CRC 1945-8-16 to parents

Cover: plain

From: Lt(jg) CR Cummins

USS LST 661

FPO San Francisco

To: Mr. & Mrs. CM Cummins’

6109 Greenwood Ave.

Chicago, 37, Illinois

Postmark: U.S. NAVY 17 AUG 1945

Stamp: 6¢ red airmail

Censor: double line, PASSED BY NAVAL CENSOR, with AIR MAIL below, initials THS(?)

 

16 Aug

2000

Hello, yo’ all,

Halleluliah! The war’s end is here—that is, the fighting is—but there will be many of us that remain out here for a considerable length of time. The cessation of hostilities paradoxically enough, means that this ship will reach the states long after it would have if the war had continued.

It is hard to believe that it as has ended. It seems I must tax my memory to go back to those years when there was no war. To think that we will one day fairly soon return to home—to wives, families, civilian clothes, our private lives! What a glorious day that will be! –and not a little awesome.

We are hoping, since we must be kept out here, that we will get to go up to Japan, and to some cities of China.

For the time being we have duty transporting natives from their old homes to new ones. Until a person actually sees something such as these natives and the way they live he has no conception of the great things that U.S. culture consists of. The natives here have nothing at all that would be acceptable by the poorest American standards of comparison.

They seem to be a happy people. The women are pushed into the background, and are consequently shy. The men doff their hats, bowing again. The children are just like children all over the world—the boys are probably best friends—they readily pick up English expressions. The people have, typically Oriental, stoically accepted their fate as to having been a battleground. they have not caused any dangerous trouble whatsoever. They have been treated rather well by the good-natured Americans.

Our days have been full and interesting. The homeward stretch is here—

Love and kisses,

Bob

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