A letter to Ma

The letter was addressed to Lois V. Brown with the return address, PFC Walter Brown 36500163 Hq Det 2nd Bn 87 Mtn Inf Regt US Army Amphibian Training Force 9, Fort Ord,
Calif.

The letter read:

July 1, 1943
Dear Mother & All,
Received your letter and every thing is O.K.
We got our new dog tags today and we are still getting more
new equipment.
I got a letter from Dad the other day with a five in it, today
is pay day but we won't get paid for a few days. I'm allright I've
got some money.
Ma, Amphibian Training is training on land and sea. What we
probably will be doing is attacking islands that the Japs have taken
from us, and were going to get them back, and again we may go to Europe
we don't know yet. We have been practicing attacking our own bech out
here, we go out in small barges or attacking boats then attack at
a certain time and things like that, we went out the other day and
the other night and went under heavy artillery fire, boy is it
noisy. It sure makes a guy feel funny with those big shells going
over head and landing close by.
We got some new over seas fighting clothes coming but dont' worry
about me I'll come back.
Ma, I feel good about going across because some one has to go,
even fellow in here with children feel the same way.
And after I get out I wouldn't want people saying I was a
draft dodger, that one thing I'll be able to say.
Tell Jack to keep out as long as he can because there are to
many draft dodgers in that town yet.
Well Ma, I'll close.
Love,
Walter

This is the second Christmas I spend without my Dad. I've been cleaning up papers and I came across this letter. Unfortunately, my Mother never kept one letter from Dad that he wrote while in the service. I have only found two letters and it is sad to think she didn't keep these reflections of the war and the times. I suppose, since Mother had a large family, she might have been afraid her sisters or someone else might read her love letters from my Dad.
I miss my Dad and I cherish all of the fond memories. Discovery of this letter makes me feel close. Sometimes, I just pick up his "rule" or his hammer and it somehow brings me peace to know how much we loved each other.
So often I think WWWD? Dad was so filled with common sense and grass-root knowledge of how to do or figure out anything. He was and will always be my hero.

Field Trip

It was Tuesday, December 7th, Pearl Harbor Day and the day my Mother went on a field trip. The nursing home schedules a variety of field trips for the residents and Meadowbrook Hall was today's destination.
Upon arrival at the nursing home, we found Mother wasn't ready, thought the trip was cancelled and it was my fault. O.K. Let's rewind a minute and start over.
After much persuasion, a change of clothes, make-up and lipstick, she was ready to get on the little short bus. Toni, the nursing home activities director, drove the bus and somehow managed to load and unload this precious cargo.
Once inside the mansion, I spoke with Doug Thorpe, who was a greeter. I told him that Mother had worked for Mrs. Wilson in the 1930's and she was going to take the tour. Mr. Thorpe thought that my Mother might remember his wife, who was born on the property, Barbara Gay. The Gay family had the family farm on Squirrel Road and raised cattle at that time. Unfortunately, Mrs. Thorpe passed last year.
When Mother came in, I asked her about remembering the Gay family and she promptly recalled Barbara and said,"They were a nice family". Where was the bit of dementia from about an hour ago?
I pointed to a large oil painting of a young lady on a horse and asked, "Mother, who is that?" Again, a prompt reply,"Oh, that is Francis on one of her horses".
"Over there", I asked, again pointing to a larger oil painting. "That's Danny and Francis", she replied.
We took a small group photograph in front of that fireplace. That is Mother on the left, seated in the wheelchair, wearing the maroon jacket. Mother doesn't really smile for pictures.
I wheeled Mother through the entrance to the right of the fireplace (the only area where pictures can be taken)and she told me we were going to the living room and the sun room was on the other side. So much for needing the tour person.
"They have changed a few things here", she said. "Mrs. Wilson didn't put the tree (Christmas tree) over there".
Mother remembered the beautiful organ and the tiffany lamp, as we rolled by and went into the library area. This room contained and large table, which Mother remembered, but added, "Mrs. Wilson would not have had this rug on the floor."
As we proceeded through the mansion, there were areas where I could feel the presense of my Dad, whose hammer and hands touched many a piece of wood in the mansion.
Mother's job for Mrs. Wilson was the switchboard and other secretarial tasks she requested. We have photographs that Mother took in the late 1930's of the mansion, Mrs. Wilson's deer and horses. She worked there about five years.
The area of the mansion referred to as "Danny Dodge's wing" was intersting, as well.
When the man stationed in the upstairs area pointed to a bedroom and said, "This was the room where Danny Dodge's friends would stay when they spent the night." Quietly, Mother replied, "He didn't have many friends". This drew a facial expression of question from the tour person. I then told him that Mother had worked there. He was impressed.
Mother told the tour guides how nice Mrs. Wilson was to work for and each morning she would come to the "morning room" and have her coffee and discuss things with the staff. This was a room unknown to the tour guides, but Mother said it was off from the kitchen.
As we went down the elevator, Mother wanted to go down to the Ball Room. I think she must have seen many functions in that area during her time. Remembering as she did on this day was so much fun for those who were listening to this bit of history.

I was amazed how the tour guides and staff at Meadowbrook Hall treated Mother. She could have been the Queen Mum.