In this letter, Chuck mentions bartering with the “boatswain”. A boatswain is an occupational ranking for a member of a boat’s crew who trains, directs and supervises personnel in charge of ship maintenance duties—a manager of sorts, who acts as a middleman between the authority and the crew.

He also talks about a Kay Kyser broadcast he was excited to hear. Kay Kyser (James Kern “Kay” Kyser) was a popular radio personality during WWII. As part of his segment, he was a big band and swing vocalist and bandleader. His bands were in several era films. Chuck’s favorite music was big band and swing, for which he played percussion up until his passing. It isn’t surprising that this surfaces in his letters.

An interesting note is that the recipient address on this envelope is merely a city and state. At the time, Milford must have been a pretty small town. Or, Frank was a well-known city figure. Or, both. I’m not sure if letters would have been delivered to mailboxes, or picked up from a postal office. I grew up in Valdez, Alaska and the postal office was somewhat of a cultural epicenter just like the grocery store. Every day, everyone would stop at the post office to get their mail. I can see how it would be easy enough for a postal office to not need mailbox numbers in a small enough town.

Chuck also talks about a bowling alley. It sounds as though he purchased or acquired it himself somehow, then invested money into it. I don’t remember him ever talking about a bowling alley with me, so I’ll have to ask my father about it. Perhaps there is more to that story.

Letter home, envelope; May 16, 1944

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The second letter home is also not dated, as later letters all are. The evening of May 8th is the postal stamp, so the letter was likely written earlier in the same day.

In this letter, Chuck mentions Maydean. Maydean is his sister (again, taking into consideration he was adopted, so not a sister by blood…but by family). Also, he asks his adoptive father, Frank, about his current job. Taking note of the way the letter is addressed, Frank was likely doing contracting work of some kind with the railroad. An “Extra Gang” was the term used for seasonal rail workers, from months April to November. Frank was a businessman, with a knack for telecommunications. He would not have been working as a laborer, as the address may imply. This is the only letter addressed in this way.

Letter home, envelope; May 8, 1944

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I have finished scanning all 40 or more letters home. CDP averaged one or two per month between early 1944 and early 1946. The stationery is almost as interesting as the letters themselves. One has sailor-themed pinup art I am excited to show you.

This is the first of the letters. It is the only letter I do not have dated. However, it is the same stationery as the second letter, and both are discussing his time in the hospital, getting ready to ship off…so I know this letter predates that letter by a week or more (that letter is May 8th).

Below are scans of the letter, along with a transcription that will be easier to read. His mentions of “Don” are his baby brother (remember Chuck was adopted, so the brother is not his blood).

At the time of this letter, CDP had finished basic training in 1943 and hadn’t yet been shipped off to Hawaii in preparation for battle. That would happen later in this year. He mentions having earned his MoMM 3/c ranking, which is the Motor Machinist’s Mate, 3rd Class. In his audio letter home, from December 1943, he says he is just starting to take classes on motors—so it was roughly a six-month training program between then and now.

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