Cover: plain<\/p>\n
From: Lt(jg) CR Cummins<\/p>\n
USS LST 661<\/p>\n
FPO San Fran. Cal.<\/p>\n
To: Mrs. D.F. Matchett Jr.<\/p>\n
6243 Kimbark Ave.<\/p>\n
Chicago, 37, Illinois<\/p>\n
Postmark: [top invisible] NAVY 20 AUG 1945<\/p>\n
Stamp: 6\u00a2 red airmal<\/p>\n
Censor: double line, PASSED BY NAVAL CENSOR, with AIR MAIL below, initials THS(?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
19 August<\/p>\n
Little sister,<\/p>\n
You know I wouldn\u2019t be at all surprised if I owed you a letter, especially since one came just yesterday. I\u2019ll answer you letters first thing\u2014<\/p>\n
I agree with you\u2014that Russia did the right (strategically) thing in waiting until we were ready to invade Japan before declaring war. I do think that Russia must be handled with kid gloves, and rightfully so\u2014for if there is another was soon it will be with Russia.<\/p>\n
I had anxiously awaited news of Loyd\u2019s last interview with the new specialist.<\/p>\n
I did thank the Forum for my Christmas gift\u2014you sweet, charming, innocent little child. Ted De Looze\u2019s letter in the latest \u201cFlash\u201d struck home, for we are transporting these same natives on the 661.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t call from Hawaii because personnel assigned to ships was not permitted to call\u2014I did try every angle, but didn\u2019t want to take any chances of getting someone into trouble. Either Hugh isn\u2019t assigned yet to a shop or the regulations have been changed\u2014or he may have pulled some deal.<\/p>\n
David\u2019s guess as to my location was correct. I don\u2019t have much idea of how long we\u2019ll be here. We are hoping to have some glimpse of Japan\u2014we are so near now.<\/p>\n
I am quite ready to have some of your cooking\u2014it sounds good in writing, anyway. (? icing ?)<\/p>\n
It has only been about a month since I last wrote you.<\/p>\n
Well, this takes car of my unanswered letters of yours.<\/p>\n
Naturally we are happy and relieved that we can now see our homes in the relatively near future.<\/p>\n
There was no great jubilation (except the premature firing when a number were hurt)\u2014most of us just had that certain smile on our faces. Our enthusiasm was dampened by the knowledge that we would be here for quite some time to come.<\/p>\n
Now our feeling against the regular navy and stateside boys have been much deepened by the Navy point system\u2014no credit for overseas duty or combat. How they can sit back in their plush chairs and just forget about those who have risked their lives and have been away from home I cannot imagine. I realize they need to keep many ships operating\u2014but why not let the lads who have been fighting the war by their firesides come out for a while. Our idea is to require one year of sea duty before a person can be considered by discharge\u2014brother, wouldn\u2019t you have a run for their nearest congressman or naval patron!<\/p>\n
Just this morning I heard that any marriage before Aug 15th<\/sup> would count under the point system. This eliminated a dire grievance of mine, for I had been penalized in points because Joan was in the service.<\/p>\n I am not one given to complaining schwester, but they have committed a great wrong in establishing such a point system. They have ruined all their chances of having any sizable number of Reserve officers and men stay in\u2014of those afloat.<\/p>\n Ta, Ta, sis\u2014just for a few days, of course\u00a0 — Bob<\/p>\n P.S. How does Dave stand?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Cover: plain From: Lt(jg) CR Cummins USS LST 661 FPO San Fran. Cal. To: Mrs. D.F. Matchett Jr. 6243 Kimbark Ave. Chicago, 37, Illinois Postmark: [top invisible] NAVY 20 AUG 1945 Stamp: 6\u00a2 red airmal Censor: double line, PASSED BY NAVAL CENSOR, with AIR MAIL below, initials THS(? 19 August Little sister, You know […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,9,10,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-7","category-aboard-ship","category-letters","category-world-war-ii"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cumminsclan.net\/rc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cumminsclan.net\/rc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cumminsclan.net\/rc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cumminsclan.net\/rc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cumminsclan.net\/rc\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=72"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cumminsclan.net\/rc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73,"href":"https:\/\/cumminsclan.net\/rc\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72\/revisions\/73"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cumminsclan.net\/rc\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=72"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cumminsclan.net\/rc\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=72"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cumminsclan.net\/rc\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=72"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}