WW2 Era Letter Written By U.S. Serviceman in the Pacific. He writes about seeing Japanese Planes and Life in New Guinea. “ These jungles are no place for a white man”
Article about: This letter was written by a John F. Spring. He was born on December 16th 1913 in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. During the war, he served with the 1536 A.A.F. B.U. A.T.C. (Army Air Force Base U
-
WW2 Era Letter Written By U.S. Serviceman in the Pacific. He writes about seeing Japanese Planes and Life in New Guinea. “ These jungles are no place for a white man”
This letter was written by a John F. Spring. He was born on December 16th 1913 in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. During the war, he served with the 1536 A.A.F. B.U. A.T.C. (Army Air Force Base Unit, Air Transport Command). They were based in Hollandia, New Guinea. The letter reads:
“ December 18th 1944,
This is how I look when I get a letter.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year To You And All.
Dear May and family:
I am late in my letter writing to you. But as you know, I have been very busy and have been in the hospital for 19 days then for the past two weeks I have had a very bad gasoline burn. It was from the tip of my finger all the way over my shoulder and that was very sore. It has been about thirty five days since I have been working. My leg is not quite healed up yet but now maybe my bad luck is over for a while. I sure do hope so. There isn’t much to talk about down here in these South Seas. We have some pleasure.
We have movies nearly every night, good food and some good officers. So we can’t complain. But these jungles are no place for a white man. They are terrible. I don’t see how the infantry stuck it out for three years. But I won’t get back before that long myself. This war is no means near over. We have quite a few natives here. They did work for us, and we gave them clothes and cigarettes and don’t think they didn’t get Educated since we moved over here. We could get most anything we wanted from them for a pack of cigarettes, but now they want a whole carton. And they stand along the street or I should say road and hitch hike instead of walking. They get us bananas, coconuts and I love things like that.
But they are all full of diseases. They are scaly and we are afraid to take anything from them. I myself don’t take anything. I have a nice collection of jap money and Sea Shells called cat’s eyes. Which are $.50 a piece in the states. They are very hard to get. I have been seen a lot since I have been down here. And there isn’t much we miss, Some of the things I don’t want to see again, although I have seen lots of those yellow fellows. I am flying now. I flew up here and coming over I flew over jap territory and saw jap planes under me but they did not have gas to get them off the ground. That is when one’s prayers come in handy. May, I still have my prayer book and always read it every day.
It soon will be the third time I have read it. I have been to church a few times. But I work most every Sunday, so I can’t get there often. Today I received a parcel from you and thanks a million for it. Everything was swell and most delicious. Well May, how are you and your family? I hope in the best of health. Say hello to them all for me. And tell Harry to keep them sailing and I’ll keep them flying. I’ll close for now wishing you and your family another God Bless and keep you in good health, goodnight with love, Johnny.
P.S. Say hello to everybody at the church for me and tell Walkson to say a good word for me.”
John would survive the war and return home. He would pass away on August 26th 1988 aged 74. He is buried in the Stroudsburg Cemetery.
Similar Threads
-
In WW1 Allies: Great Britain, France, USA, etc 1914 - 1918
-
In Doc's, paper items, photos, propaganda
-
In Doc's, paper items, photos, propaganda
-
In Doc's, paper items, photos, propaganda
-
In Doc's, paper items, photos, propaganda
Posting Permissions
- You may not post new threads
- You may not post replies
- You may not post attachments
- You may not edit your posts
-
Forum Rules
Bookmarks