#7: "I can't fight it, it's bigger than both of us."

Feb. 21, 1951

Hello Sweetheart,

Well here I sit in the cab of a truck in the rain on Chonju. Know exactly where Chonju is don't you? I don't either. Anyway it took two days of the coldest riding of my career to get here. It was really cold too. We were going through mountains all the way and the wind was terrific. Hope it's summer before I have to go back that was. We only came 80 miles but we were going about 10 MPH all the way.

Now we're waiting here in Chonju for word to move on up. Been waiting ever since 5:30 this morning in fact. We're supposed to go up around Wonju some place and it's about 20 miles from here. Supposed to be a big attack up there today or [Bill's ink becomes pencil writing] tomorrow. I mean we're attacking not the Chinese. The troops have been coming by here steady all day long. So maybe we're staying here so we don't get in the way on the road with our convoy.

Ran out of ink up the page there, you can tell where, and my ink is way down in my sea bag packed in the truck and all I have is this old soft pencil. Probably when I get to the end of this letter the thing will be worn down to a nub. It is already almost.

Don't know when I'll get to mail this thing probably in a day or two. Had a lot of time on my hands today and just happened to think I'd like to chat with you awhile. Right now it's about 12:00 midnight Tuesday back in L.A. so I guess you're in the hay stack fast asleep, if the lantern isn't burning. So if you don't talk back to me now I'll understand. If you ever want to figure out what time it is here just ["subtract" scratched out] add 17 and a half hours to the time in L.A. or subtract 6 and a half hours and add a day and you've got it. When I get up at 5:30 I always think of you just starting out of Richfield to go to lunch. You didn't know you're old man had enough influence to get to sleep till noon every day did you. So when you eat your noon soup think of the old boy crawling out of a nice warm sleeping bag into the cold day.

I think it is starting to warm up some though. At least it wasn't too bad today or Monday except for riding in the wind Monday it would have been nice. Of course the rain has kept it pretty warm today. But it must have been below zero yesterday most of the time as it was really a kick riding on top of a pile of stuff in the back of this truck with my bare face hanging out. I got to sharpen this pencil now.

This here town we're in has been won and lost so many times they've lost track and it sure is beat all to hell. Most of the Koreans are gone someplace, south I guess, and it's all deserted. We stayed in a big two story building last night that must have been a school or something but it was pretty drafty cause it didn't have any windows and not many doors but it was better than putting up a tent in the mud.

I was figuring on spending tonight here too but they just told us we're going to leave in an hour and it has just decided to rain harder than it has all day. Boy this is going to be real sport. Dark and raining and 20 miles or more to go and sleep in the rain the rest of the night. I'd rather be at 1220 (home address in L.A.) snuggling with Mrs. Welch. That'd be a lot more sport lemme tell ya. Oh well, that's war and the Marine Corps I guess. I can't fight it, it's bigger than both of us.

Just saw some of the boys from Tent Camp go by on the way up so I guess I won't be alone in my misery. Eulie was one of the guys so he'll be there before me.

Well Baby Doll, I have to quit and go heat a can of "C" rations for supper so I can face this on a full stomach anyway.

Didn't get any mail since Kobe but I guess we will in a few days or a week at most.

Be a good girl and give all my love to Mrs. Welch. No rations we're leaving now.

Love 'n stuff

Bill

P.S. we left all of a sudden the other night. I'll tell you about it on the next page cause I haven't had a chance to mail this yet. Love B.

#6: "I bet you fifty cents you love me as much as I love you"

Feb. 17, 1951

Dearest Helen,

Well I'm an old timer in Korea now, we landed yesterday and were distributed to our outfits. can't say that I approve of this place even though there isn't much I can do about it. We came ashore at Pohang and rode in trucks out here to this camp which is four or five miles south of there. The town seemed to be quite large in an oriental way. That is it covered a lot of area but there were only two building over one story high. Much of the town has been burned naturally, as it has been taken and retaken several times. There are a lot of people around and I can readily see why they have so much trouble with the commies mixing in with the civilians.

This engineering battalion I'm in now has got a pretty nice camp built here. All tents to live in with electric lights and stove in them. The food is all rations and dehydrated stuff but they manage to cook it pretty well or else I've just been hungry since I've been here. They have a movie in a big tent, a PX, and several luxuries like showers with curtains around it and toilets with tents over them.

The weather is a little milder than I expected but it's still plenty cool. The mountains around here have snow all over them but we don't have any down here in the flat lands. There is a constant wind blowing down out of the mountains and that son of a gun is really cold. It's really very picturesque around here with the rice paddies and the little grass roofed villages with snow covered mountains in the background, but when I think of climbing those things it sure makes me tired. I wish I had a camera to take some pictures of this place and send you but I don't so I won't and maybe it's best anyway cause when I get home I won't have them to remind me of this dump.

By now I have a faint idea of what my job is to be. The way I understand it I guess I'm supposed to do anything they have to do. Such a repair roads and bridges and whatever else they happen to have to do. I don't know what else that is thought but I gather it's usually something unpleasant. In fact I guess this outfit is one constant working party. I had notions of doing something in the surveying line, but apparently the Marine Corps never even heard the word. Maybe after I'm here awhile I'll discover a special talent and get a permanent job of some kind. If I do it'll be a lot better cause then a guy knows what he'll be doing from day to day.

The guys here in this outfit have been here since the Inchon landing last September which makes about five months now and they're all tired of this stuff. They were in on that retreat last December and I guess they really had a time of it. They seem to be a pretty nice bunch of guys, all of them youngsters, or most of them anyway. Loud and Noisy and full of bull, but pretty nice guys anyway. It seems funny to be thinking of them as youngsters. I never felt so old before, but for some reason I'm beginning to feel quite mature. So I guess you can figure you've got a man for a husband now and not a boy anymore. I don't know if that's good or bad, but there it is.

The cost of living is pretty reasonable here. Rent is nothing, food nil, cigarettes and candy they give you, and the laundry is free, and the show don't cost nothing. The laundry is the thing, they have four Korean women here washing by hand out in the open and I don't know how they keep from freezing with that cold wind blowing on them but they get the clothes good and clean. Oh yes, the barber is free too. So if wages were good a guy could lay away quite a stack. By the way my wages are up nine dollars a month for overseas now. Mail is free too. And on the rare occasions when they get it beer is free. Guy stays over here a couple years he'd come home loaded. In more ways than one!

There seems to be a rash of divorce in this tent I'm in. Sixteen of us in here and three of them getting a divorce. For what reason I don't know but it seems that they have impatient wives. I sure hope you don't get impatient but I know you won't cause I bet you fifty cents you love me as much as I love you and if you do you couldn't even be happy without me cause that's the way it is with me. And if for any reason I ever do lose you I might as well get lost myself. I don't know why I brought all this up anyway. Maybe so I could reassure you so I'd be reassured myself.

Well I wonder where the rest of the boys are today. It'll no doubt be some time before I get a chance to find any of them. They don't seem to want a guy running around here by himself so I don't have much chance to look for them. Most of the guys went into the infantry anyway and I hear they're leaving today for the front up around Wonju.

We are supposed to tear down this camp tomorrow and leave here Monday to go up that way but how far up or how close we're going to the front I don't know. I'll probably find out Tuesday though, cause we're supposed to get to where we're going then. So we'll just wait and see what develops. By the time you get this I'll know all about it. Good or bad. At least I'll be riding this time instead of walking.

Well sugar fool guess this is about all of the gossip there is for this time. Don't suppose I'll have time to write for three or four days but I'll write when I can. It's really easy to write to you cause I love you and I miss you so it's kind of like talking to you, only not as good. Gosh I sure would like to take you in my arms right now and give you a great big squeeze and kiss your little nose and ears and neck and then you're lips for about ten minutes. I better quit it, I'm getting myself all excited. But it sure is a good idea. I'll file it for future reference.

It is now chow time honey so I guess I'll leave off and go get something to eat. Say howdy to Sparkey and the folks for me and keep a light in the window. I'll be seeing you.

All my love to the dearest gal in my life and the world too.

Your loving old man,

Bill

P.S. This card is a medical card for you. If you get sick or want an examination you can go to a naval hospital if you want to. Hope you don't need it.

Love,

Bill

#5: "Just got my first look at Korea"

PM 4:00 Korea Feb. 15, 1951

PM 10:30 L.A. Feb. 14, 1951

Hello Sugar,

Just got my first look at Korea about ten minutes ago and I must say it didn't even look good. Nothing but big old mountains with snow on them. It doesn't seem very cold but I wasn't up on deck very long. It was supposed to have been 15 degrees below here this morning and that is pretty dang chilly for a fellow from sunny Southern Cal.

Well it's been a long boat ride but it's over with now. We're getting off in the morning to go to our units and from then on business as usual. I still have to get my pack packed and all my stuff fixed up. I did it last night but the powers that be decided to do it another way, so I got it all to do now over again. Well it's not much anyway except that it's so darn crowded down in the hold you can hardly do anything.

I sure am in a hell of a shape. Got about a gross of fever blisters on my upper lip. Got them day before yesterday an they're starting to dry up now. So I guess they'll be gone before long. Finally rid of my cold anyway. Guess it just took an ocean voyage to cure me.

I just had a calamity yesterday. I was scuffling with a guy and he accidentally pulled my watch off and I stepped on it and busted it all up. Now I have arranged with a guy whose brother is a jeweler to send you a watch to send to me. So if you get it one of these days you'll know where it came from.

Just got the ships newspaper and it looks like we're bumping off a lot of commies but there seems to be a bunch left. Guess they just breed them too fast in China. The ROKs [Republic of Korea] just made their landing in Wonsan [North Korea] but I guess that will be old hat when you get this. Guess they're going to mess around and not stop at the 38th again. Not much to do about it but go along with the gang though I guess.

Standing up on the deck here this joint looks so peaceful I just can't get used to the idea that there's really a war going on. There's a whole bunch of native boats all around the bay fishing and messing around and everything is real still. I can see mountains way up the coast that must be near Wonsan and I guess things aren't so peaceful there.

Somehow this just doesn't seem like going to war, not like what I was used to anyway. We used to always be talking about what we were going to do and making plans and getting ready mentally. But there hasn't been an of that this trip and I guess we're all in for a rude awakening.

Well let's see here now, I don't think I've mentioned that I love you yet in this letter but if I have, please excuse the repetition. I guess it's just on my mind. Furthermore, I think I'll just keep on loving you until you tell me to stop, or longer.

Well P.G. here comes the bottom. I guess I'll let this go until later. May have something of interest to say then. All my love Sugar, be seeing you. Your loving old man,

Bill

#4: "Things seem to be moving pretty fast now for some reason"

Feb. 13, 1951

Dearest Helen,

Happy Day Sugarpooh. The mail train pulled in today with three big fat epistles from you all. Had given up hope of getting any until we got to Korea as we got word in Yokosuka that our mail had gone to Pusan by mistake. But they either got it back or got some more cause here it was today.

Well guess I might as well catch you up on details. Things seem to be moving pretty fast now for some reason. We got to Yokosuka Sat. the 10th and had only base liberty so I couldn't buy anything to send you & I loaned most of my money out for the boys to have a good time. I had one too. They had a real nice P.O. club with bar and dining room and floor show. So a gang of us Paul, Val, Fletcher, and a bunch of others got all tanked up and had a big feed. I had so many frog legs I couldn't hardly eat them all. So there went our dough. Then we came over to Kobe and had liberty in town with no dough. So we walked around sight seeing. Sure is educational. This town is just like they say Japanese towns are supposed to be. Little flimsy houses and narrow streets and open sewers where the gutter ought to be. Every thing seems to be pretty filthy but I guess it's all in what you're used to. Wish you could see it anyway cause it was pretty interesting. And if you would see the beautiful things I could send you if I wasn't such a boozer you'ld never want me back. And the pity of it is that stuff is so cheap. More than likely though I'll get back here sometime when I do have some money. Most of this stuff like blouses and scarves and pajamas and kimonos are all so elaborate that I don't guess you would use them for much but looking at anyway.

Boy, you should see the hot rodders in this town. There is one constant, mad beep and jangle of horns and when you hear one look out case after they blow a horn at you you're on your own. These rickshaws look like a hell of a lot of fun but I couldn't afford a ride in one. Sure wish to hell they had told us about Kobe before Yokosuka!

We've got what I guess is pretty straight work about where we're going. We've been assigned to organizations now and I'm going to be in the 1st Engineer Battalion. I don't know what Company I'm going to be in or I could give you the new address now. But the next time I write, day after tomorrow, If I can, I'll know case we'll be in Pohang, Korea then and in our new outfits. Providing of course we still own Pohang by then.

They sure are splitting us all up, as I knew they were going to, but I sure hate to leave all the boys. About six of us from the company at Tent Camp are going together but none of them are my close friends. Paul is going into the 1st Amphibious Tractor Br., Fletcher is going to 1st Ordinance Co., and Val is going to the 5th Marines Inf. with most of the other guys. But Korea isn't so big so I guess I'll see them now and then.

From the sound of your letters Baby I'd say you were missing the old gent a little. I don't know if it'll make you feel any better or not but I miss you quite a little. More than I can afford to admit to myself because the more I admit it and think about it the harder it is to take. I just try not to think about that part and think of coming home. Not at any particular time, but just coming home. That and other things, but once in awhile I get caught off guard and the next thing I know I've got a big empty place where my stomach ought to be...Or something like that. I think about those things and it seems like I can express just how I feel but when I try to write them or say them I find I don't have the words at all, just the feeling. It's kind of like telling you I love you. I never did tell you so often enough I know. Not that I think you ever doubted I did. But the reason I didn't was because the words sound so hollow and inadequate compared to how I feel for you lover that mostly they sound silly to me even if they don't to other people. I think the language could stand some new words or maybe it has them and I don't know it. Anyway I love you like crazy sweetheart and miss you worse than I'm ever going to say again cause writing it just adds emphasis. I hope this sounds alright sugar- coherent and logical, I mean, for I just turned myself loose this once and let my heart do the writing. If it doesn't say all I mean maybe you can read some of the thought or feeling behind it between the lines.

I guess I'm about exhausted after that effort. Emotionally upset or something I guess. Can't seem to collect my thoughts properly. I'm glad you're keeping in touch with the kids and I hope they don't forget to come around one in awhile.

Sounds like you and Mr. Connavo are getting along okay and the wall is progressing. I was a little worried that I'd been hasty in that deal but he seems to be on the level and I guess it will turn out alright.

They sent the mil from the ship in Yokosuka Saturday so you ought to get my letter about on our anniversary. I guess that's a pretty good present huh? Hope I can get one from you the same day.

Seems that the old man is about run down now lover. Can't imagine why either since this is only the longest letter I ever wrote in my life. I guess I just felt pretty gabby for some reason.

Anyway, tell Pasquale and family and neighbors hello for me again, give Sparky a hug for me, and "keep smiling." I'll be home as soon as I can make it.

All my love again Sugar and be a good girl.

Your lonesome ole man,

Bill

PS. Val sends his fondest regards. He wishes he'd been to Korea and back by now.

When someone sends to someone a valentine on Valentine's Day, it means that someone is fond of someone, what more is there to say?

I LOVE YOU "BW" & "HW" MY VALENTINE

[blog note: written inside a drawing of two hearts with an arrow through them.]

#3: "Happy Anniversary Baby and Merry Valentine's Day too"

SCAN OF ORIGINAL CARD TO FOLLOW

PHOTO OF U.S.S. General J. C. Breckinridge

Feb. 8, 1951

Hello Lover Gal,

Decided I ought to write you a little note on one of these things as you could see what this brave little vessel of ours looks like. Cute little boat isn't it?

The son of a gun sure is doing a lot of nose diving. You can see that anchor in the picture and that thing has been under water more than out of it today. We really are having a rough ride. And that wind is blowing about 200 miles an hour, more or less. But old salty dog Welch is taking it like a veteran.

Let's see now there was something special I wanted to say in this and now I've forgotten what it was. Oh, Happy Anniversary Baby and Merry Valentine's Day too. Have a couple beers on me to celebrate the event. Or if you'ld rather, wait till I get back and we'll celebrate it then together.

By the way, how is dear little old Sparkey? And does the little dear miss me or her missing parts the most?

Gee, I sure have been knocking myself out with this writing business. I've written to Ma, Nick Zobenica, Eddie Glynm, Herb, Joe (Brudder Moon that is), and you also various and sundry times. I hope I can keep up this magnificent job of communication but I bet I get lazy pretty soon. Besides a guy doesn't always have this much spare time. But I promise to try to keep you well informed at all times. Well honey guess this is all for now. Just wanted you to know I hadn't forgotten all the little things a man is supposed to forget.

Your loving old man, Bill

#2: "A few more lines of wit and humor"

Jan. 29, 1951

Hello Sugar,

I guess I'm beginning a letter that will assume monumental proportions before this little voyage is done. Since they forgot to put out the mail buoys for me I'll just have to keep this until we get to where we're going. The name of whom, if it isn't a military secret when we get there, is Yukosuka, Japan. I don't know how long we'll be there, but from there no doubt the next stop will be Korea.

The trip so far has been lovely. We have a large ship with spacious quarters. We have our whole compartment, meant for about four hundred men & they only put about four hundred of us in it. Each of us has his own private domain in the compartment. It's about 6'x18"x30" to sleep in and to store our few bushels of gear in.

The food is delicious and plentiful and a person can work up a wonderful appetite waiting in line an hour and a half for each meal.

But it's a pretty nice ship at that and a lot better than many I've been on. The only thing really wrong with it is that it's carrying me away from home at such a hell of a clip.

Feb. 1, 1951

Back again for a few more lines of wit and humor. Nothing much happening these days. The sea's getting a little rougher and the skies a little cloudier.

Paul and I were up in the mess hall yesterday morning eating and he noticed a guy standing across the table from us and asked me if we were any relation. We weren't but the fellow asked me if my name was Bill Welch and did I know a Mrs. McGuire. Naturally I did and was, so he said the troop office was looking for me and found him instead and he didn't know what they wanted. So I investigated and found that a Captain had $25 for me from Mother. Seems that she was down at the pier and gave it to him to give to me! I'm kind of anxious to find out how things happened the way they did about that. There was a bunch of people on the pier the day we left and I looked around to see if there was anyone I knew and couldn't see anyone so I guess she left right away.

Anyway it I hadn't run into that guy at breakfast I probably wouldn't have gotten the dough cause that Captain couldn't find me. It'll come in handy too, cause we're to get some liberty in Yokosuka and I can send you some silks and stuff from there and maybe even get a bottle of Sake to relieve my suffering.

We are moving right along in our little vessel these days. Right now we are about opposite the Hawaiian Islands, only about 800 miles north of them and tomorrow we cross the date line and lose a day of our lives until we come back across.

I hope everything on the home front is coming along. No doubt Mr. Canavo is making progress with the wall by leaps and bounds. I wish you would take some pictures of the progress and send them to me. That way maybe I'll be able to recognize the old homestead when I return in triumph from strife abroad.

Guess I didn't get to say goodbye to many people when I left but what the hell. I'll tell 'em hello when I get back and that's better anyway. (continued)

Feb. 6, 1951

Things are still the same aboard this old tub sugar, only more so. We crossed the dateline Friday night so we didn't have any Saturday. Now it's 9:00 Tuesday morning here while its 2:00 Monday afternoon in L.A.

Sunday afternoon they had a big initiation ceremony for all the guys on the ship that had never been across the dateline + they really played heck with them. Smeared them all up with grease + pestered them then paddled hell out of them then stuck their heads in a can of garbage. I watched them for awhile but the garbage business was making me sick and I had to leave. I sure was glad I had already made that trip.

The weather has been very surprising, at least to me. I thought the trip would be cold but it hasn't so far. The wind has been blowing like mad and we've had a lot of showers off & on but it's been almost like spring weather. Of course we are going a lot further south that I thought we would. We passed south of Midway Island yesterday and I had us going about 1000 miles north of it so maybe that accounts for the warm weather.

Well Honey Pott, according to the ship's paper the war is going pretty good for us again. It's pretty hard to guess what's apt to happen but everyone seems pretty optimistic about the thing now. Everyone seems to be disgusted with the whole affair by now and probably if we get anywhere at all we'll be able to negotiate a peace. So maybe this tour of duty won't be too long. But- one never know, do one?

I do wish though, Sweetheart, that would would try to find someone to stay with you while I'm gone. I know how lonesome it's going to be there by yourself and it worries me. You need someone there to keep you company and maybe take your mind off things. Salling told me Peggy had gotten a good job up in Oregon and that he was going to try to get a leave instead of her coming down so I don't know what will work out there. At any rate, when you get to know some of those gals at Richfield [Blog note: Helen worked as a secretary at Richfield Oil Corporation in Los Angeles] real well you may find one of them you'ld like to bring home with you. Anyhow, I don't want you to stay there by yourself very long.

Did you ever get that joker to fix the phonograph or is he still stalling you? If he is, keep hounding him until he does fix it.

We have about three, maybe four days left on this stow lover gal and I don't anticipate anything much happening twixt now and then so I guess I'll can this tripe until after we land and see if there's anything to write about then.

I'm hoping to have a letter or two waiting for me in Japan with lots of news + views.

All for now Baby.

All my love,

Bill

1st letter: "writing on my knee"

SCAN OF ORIGINAL DOCUMENT TO FOLLOW

Jan. 26, 1951

Dear Helen,

I'm sitting over at the hostess house waiting for mother to show up & I thought I'd better drop you a card with my change of address in case she doesn't get here. I have to go back to the barracks at four & it's about three now.

I called Ma this morning & asked her to bring me some money down because Salleng wasn't able to get any dough to give me what he owes me. And I had to get a bunch of stuff at the PX that I didn't think about so I was almost broke.

Ma was supposed to get here this morning. I hope she didn't have an accident or something. Maybe she got lost! In case this looks a little scribbley it might be because I'm out on the porch writing on my knee.

We are leaving this evening at 5:00 to go aboard ship but it will probably be after 12:00 before we get in the darn thing.

NEW ADDRESS

Cpl. William H Welch - 410470

"G" Co. 5th Rep. Draft

FMF Pac. c/o FPO

San Francisco Cal.

Went to the dentist yesterday & had 4 teeth filled so now that's tooken care of anyhow.

Well it don't look like Ma's gonno show so I guess Ill go away broke anyhow. Hope nothings happened to her.

Mick's going to bring the car & credit card home. Some stuff in truck.

All my love sweet heart,

Bill

Wedding Photo

This is the wedding photo of William Henry Welch and Helen Jane (Ewen) Welch.

Bill and Helen met in Missouri when Bill was home after his service as a U.S. Marine in World War II. He was her younger brother Joe's best friend. Bill was younger than Helen and at first their friends and family did not approve of the match. Bill moved out to California to find a job. Helen followed soon after and they were married.

They wanted a Valentine's Day wedding, but could not afford to take the day off. They were married on Saturday February 15, 1947.

Bill and his mother Corinne McGuire

This is Bill and his mother Corinne McGuire. You will read about her on the first entry in this collection. This photo is from 1947.

Bill and Helen 1946.