Franklin High School - Dial Yearbook (Reisterstown, MD)

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I shall hear from the principal soon. Do send that copy of the school news- paper .... November 26, 1941 : I received Betty's copy of the Franklin Gazette the other day. It certainly has improved. Betty's article was particularly good. I would very much like to receive a copy of the County newspaper, if you could manage it. All the fellows here keep up with the hometown events that way, and I would like to have a copy of our own hometown paper each week also. I am afraid that I have little or no news from here to you. For some reason, whatever happens here never seems important enough to write home about. There is a .I ap liner pulling out of Honolulu this week to take a bunch of J ap evacuees out of Hawaii. What with all this trouble between our country and theirs, they are getting back home as soon as they can. The people here are still worried for fear that martial law will be proclaimed in the territory. If that happens, then we of the Army will take over the government of Hawaii. I imagine that is what most of the .laps headed for home were afraid of. The Army and the Navy do not like the thousands of Japanese over here at all .... November 1, 1941: Well, what with the sinking of so many U. S. naval ships the war seems to be getting closer to us all the time. Perhaps they will have Betty doing some of her sewing for the Red Cross. Of course, it all makes my term of service get longer and longer, you know. When I enlisted, I thought I would be out in three years, now it seems it will be four and a half. If they declare war, then goodness knows when I shall be turned loose. .lust think, I left home at the age of seventeen, and I will be over twenty-one when I return. Such is life. December 4, 1941 I understand that in some places the Army sets up Christmas trees for the men, but I have not seen one since I have been in service. I suppose such luxuries are for the civilian army in the States. However, we shall have a huge Christmas dinner and such things. The fellows at home will probably have a five-day furlough, anyway. But just remember-one more Christmas after this one, and I shall spend the next one with the two of you. So put up your tree and place the electric candle in the living room window, turn off all the lights but the colored ones and sit around listening to the Christmas carols, over the radio, so that I can picture the two of you that way. Tuesday, December 9, 1941 Dear Mother and Betty: After seeing the newspapers myself, I know that you must be greatly alarmed for my safety. Please do not worry. I survived the first air raid without a scratch. The same goes for every man in my outfit. Things have been compara- tively quiet since Sunday morning. I was shaving when the raid started at 7:50 A. M. It was sheer massacre. We always slept late on Sundays, and since most everyone was off duty, we didn't have a chance. Until the planes zooming overhead began laying their eggs, we even thought them to be our own ships on maneuvers! The main Air Corps barracks made a beautiful target. God knows how many late sleepers were killed in their beds when that was blown up. The Post Exchange was knocked all to hell-likewise the Post Theatre, Guard House, and a hangar or two. In Pearl Harbor the damage was worse. You have probably read about all that in the papers. Well, as soon as I saw the bombs and the .lap rising-sun insignia on the wings of the attacking planes, I realized what was happening, but the surprise of it all dazed me. I knew that I had to get to the Supply immediately and await orders there. I came across the barracks area to the Supply amidst a shower of shrapnel and machine gun bullets. We handed out pistols and ammunition to the men. After that everybody spent the next two hours dodging lead. Every time the J aps came over, we hit the ground under anything we could find. The captain was hitting the ground as fast as any enlisted man. There was really nothing else to be done. The planes and their crews were raked with the enemy's guns before they could get off the ground. It was hell, believe me. I advise you not to do any unnecessary worrying. The .laps have probably made their first and last attempt to take this Island. I am quite sure that I am safe. This may be censored. Don't try to write unless it is absolutely necessary- it mav be some time before you receive this. Show this to my friends, for I can't possibly write them all. ' Love,

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