"It's all I can do to keep my eyes open"

Sat. March 3, ‘51
Wongju, Korea

Dearest Helen,

This is to be just a note tonight I think. I’m pretty tired tonight for some reason or other and I’m about half asleep right now. And I still have to wash up and shave. Just got done giving my rifle a good cleaning and it sure did need it. This place is getting really dusty now that it’s drying out and I had a guy take it out and fire it today because I dropped it and didn’t know if it knocked the sights off or not, so with all that it was really dirty and an awful chore.

The weather was pretty cold again today but the stoves here in the tent are going full blast and its so cozy in here it’s all I can do to keep my eyes open.

We didn’t do anything interesting again today. Filled sand bags and hauled rock to improve a silly little side road that doesn’t go anywhere and doesn’t do anything, but we fixed it anyway. Guess there isn’t much of importance left to do here and they’re just shopping around for anything to keep us busy. The bridges are all fixed and traffic is moving good now so evidently we’ve done our job well.

They say the commies are retreating from here and the division is going to move up. I don’t know if we’re going to move up with them or not but I guess we will since there’s not much left to do here. Sure hate to think of if cause it sure it a chore but I might as well face it cause that’s the way it’s going to be all the time. It’ll be easier to move when warm weather gets here cause you don’t have to mess with so much gear. Another good reason for spring to hurry up.

No mail again today but I bet I get some Monday for sure, don’t see how I can miss by then. Hope you’ve been getting these things regularly. It could be that they’re letting them stack up some place and if you get many of them at once I don’t think you could stand it.

I’ve got a piece of Japanese money and a piece of Korean money I’ve been wanting to send you and I guess now is a good time. It’s worth about two cents all together so don’t try to buy much with it.

Doggone it baby, I better quit this and get on with my cleaning up, cause I’m really passing out sitting here. First, if you get that watch to send me, try to send it air mail in a real small package and maybe I’ll get it right away.

Goodnight lover girl and pleasant dreams and things. I’ll see you in mine in a little while.
All my love and kisses,
Bill

"And we showed each other a picture of our wife"

March 2, 1951
Wongju, Korea


Dear Sweetheart Helen,
Comes near the close of another day, a little short of perfect, but a day nonetheless. It was a cold dinger too. Sure am glad I don’t have a thermometer or I don’t think I could drag myself out of my sleeping bag mornings. To think that a few short days ago I thought spring was almost here. I wish I could stop this damned writing down hill business, guess it’s on account of the awkward position I’m writing in.

Really not much to talk about this evening seems like, cause we didn’t do much today. Started out this morning loading sand on a truck down in the river and hauling it up on a road and throwing it off. That’s the way we spent the morning. And this afternoon we built a revetment alongside a road to keep it from caving in so you can see it wasn’t much of a day for interesting experiences.

We didn’t get any news about the fighting today but I guess they’re having a pretty hard time. They’re trying to take a town by name of Hoengseong which is about fifteen miles northwest of here. The artillery has let up some today and they have slowed down on bringing in the casualties so my guess is that we’re not doing so bad right now. I wanted to get up to the P.O.W. camp today and see if they were bringing in many prisoners but we didn’t get over that way. I don’t remember if I told you about the one I saw yesterday, yes I do, I already told you. Must be I’m getting absent minded.

No mail at all today so I won’t have the disappointment of not getting a letter this evening. Or is that good? Maybe if there was any mail tonight I would have some. Guess I’ll be mad cause there wasn’t any now. Now I’m writing up hill. Just can’t seem to get on the level.

Had some fun today talking to a Korean soldier out by the job today. He was telling me about things over here even if I couldn’t understand most of it and I told him about the States and he couldn’t understand me either. And we showed each other a picture of our wife. I sure get a kick out of trying to talk to these guys just like down in Ensanada. Guess there’s some strange fascination about not being able to understand people. I don’t learn much from it anyway. Except now I know ICHO means “very cold” now.

Well little darling guess I’ve hit bottom [of the page] and I don’t think this guff will stretch to another page, so goodnight now and sweet dreams honeypot.

All my love,
Bill

p.s. What's Pontarelli's address? I want to write him a letter sometime.

 
This is a scan of some Korean Won Bill sent to his sister-in-law Ruth. The writing says "Buy yourself a bottle of Beam Kiddo, this is worth 1.6 cents.

"These guys all laughed at me but I don't care, I just can't feel about these people the way they do."

March 1, 1951

Dear Helen Jane, alias (P.G.)

Winter is with us again today. I had it figured that spring was here but it was oh so cold this morning and even colder now. No way of telling how cold it is but it must be considerably below zero now, with the wind whipping around like mad.

It’s not so bad for us cause we’re in a nice, fairly warm tent and apt to stay here all night but the poor guys up on the lines are bound to be having an awful time. They started a major attack all along the lines here this morning and are having a tough time of it from appearances. They have been bringing casualties back here to the hospital in droves all day long. There has been a steady stream of them all day long and it sure does burn a guy up to see it happening. We work over by the Prisoner of War compound once in awhile and those guys stand around and say Okay, Okay, and all the time I’d like to kick their damned teeth in. Most of them gave themselves up voluntarily so maybe those particular ones really mean okay.

The artillery boys kept me awake a long time last night. If they were shooting at Commies they really must have torn them up cause they were shooting them so fast they sounded like machine guns. They kept it up most of the night and no sooner than they stopped the tanks cranked up and took off and kept me awake some more. It was worth losing some sleep to have all that support for the boys though. With all the boys they’re hauling back here I bet they’re really stacking up the Commies. More power to them.

To change the subject a little, your old man really pulled a big deal today. We were tearing up a building across town this morning and I found about a dozen sacks of rice and wheat so I brang back four sacks and traded one of them to some Koreans to wash clothes for the whole platoon tomorrow. There’s forty guys in the platoon and all of them have everything that they own dirty so I made a pretty good deal. I could have given them onl half a sack but these people don’t have much to eat any way and there’ no use in a guy taking advantage of their hardships. These guys all laughed at me but I don’t care, I just can’t feel about these people the way they do.

This family that’s going to do the laundry just got back here last night and they were over here digging up some vegetables they had buried before they left. I went out and watched them and they were really happy to find them still there. If it was me I’d be happy to find the stuff gone cause it stunk like it had been dead for years but then I guess it’s all in what you’re used to.

Darn it, the squad leader just came in with a stack of mail a mile high and still none for me. My morale just dropped seventy-four points. Cuss it anyway.

By the way, all these guys say they’ve been getting hotch from home so if you feel so inclined you can dish up a bundle of Kinsey or some such and send it this way. Even if it does take a long time to get here it probably won’t spoil on the way. It sure would be nice to have a little pepper upper these cold evenings, or warmer evenings either. I don’t know just what kind of package to send it in but you can think of something I bet. Sure would like to be home sitting around the fireside with you in my lap and a bottle of Manhattans handy, I forgot to tell you that I swore back on them I guess, but I did.

We had fresh meat for dinner again today. Ham this time and it was tough too. But very tasty along with boiled fresh spuds. So life can be beautiful sometimes.

Well Sugar Puss I think I’ll go to bed and sleep off this despondency that has overcome me since mail call. One of these days I’m going to get some letters at mail call and I’m going to sit down and write a real happy letter. So goodnight Sweet Princess and pat little Sparky on the tail for me. Be a good girl and don’t work too hard. Save a bunch of energy up for our honeymoon.

All my love and kisses,

Willy

"I bet you're pretty lonesome kiddo"

Feb. 28, 1951

Wonju, Korea

Dear Wife Helen,

I wish I’d get a letter from you soon. I’m getting so impatient I can’t hardly stand no more. It wasn’t so bad when no one was getting any but the last couple days these guys have gotten mail by the bale and I’ve been very unhappy. I know it isn’t your fault, when it does get here I’ll probably have a bale of it myself, it’s just this cussed Marine Corps messing up the detail. Anyway dang it, I want some mail from my lover gal.

I bet you’re pretty lonesome kiddo, but I bet I’m as lonesome for you as you are lonesome. I’m sure glad I didn’t have you to miss last time cause I don’t think I could stand if for two years. Last time all I wanted to get back for was to have fun and drink and stuff, bu this time none of that seems very important. Only being with my little gal makes any difference. With you any old place would be alright, without you no place amounts to anything. Do you know what I mean sweetness?

I didn’t get to write last night cause we was screened again. We tore up buildings yesterday and right after supper we left to work on the ford across the Han river all night again. We didn’t work very hard though, but it kept me from taking care of my personal affairs. The next worst thing that happened besides not writing was that I didn’t get to take a shower. But I made up for it tonight. I pulled off my crummy clothes and dived under those showers and it was just next best to being home. After I got off the first inch of dirt and the water hit my skin it was really heaven. After that, a nice shave, and now I feel like a king.

The famine is over now too. We had three meals today and this evening we had fresh roast beef. That was a real treat. These guys say it’s been many moons since they had any fresh meat. It was pretty tough but plenty enjoyable all the same.

Still no news about the war here but I guess we’re winning the silly thing. We got an Army newspaper today and we were winning in it but it was from Feb. 15.

Well Pigeon, can’t think of much else to blab about so I guess I’ll skip the gory details and bid thee adieu.

I adore you, you little wench,

All my love,

Bill

"Guess I love you or something"

Feb. 26, 1951

Dear Wife,

I started this letter about fifteen minutes ago. I then got in a big conversation and I didn’t get very far until now. Not that I have much to write about but I sat here with pen in hand thinking about you so I may as well write even if you don’t know how to decode this scribbling.

We’re all set to get fixed up around here now. They started to build a shower for us today. They’re supposed to have it done tomorrow evening. I know you’ll find it hard to believe but it was the best news I’ve heard since my arrival in this lovely land. I’m getting so stinky I hate to crawl in the sleeping bad with myself. A guy can wash a little in a water bucket but it’s so unhandy and you can’t really get this dirt off without soaking awhile. Anyway you can bet I’ll be a clean little lad tomorrow night this time.

They say we had some excitement here today. There was supposed to have been a sniper firing down on the airstrip across the road from camp today but he didn’t hit anyone, so maybe he was there and maybe not. You never can tell about these rumors.

We tore up another building today, an even bigger one than yesterday, but easier to work on than the other one. Tomorrow we’re going to tear up another one and if this keeps up I’m going to be an expert at the game. We’re tearing them up to use the timber to repair bridges. The ones we’re working on are already wrecked so we’re not ruining anything that’s useful.

We had a stroke of luck today while we were working. A couple of trucks came by with rations on them and we latched onto a couple of cases of them. So we had full bellies today in spite of this ratty Marine Corps.

Still no news of what’s going on here in the war effort. Don’t even know if we’re winning or losing. Guess we’re holding our own though, no one seems very excited.

The ground is drying out a little now and I found out today the rainy season isn’t supposed to start until June or so if something doesn’t go wrong with the time table we’re alright for awhile.

Some trucks came in with supplies and mail today so maybe the hard times are about over and I may get some mail before long. Sure am getting anxious to hear from you lover gal. Guess I love you or something.

Well Sugar, this isn’t much but you know I’m still here anyway. Bye for now. Hello to Dawn!! Give little Sparky a pat for me if she’s been a good girl.

All my love and kisses and hugs,

Bill

"but maybe you'll enjoy looking at and reading this neat script of mine"

Feb. 25, 1951

Greetings Sweet Thing,

Just a short note tonight of one or ore pages, depending on how gabby I get as this goes along. Never any telling just how these things will go.

I’ve been wondering if I sound like a home sick puppy in these letters lately. Just remembering back it seems like most of them have been on a melancholy note. I don’t mean them to be and I hope they don’t sound like that. I’m really a homesick big boy for the first time in my life (See what you’ve done to me.) but I don’t want these letters to sound like that. So I must try to keep them in a more jocular and humorous vein. It’s been so long since heard anything from home that I don’t know what’s going on, so I can’t talk about that and I have to just write about daily occurrences as if I were writing a diary. Probably won’t be very interesting most of the time but maybe you’ll enjoy just looking at and reading this neat script of mine.

The boys here are getting all hyped up about going home on rotation now. Two guys are leaving this week sometimes and there’s supposed to be a bunch more going the first of the month. If they keep this up I may not be here too long. Those guys have only been here six months now and if they keep relieving them like they say all the original guys will be gone when they have eight months. So even if this thing does drag on that long I ought to be home next fall sometime, which will be better than I ever expected. Should this thing happen to come to a halt I doubt that they would keep us here very long afterward. And furthermore, as much as I hate being overly optimistic, I really think this thing will be settled in less than two months. Unless the Russians start something else. I hope so anyway.

The weather is warming up a little more all the time it seems like. The rainy season is due to start soon and all these guys claim it’s really mean but they don’t know any more than I do about it so it may not be bad. Probably be a little wetter than L.A. though.

I contracted another case of sniffles. Not that there’s anything mysterious about it with that night ride in the rain last week. Maybe it’ll just go away if I ignore it.

Well to get on with the news of the days events, we had a hearty breakfast of an egg omelet and bacon. I went to work tearing down a big building and hauling away the pieces in large chunks. The thing was all bolted together and it was sure a mess taking it apart. But we got it all torn up and hauled. Empty stomach and all. There was a bunch of ROK soldiers there and we kept bumming them for chow. But they didn’t have any either. Finally one of them came over with a pan of ratty looking roasted nuts and offered them to us. One of the guys took some and reluctantly the rest of us took some too. Surprises they were good and we gobbled them all up. So he dashed away and came back with another pan full and they went that quick, the next time he came back with a gourd full and that did it. Turned out they were toasted soy beans. You must try some one of these days.

Then back to camp for a tasty supper of beef and gravy, noodles, lima beans, bread, cherries, and coffee. Very filling and now I feel pretty good again. That’s the whole days events up to now.

Next on the list is a wash and a shave and a tooth brush and then to bed. Boy I can really use some of that last too. I’m pretty well bushed right now.

Hope everything is under control back there kiddo. Not that I can do much about it, but if you feel that you need any sound advice feel free to call upon me at any time.

Right now I’m going to get on with the toiletries and such dumpling. So good night tonight Honey Pot.

All my love and kisses too,

Bill

"This darn war is getting me down honey."

Feb. 24, 1951

Dearest Little Gal,

Comes another day and I'm glad the last one is gone. We didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night. In fact only about 15 minutes. After working in the river all day yesterday we came home and ate and I wrote a few lines to the light of my life. Then I went to bed around 10:15 and at 10:45 we were rudely awakened and dragged out on another rock loading detail that lasted until 10:30 this morning. Boy this is the life. Evidently you never know what to expect next around here.

This darn war is getting me down honey. Today I really saw the inside of it. We were up loading rock for a river ford and taking it from a wall around what used to be a village. There was a little kid living there all by himself in a little old shack that didn't burn with the rest. He told us how it happened. The Air Corps thought there were some Commies there so they bombed it with napalm and killed everybody there except the kid including his mother, dad, and sister. He was only about 9 or ten but he was real sober and grown up about it. It sure does make a guy hate himself for even being over here. Then a lot of refugees started pouring into Wonju now that we've taken it back and they didn't have anything left. Generations of work completely ruined. Not that they have anything very elaborate but they do everything by hand and it takes them a long time to build one at best. Besides a lot of them are wounded and don't have any medicine at all. They aren't very civilized by our standards but they sure never asked for this and I wonder if the North Koreans taking them over would have been any worse.

The guys over here don't have any use at all for any of these people and maybe I won't either if some of these miserable looking civilians pull out a sawed off shotgun on me, but until then I just can't help but regret that we're responsible for so much of their misery. At least in a way cause I guess we didn't actually start this thing.

Right now all is not a bowl of cherries with us either. Not that there's anything to worry about. But between here and the supply base all the river crossings are washed out and we can't get any supplies by road. And what comes by air drop has to go to the front line outfits. So we are running out of gasoline, fuel oil, and chow. Two meals a day from now until further notice and stoves on only in the morning and evening. Things will be a little more dismal here for a week or so. But we'll keep smiling for awhile yet anyhow. At least 1220 is safe until the Russians surprise us some Christmas Eve.

A little mail came in today but it was all for the old guys but 'twon't be long before the stuff from the homefront starts coming through.

Doggone it, all day long I think of things I want to tell you when I write tonight but when it comes I can't remember half of it. Just too much noise and confusion around here I guess.

I'm still having trouble getting used to this war business even with the artillery and planes hanging around and a few croppies laying around. It just seems like a dream that there's really a war going on. I've been on maneuvers that seemed more war like that this. (Rap, Rap, on wood). Not that I'm crabbing cause just like I said, Willies in the rear with the gear and glad to be the man behind the man. Hope it stays that way. It's much easier for me to take care of me so I can take care of you.

By the way, I think I'm going to be hard to keep out of bed when I get home. The machinery is in splendid shape and I think it can stand a lot of wrecking. Must be the climate or maybe lack of use. Dunno which. Maybe if you're in the same frame of mind we could arrange to have that honeymoon when Willie comes rolling home. A real one just like you should have had a long time ago, just us two ignoring the rest of the world. Sure hope you go for that proposition. Sounds better to me the more I think of it. Gosh honey its a real jolt when I realize what a jackass I've been. Letting you do all the reassuring about loving me and just let you take it for granted that I loved you. Now that I'm here I can't tell you how much I do love you cause it takes hugging and kissing to really put it across. It's mucho though, and it always will be. Maybe even more as time goes on as every day I think about something else lovable about you. Truly young lady you're my own private gem and I'll always bless the day I straggled into your otherwise happy life. Do you remember the first time we met you walked in and gave me a nickel? And I went outside and lost the silly thing right away. I know you don't remember the first time I kissed you but it was the night you want to go to a $3.00 joint (watermelon that is). I guess I slipped up on you that time. All these things I think about when I'm just laying around and I think and hope this lousy trip will make a better husband out of me even if it is making us both unhappy as hell right now.

Better I should talk about something else cause my old chest is getting kind of full for some reason and I mustn't let myself realize how bad I want to come home already. A guy has to kind of kid himself along in a setup like this it looks like.

How is things on the home front for instance? Probly I'll find out when I get any letters but it's polite anyway to ask isn't it? Don't suppose Pontarelli has gone to the Navy yet and I doubt that you've found a roommate yet but all these things I'll find out soon I hope.

Don't remember if I asked you to send me some snapshots or not but I'd like to have some. They're really a comfort to pull out and look at when a fellow needs a friend. Picture of you and the house and Sparky and you and you. How about sending me a couple of those color shots of us on that roll in the camera when I left!!?

Well dumpling, it's nearly time to go to bed again! I hope they let us stay in tonight. And I have to straighten up my bed so I guess I'll knock off.

Now I really don't think I'll neglect you with letters when they can be written and mailed cause this is the first time in my life writing letters had been fun.

Take good care of yourself now baby so I'll have you to take care of when I get done taking care of me for you. (Hope that lantern is out now!!)

All my love, lover gal, be seeing you around.

Hasta Luego Cara Mia,

Willie Lump Lump

"I'm awful glad I have one picture of you"

Feb. 23, 1951

Seems like I got pretty skimpy on the ending of that other letter cause I didn't even say hello or goodbye to little old Sparky. Which I shall now request that you take care of for me.

You know I sure am glad I picked up that little picture of you that time we were looking at the pictures. Cause it sure is a lot of comfort to pull it out of my wallet and look at your sweet little face for awhile all the time wishing I was there with you. Anyhow I'm awful glad I have one picture of you.

You'd never guess, or did I tell you already, they've got a stationary shortage over here. And the other night on our trip everything got all wet. I thought sure all my paper would be ruined but it just got a little damp. Not enough to hurt at all. There isn't much paper around this outfit now and I'm giving away some of mine all the time so if one of these days you start getting scroll letters on T.P. don't be too surprised. I don't know what I'll make envelopes out of. They say it takes forever to get a package over here so I guess there ain't much use trying to send any over here.

Well sweetness and light it is now about 10:00 and the lights must go out and me too. The artillery has stopped and all is calm.

So good night all and to all a goodnight. You're probably eating breakfast and putting Sparky out now and don't even realize I'm just going to bed.

A big hug and squeeze and plenty smooches honey. Be seeing you around Kid.

Love again,

Wooshle Top

"The more I thought about it the madder I got and now I'm really sore"

Feb. 23, 1951

Hello Lover Gal,

Well we finally made it to Wonju after many trials and tribulations. We were supposed to leave in an hour the other night so about 5 minutes after they said that they said let's go. So we went and it rained the whole live long night and what was supposed to be a two hour twenty mile ride turned into a fifty mile seventeen hour ride and cold rain and snowy mountains all the way. About an hour after we left Chonju I was soaked to the skin so I froze the whole night and all the next day and we got to Wonju at 1:30 Thursday. And this place is more beat up than Chonju. Dead Chinese laying around and everything burned down and booby traps and mines all over the place. Really a mess. The front lines are about ten or fifteen miles north of here and from what I hear the boys are going pretty good. Not meeting too much resistance so we hear. We never get any news though so there's no telling what's really going on.

Yesterday we pulled in here and set up camp in the mud knee deep. It's warming up here a little and the ground thaws out every day so the mud is really getting deep. Besides the trucks keep running around the area all day messing it up more. But we scattered a straw pile around the tent floor and stomped it in the mud so it's almost dry here now.

Today we were down in the river building a ford across the streams to bypass a torn up bridge. It was pretty important to get the thing built I guess but the way they went about it sure convinced me that the Marine Corps doesn't even need me. They had about ten of us throwing rocks about the size of your fist on the truck by hand. It occurred to me that nine of them would be plenty for the job and I had just as well be home working my head off for the survey dept. The more I thought about it the madder I got and now I'm really sore. For all the good it does me. But we have to go to work on it again tomorrow if they don't tear it up tonight. If they do we'll be going out tonight to fix it.

Like I say I don't know what the news sounds like all over Korea, but around here it looks pretty good right now. We're supposed to have gotten patrols up to the 38 parallel and I guess we're not going to cross it this time. At least the boys have the word to that effect now. So if these damned Commies will cooperate a little this thing may not last much longer. I don't know but I imagine we'll be here for quite awhile after this thing is settled. So I'm here for a long spell of this crap any way it goes no doubt.

The artillery boys are keeping the old Commies awake tonight and if they don't knock it off pretty soon they're going to be keeping me awake too. But it's a very reassuring sound to these old ears. Your old shmo husband is rear echelon this trip honey and glad of it. We got in here and set our camp setup and were all cold and hungry and just about dark here came the infantry came kicking by headed for the mountains for the first of many nights they're going to have to spend eating cold rations and sleeping on the wet icy ground and hiking and snooping all day so I really enjoyed this sloppy little tent and felt myself pretty lucky after all. So let them bring on their working parties. I really go for that nonsense.

Say sugar, before I forget it will you ask Pat to come over once in awhile and start the car up and run it a little to keep the battery charged and the cylinders from rusting. Meant to ask him myself but I forgot it.

Can't seem to think of much else to say right now "Sweetie." There seems to be an extra lot of noise around here tonight and I can't seem to concentrate.

I don't know when this mail will leave here but I mail it tomorrow anyway. Guess you'll probably be worrying before you get this so don't worry cause this will happen often the way we move. All my love again,

Bill