Letter V / Army Birthday & Flag Day 2021

Jun 14

Posted by

Passing the time aboard ship

Dear Letter V                                                                                             Yep!  Still at sea

Mom,  I was seriously thinking of tearing this letter up, as I couldn’t for the life of me locate an airmail stamp aboard ship.  I kept at it though until finally fortune smiled down on me and success was mine.  I have been pretty lucky so far at my card playing activities and should it hold out until we reach some civilized port, why I’ll be ahead and you will be pleasantly surprised when you receive my check for like amount.  We can cable home money from abroad so might just as well take your advice — surprised? — and send it home for that day when we shall all return.

We have a large map of the world hanging up on the wall, which supplies us with as much amusement trying to figure out just where we are.  According to figures, dates, times and patience, we should be hitting a port sometime real soon.  In fact there is a rumor being whispered about that we will hit one tomorrow.  Now this rumor comes from good authority seeing that it came from a fellow whose first sergeant is a second cousin to the uncle of the father of the first mate whose brother is third cook on this boat.  Now, can’t you see why we are so glumly overjoyed?  All kidding aside though, we should be nearing one soon.

We saw a movie last night down in the mess hall.  It was quite an old picture, but luckily for me, I hadn’t seen it before, so therefore I spent my most enjoyable hour so far on this trip.  The officers on this trip haven’t been having it quite as tough as us, but rough enough.  In order to pass away their time they have taken up the game of badminton with a zeal and I must say have really kept at it until now this regiment can boast it has not only badminton players, but experts as well.  By the way, I have also learned how to play the old card game of Cribbage.  Ever hear tell of it before?  Well mom, that is all for today, so once again I’ll sign off, but before I do, give my regards to all and I’ll write again soon. 

Love and kisses, Everett

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Current News –  14 June 2021

Flag Day

U.S. Army Birthday

U.S. Army 246th Birthday

AND

U.S. 246th  FLAG DAY

A previous post for these two special days!  Click Here!

OR  HERE!

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Military Humor –

Now I can’t stress the importance here!!

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Farewell Salutes – 

Lloyd Alumbaugh – Jasper, MI; US Army, Korea, Sgt., Ambulance Co./7th Medical/7th Infantry Division, KIA (Chosin Reservoir)

Dalton Beals – Pennsville, NJ; USMC, Pfc., Co. E/ Parris Island

John Dale – Ellijay, GA; USMC, WWII, Korea & Vietnam, Sgt. (Ret.)

Kenneth R. Foreman – Brown County, OH; US Army, Korea, Cpl., Co. A/1/32/7th Infantry Division, KIA (Chosin Reservoir)

Warren C. Gillette – Klamath Falls, OR; US Navy, WWII, PTO, USS Oklahoma, KIA (Pearl Harbor, HI)

Mary Herda – brn: SCOT; Civilian, WWII, Boeing aileron production

Dorothy Jones – Tacoma, WA; Civilian, WWII, Fort Lewis Army Base Hospital

Jacqueline Jacquet Melvin – Lake Geneva, WI; US Navy WAVE, WWII, PTO,  Lt., Flight nurse

Robert Risch – Brookings, SD, US Navy, WWII

Norbert Schatz (100) – Boonville, IN; US Army, WWII, cook

John J. Sitarz – Weirton, WV; US Army, WWII, ETO, Pfc., Co. L/3/110/28th Infantry Division, KIA (Hürtgen Forest, GER)

Thomas G. Wade – Burke, VA; US Army, Vietnam, Lt. Comdr. (Ret. 23 y.), 101st Airborne Division, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart

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About GP

Everett Smith served with the Headquarters Company, 187th Regiment, 11th A/B Division during WWII. This site is in tribute to my father, "Smitty." GP is a member of the 11th Airborne Association. Member # 4511 and extremely proud of that fact!

Posted on June 14, 2021, in Current News, SMITTY, WWII and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 133 Comments.

  1. Eternity | June 30, 2021 at 4:31 PM

    Thanks for your like of my post, “Tribulation Prophecies And Doctrine 12 – The Beginning Of The Sixty-Nine Weeks 4;” you are very gracious.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Lavinia Ross | June 28, 2021 at 1:25 PM

    I love reading these letters from your father, GP! He had quite a sense of humor about life, and was a good son.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. Charlotte Hoather | June 27, 2021 at 1:30 PM

    What I love most about this letter is how he is trying to reassure his Mum that everything is ok and some things are quite normal card games, badminton, a film (I’d love to know which one), camaraderie. One of the main things I’ve missed is sports with other people, meeting up with friends in person etc. I love that he send her his winnings. Just really heart-warming. There is something wrong with the reply box it cuts my words in half so I hope the spelling is ok. Hehe

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • GP | June 27, 2021 at 2:57 PM

      Thanks, Charlotte. Yes, your comment came out fine on this end and I appreciate it!!
      Pretty soon we’ll all be “back to normal” and this pandemic will become a bad dream.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  6. Jaba Paul | June 23, 2021 at 7:24 AM

    Great cartoons and letter is very good if you don’t mind can you read also my blog please I’m new here

    Like

    Reply
  7. allenrizzi | June 20, 2021 at 3:12 PM

    Cribbage isn’t a word I’ve heard in decades but it’s so nice to hear it again. Thanks for sharing this letter!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  8. Americaoncoffee | June 19, 2021 at 3:39 PM

    Thank you for the historical information. Great post GP! 💞♥️

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  9. Sue Slaght | June 18, 2021 at 8:35 PM

    Oh your Dad’s sense of humour made me laugh out loud. What a treasure to have his letters.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  10. shoreacres | June 17, 2021 at 10:06 PM

    Each of these letters makes me like your Dad more. His sense of humor is wonderful, and I suspect it was one of his ways to keep the family back home feeling better about his situation. I smiled at his mention of cribbage. My own dad taught me that game, and we’d play almost every Sunday night. In fact, I still have the board that we played with — I just can’t find anyone else who wants to play the game. They’re all playing video games on their phones!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • GP | June 18, 2021 at 6:44 AM

      No players? That is just down-right sad.
      Thank you for the rest of your comment though. Dad, in my opinion, was one-of-a-kind, but also a good representative of the Greatest Generation.

      Like

      Reply
  11. Eternity | June 17, 2021 at 7:55 PM

    Thanks for your like of my post, “Revelation 4:1-11 – Our Worship of God in Heaven;” you are very gracious..

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  12. deplorablesunite | June 16, 2021 at 9:07 PM

    I really enjoy these letters

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  14. Curt Mekemson | June 16, 2021 at 7:37 PM

    Sending his card winnings home. How neat G. I’m pretty sure other guys would have found other things to do with it in port. –Curt

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  15. Eternity | June 16, 2021 at 6:48 PM

    I love your work;please keep it up.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  16. toniandrukaitis | June 15, 2021 at 11:58 PM

    So cool to read letters that young men sent home to their mothers. Makes you proud of that generation that loved their mothers and sent money home to their family. My dad sent most of his paycheck to his mother when he was in the army in WWII. Grandma opened up a little grocery store with the money he sent home. She was a single mother with three sons. I love those stories. Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • GP | June 16, 2021 at 6:33 AM

      Isn’t that outstanding!! Nowadays, parents put their kids through college, they get degrees and then they come home to have mom and dad continue to take care of them.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  17. natuurfreak3 | June 15, 2021 at 7:19 PM

    Zo leuk de brieven van je vader te kunnen lezen. Zo laten ze me ,je vader als mens beter kennen

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  18. jguenther5 | June 15, 2021 at 5:14 PM

    Your dad was a witty correspondent!

    re the John J. Sitarz Farewell Salute: PFC Sitarz died at 19 in the Hürtgen Forest region, October, 1944. He was listed among the MIA, presumed KIA, that November. His remains recently were ID’d by the POW/MIA Accounting Agency. He will be reburied at Arlington National Cemetery.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • GP | June 16, 2021 at 6:26 AM

      That’s where I got his name, I had to go to his grave registry for his hometown. Do you see something wrong?

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • jguenther5 | June 16, 2021 at 7:07 AM

        Nope, I see something right: It’s a lot of work and expense to identify the fallen, but the military obviously thinks it’s worth the effort. I do, too. I thought a little more of Sitarz’s story might interest readers. Seventy-seven years after that action in late ’44, he’ll finally sleep with the others at Arlington.

        My mother and I and two of our Japanese-American friends left flowers on Ernie Pyle’s grave in Honolulu, about ’65.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply
        • GP | June 16, 2021 at 7:12 AM

          That is why I try to keep up with the accounting agency for the POW/MIA announcements. Their efforts are not widely known nor are they appreciated. I’ll do my best to keep them in the public eye for these troops who paid the ultimate price.
          I appreciate your effort as well!!

          Like

          Reply
  19. Mary Strong-Spaid | June 15, 2021 at 2:59 PM

    Great post! The flag deserves our honor and respect, that’s for sure.
    I am having trouble with the new WordPress “block editor” also. Someone referred to it as “blockhead.” That’s about right.
    The Classic Editor was so easy to use! Is that why they replaced it? Auugh.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
    • GP | June 16, 2021 at 6:23 AM

      Thanks for coming by, Mary.
      I still use the Classic. I go to Posts on the left hand side, then click ‘all posts’. Way up top, on the left side, it says POSTS add new. Click the arrow next to it and a menu will drop down for Block or Classic. Click Classic and you’re all set.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  20. pvcann | June 15, 2021 at 10:59 AM

    I love his humour, his reference to experts made me laugh.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  21. jfwknifton | June 15, 2021 at 3:19 AM

    That’s a wonderful letter home from a son to his mother. And it contains that wonderful phrase “that day when we shall all return” as a statement of faith from every American, Canadian, Pole, Englishman, Australian, every single person involved in that great struggle against the forces of darkness.
    And he’s right about Cribbage, it’s a marvellous game, with a lot of brain work involved. And unlike most card games, it can be played by three people with no problems at all.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  22. Gypsy Bev | June 14, 2021 at 9:23 PM

    Enjoy these old letters telling of his activities while headed to real danger. Hope he was successful at his card playing and sent your mom some of his winnings.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  23. Liz Gauffreau | June 14, 2021 at 8:25 PM

    I really enjoyed this letter from your dad, particularly this bit: “Now this rumor comes from good authority seeing that it came from a fellow whose first sergeant is a second cousin to the uncle of the father of the first mate whose brother is third cook on this boat. Now, can’t you see why we are so glumly overjoyed?” He must have been quite a wag. Or as my dad used to say, “He’s quite a card; he’s the whole deck.”

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  24. Peter Klopp | June 14, 2021 at 8:21 PM

    Your dad learned a great game on the way to a destination unknown. Cribbage has been one of my favourite games since I came to Canada in 1965.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  26. John W. Howell | June 14, 2021 at 3:26 PM

    Super letter, GP. Thank you,

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  27. Anne Clare | June 14, 2021 at 3:25 PM

    Cribbage! I’m teaching the 8 year old, but he always gets better hands than me (the little stinker! 😂)
    Thanks for another really interesting letter-my, those voyages must have been tedious!- and for some great chuckles and important commemorations.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  28. JessicaMarieBaumgartner | June 14, 2021 at 3:11 PM

    The cartoons/memes are always the best!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  29. salsaworldtraveler | June 14, 2021 at 2:55 PM

    Another revealing and delightful letter. Smitty was a very good writer. I’d hate to see what my writing would look like without editing and spell check.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  30. Don Ostertag | June 14, 2021 at 12:38 PM

    Love Smitty’s explanation of how he found out about reaching port.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  31. James Osborne | June 14, 2021 at 11:50 AM

    These letters are a great look back at those times. Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  32. PARTNERING WITH EAGLES | June 14, 2021 at 11:12 AM

    Good post; always providing needed perspective. Don’t feel alone Re WP “improvements”, I resorted to having made direct links to pages -I use Firefox- on its home page to avoid WP obstructions.
    Their “block editor” is making editing a post cumbersome, so my links help to circumvent that.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  33. Herb | June 14, 2021 at 10:55 AM

    I really enjoyed the way he authenticated the rumor! I really appreciate your sharing these bits of real-life history with us even if I don’t comment on every single one.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • GP | June 14, 2021 at 1:57 PM

      I understand, Herb. I haven’t had time to comment on very many posts lately. I’ve even had to spend time looking for those people I lost in the latest WordPress glitch!!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  34. Lou Carreras | June 14, 2021 at 10:48 AM

    Cribbage!!! For years I couldn’t even get the word past my lips! I played, badly and against my will, sooo much cribbage that I still cringe at the thought of it.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  36. nedhamson | June 14, 2021 at 9:17 AM

    Can’t find anyone to play cribbage with any more – was a constant game growing up. Always enjoyed.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  37. OIKOS™-Editorial | June 14, 2021 at 8:59 AM

    Playing badminton on a ship? Sounds like vacation in FL. 😉 What another between the lines heart touching letter, GP. Thank you for remembering on the Flag day, and the birthday! Have a beautiful week! Michael

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  38. derrickjknight | June 14, 2021 at 8:39 AM

    I played badminton regularly in the 1970s and ’80s

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  39. Amy | June 14, 2021 at 8:36 AM

    Another great letter. He writes so well and with so much humor. I am sure your grandmother got a good chuckle!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  40. SCLMRose | June 14, 2021 at 8:29 AM

    “a fellow whose first sergeant is a second cousin to the uncle of the father of the first mate whose brother is third cook on this boat.” This gives me a mental exercise! Happy Flag & Army Day! Love the videos from the old posts!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • GP | June 14, 2021 at 1:51 PM

      Dad gave us a sample of the ‘rumor mill’ pipeline. He came home saying that the Army taught him to believe 1/2 of what you see and None of what you hear! Thanks for taking a trip back to the other posts, Rose.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply
  41. equipsblog | June 14, 2021 at 8:00 AM

    Like this post, GP. I can’t imagine how the officers were able to play badminton on a moving ship. Maybe they played indoors otherwise I expect that they would lose a lot of shuttlecocks overboard. I also wonder what the movie was. I remember a M*A*S*H episode where they were titillated by the prospect of a movie that was banned in Boston. Unfortunately for the hopeful, the movie was not the least risque’. When I was in Hungary, we had nightly DVD night–the problem was that there were not enough new DVDs to show a new one every night–never mind being at sea during wartime where getting almost anything new would have been a much worse problem than new DVDs from the PX or MWR.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  42. swabby429 | June 14, 2021 at 7:20 AM

    How unfortunate that Cribbage and Badminton are not played much anymore, if ever.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  43. Dan Antion | June 14, 2021 at 7:18 AM

    I love your father’s humor? 🇺🇸

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  44. MarkD60 | June 14, 2021 at 7:08 AM

    Hreat post! Made me feel nostalgic. I miss writing and receiving letters. Emails aren’t the same. And I miss being at sea. Before I got out of bed this morning I was thinking that if I was still in the Navy, I’d have been in for 43 years. And I wish I knew what movie he watched, so I could go watch it too.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  45. The Tactical Hermit | June 14, 2021 at 7:00 AM

    Happy 246 Years GP!
    Even though the current state of our Military is FUBAR in every respect, I still believe that this Country will be The Land of the Free ONLY when it continues to be The HOME of the BRAVE.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  46. fragglerocking | June 14, 2021 at 6:58 AM

    Sweet letter to Mum 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  47. beetleypete | June 14, 2021 at 6:46 AM

    Great cartoons, GP!
    The letter makes good reading, and he described the famous ‘rumour-mill’ so well!
    Cribbage was the game of choice in London pubs when I was young, but I never did learn how to play it.
    Best wishes, Pete.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

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