Aboard Ship

 Due to a sudden interest in WWII and relatives that were in the war, I found a letter that my great uncle wrote to my grandpa.  Here it is, in it's original form:

Dear Lloyd,                                                               Aboard Ship  Dec. 1, 1945
I have been thinking for a quite a while about something that I want to keep a secret from Betty and everybody back home.  I will write and tell you about it and I want you to keep it a secret from everybody.  I may get a leave very shortly to come home, and I want to surprise everybody.  I will be able to get a leave but It may not be long enough to get home on.  If I don't get enough time to get home on I won't take any leave at all and stay on the ship.  The reason Im telling you is that I especially Don't want Betty to know it.  I didn't know it enough ahead of time and Instead of saving my money I have been sending it home to Betty.  Instead of having Betty send me the money I am going to have you or Dad send me enough to get home on and then I'll pay you back as soon as I get home.  After I know how many days leave Im going to get I write you if I know ahead of time, long enough to write to you.  If I don't have time to write I'll send Dad a wire and he can wire the money back  I'll tell you how much I need and where to send it to after I find out more about it.
If I don't get the chance to write and instead send a wire you explain it to Dad and keep it a secret as much as possible.  I might have enough money to get home on now, but it will be lot cheaper to buy a round trip ticket.
If I know enough ahead of time so I can write to you, you catch Dad some place by him self and tell him what I want the money for and I'll tell you how to send it.  Don't let Russel know about it because he can't keep it a secret.
So Long for Now.  Hope to see you soon.
Sincerely 
Brother Dick
Donald E.

USS Harwood D.D. 861
San Francisco Calif. 

USS Harwood D.D. 861

 One day this week, mom had me look up her Uncle Harold who fought in WWII.  I found an article that said Uncle Harold wanted to be in the navy when he was drafted, but they would not take him, due to fact that he wore glasses.  So he ended up in the army, in the 80th Division, with the Blue Ridge Division.  Long story short, they were in the Battle of the Bulge.  And can you believe it?!  Uncle Harold saw Gen. George Patton several times!  Uncle Harold was on foot while Gen. Patton rode in a jeep. Because of Coronal Harold's supreme action during a battle that ended in a whole Nazi battalion being destroyed, he was awarded the Bronze Star!

  Don't you just love family history?!  I don't think I will ever get tired of studying my family.  

Due to my sudden interest in WWII, I  decided to try to achieve 'the look' of the 1940's by putting my hair up and wrapping a handkerchief around it. 

I don't look like Minny Mouse, do I?

Turned out pretty good, I think!  Now all I need is some red finger nail polish and lip stick, a pair of ladies vintage overalls, and I'm ready to go work on some B-24 bomber, while I listen to Bing Cosby, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra on the radio.

P.S.  The soundtrack for Pearl Harbor is great to listen to as you read this post.