February 1942- Part I
February 1942
The state of Kentucky was heavily involved in supporting WWII war efforts, mobilized as so many were by the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Plants and factories in Louisville (and across the state) rapidly adapted to the production of Jeeps, synthetic rubber, coal, steel, TNT, vacuum tubes for radios, and more! To a state still mired in the struggles of the Great Depression, this influx of production created an economic boom and instigated social change that would alter the state forever. Life in rural Kentucky was likely as it had been for decades. Rich, fertile land, fields sown with corn, sweet potatoes, wheat, tobacco, herds of livestock and of course beautiful horses. People had to work hard, and often go without even basic education, let alone other luxuries. June grew up in this world of impossibly green meadows, blazing sunsets, spring blooms, hard work, and making ends meet.
In February of ’42, Larry is a sergeant with the US Army Air Corps, stationed at Gunter Field, near Montgomery, Alabama. He’s 27 years old. Joy is in her last year of high school. She is 16 years old. Joy lives with her mother and father on their rural farm about 50 miles outside of Louisville. It’s a tiny township, without even individual house numbers, and letters to her here are addressed simply (zip codes did not come into use until 1963!):
Joy O'Neal
Eagle Station
Kentucky
I’m not sure exactly when Larry & Joy met, but my guess is that it was during the Summer or early Fall of 1942. I get the impression that their relationship was a whirlwind- one they were both eager to embrace. In these first few months, I have only the letters remaining from Larry to Joy. We can infer some of the content of her letters by Larry’s responses, but we’ll have to guess at most of it, too. But don’t worry, we’ll hear directly from her later in the Spring of ’42.
Feb 4, 42
Dearest Joy,
Remember me? I’ve just been looking at your picture, so I must say something to you. I haven’t heard from Roy yet, he is either in the army this morning, or he isn’t. I wish I knew.
This working at night still has me all mixed up. My Wednesdays are all Thursdays, etc. The weather is still cold and chilly here, has been for over a week. I have been listening to the war-news, seems as if things are a bit warm in Singapore, wish I were there, I believe the weather is better there than here.
I suppose your friends are married by now, and the army already to split them up. Ironical isn’t it? If and when we realize our plans, I don’t think any army will be big enough to ever split us again. I’ll always be grateful to the U.S.A.C because if it hadn’t been for the Air Corps I never would have met you. It took a war for me to meet you. But Darling it was worth it. That sounds very selfish, but, “It’s an ill wind” etc. One of my friends, who, joined the Army with me, and was sent to Florida and whom I haven’t seen for almost 15 months, came up to see me yesterday. He is a corporal now. We were the very best friends before we joined the A.C. He was engaged to a nice girl back home. He told me yesterday that they had broken up because she wanted to marry before he got out and he didn’t so??? Maybe my idea is right after all. Do you really think so? It seems quite a bitter pill to wait, no one knows how long, but it also looks risky to mix marriage and the army.
(section II)
My Dear I just received your letter and as usual was overjoyed to hear from you. I’m sure I would have enjoyed that wedding if I had been there. I promise I won’t be nervous at ours just happy and probably silly. You know, honey I have a vague idea what you want to ask me. As you know our letters are seen only by you & I. So you can (unless you’re getting shy HA!) ask me anything you wish and I promise and I promise to answer as honestly as I know how. So! My shy little Princess you are making me love you more, by admitting that you made a slight error (That Indianapolis thing , may I chuckle just once? Thanks Dearest) “Will I put your picture on top?” (end of quotation) My Darling, your picture, you will always be the top with me, need I add, of course I’ll take the other picture completely out and have none other than yours. Shucks honey- chile I didn’t know you cared. I am very glad you had a nice time at the Ball and I am sure you did at the wedding party, etc., do you remember what happened at the wedding in case I need coaching? HA See what I mean?
My Dear I just finished a story in the Feb Reader’s Digest written by Gregor Ziemer, “Education for Death”. Read it, if you have the opportunity. It will give you some idea of the savage and depraved instincts of human nature. Speaking of poetry, I have a nice idea for a poem that I would like for you to help me with. I think we could make something of it. When I come up next time I’ll tell you all about it, maybe I’ll have some notes or part of it by then. Now. My lovely little Colleen I must quit for this time. I’ll send that picture to your mother if I can ever find something to send it in that will protect it from bending. Best regards to Mother & Dad (don’t tell them I call them that, they might not appreciate it but give them my regards anyway) and now my Dearest, I have arrived at that part of the letter where I always assure you that, I love you, I’ll always love you with all my heart.
Always, Larry
Feb, 9
Dearest Joy,
I received your letter yesterday, a very sweet letter, but then all your letters are sweet. Things are changing fast in the army again. Maybe I’ll be able to tell you about a soldier getting a promotion some of these days soon. Darling I join you in your wish for lasting happiness for Bob & his wife. May he always love her as much as I love you. By the way, Roy is coming back . The army rejected him because his eyes were not good enough. I have just finished talking to his foreman about getting his job back and everything is OK.
Darling we couldn’t possibly get married while I am in the army because I think everybody I know here seems interested in us and they have invited themselves to our wedding (They are all kidding me about being in a daze since I came back from Ky). If all the fellows I know come, it would look as if an army had moved into Carrollton.
Those kids I was telling you about, who were getting a divorce, well he is at fault, she does love him but he met some girl here who has some money and I think he has gone slightly crazy. He won’t even talk to his wife, it’s pretty pathetic. She is a darn nice person. Her “idol” certainly had “feet of clay”. But she can’t seem to believe it. When it finally does register I am afraid something bad is going to happen. Remember “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” she is the type, who, will get herself a gun and shoot somebody. Oh well there isn’t anything anyone can do, it’s their problem. Luckily there are no children, present or future. The cold weather has given way to Spring again here ‘hope it stays this way.
About Charles, I really don’t think he knows exactly what he does want. He told me that he was going home and see that girl (the Catholic girl, remember) and he is going with this gal downtown and with some other girl who is working on the field here. There are quite a number of women working here at the Field, clerks, stenographers, accountants, etc. You asked me about telephoning, I’ve often thought about calling you but I didn’t know where, however my number is Montgomery 9370. Better still call Gunter Field (just ask my name). Tell the operator you want to speak to Sgt. Roy Mosser of the 72nd Material Sqdn. The Sqdn is important if they know which squadron they will find me. Call me anytime up until 5.00 PM in the evening, it’s hard to get a call thru after that, until about 10PM. After that it’s pretty easy to get thru then, until 7AM. Any time before 5PM, anytime after 10PM. Well I must quit my Darling. Best wishes to your family. Au revoir ma Cherie. I love you always my Dearest One.
Yours always & completely,
Larry
Marriage is already a topic of much discussion, and they’ll be wrestling with the question of when to marry for a while… there will be some ups and downs coming! But Larry’s passion comes through loud & clear; my heart is melting when he says things like:
I suppose your friends are married by now, and the army already to split them up. Ironical isn’t it? If and when we realize our plans, I don’t think any army will be big enough to ever split us again. I’ll always be grateful to the U.S.A.C because if it hadn’t been for the Air Corps I never would have met you. It took a war for me to meet you. But Darling it was worth it.
I wonder how much things have changed since Larry & Joy's time in terms of the ability to communicate with your loved one while they’re serving? What do you think? I have some friends that have experienced a long-distance military deployment relationship. Have you? I’m not sure what it would feel like to be navigating both the exhilaration of falling in love, along with potential danger to your loved one, and the massive uncertainty and lack of control in being able to make any kind of plans! If you’ve experienced this, how did you get through? Did it bring you closer to your significant other, or make things more difficult? If you were the person on the home front, how much of your personal identity came from your role as a military girlfriend/ boyfriend/ fiancé/ wife/ husband? How did/ does that impact your sense of personal identity and ability to pursue your own dreams?
One of the lovely things about hand-written letters is that you can always go back to them when you’re missing that person. You may not be able to talk on the phone, or see them anytime soon, but when you can touch something they touched, see their particular handwriting, imagine how their voice would sound if they were speaking the words to you… it can be a beautiful moment of connection. For Larry & Joy this is all they had for months at a time. Do you keep any hand-written letters from your past? I do, and I treasure them all! Then as now, isn’t love the best antidote to a world falling apart? It’s never frivolous to love & be loved! Whether the root or the flower, platonic or romantic, love & connection are the bedrocks we live for.
Let me know what you think!
Leah
p.s. you can see that I added a lot of links throughout the post today- it's been so fun to explore all this & I hope you’ll wander around and see what sparks your interest 😊
Their story is so fun to follow! I can confirm that military deployment separation is difficult, and it is hard to have an identity that doesn’t retain that fact as a large contributing factor!
I know you’ve definitely been through this!! You were always amazing with those challenges 💛.