Just A Few Lines to Let You Know I Am Well....

I think of my dad on this day and I review his letters from a time when he served our country.  It is so sad to know that a great country that at one time stood united, now seems divided against one another.

My prayer is that President Elect Donald Trump does exactly what he says he will do, and make America great again.  

Thank you, Veterans!

January 18, 1946   Friday

Dear Mom and Dad,

"Just a few lines to let you know I am well..."

"I have been transferred again, this time on a ship..."

"Have you seen Jo lately?"

July 15, 1948

"I got paid yesterday...  boy did I need it.  I got paid forty dollars..."

Tokyo.   September 30

Dear Mom and Dad,

"Just a few lines to let you know I am well and hope you are the same..."

"How's the garden getting along this year?"

"I got a letter from Jo the other day..."

"Don't forget to send me some pictures..."

Monday  Aug 13

"I haven't gotten any mail from you in about a month.  I guess I'll get it all at once..."

"Have you seen Jo lately?  I wrote to her tonight.  Tell her to answer and let me know if she gets it."

"Well this makes almost 2 1/2 years I have been in the Navy.  It don't seem that long.  I am getting to like it better than I did before...  I get to see a lot of places and things..."

"I don't want to miss this chance to get home for Christmas..."

"We sure have been having good news lately about the war.  It looks to me like it's almost over...." 

Love, Bob  EM 3R

Thank you, Dad.  I was so blessed to have you as my earthly father.  

PS ~ The "Jo" that he talks about is my mom :-)

Letters To Home

The top 10 things I learn from reading Dad's letters to home as he served in the 

Navy in WWII are as follows:

1.  He was extremely homesick

2.  He was excited about the movie machine that they got on board his ship.

3. He wished he had a camera so that he could take pictures of the devastation that he witnessed there.

4.  He sold cigarettes to the Japanese for a high profit.

5.  He wished he would have married my mom (his then girlfriend) when he was home on leave, so he could go home sooner. (haha!)

6. His penmanship leaved a lot to be desired.

7. He had a love for animals.

8. He sometimes wrote late at night.

9.  He was lonely.

10.  He ended most letters with, "Don't forget to write often."

*****************

Dear Dad,

You don't know me yet, but I will be your fifth child.  I will be named after you and Mom and the last "planned" child.  Two brothers will follow.  I really enjoy reading your letters to home and  I am feeling that emptiness that you have in your heart when you plead for letters from the family.  I'm sure Grandma writes often, as do your sisters and brothers and even Mom.  But it seems that you never get enough.  You must be really homesick.  I will be glad when you are finally home because then you will marry Mom and start our family and live happily ever after.  Oh, and one more thing, Dad.  Thank you for serving your country.  When the time has come for me to be born,  it will be my country too, and I will grow up knowing that God has gifted me with one special, selfless Dad and I am ever so grateful.   

All My Love,
Your future daughter and Middle child, 
Bobbie Jo  

Fast Forward just a bit....

Dad and Mom had seven children.

Dad would never be lonely now, we would see to that!

There were likely times when he wished he were back on that ship - alone - with no more personal anxieties like kids fighting over who sits by the window in the car and mountainous responsibilities which included how he would afford shoes for us to wear to school.

Life can get hectic that way...  

And then - one day, its over.

He was 53 when he died of a heart attack.

 It is the only military funeral I ever remember attending.

It left me in awe...  of my hero, my Dad.

My dad is the curly dark-haired guy on the left.
RIP Dad.  I Love you so much!  Until we meet again.....

Thank you, Veterans!

My sister, the school teacher, asked me to email her a picture of Dad for a Veterans Day wall her class was creating.  Here is the finished product.

I wish Dad were alive today so I could tell him how honored I am that he was my father.  

Dad died at 53 years old.  Wow, that's young. 

 I miss him to this day.

A blink of an eye...  and you might miss it.  

So don't blink!  

Have a beautiful Veterans Day everyone...  

And to all those who served...

  

THANK YOU!

Gracie and I are still chilling from Blogger but we hope to be back real soon.  I am tempted to just get in here and start seeing what you all have been up to...  but then one thing would lead to another and before you know it, I'd be hooked again and this painting would not get done and neither would my book.  

Miss you all!  Will be back soon....