting hotter all the time and raining most of the time.  Believe me these tropical rains are really something.

Received a letter from Aunt Ella which I must answer.  She seemed much more cheerful in the last letter.

My eye is completely healed.  My sniffles are still with me a little but I guess they will continue in this damp climate.

Hope this finds all of you feeling o.k.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

Cap’t. L.J. McLoskey

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May 7, 1944

Dear Folks:

Received your letter dated 25 April, 1944 and dad the one you mailed to me from Springfield, Illinois.

Mother, I am afraid that you are working too hard on the house cleaning and I think you should slow down a little.

Those floods must really be something.  Golly with all the money the government is spending and with all the man power they have it seems to me as if they should be able to control the flood waters a little better.  As we marines say is we need more horsepower and less horse sh–.

You know I also have the same feeling that you do that is that the war in the Pacific will be over before the war in Europe and that they will then send us over to Europe.  How I do pray each evening that this war will soon be over.

Dad, you tell Bill Smiley hello for me when you see him any of the rest of the gang at the fire house you see.

I don’t see Bozz so often any more.  Can’t remember whether it was you or Robert’s that I wrote and told that Bozz was stationed a good piece from where I am.

One of my men received some pop corn from his home.  He lives in Decatur, Illinois.  They popped it in the galley today and he brought me some.  It surely did taste swell.  Remember how we used to pop a dish pan full and mother and I would eat practically all of it.  Mother, we will relive those days upon my return.

Hope this finds you in the best of health.  I am o.k.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

Cap’t. L.J. McLoskey

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5 May 1944

Dear Folks:

Wow! Is it ever warm here today.  The old sun is really bearing down and the sweat is simply rolling off of me as if I were in a Turkish bath.  Mother, I wish I could go to our basement and cool off.

Enclosed is a picture our battalion photographer took of me at a party our battalion officers had for some nurses stationed on a hospital ship near us.  Thought you might get a kick out of it.  At least it was quite a change for us being with white women for a spell.

Just finished writing to Anne.  She wrote quite a letter to me which I received the other day.

Guess Bobby must have had quite a time showing his Japanese souvenirs to the ladies from his church the other day.  He must be quite a boy.

We had quite a softball game the other day.  I caught Ted Lyons.  The officers of the station played the enlisted men from our battalion.  They snapped a picture of Ted and I which I will send to you when it is finished.

Believe me I would give anything to be able to get a leave and come home to visit all of you.  It seems ages since we last were together.

The kitchen must really look swell.  Golly! I won’t know the old homestead will I?

It is now 2:20 pm and I won’t get off duty at the Bn. C.P. until 5:34 pm.  These watches we have are quite long and seem to roll around quite often.

Trust that this finds all of you in the best of health and remember I love and miss all of you.

Haven’t seen “Bozz” in quite a spell.  He is stationed about twenty miles from me.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

Cap’t. L.J. McLoskey

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May 3, 1944

Dear Folks:

Guess what?  The package you mailed me in January caught up with me yesterday.  It was also wet and torn up a little like Leota’s cigars, but I surely was glad to receive it.  The shaving lotion was greatly appreciated and it is my brand.  I haven’t had any of it for almost sixteen (16) months.  The chewing tobacco, cigars and candy were also welcome.  The candy didn’t last long as my men and I made fast work of it.

Dad, I received the letter with the clippings announcing that you had been reelected chairman.  I guess you know that your captain is also mighty proud of you.

Mother, I will try and dash off a few lines to Grandfather Shawler.  What makes you think I am his favorite?  Could I ever go for those good meals we always had at his place.  Right now I would give a dollar for a quart of that fresh milk they always had.

Your letter of Sunday, April 23, I received yesterday.  That was exceptionally good time.

Got a letter from Hazel yesterday.  She tells me Pearl is living with her and working at Marshall Fields, that she likes it very well. 

The fly’s were bothering me so much I just got my spray gun and gave my tent a thorough spraying.  The fly’s and insects will probably leave me alone for about ten minutes now.

Leota tells me that George Shaw is really fixing up the store on 6^th Street.  Mother, you won’t have far to go to market now will you?

My eye is greatly improved and my cold is entirely gone so don’t worry about me.  Hope this finds all of you feeling o.k.  Thanks again for the birthday package.  Mother, you ask me if I had gotten Roberts, I did.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

Captain L.J. McLoskey

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4/29/44

Dear Folks:

Received your letter dated 4/16/44, today.  I am feeling much better.  My eye is practically well and my cold is almost over.

Am glad you received the check for your anniversary and I am also sorry that I couldn’t be with you and I sincerely hope I am with you on your 39^th and all the rest.

So the kitchen is completed.  Would I ever like to see it.  Golly! I’ll bet that it looks swell.  Dad, I hear that you and Bobby and Robert are getting to be quite the carpenters.  You had better look out or the union will be after all of you.  I’ll bet Bobby is plenty thrilled about his ball glove.  I can remember the first basket-ball you got me.  Boy oh boy!  I was one happy boy.  Little did I realize then that I would be where I am today in this world conflict.

Mother, I was able to read your writing ok.  As long as I get a letter from you and dad I don’t care if they are in Chinese.

The flies are just about to eat me up again this evening.  They are teriffic.

By the way, thank you for the stamps.  I can always use them.

Hope this finds all of you ok.  Don’t worry about me as I will get along.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

Cap’t. L.J. McLoskey

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26 April, 1944

Dear Folks & All:

Had a small operation performed on my right eye today and I wanted to let you know that I am getting along ok.  Have had quite an infection in it for about a week and today they opened it and I feel fine.  Don’t worry I’ll get along ok.  As a matter of fact I’ll be back to duty tomorrow.  You know I never realized just how much an eye mean’s until they patch up one and you only have one to see by it is a little rough going for awhile.

Tell Leota that the cigars she sent me for my birthday I received yesterday and I am smoking one of them now.  They evidently had been dropped in the briny and recovered by the taste swell.

Mail service has been awful lousy lately but I guess we can expect that now and then.  I know all of your letters will eventually reach me.

The sun gets plenty warm here Mother but I manage not to get burned.  My lips chap now and then but the chewing tobacco you sent to me heals them when I chew and spit.

Am glad that you have been receiving my mail.  I try and write to you as often as I can.

Mother, I hope you will like the sewing basket that I mailed you.  The  natives made it.  It is all hand made and the colors are made from dye the Japanese left here.

My opinion of the war hasn’t changed much.  We are still going to be involved here in the Pacific for a few years yet.  I only pray that my predictions are wrong.

Hope this finds all of you feeling fine and don’t worry about me.

All my love,

Your son, Leo

Cap’t. L.J. McLoskey

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