Chatper two of my journey

Continuing the journey of my parents, and my journey in reading the suitcase of letters that dad wrote to mom during WWII.


Chapter Two:

When WWII broke out, my dad enlisted because he would have been drafted in weeks anyway. (that are his exact words).   He graduated from Northwestern college in Alva, OK and joined the army 3 weeks after that. He was stationed in Louisiana. During that time, the government urged people to write to their servicemen, particularly the young ladies!

My grandma F in PA remembered that grandma N in OK had a son about mom's age and asked her if he was in the service.  She replied that yes he was, so the two moms got their heads together and decided that my mom should write to dad in the service. Remember - my mom and dad hadn't seen each other since they were five - probably knew about each other, but had no contact whatsoever.

So mom (which shocks me to this day because she was about as shy as they come) wrote to dad out of the clear blue sky!  That's where I start my journey. I started by reading the 7 or so letters that dad wrote to her before they even met. Unfortunately dad couldn't keep her letters because they base moved so much. I can reconstruct a lot of what she wrote because my dad was very good about answering her questions.

Dad was completed shocked to hear from mom! Just out of the blue.  Eventually, I think mom told him that their moms set it all up for them to write - matchmakers back in the 1940's!   So my parents began getting to know each other, their politics, their religion, their beliefs, each other's families. They wrote for six months before they finally got to actually meet in person.  It was in PA before daddy was shipped overseas.  He was going to be stationed in Ireland during the war. 

I haven't gotten to those letters yet, as I have to read them a few at a time.  They make me emotional because I am seeing a side of my parents I never realized existed.  We knew mom had all these letters in a suitcase as we were growing up, but she refused to let us read them.  I feel privileged to read them now.  There are a few that dad managed to keep that she wrote, and each is 8 or 9 pages, singled spaced, typed.  They wrote every single day!  It is totally mind boggling.

I've read some of them to my husband, and he is loving the letters.  So tune in for chatper 3 if you so inclined.  I will continue my journey as I read more letters.