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Nostalgia May 2013

Letters Are a Morale Builder

By Anna Russell

A rumor swirled among the prisoners that the Japanese hoarded warehouses full of letters and packages intended for the American troops. When the Red Cross did deliver the first mail from home, a near frenzy broke among the prisoners as they surrounded the guard hut and stood for two hours while the censored mail was distributed.

Letter writing is a lost art in today’s society of technology. What with email, texting, cell phones, and Skype, a soldier has almost immediate contact — sort of like being home. Decades ago, maybe even today, every soldier, Marine, sailor, WACs, WAVES and pilot anticipated mail call.

In “The Civil War,” a film by Ken Burns, Shelby Foote reveals that “boredom was a problem for the men.” When not in battle one soldier yelled, “I believe they have lost my letters. I haven’t received one in the three weeks I’ve been here. Yet I’ve written every chance I sat down.”

Mail call seemed a salve as depicted in “The Captive Heart” (a 1946 movie). In 1940, a Czech soldier removed the uniform from a dead British soldier. However, the Nazis captured him along with other British military. In the POW camp during the next four years when finally the Red Cross packages and thus the mail arrived, the men jumped for joy, danced, cried, sang, and shouted. Through correspondence the “impostor” also developed a love and eventually inherited a family.

John Tyree in Dear John by Nicholas Sparks, walked through the camp grounds to his tent holding a letter. During his deployments he still wanted to know Savannah was waiting.

In Guadalcanal Journal [1940-43] Pfc. James A. Donahue recorded: “I received two letters and it was too dark to read them. I was afraid I would get knocked off before morning and then not read the letters. I saw it happen before. I got more mail. Gee, Cassie is swell.... It is November 14, and I received letters dated October 7. That is real good service.”

Roper and Mary Francis were friends in grade school and dated through high school. However, immediately after graduation Roper was drafted into the Korean conflict, severely testing their true and deep love. For six months Mary Frances waited for Roper’s letters but none came. Another man pursued her and they married. The day after Mary Frances’ wedding, Roper appeared. “Mary Frances, I’m here.” Billy Keith tells in Days of Anguish, Days of Hope of Air Force Chaplain General Robert Preston Taylor’s three-and-a-half years as a WWII POW. The torturous Bataan Death March and imprisonment under Japanese torture had momentary relief should mail get through. A rumor swirled among the prisoners that the Japanese hoarded warehouses full of letters and packages intended for the American troops. When the Red Cross did deliver the first mail from home, a near frenzy broke among the prisoners as they surrounded the guard hut and stood for two hours while the censored mail was distributed.

“Letters are a good morale builder” one Marine said — so write a letter today to someone, even a stranger.

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The picture is of Navy S1/c Charles H. Murray and wife Margaret found among a pile of air mail letters. He was stationed on Guadalcanal 1944-1945.

 

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