Mail call!

This is sort of a personal item, and I'm posting it 66 years to the day after its original composition. This is a V-mail from World War 2. It was sent from my great grandmother to my (now deceased) grandfather who was stationed somewhere in Australia (and who, you may recall, was a personal hero of mine and my best friend). He gave this to me many years ago, it it was only recently that I actually read it. It is illuminating beyond words, both as a snapshot of life in the U.S. at the time, and as a window into my ancestors and their kin that I never really knew. It reads:

Dear Francis,

Yesterday I sent you another package it will contain 3 packages of pipe tobacco and a pipe, a carton of hard candy (23 packs) and 50 razor blades Gillette. By now you should have that candy and gum and flashlight I sent you. Marie is standing on the chair in back of me every once in while [sic] she gives me polk [sic – poke], she wants to write to you. I guess my last letter will be censored I said I figured those pillow tops came from F.J. was I right? All the corners will soon be cleared all the boys from 16 up must help Uncle Sam whether they like it or not. So you see you have over a yr.[sic – year] start, this year you would be in it anyway. I wish Moe was old enough to go it was put some pep in him. You should see the size of him he wears a size 9 shoe and men’s size pants and he must weigh over 150 lbs. and he’s still lazy. Marie’s is fine, she’s a little cranky at night, but the Dr. said her throat gets dry and that’s what makes her cry. Friday she goes back to see him. He wants to look at his [sic] throat. He will be in the Army soon too. Most of Bayonnes Dr. are gone in service. Tonight is the Navy Mothers Club card party so you will get a package from us right after the card party (I hope) thats [sic] what they say they intend to do with the money. Marie said tell you she is a good girl and hurry home she wants to see you. Well Son, I guess that’s all and I hope God will be good to you and the boys thats [sic] so far away from home. So Long Son. Best of luck and love. Mother and [Father? This is cut off by the photoreduction]. XXXXXX [kisses]

My grandfather lied about his age and joined the service when he was 16, which explains that particular reference. Lots of young men did that in WW2 - not so much these days. Moe and Marie are younger siblings - Marie was the baby (and was closest to my grandfather by all accounts) and Moe was his younger brother. Great-grandmother's feelings about Moe aren't really disguised much in this letter. "F.J." alludes to my grandfather's "friend" in Australia - lot's of back story there but I can't really go into in now even after his death and 66 years.

It's also interesting to see what was happening on the home front - most of the doctors in Bayonne, NJ had been called off to war, and teenage boys weren't loitering on street corners anymore - they too were called upon to serve. The last thing I find interesting is the package containing a flashlight - my grandfather was never more than three feet away from his knife and his flashlight, even as he began to succumb to Alzheimer's in the early 2000's. I must have picked this up from him, becasue I always carry a knife and have numerous flashlights near to hand - always.