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.