WW2 Era Letter Written by U.S. Marine to his mother. He would later lose a leg due to his wounds in the battle of Tarawa.

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This letter was written by a Charles Robert Hermann. He was born on December 26th 1917 in Iowa. He would enlist in the Marines immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. He would serve in the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. He would go on to take part in the battle of Guadalcanal as well as Tarawa. Part of the letter has been cut out by the Censor. The letter reads:

“6-24-43

Dear Mother:

Just finished letter to Sandy. Guess I better keep on writing till I have about three of them done. Hardest part about writing letters is to get started on them. I’ve looked at about 10 couriers today. I see that Gordon Reieske(?) is a 1st Lt now in the Army. Been getting lots of mail lately. Got letters today from Dorothy and Sandy, yesterday heard from Dorothy and Dad. Have letters from Gordon, Uncle Albert, Uncle Will and Margaret to answer. No we can’t send any stamps back there, if I could I’d send Marilyn and Carilyn some for their collection. The wind is making my light flicker badly.

I believed I thanked you for those stamps in my last letter. The only…

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kind we can buy down here now are one cent stamps. This new pen works swell. Too bad I’m not a good pen man.

Guess we won’t have much to do for a few days. I’m going to do a lot of reading and writing during that period.

I’m glad I’m in a good tent tonite, with a good cot and lots of blankets, instead of a foxhole on Tulagi or Guadalcanal. You’re just past your longest day of the year back home, so I … [Cut by Censor]…

I suppose George has been transferred by now. You said something in your last letter about being glad that I don’t like it down here. No danger of me ever settling anywhere except in the U.S.

I noticed an item in the courier about a Decorah man catching two four pound trouts. If there wasn’t…

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a war I’d be doing a lot of bass fishing now. I had planned on doing lots of fishing in 1942. But the only fishing I did was in the Matanikau on Guadalcanal, and didn’t catch anything worth while.

Dad writes you’re still having very changeable weather. Wish I could see your iris. You must really have a variety of colors. One of the boys in this tent was just telling me they used to have a cow named Elizabeth. He says.. [Cut due to Censor]…

brother named her after an old girl friend. I told him about Peggy. It’s getting close to 9:00PM, almost time to turn in. Think I’ll write Dad tomorrow. I’m Well.

Chuck”

About five months after writing this letter, on November 20th 1943, Charles and his unit would land in the first wave on Red Beach 2 during the battle of Tarawa. They would land under heavy fire. At some point during the fighting, Charles would be seriously wounded which led to the loss of his left leg above the knee. He would survive his wounds and would live out the rest of his life in Iowa. Charles passed away on April 19th 1996 at the age of 78.

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