The Beautiful Beginning
Here we arrive at the very first letter Larry ever sent to Joy..... on October 1, 1941. After Larry had spoken with Charles about his feelings, and a few days before Charles wrote his last letter to Joy.
After just two meetings and only 5 minutes of private conversation, somehow this man was certain of his love, and as much as I'd be cynical of a situation like this, it was true. He wasn't wrong about his own heart, and he wasn't wrong about her. This was the beginning of a love that really did last 'till death do us part'.
Today being Valentine's Day, I can't help but think back to my own love story, which started with my husband 23 years ago now. Crazy as it is, our story shares an element with Larry & Joy's... we had met more then twice, but always in groups and we never thought too much about each other for almost a year. After a series of semi-comical events where we started to really notice each other, we decided to just get to know each other and see what happened. Less than a month after making that decision, we KNEW. We still barely knew each other, but we KNEW. We were were both smart enough to be pretty freaked out by that, but less than a year later we were married. So, I can't deny Larry & Joy's certainty, even when it doesn't make much sense. Sometimes you realize you've met someone who feels like home. And that's that.
And that's definitely what Larry & Joy experienced.
I promised you a surprise today- and so I thought this would be the perfect day and point in the story to share with you photographs of Larry & Joy. Their daughter was kind enough to share them, and I've been so excited to show them to you! Putting faces to these letters, to this story, adds so much, and I think you can sense a lot of their personality through these pictures.
Have you been imagining their faces as you've been reading the letters so far? Did you have an expectation of what they might look like? I did, and I must say that my imagination wasn't too far off- maybe I was sensing them just through their words?
So, without further ado, I'm happy to introduce you to Roy Larry Mosser, and the first letter he wrote to Joy O'Neal, 83 years ago.
Oct. 1,
Dearest Joy,
This is the seventh letter I have written to you and all of the others have been torn up but I am going to send this despite the results. I have been warned that your parents would object to my writing to you and especially if I mentioned anything about love. Well all my life I have scorned deception, and in this, the most important event in my life, I can see no reason for not being honest.
Joy, Charles and I had a long talk on the way back and of course I know how he feels, and I think you do also. He also knows how I feel so that should make everything clear. He is aware of the fact that I am writing you too, so don’t worry about writing me if, of course you can and want to.
Joy I can’t tell you how much I would like to see you and how much you mean to me. It seems incredible that it would be possible when I have only seen you twice and only talked to you alone for five minutes. It just doesn’t seem possible but I know I am right and everything I told you in those 5 minutes is the truth, all I want is the chance to prove it. That will of course take some time. I’ll be out of the Army in June 1943 and of course if you feel the same way then we can talk about the future. In the meantime however I hope your Mother and Father don’t object to our writing and that I can come and see you (we will talk about that later if you answer this).
Joy when you write to me tell me just what you and your folks think because I am certainly all mixed up and I want to know that you are sure because this means something to me and I would much rather know the truth than not have my feelings hurt. I think you know what I mean from our talk. Joy I’ll stop writing now and leave the rest up to you. Take care of my heart please, I left it up there with you. Bye, please write.
All my love
Roy
The address is Sgt. Roy Mosser
72nd Material Squadron
Gunter Field
Ala.
Have you ever put your heart out there like that? Made a bold gesture? If you have, and especially if you didn't get an immediate answer, you can imagine how Larry must have been feeling during the six days he had to wait for Joy's reply. (I've actually experienced something like this and it was the longest wait in the world!!) Impossible not to second guess yourself, your words, and your chances... and yet you're so hopeful at the same time.
Picture Larry getting his mail on October 7th, seeing THAT envelope, HER name..... knowing that written inside was either the start of a whole new part of his life, or a crushing and embarrassing heartbreak. He thought back to those 5 minutes.... what they felt and said was so real, but he knew that sometimes those intense moments can fade in the light of day, and he couldn't be sure she hadn't reconsidered....
But this was no time to lose heart, this was the moment he'd been waiting for. Oh how I WISH I had the letter Joy sent that day, but no such luck. What we do have is Larry's reaction, as all his dreams start to come true.
And this is the face is dreaming of and loving as he writes back to her... Miss Eleanor Joy O'Neal
Oct. 7, ‘41
Dearest Joy
I just received your letter and darling, please forgive if this writing is feeble looking. My throat is dry, my hands shake but I am the happiest fellow in the world. I have been worrying for days about your letter. The questions “Will she write?”, “Does she love me?” Oh yes and a hundred others (no one will ever realize the mixed emotions I felt when I saw who that letter was from) Fear, hope, Love and despair was just a few of them and then when I read it the curtain of worry was suddenly torn away and the knowledge that you did love me was shining like the sun on a dewy morning in Spring. Please Joy, don’t think I am crazy but I am in love, completely and hopelessly. I never in my life felt this way about anyone before. My life has been easy-going, not much responsibility, no one I really cared for. Now you are the most precious thing that ever entered my life and I think I have a little reason for acting slightly “off the course” as goes one of our Air Corps expressions. Joy I realize of course that closer association may change your feeling because you know nothing about me but I hope to Heaven that when you do find out everything, you still approve. I will tell you that I have never been in any trouble of any kind and I guess my worst fault, up to now, was just drifting. I have done a lot of roving around, not as a bum, but I would work awhile, here and there, and then move, as I mentioned before I had nothing to hold me. Now if everything works out as I hope, wherever you are or wherever you want to be, I’ll be there. That is of course, as soon as “uncle” releases me. I have wondered at times why I didn’t go out with “the boys” and tear around as they did, (I had no one or any ties whatsoever to restrain me), but I didn’t and I know why now. I was waiting for you darling (I didn’t know it then, but call it fate or perhaps it was the “Little People” of old Irish folklore, who told me that someday I would meet you.) Anyway whoever is responsible, well, I wish I were able to express my gratitude.
Here! I have been going on this way for two whole pages and haven’t said anything practical yet. I was planning on coming back to KY next week but I was informed this morning that I may have up to 30 days guard duty in which I couldn’t get a pass for a month. This guard duty rotates around all the young sgt’s and cpl’s and it is just about my turn. I’ll be Chief of Police for a month. However I may not get it yet (I’ll let you know), and if I don’t I’ll let you know when I can be there and I assure you that it won’t be long. It has been too long now. Sweet, I can close my eyes and see your smile now. I can see the sun turning your hair that dark gold color. I would cheerfully give 5 years of my life to see you now. That sounds silly but I mean it from the bottom of my heart.
I think I should quit now before I bore you to tears. I was going to send this now but I’ll wait until this afternoon and, well, remember you told me you were fond of pins. Well I think I’ll send you one and if we ever break up I want you to break it in two and my heart will be just like it. Well, I will just have to stop before I write a book. I’ll quit now hoping to hear from you soon and Joy dearest I love you more than anything else in the world. Bye for this time.
Always, all my Love,
Roy
p.s. Charles and I had another talk this afternoon and I think everything will be alright. He is a swell fellow. I have a lot of respect for him. But somebody has to win and for every winner there must be a loser. Love can be the most beautiful or the most bitter thing in anyone’s life. I sound like a lecturer. Bye again.
Love,
Roy (? please)
The top of the evening to you, me darling, Ha!
It doesn't get much better than this, does it, especially when we already get to know that things worked out for them. They'd have a long wait ahead (nearly 4 years) until they could be together for more than a few days at a time, and that's one of the reasons why these letters are so special.
When I recently met with the flea market vendor who had sold me the letters, and then sold me an assortment of other documents and items connected to them, one of the sweetest was a large, boxed Valentine's Day card that also contained a nosegay of rosebuds, and a Lucky Strike cigarette butt (obviously saved on purpose). The roses are still red, tied with a bright pink ribbon, as if they were just dried recently, and not eight decades ago. (The card dates from Valentine's Day 1942, during their engagement.) What a sweet symbol for their story- flowers that haven't faded, haven't decayed, even though Larry & Joy are both gone now. Thank you for helping me to keep their story alive! It means so much, especially to their daughter.
Larry & Joy did not escape suffering in their lives, but they managed to keep their love strong, deep, and simple. And it all started with a chance meeting, and the bravery to share their hearts.
Love to all,
Leah
It’s so great to see their photos! What a good looking couple!! And Charles – what a true friend. *Sigh*
What a sweet beginning! I think it is remarkable how he allows her room for her own feelings and opinions. He doesn’t tell her how to feel or manipulate. He simply and bravely asks. What a beautiful way to communicate!