Attack on Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941

This letter is undated, but it must have been written not long after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Sailors were encouraged to write a brief note home to reassure their families that they were OK. My father was on the USS MONAGHAN which, in response to a miniature submarine sighting, was underway at the time of the attack and not in "battleship row". This action may have saved his and my life.

On Christmas Eve, a year later, he wrote his only direct reference to that day: "I sure remember last December 7th, we had a fine fried chicken dinner, with Ice Cream, cigars etc. and what not. As the ice cream was melting and everyone on my station, was too busy to eat any, except me, as a talker ate over a quart by myself." Imagine. Eating ice cream with bombs going off all around.

MONAGHAN

Dear Mom:

Just a little note to let you know I'm well.

My, but I wish I could visit with you for a while. So many things I could tell you to make you feel good and let you know that we still got the best navy afloat.

Do you want to come out at Xmas and have Christmas dinner in Tokyo? And it won't be rice and fish-heads.

The old song "A Million Miles From Nowhere" seems to be running through my head these last few weeks, but really we are some-where.

Do I get homesick? No, just excepting in the mornings at Reveille, I get to thinking about how nice it would be to lay in bed till 7 or 8 & especially on Sundays when I could maybe sleep till 9 or 10.
Remember I used to complain about not being able to sleep during the day. Don't have that trouble now. I can sleep with a 100 watt light glowing in my face, a card game not 5' from me & the radio going full blast.

In fact when I get paid off and into civilian life I'll move by a blasting outfit, sleep in salt soaked dungarees, have some one rock the bed, squirt a fire hose on the windows & have to be woke up every half hour before I'm comfortable.

Well mom I must sign off for now.

Lots of Love

Jim

U.S.S. MONAGHAN,
C/O FLEET P.M., S.F. CALIF.
J.H.LYON, SKIC, U.S.N.

December 3, 1941

Four days before the attack on Pearl Harbor Jim writes home to his sister Margaret in Oklahoma about Christmas gifts for his mom, Laura (Shay) Lyon, in Wichita.



Laura (Shay) Lyon ca. 1952

December 3, 1941
USS MONAGHAN

Don't let mom know what she is getting, but send me a card & let me know.

Dear Marg:

I've been racking my brain, what little there is of it to find a suitable present for mom. I can't think of what she would want.

It looks like the job is up to you. What does she want? Something she would desire but feels she couldn't afford something she could treasure and show off.

A ring, fur piece, gloves & shoes assembly to match. You being with her should know. What I wanted to get her was a portable radio. I think she would like one swell, cause often when she goes visiting, either the folks she is with don't have one, or else she can't turn on the radio to the programs she wants. With a portable she could stick it in her room & play it herself.

About the portable though, I think R.C.A. has a gadget that charges the batteries as it plays on the light current, but I don't know about the tone.

You or Tom look around and find something then get the money from mom as I've drained my cash surplus and I think me and mom have enough in the kitty to buy her a nice present.

I was kind of hoping that the kids & you wouldn't get into your presents before Christmas morning. I thought they were Christmas wrapped & labeled.

Did the skates fit? I was wondering. I got the biggest for you I could find & was very much afraid mom would have to cut them apart & make one out of them so you could get in them.

Love,  Jim

Territory of Hawaii, November 20, 1941

A month before Christmas. Dad writes home sending presents to the family. His mother, Laura (Shay) Lyon is living in OKC with her daughter Margaret Graham and her family: husband Tom, and sons Sammy and Dickie. Again, since his 6-year hitch is up in January he writes of his expectation to come home soon. He wouldn't be back until 1943-44.

November 20, 1941
U.S.S. MONAGHAN
To Mrs. S.D. Lyon
807 N.W. 25th
Oklahoma City, Ok

Dear Mom:

This is the last Christmas I may be able to send presents for all hands and so I sent them to everyone.
I haven't one for you though yet & can't quite decide on what would be good for you.

Be sure that Mag doesn't get her nosey nose in this package.

Being as how I got her name in the draw I'm buying her something special, I think it's rather trashy myself but she never has seen Hawaii.

Love, Jim

PS I guess I might as well list what I got them all.

• The girls and women all silk socks.
• The nieces - house coats
• Sammy-Dicky-Win-Donny - Skates
• Billy-Alfred - Rubber truck set
• Davey - Punching Bag
• Jo Sammy- Horn & Light for bicycle
• Leon-Carl D- and the brothers and brothers in law all rubber beach shoes

You don't have to tell everyone as I don't want them all sending me anything. I may get paid off at Xmas I will know by the 15th or 20th of Dec. if this ship will leave here or not.

Jim

I'll sure be glad when I get out of here. I'm getting to talk like a Kanaki. Getting my words and everything mixed up. Just so I don't think like one.

We are ahead of our schedules and that is why I think we may get back for a recreation period around the holidays, and if we do that would mean I would get paid off.

Includes receipt dated November 15, 1941 for purchase from:

Receipt for Margaret's gifts

YONEKURA COMPANY, LTD

IMPORTERS AND DEALERS IN

ORIENTAL PROVISIONS, DRY GOODS AND GENERAL MERCHANDISE

•  Coaster set, 12 & case
•  1 Tray, square
•  1 Doz. Lauhula Coasters

On reverse:
 Dear Mom, This is Marg's special gift. So you check contents but don't let her know.

November 10, 1941

Jim regularly sent money home to his mom. Little Don is his nephew.

November 10, 1941

Dear Mom:

This won't be much of a letter as I haven't time to write much & I always think a money order speaks for itself.

Give Lucille the stamp & postmark. I was going to let my money "ride" on the books, but too many guys do & you know me. I think everyone on the ship knows me and I'm friends with everyone.

Put this to good use. Either for the trip to Memphis, or buy little Don's tonsils from him. I think if I paid to have Don's tonsils out that it would about square accounts with us, don't you?

Nothing sarcastic, you know, but I thought the poor kid had had them out long ago.

If you do send the money to him I'll send you another money order the first of June.

Lots of love,

Jimmy.

P.S.: Write & tell me if this doesn't get there. Ha Ha.

October 30, 1941

James H Lyon 1913-1978

     It's the eve of Veteran's day 2011. These are a series of letters that my father James H. Lyon wrote while in the Navy beginning in 1936 up through 1943. He wrote most of them to his Mother, Laura Shay Lyon back home in Wichita KS.
     I'm beginning these with a letter he wrote from Pearl Harbor, October 31, 1941--just over 70 years ago. I plan to post them on the 70th anniversary of his writing them. He enlisted in January 1936, and his 6-year hitch is up January 1941, a fact he makes several references to--including in this letter. Of course December comes before January--December 7 to be exact. And it made all the difference for him and his career. He survived the attack, and went on to remain in the Navy until his retirement in 1957.
     I've avoided cleaning up the spelling & punctuation. Nor have I tried to make it politically correct for modern sensibilities (however right they may be). Enjoy.

USS Monaghan

Postmark: October 31, 1941

USS MONAGHAN

63 Days To Do

Dear Mom:

This has been an almost perfect trip. Too bad it couldn't be my last one. It won't though. The way I figure it I'll probably have 7 or 8 more of them. Not that many, I guess maybe only four.

I don't mind the going out to sea much though. Its those stays in the navy yard that is enough to drive me bats. All that hammering and banging of the yards is enough to drive anyone nuts. The smell and stink. The chinks and japs overrun the yards and its distasteful to us that don't like them. -they stink too.

But like I said before this is a fine trip at sea this time, no one has been busy or anything. The sea has been swell, just like waving fields of wheat. The moon has been exceptionally bright until you can read at night almost, not quite as bright as those back home but almost. The stars too seem so close. That's the weather that I like for sailing. Just enough breeze to keep the ship well ventilated and everyone happy.

The fellows have a game of horseshoes out on the deck and we enjoy ourselves. You can make a set yourself. We use rope about the size of your thumb, and make a circle 6" in diameter, and then two pegs that you can move at anytime you want. It has been bright enough to play by moonlight. Last night I took the radio out and we had some swing from the states, just on the batteries and the built in aerial. Using the ship's aerial I can get most anyplace. Dallas, Tijuana, Salt Lake, Denver, Philly, St. Louis, L.A. and all the west coast stations.

No matter how big an aerial you have though its very hard to get state side while the sun is shining. The best reception at about 4 am when the stations here are not yet on the air to cause interference.

I've been busy today building shelves. I guess I am pretty lucky. They both are good fits. Working with sheet metal and nothing but two hammers, a drill, and pair of snips, is lots different than using all the modern tools that were available on the DIXIE.

Mentioning the DIXIE, I've not heard from them yet, I got a letter from one of the fellows but that was when they first arrived in the states razzing me because I'm still out here.

Lots of love for now, Jim