Dear Larry:

Well, here it is, Sunday evening and we just got through with supper. We had steak which dad just bought at Matthews. Dad said, “Boy, if Larry was here, he sure would like to have one of those steaks.” I fixed the steaks so Dad made me sit down and Tresa and Carol are doing the dishes, so I thought I would write you a few lines.

Well, how are you doing? Fine, I hope. Here everyone is ok. We went to the 8 o’clock  mass this morning because Karl had to serve mass at that time. Carol still goes to their religion class as they have their religion classes at that time.

The weather here is cold today. The snow we had last week finally melted when we had warmer weather and rain a couple of days ago. The weather itself was very cold but as yet, we haven’t had too much snow to speak of.

Dad and Karl went bowling this afternoon while Tresa, Carol and I went shopping. I sure spent quite a bit of money the last few days. I bought me some new drapes for my bedroom. Tresa got a new winter coat and some shoes which she needed. Carol also got some shoes. It seems like there is always something to spend money on.

Joanna and I went shopping to Mounds Mall last friday. I don’t know if anyone wrote you or not, but they have a new J.C. Penny store there now, and it is a very nice store. It even has escalators. It reminds me of the big stores in Indianapolis.

Well, Larry, It looks like they are finally getting started on the peace talks. According to the news, they may be taking the U.S. Troops out of Vietnam. I sure hope so. Did you hear anything about it there? It took them so long to decide on a table, now I wonder how long it will take before they decide on things there.

Well, here it is another day, 1:30 P.M. Dad is off today and Carol didn’t go to school because she said she is sick. I don’t think she is very sick because she just ate two corn dogs. Ha. We are watching T.V. at this time, as you probably know, President Nixon was inaugurated today and Johnson is out now. The Highland band is in Washington D.C. for the parade so they will be on T.V. around 3 this afternoon and then today we are going to watch the Inaugural Ball on T.V.

We watched the Bob Hope show on T.V. last Friday and it was a good show. Where did you go to see the Bob Hope show? It showed different places in Vietnam where Bob Hope was and there were millions of soldiers. We even seen some of them sitting on mountains or hills. We were all thinking that you were probably in one of those places. Must close for now so please take care of yourself and write.

Love, Mom

P.S. No mail again today.

Dear Larry:

Well, here I am again with a few lines and hoping you are ok. As yet, we haven’t been getting any mail from you. What have you been doing? I can’t understand why you can’t write to us more often. Here is hoping again today that the mailman will bring a letter from you.

Dad worked at the club last night, and this morning, he decided that he didn’t want to go to work. He hasn’t been off for some time, so he called in and told them he was sick. He will probably end up sleeping most of the day.

This evening, we are going to one of Karl’s games. They are playing Central. I sure would like to see them win another game.

The mailman just came and we didn’t get a letter from you. Only some bills. I’ll bet you can’t guess who brought our mail. It was Artie Crawford. Dad was telling me the other day that he is working at the Post Office, but I forgot to write you about it.

Uncle Tommy just left. He picked up his washing. He said that he and Deda went down Aunt Mary’s last night and had some of the best fried fish for supper. Uncle Tommy asked about you and said for me to say hello from him. Uncle Deda is off on sick leave again. I guess he isn’t feeling too good.

By the way, Larry, before I forget, we got your December bond yesterday. That makes 10 bonds for you.

Well, it looks like the sun is finally out and melting the snow and slick streets. The weatherman said we are supposed to have rain tonight. Sure will be glad to see spring get here.

How is everything where you are at? Sure would like to know more of what you are doing and how things are over there. How about the pictures that you said you took of the Bob Hope show? As yet, we didn’t get any films from you to get developed.

The Bob Hope Christmas Show is going to be on TV tonight, so we will probably watch it. Only hope we get home from the game early enough to watch it. I imagine it’s probably the same show you [saw].

Is there a town close by where you can go to? Do you live in barracks or do you still sleep in tents? Why don’t you write and tell us how you are living there and what kind of food you eat?

Well, I am going to stop for today, as I haven’t got a thing done around the house, so I will have to get busy. Please take care of yourself and write.

Love
Mom

Dear Larry:

Well, here I am again with a few lines to let you know all is well here and hope you are the same. We haven’t heard from you in some time again, but I keep hoping for a letter soon.

It is still cold as ever in Anderson, with snow on the ground and the streets are still slick. The kids went back to school yesterday, but the buses are slow coming around to pick them up. It’s been slick and cold since the first of the year. The weatherman said today that it is supposed to get a little warmer. I sure hope so, then maybe it will melt some of the slick spots. When we go out now, we have to walk on needles and pins to keep from falling. Ha.

It’s even cold in the house. The blower on our furnace went on the blink this morning, so I called Dad at the post office and he said that it may be the fuse, so I checked and it wasn’t burned out, so Dad called me and said for me to wait until he gets home from work so he can take a look at it. So, until he gets home, I have a sweater on and even put on a pair of Dad’s socks to keep me warm. The temperature in the house in 65°, so I have to drink hot tea to keep me warm.

Last night, we went to Lapel to see Karl play ball, and they lost again, Karl got to play the whole game, but as I wrote you before, the boys on the other teams are giants compared to our boys.

Larry, I think I wrote you about Sara and Ed [last name withheld] getting a divorce. Well, I guess Sara found out that she can’t make it without his help, so she asked him to come back. Boy, some people just can’t talk things over before they make fools of themselves.

I was talking to Vickie Power at bingo last weekend and her and Rick always ask about you. Vickie was telling me that next year at this time, you will be home. Her boyfriend is still at Ft. Bragg. She said she wished that he was only in for two years.

Larry, have you made up your mind about whether or not you are going to extend two months more or not? If you don’t, you will probably be getting out of there in June. It’s up to you to make up your own mind, but I wouldn’t extend my time. At least if you are in the states, I would feel better.

Well, Larry, I am going to sign off for today as I have to get on the ball and get some work done, so until later. Please take care of yourself and write.

Love Mom

P.S. – Dad took your bank book up to get it up to date, so in case you would like to know, you already have $1,003.95 and that is NOT including the bonds you have.

Friday, January 10, 1969
9 A.M.

Dear Larry:

Well, here it is Friday morning. The sun is shining, but it is a very cold day. The temperature is 1 above zero this morning. The kids where not in school yesterday and again today because the roads are covered with ice and it is really slick. We went to one of Karl’s games at North Side Wednesday and it took about 30 minutes to get there because the traffic was so slow. This is Dad’s week off and he said he was glad because he had a few days of rough driving. He said his truck broke down two times yesterday so he had to work overtime and didn’t get home till almost 7 last night. I had hot vegetable soup for supper and then after supper, he went to work at the club.

I don’t know if Joanna wrote you or not but she had the rear end of her car wrecked. It was slick and a fellow’s car skidded and hit hers. She was really mad when she called and told me about it, but this fellow admitted it was his fault and said he couldn’t help it because it was slick. She told me she was going to quit driving because she is always getting into wrecks, but I doubt if she will. She has to have some way of getting around. I told her she should be thankful she didn’t get hurt. Whenever we are out driving in our Dodge, Dad always makes everyone put their seat belts on, and I think its a good idea.

I heard on T.V. the other day that a jet crashed into an American artillery base of the 82nd Airborne Division and it destroyed two barracks. I right away thought about you. Was it anywhere close to where you are at now? Do you know anything about it?

Tresa and Karl are getting ready to go outside with their ice skates on. They don’t have to go to a skating rink because there is plenty of ice for them to skate around the house and driveway. We also have about 2 inches of snow on the ground and its more than that on the drifts.

Karl has a 7th grade tourney game coming up tomorrow (Sat.) at St. Mary’s Gym. They are playing a game in the morning and a game in the afternoon. The winners are playing the winners and the losers are playing the losers of both games. I guess Karl’s team is going to play the first game at 9:30 in the morning. St. Ambrose hasn’t been winning very many of their games. It seems like the boys on the other teams are always so much bigger than our boys, and we just don’t have a chance. But it is good practice for Karl whether they win or lose.

Well, Larry, I am going to sign off for today as I want to wash my hair and get some work done around the house. So until later, please take care of yourself. Please write more often.

Love – Mom

P.S. I am going to get another box ready to send to you as soon as I get to the store. It would help if I knew what you would like. Let me know.

Here it is January 9, 1969. It is Thursday and everybody is out of school because of the slick roads. It rained last night and the rain froze. The roads are too slick for the buses to pick us up. When I go to school, I have to get up at 7:00. The bus picks us up at twenty till eight.

I am sending a clipping of the basketball ratings [not included]. Anderson is doing pretty good. This is the first time they are rated this season. They’re record is 6-2. They lost their first two games of the season to the 2nd and 5th ranked teams this week. Anderson beat teams like Indianapolis Tech, East Chicago Washington, rated 18th, Muncie South and Muncie Central in the holiday tourney, Lafayette-Jeff, and Ft. Wayne-South. Sports writers all over the state say they have the toughest schedule in the state.

Our basketball team had a game last night and we lost 25-8. I have to go for now.

Your Brother,
Karl

Dear Larry:

Thought I would write a few lines and send you some clippings from the paper. I thought it would be better for you to read it in the paper than for me to try and write about it. Be sure to read about the 2 youths. We were very shocked to hear about that.

Well, we finally had our first big snow as you can see in the paper. Tresa and I went out and shoveled snow off the sidewalks this evening and it is really crispy out. I also took the Christmas lights off the front porch.

The kids went back to school today after being out for 2 weeks. Now, they are hoping for more snow, so they can stay home again. The weather man said that we will probably have more.

I was talking to Mrs. Joy, her son is John Joy, he graduated when you did. Anyway, she told me that he is in the Marines Infantry and is at Camp Pendleton California, and he will probably be going to Vietnam soon.

Well, Larry, I am going to close as I want to put some clippings from the paper in and I don’t want to be overweight. So, until later. Please take care of yourself and write.

Love Mom

Dear Larry:

Well, here I am again with a few lines to let you know all is ok here. About everyone in Anderson is sick with the flu, so we are keeping our fingers crossed here. As cold as it is here, it looks like the flu bug would freeze. The temperature here has been in the teens and almost zero the last few days.

We received a letter from you Thursday and, as you know, we were glad to hear from you. I haven’t been writing as much as I wanted to, but with the holidays over and the kids will be going back to school tomorrow, I will probably be back to normal (I hope).

As you probably know by now, we heard you on the radio and it sounded just like you.

Dad also said that the Dawson kid was feeding him some bull when he said that about you. Dad said he probably wanted him to give them some drinks, but he didn’t because they weren’t 21.

So, you are going to Singapore on your R+R. How come you changed your mind about going to Australia and Honolulu?

Be sure and send us a card or a letter while on R+R and hope you have a good time.

Glad to hear that you went to the Bob Hope show. Are you going to send the film home for us to have developed?

I was telling Dad that I am going to get a scrap book and have Karl put everything we have of yours since you were in service and put them in the scrap book, so you can look at it when you get home.

By the way, Larry, Fern Love, our neighbor, died Friday, so Dad, Tresa and I went to see her in a Summitville funeral home. Josephine Ross went with us. Jo asked about you. Also, while there, we talked to Margret Little. Remember her? She was our neighbor. She also asked about you. She sure is a wonderful person.

I went to Bingo last night and you won’t believe it. I hit for $85.00. Sure was a thrill. Rick was calling the numbers when I hit.

The kids just went to bed. Dad is sitting here reading the paper. I asked him if there was anything he wanted me to write you and he said for me to tell you he said hi.

I had Liz and Kenny’s (the couple next door) baby here this evening while they went to the funeral home to see Fern. Their baby is a little doll. She is 3 months old. The kids all wanted to hold her and it seemed funny to have a baby crying around the house. I told Dad it brought back memories when you kids were little. I am going to keep her tomorrow when they go to the funeral.

Well, Larry, I am going to close for tonight, so until later. Please take care of yourself.

Love, Mom

P.S. – First Savings and Loan Assn. sent us a slip that you sent some money in so Dad will have to take your book and get it brought up to date.

Enclosed is a clipping in this morning’s paper.

Dear Larry,

Well, here it is a new year and is it ever cold outside. The windows are frosted from top to bottom. The temperature was below zero this morning and right now it is 11 degrees above zero, so it is not warming up much. This morning we went to the 10 o’clock mass and we about froze our fannies off. HA. It’s windy out and it makes it feel that much colder.

Well, in a way, I am glad that the holidays are over. Now things will be going back to normal. I can’t believe that in a couple of days you will be in the service a year already. Did the time go by quick for you? In a few months your time will be up in Vietnam and I am looking forward to that day.

Tresa wrote to you yesterday and as you probably know, we heard you on the radio. WGN Chicago station, Dec. 30th. We waited till 10 till 1 in the morning before you came on and it sounded just like you. Aunt Mary and Uncle Harold heard you, and so did Joanna and Carol Johan.

Did you see any of the Christmas shows that were there during the holidays?

Larry, I am really disappointed that we are not getting mail from you. I know that you don’t like to write letters but you should try and write a few lines just once a week. I keep after dad to write to you and he said that you don’t write, so why should he? He seems to think that you could write if you wanted to. We would be very happy to hear what you did during the holidays and everything else that goes on there.

As for here, I stayed home with Tresa and Karl New Years Eve. Dad worked at the Club and said they had a nice crowd there. Carol went babysitting with Carol Porter, a girlfriend of hers. As for Joanna, she worked till 9:30 that evening but what she did after work, I don’t know.

Karl just got in from his paper route. (The papers were early today.) His face and nose are red from the cold. How he is getting ready to go bowling with John and Tim Dolenski up to Rains Bowling Alley.

We took our Christmas tree down a couple of days ago. It sure was dry and I had a time getting the needles off the rug. We still have the Christmas lights out on the front porch. I will probably wait till it gets warmer before I take them down.

Tresa and I heard a lot of shooting in the neighborhood when the New Years came in. One thing about spending New Years Eve at home is at least I don’t have a hangover. Ha. Ha.

Well, Larry, I am signing off for today, so please write to us and let us know how you are doing. Please take care of yourself.

Love Mom

P.S. The milkman said for me to say hello for him.

Hi, what’s happenin’? What did you do on Christmas? We all went to Charlene and Uncle Jack’s house. It was boring there. Believe me. I left about 5:30. Me, Carol Porter and a bunch of kids went bowling at Cooper’s that night and then went to this party. These two guys were giving it. Both of them were 1967 grads from Anderson High. I thought that party was going to be a drag, but it turned out great. With Pabst, a party can’t be bad. We had fun. Did I ever tell you what I got on my report card? I got one “A”, two “B’s” and one “C” and one and my first “D”. Isn’t that great? Still probably be a “F” the next time. Ask me if I care! Well I better go now. I’m tired and its about 12:00 A.M. now. I have to wake up early and do something with my hair. Write once in a lifetime to me, please…

Love ya,
Carol

Hi, how are you? This is going to be a short letter because my paper supply is limited as my time is. What did you do on Christmas? What are you gonna do on New Years? Do you think you’ll get drunk as anything?

Mother has been busy today. She baked a ham and 3 pumpkin pies. Last night, she made some cranberry salad. Aunt Mary, Uncle Deda and Uncle Ray were just over here. Aunt Mary got me a pretty blue nightgown. Uncle Deda got me a pair of underpants and Uncle Ray got me a real neat yellow dress with a scarf to match. It is really cool. Barbara got me a pretty cool pair of earrings and a bracelet to match. Carol Porter bought me a charm for my charm bracelet. Vicki Lanone got me some scented perfume and Kathy bought me 3 pairs of really cool earrings. Uncle Tommy got me a real neat pair of cameo earrings. So far, we have just opened presents that our aunts and uncles got for us, but will open the rest from mother and Dad on Christmas morning.

Too bad you can’t be home. All or almost all of the servicemen in the states got to come home. Tomorrow on Christmas, we have to go to Uncle Jack’s and Charlene’s house for dinner. We’re having chili over there. I think it sounds stupid to have chili on Christmas. I don’t know what I’m doing on New Years. I hope to get drunk at this party I might go to, but it would be true hell if it got raided. Well, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Luv,
Carol

Dec. 26, 1968
Thurs. – 7:30 P.M.

Dear Larry:

Well, here it is the day after Christmas and I must say that I am glad it is over with.

What did you do Christmas day? According to the news in the paper and TV, they had a truce for Christmas and New Years in Vietnam.

As for here, we did the usual. The kids couldn’t wait ’til Christmas to open their gifts, so we opened them Christmas Eve and then we went out sightseeing and [saw] some of the Christmas light decorations on the houses. We didn’t go to the midnight mass this year, we went to the 11:30 Christmas Day mass. Then, after we got home, we got ready and went down Uncle Jack’s for the afternoon and had a very nice time. We left there about 7 in the evening. When we got home, Dad had a couple of more beers and went to bed. Carol Johan and Joanna came over after work and had a couple of drinks here and left around 10:30. So, that was our day.

Today, Dad had to go to work and the kids are out of school until the 6th of January, so I am not home alone for a while.

Just think, before long, it will be a year since you are in the service. Does it seem that long to you?

Larry, we haven’t been getting any mail from you. Are they keeping you that busy or don’t you want to write to us? Everyday, I keep watching for the mailman and keep hoping for a letter from you. I try to write as often as I can. Sometimes, I wonder if you are getting my mail, because you never write and say that you got it and you don’t answer any of the questions I ask you.

Did you get any packages for Christmas? I wondered if you got a box from Bill L—– and the “Remember the Boys from Vietnam Club.” DID YOU? I had a woman from that club call me not too long ago and asked for your address, and she said that they send all the boys from Anderson packages for Christmas. So, I wondered if you heard from them. I also asked in some of the letters if there is anything you need or something you want me to send you. It would help, because I am planning on getting another box ready soon.

Jaqueline and Kathy are really little dolls now. They are so cute and talk all the time, especially Jackie. I asked her if she would like to come over and stay all night with me sometimes and she got so excited and asked her mother if she could. So, I will have to have her over here soon or she will be disappointed. I don’t think she will be afraid of you now, because she is so different.

We still have our tree up and will try to leave it up at least the rest of the week. It is getting pretty dry now and is beginning to shed. We took some pictures of it and the family Christmas Eve and will send you a couple as soon as we got them developed.

Have you taken anymore pictures with your camera?

Must close, so please take care.

Love Mom