Last month Roberts and the 193rd Tank Battalion fought for their lives. Now they are out of danger for the most part. Since they are still in Okinawa, as near as I can tell, there is still danger but nothing compared to what happened in April, 1945.
15 May (1945)
Dear Mother,
I wrote a couple of days ago and haven’t heard from you since; but being as how I have nothing more to do for the time being, I guess I’ll write again. I really don’t have anything to write about, but perhaps something will come to me as I go along.
Things are much different now. Instead of spending my time at the front I spend it in my sack as much as possible. I have always wanted to get into combat but now that I have be in, I would much rather not see anymore of it. I have changed my viewpoint on a lot of things I used to say that rather than lose an arm or leg I’d just as soon be killed outright, but no more after so many close calls a guy ceases to worry about being hit. He then begins to hope and pray that when he is hit, he’ll come through it. A guy adopts a fatalistic attitude toward it all. It’s really a funny feeling, then again it isn’t a bit funny. It’s hard to try to explain it to someone who hasn’t seen and been through it all because it’s impossible to visualize. It has to be seen to be understood. I guess that there will be lots of this told, and lots of exaggeration of the actual fact, when this thing is over. What I have seen and done, will be what I willl tell when I am able. In my mind the thing is bad enough without exaggeration, and enough had happened that I have seen happen so that it needs no untrue additions. Some of the things are to hard to believe now. Within the limited scope of my vocabular, the whole thing belies discrimination. All I have to say is that which I have said so many times before. Nothing that can or will be fine is bad enough for those who loose such as this upon a world. The letdown from what has gone before the present quiet is terrific. After days of nervous strain of the worse kind, all we want to do now is nothing. It’s hard to get enough energy to get up to eat. Our duties are very light, so we have plenty of time for rest. It is beautiful here. We are located very near the sea. Flanked by mountains on either side. There is a fairly decent beach to our direct front, which by the way, can’t even remotely compare with our beach at home or the other beaches in Florida. I have seen none in the Pacific that can.
This is the first time I have actually heard the feelings of war told. My dad never talked of such feelings. Even though he wrote to Mom about what happened. (Read “Dad Tells’s All” here)
As I have said before, we are getting much better rations than we used to. Better, actually than the rations I have eaten at many camps in the states, that legendary Garden of Eden popularly known as the soldiers of Utopia. The weather conditions are somewhat like that at home in the fall. We have only one gripe on that score. This place knows no happy medium. It’s either muddy or dusty.
I have just about made up my mind to go to school when I am released (if and when) That is my decision, but it is, of course, subject to change. There is no telling what I will decide to do after I see what it is like to be around a civilians. I have been in the Army so long that I can’t even visualize it. What would it be like to be able to come and go as one chooses, eat when and where you like, wear what you like, quit a job you don’t like, and otherwise be your own boss? God knows. I don’t. I’m very anxious to find out though and am looking to the day of my release from active duty with eagerness and anticipation. I don’t know when it will be, but I’m hoping without reason, that it will be soon. I have had more than enough of the Army. I don’t doubt that I shall miss it for a while for I’ve been in so long that I know nothing else, but I also have no doubts as to my ability to get along without it. I guess this has gone on long enough. Lots of time wasted and nothing said. I very anxious to learn of the outcome of Dianes trip to the hospital. Surely she couldn’t have held out this long, though I read somewhere of a woman who was pregnant three hundred and seventy four days. My love to all, and white when you can.
Love
Johnnamus
I wonder if Roberts journey was similar to my Dad’s. Dad joined the National Guards in 1940 and was mustered into the army in December 1940. They told him he would only serve one year. Dad ended up serving five years.
20 May (1945)
Dear Mother,
I received your letter a couple of days ago but have just gotten around to answering it. It took only eleven days to get here which is pretty good time considering the distance it had to travel. Some have gotten here in as little as eight days.
This was the letter with the pictures in it. All I can say about the new Roberts baby is that it’s a baby. It damn sure isn’t pretty. they needn’t feel bad about it though because I never could see anything pretty about kids as young as that. The other kids are cute as speckled pups though. too bad that Diane’s baby had to be a girl but at least she and the baby came through all right. which is the important thing.
IT’S A GIRL! Diane is the wife of Dit. He was killed last month in the Philippines serving in this same damn war.
Things are as good as could be expected here now. The only thing is the nightly air raid. We have shows here now and for the last three nights have been going to the same show. Just as the thing got to the middle of the second reel somebody would yell “Flash Red!” and that would be the end of the show. After three nights we gave up and got another picture, a sorry one. Just as could be expected, the sorry one ran all the way without a single interruption. I had seen the good one twice before but would have enjoyed it never less.
I am about a mile from Howard Sapp now and was over to see him day before yesterday. There isn’t a whole bunch that I can say to him, or that he can say to me. We have just about run out of common acquaintances. He is cooking there which gives me a good belly laugh every time I see him manicuring the utensils.
Can you get Sol Hawkin’s address for me? If you can I’ll try to look him up. He’s a pretty good egg, except that he is in the (illegible). That is about the worse thing I can say about him.
I’m a schoolboy again. I’ve taken up a subject through United States Armed Forces Institution for review of some of my high school work so that maybe (when and if) I get out I’ll have a fair chance of passing a college entrance exam. I’ve started on plane geometry and from there expect to go to trig or algebra, & college algebra. It’s self study off time of course. I get a kick out of it.
I had a letter from Gene Sumerall the other day. He Jack Strausburg and four other guys who came in with me are on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines now and they seem to be getting along pretty good.
I guess I’d better cut this short. Will write again within the next few days. My love to all. I forgot to mention Mother’s Day when I last wrote so I’ll mention it now. I believe I did write on that day. I hope that you went out bought something. Write Soon.
Love
Johnnamus
P.S. Don’t forget the Parker 51 if you can locate one
He is still wanting that Parker 51 Pen. I hope somewhere along the lines he will get it.
Until Next Time Friends