"Mop up" patrols on Leyte, February 1945. (Photo: WWII Archives) [/caption] By the end of February 1945, Americal units (The Americal Division formed in New Caledonia in May 1942, the name taken from "Americans in New Caledonia") were spread over the western peninsula of Leyte hunting the last of the Japanese units in what was referred to as a "mop up" operation. Americal encountered a number of Japanese defensive positions. After less than two months on the island, they killed some 3,500 enemy soldiers in a bloody operation.
Dear May and Bill-
Received your letter today and I was indeed glad to hear from you as always before.
I'm glad you were able to get a car. I had thought it a big problem getting those rarities, perhaps you got a real buy, well I'm glad for your sake and I hope you both get a lot of pleasure out of it. This is one thing I'd like to get once I get out of the service.
Yes May, Pearl and I hope to tie the knot as soon as I can get home and as I mentioned before May, I expect you to be Maid of Honor, since Pearl's family would like her to have a real large affair (wedding) and I guess I'm for it too although the large cost of one is so unnecessary don't you agree May dear?
Hope you received all of my letters in which I mentioned thanks for all of your packages, you sent me. Even me with much needed toilet articles, I really needed it. Thanks a million. I shall write soon again. Best of luck. I think of you at all times. Love to Joanie. Best to you.
Your Devoted Brother
Arthur
For a map of where New Caledonia is located, west of Australia,http://www.operationworld.org/newc
ReplyDeleteHere is a quote from a Navy Ensign's letter to his future wife, postmarked 1/25/1945 – "Yi! It’s the 23rd already Just letting you know, I’m well & pretty much happy & missing you & loving you with everything that’s in me. We’ve been underway, not sending or receiving any mail, hence this awful long time between letters. It’s the longest since I left you almost 4 months ago & it’s way too long. We’re leaving soon, so this may be the last for a while.“I hope you’ll forgive me—I can’t bear the thought of writing much more, even though I want to do it like never before. Surprisingly, sleep has been mighty scarce of late & I’m at the point where I couldn’t muster up strength to pick up a bottle of Pabst if it were in front of me. I gotta’ hit the sack, I gotta’. Doing nothing too exciting yet.”
ReplyDeletePostmarked 2/13/1945, but dated “15th Feb [D-day]. This is terrible, terrible—writing like this again, but we got one last unforeseen chance to get out mail. I could have very well had all the things written that I’d like to say, just in case, but we gave up writing as a lost cause a week ago. We’ve been running around like mad lately & we’ve only started. This is definitely & unavoidably the last for at least a coupla’ weeks.“According to a revolutionary censorship reg. which came out a few days ago, we can tell where our ship has been up to 30 days before the date of writing. So---on the plane from Honolulu, we stopped at Johnston Island & Kwajalein, then to Guam where I joined the ship. Guam was certainly messed up in places---Agana town was worse than any newsreel. I saw quite a bit of the place. I’ll tell you more---probably a lot more---in the next letter. Always & always” (see “World War II Timeline: February 13-15, 1945-February 23, 1945”, http://history.howstuffworks.com/world-war-ii/nazi-germany-surrenders2.htm).
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