October 23-24, 1946

Letter Home

The letter below was written by William on October 23 and October 24, 1946 home to his family from his station on Iwo Jima. In the first letter from October 23 he discusses things going on at home that he had learned about in the letter he had recently received and asks some questions about home until after a short letter he ends it because he is tired. In the following letter from October 24 he discusses an oncoming storm, more new discoveries he has made on the island including a scrap of paper torn from a Japanese booklet that he enclosed in the letter, and the farm he wants his family to buy if he were to die in the service among a couple other subjects.

Iwo Jima

Oct 23, 1946

Hi Folks,

And how are you all this evening? I feel quite elated due to the fact that I received a letter from you (pop) yesterday.

Well, now I know what's cooking back state-side. That bushel basket of apples n’ pears sounds good. I could go for that in a big way. I don't advise your sending me a Schnaffts’ Package due to the distance covered. I don't eat candy to any great extent and haven't seen a decent piece over here or on Guam. Now that they don't have it. Just that it all tastes lousy. The trip over ruins all chocolate. It sort of tastes ‘mildewy’ And looks the same, no matter how it is wrapped. as far as the food goes mom; there is no shortage yet, and there had better not be; Because we would then have ourselves stewed 2nd Lts.’ for breakfast, fried 1st Lts.’ For lunch, and broiled

Captains for dinner (if you know what I mean. When we run out of them we’ll shoot rats (the nice fat ones.) But all joking aside. The chow has been pretty fair so far. Why I bet I get more meat than you. every so often we have pork chops (Sometimes twice a week!) Run down and inlist pop! On the average of once a week the cooks burn us (I mean cook us) A nice steak. The rest is Spam and canned corned beef plus powdered eggs (which I can’t go - neither could you - I can’t describe them.) But I eat heartily and I'm thriving quite well.

I'll be an pions to see Uncle Al's home. it sound that he'll have to be an engineer or learn to be one damn soon. Better enlist in the Army and get in the aviation engineers. We can do anything (Come to think of it, I'm not in that outfit anymore.)

Boy, good thing I'm not home

or some fur would fly, and I think it would be Katie's. But I guess that when I get back, I better calm down. Please give Mr. Borneman My best regards, and tell him that when I get back, I'll go fishing with him so that we can have more ‘bull’ To throw. also tell him that I'll catch more fish than him (that’s a challenge.) Say, what is Morton Bieber doing these days? Mom was Everett Mank in the army? and where was he? I'm glad that I've grown and look like a man. I guess I'd surprise most of the people in the old neighborhood. I was a short fat little stinker, wasn't i. I guess Everett was in a hurry (As you said) So I guess you didn't find out much. I'm glad To hear that the Banker's chap has finally gotten into Purdue. Makes me feel better. You don't have to worry about me and foreign brides. I'm tired: I'll finish this tomorrow. Goodnight

Oct 24, 1946

Same

Place

Well, I'm back again. I didn't tell you that we were going to have a typhoon here, did I. It was supposed to be a bad one and hit us squarely. We were preparing to live in the Jap caves and I went down to help clean ours out (Since I wasn't busy.) Boy, what a hole! We found everything in there. a regular rat's nest. Everything from live hand grenades to empty SACKI bottles. In spots the tunnels were hot from the volcanic Earth underneath. They also had the perfume of a cemetery. Bet if the storm was to have lasted 2 days or so, the place had to be clean. I am enclosing a fragmented page from a book that I found in a Jap's fatigue pants. This is a souvenir of the ‘hard to get’ caves of Iwo. But fortunately the storm miraculously veered

away from us. So all that we received was a heavy storm.

I just received another letter from Cornelia and she stated that she paid you folks a visit. This, however, was an old letter addressed to my old place. How did you like that log of mine? And you (pop) showering tomatoes and flowers on her. boy. I read that and roared! still the same old spirit eh! You slay me! Conny said that you're so proud of your garden. By god, if you don't buy a farm in the next 10 years I'll shoot you. Not a big one; just big enough to keep you as busy as you want to be. You don't have enough to keep you busy where you are. Therefore you paint the same sereens six times and plant the same patch of grass four times. So you need more land to keep you busy. A car might after this though. Then you can spend some of your italy pants time riding around

, instead of painting that sereen the seventh time. I repeat on a subject which you will say, “ Don't talk about such things!” - but I'm practical. If I should go and get myself bumped off you will have 10,000 coming to you. Buy a car and a farm with it. If you don't I'll haunt you! This is the least I can ever do to repay you for bringing a brat like me up. Snuff said! Of course I'd much rather see you get the farm from some other means. Then I could drop in on you every so often and let my brats bother you. Ha! I'm really looking into the future aren't I.

Concerning that flashlight; I finally got one. But not by the legal channels of asking for one. They'd laugh at me. I swiped ( or shall I say borrowed) a Navy flashlight. So if you haven't sent the package yet, exclude the flash lamp. I finally got my wrist watch wrapped up well, and am

going to send it as soon as I get a chance ( probably tomorrow). It is quite a feat to send a package home from here. You have to get an affidavit from the C.O., and he signs for the contents. Then you have to hunt up material to wrap it in. So tell me when you get it.

I guess that I've just about ran out of material to write about. Now that I'm used to my job, it is just routine. I guess I'll get paid Nov. 1st. so you can expect some money from me. Give my regards to everyone. Please, don't worry about me. And to quote a famous phrase.

P.S. Pardon the hussiess type envelope; but that's the best I can do.

Things Are Tough All Over

Love,

Bill.

Japanese Paper Fragment

Pictured below is the front and back of a fragmented page out of a Imperial Japanese Army manual or defense plan for the island of Iwo Jima. William describes where he finds these as he explains "I am enclosing a fragmented page from a book that I found in a Jap's fatigue pants" which were situated inside an abandoned Japanese tunnel on the island that he and his group of men were in the process of cleaning out in preparation to use it as shelter during a "typhoon" that was slated to hit the island. William also went on to describe this fragmented piece of Japanese paperwork as " a souvenir of the ‘hard to get’ caves of Iwo" which is most certainly accurate for that time and even more so for now. This letter stands as irrefutable prevenance to show that this fragmented page of Japanese military instructions was in fact recovered from the caves of Iwo Jima and was present during the American invasion of the island. Also included below is the translated text shown on this fragment to the fullest possible amount considering the lack of information and condition of the fragment.