Walt to BBR 23 Feb 1945

Address Side:

Mrs Barbara Richert

1130 T Street

Fresno

Calif

Writing Side

WS Richert

1st LT QMC

Chicago QM Depot

Just a quick to Washington. Maybe soon I’ll write the letter I’ve been planning so long

Walt

Beth to Robert 22 Feb 1945

      

Dear Robert:-

 Well, we really got a pleasant surprise yesterday[1]. Sally got the mail first, and she said your first are back reported [2] about it and I had just wrote wondering when I would hear from you. And am glad to hear you read the letters. Yes I realize there is not much to write about, but whenever you find time, write and I will keep up my part. I wish I knew just what to send you. I will try and find something do you get candy well. I guess most anything will be welcome. Today is Wash. Birthday folks are out tonite There is not so much to go to here as it was on Mare Island. Yes we hear over the radio the mud and all the hard going. I pray ever day it will soon be over. It has been a very cold winter every where in the coast it really was bad. Can you read my letters. yours was well written. and now till next week

good luck & best wishes

 Love

 Aunt Beth

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[1] Note that the original punctuation and sentence capitalization is not consistent and correct. Every unusual was not identified in the transcription. For those interested in investigation further, please consult the original.

[2] This transcription is troublesome.  Up to ”first” and after “about” are quite clearly correct. So it is logical to assume she is talking about some sort of communique from Robert.

BBR to Robert 21 Feb 44

 Feb 20^th, 44[1]

Dear Robert:

            I don't remember when I last did write to you, I always intend to write much oftener (sic) than I actually do, but-I just don't take the time to write. I will take my knitting or sewing and in my mind I am writing letters to all of you. but -it takes so long before it gets on paper.

            I don't remember if I told you how much the Brakemeyers were pleased to get your card[2]. Lydia and Walter also wrote which please them very much, as he nor she could write I told them I would. He was not getting better, last Sunday he was taken in the hospital but today he passed away. Was to see him last Thursday but he was very sick, so now she is alone. Beth has been staying with her at night and helped he (sic) with the work. that gave her something to do. She is in process of selling her car but she is asking 1600 for it and no one seems to want to pay that much for it. That all keeps he (sic) kind of high strung.

Today it has been raining. we have had very little rain this year but the thing in the garden are coming fine the daffodil (sic) and are in blossom[3]. One day Beth thought she would prune the shrub in the front of the house, so you know what won't have many flowers this spring. (But don't write about it) she likes to read your letter. had a letter from Margaret thought she would come home for a vacation in May. This will be all for now

 much Love Mother

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[1] Though dated the 20^th, the postmark is the 21^st and am using this for a Feb 21 entry.

[2] The  card pictured below is believed to be the one she mentions. The postmark fits the chronology.

[3] This sentence is a little awkward. “thing” is definitely transcribed as singular, but the verb doesn’t agree.  

Beth to Robert 20 Feb 1945

      

Hi Robert:

       

Well I have wrote several of these short notes[1], and it seems I should have a answer one of these days I finally got a letter from your M[2] today. and she was plenty slow in writing however she seems to be bust with knitting and you know her a (sic) little garden. I think I will be going down that way in the very near future. I do know where you are, now. We are as usual last week I was overnight at Sausalito to visit the Me?????gais[3] xxxcy[4] a family four children full of life. Keep thinking[5] moving David Koermer is over in England had a letter from his mother yesterday I have about decided to go to Los Angeles. Martha wrote again last week wanting me to come down . I have not something been feeling to good. lately. however I will miss the bay area I love it if this way. And here I am at the bottom of page again. and until next week

2-20-45                          Best wishes

Beth Greenwood

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[1] Note that the original punctuation and sentence capitalization is not consistent and correct. Every unusual was not identified in the transcription. For those interested in investigation further, please consult the original.

[2] Mother

[3] Confidence is high that it is a family name, but still unidentified.

[4] Trouble transcribing even in context.

[5] Uncertain transcription.

Don Fisher to Robert 19 Feb 1942

Dear Robert[1],

I’m going to Alaska one of these days.

        Do you think I could have a better neighbor than Santa?

        I’ve been transferred from the 163^rd Infantry.

        My present address is:

Co. H. 153^rd INF. A.P.O. 309

Fort Lewis, Wash,

Your pal,

Don Fisher[2]

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[1] Robert has not left for the service and still at home.

[2] Obviously, a friend, but uncertain depth and length of friendship.

Lydia to Robert 18 Feb 1945

 Thursday night[1]

Dear Bob –

You are running competition tonight with Case of the Curious Heel, of the Eerie Series Detective stories – don't know whether to compliment you or not on I'm coming out ahead. By the way, would you be at all interested in a library of such thriller–diller books? I'll send you some if you really want them – and request them.

I'm so glad that Walter and I finally got your box in the mail yesterday. We had to repack it at the Post Office because it weighed a half pound too much. Doesn't take long to get to five pounds – especially when you add a few nails to a box. We took out a deck of cards, a bar of soap, and some tooth paste – but may be able to tuck them into another box. We got you some mouse traps[2] – three for a dime so I got three. They aren't awfully substantial – if they don't work let me know and I'll send you a rat trap. It practically gives me the creeps to talk about the darn things – hope I never have any close dealings with them. I wish you the greatest of luck in getting rid of them. The postoffice clerk was so nice – I had your letter with me, of course, and I had underlined your “request" so he could read them easier and he asked me if I was sure I had put in any leads for the eversharp you wanted. I did – hope you find them. Walter was going through his suit case at the time I was packing the box and added the waterproof bag – can you use it? and (sic) also the little leather case that might possibly fit your compass[3]. The fountain pen is one Walt has had quite some time but practically never uses, and he was glad to send it along as being better then a cheap dollar one that might not even survive the trip. The point of it is sort of out of shape though so it may not be a prize, after all. Anyway, I hope the box gets to you in one piece.

One of the girls here at the office has a brother who is just shortly returned from Italy and she said she sent boxes like mine and they always arrived in good shape. The Christmas boxes they sent him all came all the way back to US – isn't there some way you can tell the authorities to turn the box over to someone else if the original addressee has been returned home? It seems such a shame to send the darn box all the way back home –. I have been hearing all sorts of stories about the queer requests you fellows make. One girl's brotherinlaw (sic) wanted nothing but light globes – they were plumout (sic) and couldn't get any more over there. I think mouse traps is about as good as any.

You have been seeing quite a bit of the old country – too bad it isn't just a pleasure trip. I'd love to see the Isle of Capri someday and I have a hankering for Venice, probably because I used to think a honeymoon in Venice was the quintessence of perfection. Maybe if I could actually see Pompeii someday or had definite prospects of doing so I could even read Last Days of Pompeii which I know is on all the approved reading lists. You see as much as you can – and I'll take my traveling by proxy for the time being.

I tried to get hold of mamma on the phone tonight but so far have had no luck. Hubert and Billy are coming this way over the week end and suggested that I might be able to talk her into coming down. I'll try again tomorrow night and put my call in earlier and may have a better chance.

Tonight is my night to get off early and Walter and I are going home to try our luck at cooking a meal on an electric burner. It won't be the world's best, I know, but for a change it is good to have your own cooking. If mamma comes down by car and I'd like to have her bring a jar or so of canned peaches – they are Walt’s favorites (sic) and hard to get. I sound now like all the sample letters you see of the home front complaining to the battle front – but I'm not complaining– I'm just mentioning.

Hi again –

Got home from work to find your Valentine waiting for me – a clever idea[4]. Was it your own? But I can't imagine – the letter written the same day came here three days earlier – and I thought V – mail was the fastest of all! How and in what order did my sample letters arrive[5]? I’ll admit your regular letters come thru a lot faster than I thought they would. Evidently they are flown across the ocean. I'll bet the box takes the long way there –

I finally did get mamma on the phone last night but she isn't sure whether or not she will come. I hope she does. She says the Fairgrounds is closing up and she doesn't know just when her roomers will be leaving. She has that darn Boots[6] to worry about, and has to get placed before she can leave. I suggested she leave Boots with Cornelia and the doctor and that then she would have no more worries. She knows it, too. At least she would have no more worries about boots – but she would about Aunt Beth!

Now that we have a radio again I have begun to listen to the Hit Parade. LawrenceTibbettt is the singer now – having taken Frank Sinatra's place. He's been in for a lot of publicity – good and bad. There are no "squealers" in the audience, such as Sinatra’s a bobby sox brigade. Tibbett really doesn't do badly – everyone was quite interested to see how he would handle it last week when he was due to sing Ac – cen – chu – ate - the Positive, E – lim – in -ate the Negative (have you heard the crazy song?) but he did nicely. He sort of turned it into a negro spiritual and got by with quite a bit of applause, even Lowell[7], who you know would sing songs like that when he definitely would eschew any and all popular songs. We are even beginning to call him ‘Larry’ Tibbetts.

Love,

Lydia

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[1] Postmarked the 18^th so using for that day’s blog entry, but second page is dated  Friday 2/16/45

[2] Robert’s squadron was stationed in tents in a countryside field and one can imagine the rodent problem.

[3] Robert mentions the compass in his Feb 5, 1945 letter to Lydia. Blog post of 16 Feb 2015.

[4] One may assume it is similar to Blog entry 14 Feb 2015.

[5] This is the letter delivery time experiment that is mentioned several times. Lydia was testing how long each class of mail was delivered to Robert/

[6] Family Cat

[7] Unknown if specific mention of family acquaintance or to a generally known figure.

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Elizabeth to Robert 15 Feb 1944

Feb. 15^th[1]  

Dear Robert: –

I am tired of talking to the boys – so I will visit with you a bit.

Spring was here I thought – but I was wrong. Sunday we had the biggest snow storm yet. So out came the snowsuits, overshoes embassy and sleds.

Paul took a train for Chicago last Friday[2]. He didn't know how long he'd be away, probably three weeks or so. Guess he’ll be plenty cold there.

Yesterday I had a letter from Margaret – the first in ages – my fault, I’ve seldom written her. She mentioned that she might get to Fresno in May.

         

Rumor still flies thick and fast – But – no official word of our departure. I gave up hope today and did a lot of heavy housework that I have been thinking could wait until just before we left. Guess Paul will get the latest latrix-o-gram[3] while in Chicago.

         

Tomorrow I'm having three Army wives over for bridge[4]. Anything to break the monotony!

 Walt expects Marian back in Huntsville about March 1st.

          The boys were thrilled with your Valentines. Twas very thoughtful of you to remember them. William got quite a bang out of Feb. 14^th this year – he came home from school with a whole sack of Valentines.

          I am actually hoping this snow doesn't last too long – I want to go downtown Friday & I hate to drive when the streets are snowy embassy and icy.

          This isn't much of a letter – but honestly there's nothing to report.

Lots of love from all

All of us,

 Elizabeth       

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[1] The cover is postmarked the 17^th and I am using that date to fit the February schedule.

[2] Paul Richert worked as civilian for the Quartermaster Corp and travelled extensively throughout the war.

[3] “latrix” is an uncertain transcription. Unsure if it is reference to a real telegram or a something to do with the move.

[4] It should be noted that, in addition to bridge being a major pastime at this point in time, many members of the Richert family played and were quite good. Robert later became a life master. A personal story: Elizabeth (my Grandmother) kept a game drawer with cards and other things for her grandchildren. One day, I somehow got found one of her bridge sets and began making a house of cards with it. While not being inappropriate, she did make it quite clear that THOSE cards were off limits.

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Page 2 and 3:note page 2 starts on right hand side

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Presented as a bonus entry and unrelated to the above letter, a souvenir postcard from Robert.

Robert to Lydia 16 Feb 1945

Mon. Feb. 5[1]

Dear Lyd

Of your four letters[2] mailed Jan 20 only one has arrived at this time. I presume it is the air-mail Vmail one since it should make the leg from L.A .to N.Y. in a shorter time than regular Vmail. The test cannot be considered defective because you had to use my old A.P.O. number which means the mail might be side tracked & pigeon–hold before reaching me. Even so 15 days isn't too bad time. I'm still waiting one Christmas package that I know is in the mail, but I didn't know whether the word should be plural. The compass from you & Aunt Beth is the only Christmas thing I have gotten. I must have written my last letter before the one of your account of Xmas at home came, I can't remember commenting on it – it was swell

Bob

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[1] The postmark is Feb 16 and I am using this date for this month’s 16^th posting.

[2] Lydia mention elsewhere that she is conducting an experiment on the speed of different mail classes.

Quarter added for scale

Aunt Beth to Robert 15 Feb 1946

 Dear Robert[1]: –

            I have your two letters. I finally gave one of (sic) to Lydia. I read one from her the day yours came. I guess your M. had a very nice time well down there and to be in sunny L. A. from what I hear there has been terrible weather at Fresno. I had a letter from Cornelia saying you were home. Julius to (sic) and Dr. still in the hospil.

            Well I am as usual. I’ve had several rest day (sic) this mo. which has not been bad. Tomorrow another one and the 22nd I am going to try and go down to Fresno. Martha is going home this Thurs. No she did not rent the apt. after all that work. I put in there till 1 AM on Monday and left at 8,15 (sic) for S.F. The old land lord wouldn't let the folks in as they had two children can’t blame him. And as to our apartment: I have given up, but I have a room that I am going to move to one of these days with a lady I have known since 28. It will be closer to work and that's how things are here. I have had wonderful clear whether the past three weeks or more, as Neil would say for S. F. By the way he asked for a transfer to Terminal Island at San Pedro and he is also thinking very seriously of leaving the Navy by May, and if he does, they likely will be moving to L.A. unless he finds a better location for a hardware store he would like to go into. What are your plans? Army or just biding time[2]. Will me thinks I will stay with the school until the end. Which is 18 weeks with one week vacation at Easter time. So there it is.

            So you liked your Bag. Well I did get it for myself, but I needed a suit case and your M. thought you would like the bag so that's the way it was. Thanks for the book. I opened it on the way up on the train thinking that what it was so, it was. Just the illegible[3] and I had some good laughs and a very pleasant trip as there was all kinds of room and no doubt it would have been the same on the Santa Fe that's traveling for you. Never have a reservation when you want one, but I suppose it will be the normal one of these days soon. I guess your M. Is feeling better. I haven't heard from her but I guess I should write. So Julius is home to (sic) well. I guess he is happy about that for he's surely has had four hard years of it[4].

Yes one always gets good eats at the Koermer house. I was at the bank said I was in L.A. & she had a birthday cake & all the trimmings for me and no doubt the folks from Dubuque enjoyed their stay ‘and K ate of" Breakfast in Hollywood[5]. Since I started this Neil has gotten orders to Terminal Island & when his relief comes he is on his way. Sally stays here till they find a house there. Which I guess will may be so easy. And when you have nothing better to do, write. Always good to hear.  I will try & do better next time love.   Beth

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[1] No date on letter, but cover is postmarked and could very well have been finished on the 15^th.

[2] In conversations with Robert later in life, it was abundantly clear that staying in the army was never a consideration.

[3] Very tough to decipher, obviously noun by the article in front.

[4] Julius was a conscientious objector during the war and worked in remote forest service camps.

[5] This is another sentence that is an uncertain transcription. From “stay” to “Breakfast” is in question. Previously,  “at the bank said” is also in question.

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Page 2 starts on right and page 3 is on left

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Robert to BBR 14 Feb 1945

Since there is no date on the V-mail header, it is unknown how far in advance Robert had to write this, but the postmark shows he was very close.. 

Robert to BBR 31 Jan 1944

Monday, Jan 31

 Dear Mom,

I'm glad to hear you had such a nice birthday, goodness knows you deserve it. I hate to hear about Mrs. Brakemeyer[1] not getting better and I feel awfully sorry for Mrs. Brakemeyer. I'd like to write them a letter, but there is so little you can say in such a case so today I bought the only get-well-card I could find that wasn't gooey sentimental or utterly ridiculous. Maybe Mrs. Brakemeyer will improve as the weather gets nicer.

Tonight we’ll probably have a big rain storm because torwards evening the sky became awfully black & the clouds down very low and right now it’s just like a misty fog outside. I miss fog out here in this country where it's never foggy. There's something comfortable about fog – I guess it's because it's always nice to get out of. Anyhow I’ll want to live where it's foggy some of the time any way[2].

This is the week that marks the halfway place & it is this week & the next three that have me the closest to worried because this is the time we do the flying that will determine if we’re good enough to be graduated as abombardiers[3]. If I do O.K. this next month I don't think I'll have anything to worry about, but it will be a very busy & trying..I don't know if I'll ever be so anxious to leave a place as I will this – I guess it's the tension as much as the surroundings here[4].

In a day or so I will get paid again & since I've had but little chance to spend money I’ll probably send a money order soon to replace that(sic) I took out of the bank to buy my ticket here. I have not been reimbursed for my travel expenses yet, but that ought to be coming soon too, to the tune of about 40 dollars.

Write again soon because I always enjoy your letters so much because they sound just like you.

 

Love

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[1] A family friend that I think shows up in other correspondence but I don’t have the reference at hand.

[2] In personal conversations, I have heard similar sentiments from longtime valley residents. It should be noted that the opposite is true, that some don’t miss the fog.

[3] Robert did not graduated as a bombardier. He was transferred to navigator school and graduated as a navigator.

[4] Carlsbad, New Mexico

 

Robert to BBR 12 FEB 1946

The card and occasion are self-exploratory. Some of the color has faded over time, but the card is a good reminder that they did use color at that time. We tend not to think of color usage, in that era, due to the almost exclusive use of black and white film.

Robert to BBR 11 FEB 1947