Thursday Evening
My Sweethearts:
This is to supplement the note I sent earlier today. You see my pen has already gone dry -- but the
pencil won't blot.
I still can't believe I spent yesterday with you and today in San Francisco. It is fantastic. I slept until
about 8:30 this morning. Then had a bath, shave and breakfast. After calling Crossroads, I wandered thru
China Town remembering the day we wandered up and down the street together. It seemed much quieter,
very few suckers today.
After lunch I slept until 3 PM. Had to check out by 4 PM and did. Took a street car to the bus
terminal, a bus across the bay to Berkeley and two streetcars to the hotel.
Dr. Tanner and I share a room -- haven't seen him yet -- he left a note saying he'd be in late. I'm
going to bed as soon as I finish this. He's an M.D.
Had dinner at the Black Sheep -- remember? How many times we ate there? It was good -- had
roast prime rib cooked perfectly and unusually good. It was still crowded and I was put at a table with a
younger man with an A-Bomb button. [I left mine at home -- please look on my suit lapels and see if you
can find it. Don't send it but see whether it is on one of the lapels -- It is just possible it was left on the
lapel of the gabardine suit -- I'd hate to lose it.]
We had a pleasant conversation about the project in general -- he is an engineer working in the
radiation lab here.
This hotel is just 2 blocks from the Black Sheep.
As soon as I know just when we are taking off I'll wire you unless it is forbidden. Capt. Bed--- said
tomorrow night. Seems strange to take off at night, yet we flew all night last night.
I love you both dear and will be so glad to come home.
Be good to our little girl.
Carl
Written along the margin:
I found Winifred a map* and will send it tomorrow
watch for it. She'll love it in a year or so.
* Given that I was 15 months old at the time, he may have been slightly optimistic. While it is true
that I love maps, I have no idea which this one was.
The letter is written in pencil on St. Francis Hotel stationary with St. Francis crossed out, and "Durant" written
after the word Hotel. San Francisco is crossed out, and Berkeley is written in.
Later July 12
My Dears:
Have just had a call from Capt. Bed-etc. saying that a car would call for me shortly to take me to Fairfield
* , the army field from which we depart. We may be off
at 4: PM, perhaps later -- whenever the Army gets all its wheels moving in the same direction at the same
time.
Here is the official address:
Radiological Safety Section
U.S.S. Haven (A.H. 12)
c/o FPO San Francisco
The F.P.O is important since it saves air mail postage. That makes it 6 cents per half ounce. Otherwise it
might be 50 cents or more.
Capt. B. says I may be in Pearl Harbor only about 1 1/2 hours so I won't have much time to spend money.
Isn't that a relief.
That's all I know now. The next letter will probably be from Hawaii.
Lots of love to my two sweethearts.
Carl
* "Fairfield" is now Travis AFB.
The letter is written in pencil on St. Francis Hotel stationary with St. Francis and San Francisco crossed
out.
Mid Pacific
July 13, 1946
My Dear Sweethearts:
We are now halfway between San Francisco and Hawaii. We took off at 6 AM sharp and have been flying for
6 hours now. It took about 15 minutes to leave the coast behind. Since then we have seen nothing but a
pale blue dome above and a layer of fleecy white clouds below. Only occasionally is there a beautiful
irregular break in the clouds through which we can catch a glimpse of the lovely deep blue ocean below.
Our world is for the moment a hollow shell of aluminum very near the interface of a limitless space half filled
with water + half with air.
There are 4 men from Chicago and 8 from Rochester, several others whom I don't know yet and the crew --
in all about 25 men aboard. There are no seats in the plane, but there are stretchers very much like Army
cots along the walls with another row suspended above these like upper berths. We may sit or stretch out
for a nap as we like. It is pretty cool in the plane. I have my army duds on with my sweater over them. We
have plenty of blankets and are right comfortable. Flying at 8500 feet.
We have water + hot coffee aboard and each of us has a box of lunch most of which has already been
consumed now. Before leaving we were given a lecture and shown a movie of the "ditching" process. That
is the procedure followed in case the plane has to crash land on the water. We each have a parachute and
a "Mae West." There are rubber life rafts aboard and we were shown how to use them. So far the 4 motors
are purring contentedly. One wouldn't know know he was even moving. There is a poker game in progress
in the middle of the floor, some of the fellows are reading, some just talking, some sleeping, some writing
letters. A good time is being had by all.
Later. Since writing the above I went forward and sat for an hour beside the pilot. The beauty of the cloud
formations is indescribable. All shades of blue from the palest to deepest. With gleaming white hills and
peaks so that the whole looks like a Maxfield Parrish landscape. After I came back I had a nap. We are now
about an hour from Hickam Field. I understand we are to have about 8 hours here so I may be able to see
Berry * for a while.
I'm finishing this to mail it when we arrive. It may be fun to save the envelopes and letters for Winifred's
book. I'll try to mail one at every opportunity. Our next stop is Johnson Island -- 800 miles, then Kwajalein
1600 miles. It was 2400 SF to Honolulu.
All my love to my sweethearts
Your Carl
written along the margin
Tell Mom Hello for me if she is there or when you talk with her.
*"Berry" was a friend Carl had made during the war years. He was a physician, one of many my father
worked with throughout his career, but I have no memory of ever meeting him.
The letter was written, as far as I can sort out the time zones, only a few hours after the preceding one from
Carl. Since it seems to have taken several days for letters to travel from one to the other, I doubt that she
had received any from him, yet.
Saturday 10:00 P.M.
(C.S.T.)
Dearest,
Your wire came shortly after noon today and we know you were many miles out over the Pacific. All
afternoon my thoughts have been traveling with you. I'm guessing that you must be very near Pearl Harbor
by now. I hope you'll find a good dinner and see Dr. Berry. We have a beautiful moon here.
I'll give the "Man" a message and hope you understand it when he shines on you a few hours from now.
Thursday I mailed a note to you hoping it would arrive before you left Calif. Now perhaps Captain
Bednarczyk will forward it -- You see I'm taking chances again.
Mom didn't get here Thursday, but she and Bernice *
arrived last night at 8:30. Today we canned 24 lbs. of apricots. Have twelve tightly packed quarts and a
bowl full for tomorrows dinner. Mom will go home tomorrow.
Aunt Pearl and Uncle Ed will bring Alice over Tuesday. They are bringing part of a picnic lunch. I'll make a
syrup cake.
Raymond has cut the front and side yard ** Now I'll try
to keep that mowed and will probably let the rest go to seed.
The chickens are eating at such a rate I'm sure they'll need more food. I'll get it as soon as the barrel will
hold it.
Periodically Winifred says "Da-da?" She struggles to say Bikini -- but needs a little more practice to be
understandable.
Today we sat at the dining room table for mid-afternoon watermelon Winifred went to the kitchen and made
her "hurt" protest. She was pushing her chair out of its corner -- with much effort helped get it to the
dining-room -- then sat back with full contentment + satisfaction she had a "B-annie***."
We love you, Dear
Grace
* Bernice was the oldest daughter of my father's youngest brother, somewhere in her teens at this time.
** The yards around the house probably added up to about an acre, and rambled. By "front and side" I
expect she meant the areas visible from the street, not including the part behind the house, which was
probably about half an acre.
*** As I recall B-annie (pronounced bee-annie) was a banana.
Somewhere in here, Carl crossed the International Dateline, and skipped ahead a day. So from here on, his
July 15 was mostly still her July 14. The next letter was written on his July 15 in pen on St. Francis Hotel
stationary with St. Francis and San Francisco crossed out.
KWAJELEIN
July 15, 1946
My Dears:
Just a note to let you know everything is on schedule. We left Honolulu yesterday, Saturday, July 13 and
arrived today at 5 A.M. July 15. You note that we lost Sunday the 14th entirely. I've quit looking at my watch
because its always wrong.
We are just ready to take a boat to Ebye a small island nearby from where we take a seaplane to Bikini.
In Haste
Love
Carl
The letter was written on her July 15.
Monday 8:00 P.M.
Hope Capt. Bed-etc. forwards the 2 letters I sent by way of him --
Sweetheart,
This has been a good day. Three letters from you telling me so much of what I wanted to
know. Too late for the fact the Fermi flew with you to do me any good -- 'spect you're well settled on the boat
by now. Hope you had a chance to chat with Fermi and that you have found interesting companions on
board boat.
Found your A-Bomb button on the desk and have put it away for safe keeping.
It's good to picture you in familiar scenes. I remember the Hotel Durant -- ate there one night when you left
me alone. * Glad the Black Sheep can produce roast
prime ribs! Mr. Beal had ground shoulder last Friday -- I'll see what can be had tomorrow. Winifred had
salmon** today and loved it.
Hope you didn't have to spend all of Friday night pacing the Fairfield grounds. 4: P.M. Friday to 6: A.M.
Saturday is quite a "spell." At least you'd have good company. Glad you did wait til daylight to take off. It
must have been a real thrill to see the coast line fade But I hope it will be a greater one when you see it
take shape out of the mist.
Mom and Bernice left after dinner yesterday noon -- Winifred and I spent the afternoon raking the yard. We
look right civilized again! Today I made another sugarless cake with a honey frosting -- looks right good --
for the picnic lunch tomorrow. Aunt Pearl is bringing potato salad and sandwiches.
Many times a day Winifred chants "No Dada -- no Dada" She is beginning to get "B-kiki" with evident display
of great pride. She is the sunshine of every day -- But we do miss our Daddy. From 7:00 to 7:00 is quiet
and lonely.
All our love
Grace
* They spent time in the San Francisco Bay area while he was working for the U.S. Public Health
Service during the war. If he "left her alone" it was on account of his work.
** "Salmon" in Kansas in those days definitely meant canned salmon. It was the only fish I ever
knew my father to eat willingly.
Carl's next two letters are confusingly dated... the one dated July 16 was clearly written before the one dated
July 15 -- a confusion I can only attribute to the crossng of the Dateline.
This is the one that must have been written first, from the content. The letter is written in pen on American
Red Cross paper
July 16, 1946
Dearest,
Here I am waiting for the boat to take us to Ebey where we take a plane for Bikini. I'll mail this from Bikini or
at some point on the way. It'll be fun having different post marks.*
This (Kwajalein) is a beautiful place only 2 or 3 feet above sea level. No trees left. You remember there was
quite a battle here.
More love to all.
Carl
* Unbeknownst to him at the time, once he left U.S. shores, all the postmarks were the same -- "U.S. Navy"
followed by the date.
Aboard the U.S.S. Haven
July 15, 1946
Dear Grace, Winifred + Alice,
These are the first really leisurely minutes I've had since we left San Francisco. We have either been
rushing from one place to another or waiting in suspense not knowing at what instant the plane or boat
would be ready. I've dropped you a note at every opportunity and no doubt some of them will be
incoherent. Now for a little more chronological account.
I got Dr. Berry without too much trouble and he came for me immediately. We were in Honolulu just
about 4 1/2 hours. The buses were on strike and Hickam Field is 10 or 12 miles from the City itself so
there would have been no chance of my seeing it if Berry hadn't been there. He took me to the Navy
Yard, we went aboard a submarine, then he took me to Waikiki Beach which is world famous. Of course
we had only a few minutes, then I shopped a little but the prices are terrific for just junk. $7.50 for a little
basket that Berry swears used to sell for 25 cents. Then he took me to a famous Chinese eating place
which had very good food. We then had 15 minutes to get back to the field on time. About 1/3 of the
way out I remembered that I had left my packages so back we went. That way I saw more of the City.
We got to the field only 20 minutes late and had to wait only an hour for the plane!
Grace the plane trips from S.F. to H. and from Hawaii to Kwajalein were wonderful. Its 2400 miles from
S.F. to H. which we made in 11 1/2 hours. That was all in day light. We took off from Hickam Field just
at dusk -- 8:20 PM to do the 2450 miles to Kwajalein. We went to bed almost immediately. Eight of us
had stretcher bunks which we got by pure luck by cutting high cards from a deck. The rest spread
blankets on the hard floor of the plane and slept there. I really slept very well for 7 hours. Then we had
a box lunch breakfast and I spent most of 2 or 3 hours in the cockpit. The windows in the sides of the
plane are small, only about 10 inches in diameter (circle drawn) with a plug in the center for ventilation.
But the view out of the pilots compartment was marvelous. The full moon was about 3 hours high almost
straight ahead and as it shone on the turbulent white cloud masses below made an unforgettable scene.
*
We were on an ATC plane (Air Transport Command) a C54 four motored monster. This particular run --
S.F. to Kwajalein is called the "Green Hornet Line." It still leaves me a bit breathless to think of starting
out over a huge ocean for a tiny pinpoint of land 2500 miles away. There is an undeniable element of
danger -- just enough to make it a real adventure and a bit thrilling. There isnt an island anywhere out
here that you can't walk across in 3 minutes, and you can walk the full length in 15 minutes on the
biggest. Kwajalein is the only one big enough for an air strip and it takes every foot of that. Yet we flew
for 90 miles along a reef today which only here and there protruded above the water for a foot or two with
a space big enough for a few palm trees. The trees were wiped off of Kwajalein completely but the rest
are intact. How I wish you might behold the beauty of these reefs and coral atolls. The reefs at first look
like sand but close observation discloses that there is water a few inches to a few feet deep over the
sand. Here and there the sand has been built up so that the water doesn't quite cover it. There the sand
is a bright slightly orange yellow. Where the water covers it a few inches, the colors darken more
brownish yellow, as the water becomes deeper one sees the water color change from pale to deep
turquoise and then as the edge of the reef is reached the color changes suddenly to deep purplish blue.
As I said these reefs extend for miles and miles sometimes in an almost perfectly straight line or slightly
curving, then may end very suddenly. Yet in this great distance no place is more than a hundred or
perhaps two hundred feet wide. They may be seen at quite a distance by the long line of white surf.
I hope that sometime when Winifred is older we can all come down here again so you can see all this.
** However, it has to be seen from the air. From a
boat all these color effects and the extent of the reefs cannot be seen. A boat goes too slow, your view
is too limited and you are too close to the water.
We had to take a small boat from Kwajalein where the army land planes come in over to EBEYE, a very
much smaller island about 4 miles distant, where the Navy flying boats come in. We flew from there 170
miles to Bikini lagoon in a monstrous PBM flying boat with 8000 pounds of Dynamite aboard. Do you like
thrills? Try that for a spine tickler!
We landed in the lagoon a few hundred yards from the Haven and were taken to it in a small boat. And
here we are all safe and sound. We (4 of us so far) are assigned to a room having 8 beds (double
decker). The whole ship is air conditioned, very delightfully cool, there is a radio at the head of each bed
and they are clean comfortable beds. The Haven is a new ship and well equipped. We may take a
shower as often as we like, the food is good, in fact everyone I have seen both those who are aboard
now and several we met in the hotel in Berkeley on their return trip say it's just a delightful vacation with
very little work.
The sun is, of course, hot and the air feels hot because of the high humidity but actually the temperature
doesn't go above 85 degrees. I find that Evans and Marinelli left just a few days ago so more of that
group is here. But the men in the group which came out in the plane seem to be swell fellows and I have
had some very interesting and informative talks with several of them. One of them is an M.D. with
Eastman Kodak. He is (or was until the M.P. took his cameras) taking pictures and has promised me one
of each picture. He'll get the camera + film back but won't be able to take any here at Bikini. Thats too
bad for it is such a beautiful place.
Thats a pretty good letter if I do say so and brings me up to date. By the way, it seems now that we may
leave by Aug 15. Isn't that too bad!!
Dear I wish I could kiss you and Winifred tonight. Sometime we must come here together. ** It's really pretty marvelous.
Lots of love again and again
Carl
* My father always loved flying. At one point he took flying lessons, and nearly earned his pilot's license, but other obligations intervened. His brother Ned, however, was a highly skilled pilot, and I remember many times when they took off together for the wilds of western Kansas -- but that was many years after the events of 1946.
**That never happened.
The U.S.S. Haven
|
letter written July 17
Wednesday 9:00 P.M.
Dearest,
Todays mail brought your letter from Hawaii and Winifred's map. The map really is darling. Alice and I have relished every bit of it. When we decorate Winifred's room we'll find the right place on a wall for it.
I'm so glad to have the description of your flight and traveling conditions. Think I'll loan this letter to your folks. They will enjoy it. But I want it back to keep.
We have no dull moments here! Yesterday the black and white steer found his way out of the fence. * In mid afternoon we saw him grazing on Anderson's terrace. ** Alice and I had no luck inducing him back so I called Dr. Ward. *** He came out with a rope and got him in. Tonight he came out and we walked around the fence, replacing staples and wiring loose spots. Think we found the spot were he pushed the wires apart and got out. Then Winifred had a ride on Jiggs -- didn't like it too much -- and we all had cold drinks and a bit of chatter.
The cocky rooster is next on our list for frying -- while Winifred trudged along to the garage **** with me yesterday, the rooster attacked her -- I grabbed her immediately and she had only a scratch on her leg. Now she stays on this side of the fence -- But the rooster also flys over the top of that -- Had to let him back twice on Monday.
The tomatoes are coming along -- and oh, they're so good -- but the weeds are terrific. Think I'll can a quart of them tomorrow (not weeds!). Corn is ready again too. We'll feast and send thanks to you.
We enjoyed Uncle Ed and Aunt Pearl yesterday and it is good to have Alice back again. Today we washed -- Tomorrow iron and hope to get a few more woolen things put away --
Your check for $171.12 was deposited. I've cashed another fifty -- leaving the balance at $686.17.
I love, Dear
Grace
* I have many memories of my father chasing escaped livestock -- but none of this event, alas.
** The Anderson's were the neighbors across the street. The ground rose sharply up from the road that ran between the two properties -- I expect this is what she meant by "terrace."
*** Dr. Ward was the veterinarian my folks used throughout my childhood for dogs, cows and horses. (I have no idea who or what Jiggs was.)
**** The garage was a part of the barn, several hundred feet behind the house, past the back fence that divided the yard from the garden and pasture.
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