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Authors: Jayne Anne Phillips
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him, walking toward me on one of the tarmac landing strips we laid in New Guinea. I’d wake up in a sweat.
I was a secret myself. I used to lie awake nights when I was a kid, before I slept. I grew up in different places: with Bess, with Ava, with cousins at the farm. I’d fall asleep and hear a voice I’d never heard. I was called Mitch, or nicknames like Cowboy. But this voice said, “Mitchell … Mitchell … Mitchell …” with no question, till the sound didn’t seem like a name or a word.
WAR LETTERS
Mitch
1942–45
Physically the Japanese is a mixed race of all shapes and sizes. He is intensely patriotic, aggressive and stubborn. He is mostly an ignorant villager drilled to fight to the end through years of teaching. While of an inferior type to the civilized Western nations he believes himself to be immensely superior to everything on earth, so he does not surrender freely and is eternally disgraced if taken prisoner. He is liable to run if surprised or rushed by a determined attack and on these occasions you will hear him utter loud squeals. He is entirely treacherous and has no sense of a sporting instinct. He will attempt any number of tricks.
—
Soldiering in the Tropics
(Southwest Pacific Area),
prepared by the General Staff, LHQ., Australia,
and issued under the direction of the Commander,
Allied Land Forces Headquarters, SWPA.
(Revised edition, January, 1943)
FORT WARREN, WYOMING
March 31, 1942
Dear Aunt Bess. Was glad to hear from you, got all five letters at once. So far I have not been able to see much here because we have been under quarantine ever since we arrived, measles and scarlet fever, some fun. We have classes and daily drill anyway but we are not allowed out at night. Maybe it is just as well. They keep us on the jump and by the time night arrives I am ready for bed. The sun comes up every day but there is always a strong, steady cold wind and it carries a lot of dust. I am 2 miles south of Cheyenne and about 500 miles from Yellow Stone Park, don’t know how far from Sun Valley. On the train out I didn’t see much—we traveled at night a lot—but what I did see was just level flat land and once in awhile I could see a house. The boys were looking for Cowboys & Indians but we didn’t see any. Guess that has all passed. Everyone says they will never go to another Western Picture. People live here just like you do at home. Give Clayton my best and I wish I could come East before I leave this country. I look to be sent to the West Coast and then on across, where I don’t know. However I have at least six weeks more here. Well Bess, hope you are taking care of yourself. Tell Katie Sue and Chuck the Twister hello from Old Man Mitch.
Love to all,
Mitch
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
Pvt. M. Hampson
Company C
327th ZMC Bn (Port)
Subport of Oakland, CA
May 26, 1942
Dear Clayton. We hope to go across soon. Have been issued all our clothes and helmets and lack only our rifles—I understand we aregetting a short, 30-cal. rifle, carbine type with lever action, something like the old 97 model Winchester shotgun. Everyone is anxious to get across. Of course none of us know what we are getting into, I expect we will find out soon enough. I am classified a labor foreman and have been made a corporal and might be a Sergeant before we sail. I am getting $54.00 a month now, new pay. You asked how it is here. I had always heard that it was hot in this state of California but it is not as warm as home, people wear coats in the evenings. Would like to have seen you and Bess and the kids but it won’t be possible. Would be an expensive and hard trip out there and I can’t get off to come home, so it will have to be put off who knows how long. I hope you like the new job at Reeder, I was there a couple of times while working at Wheeling. Clayton, stay in good health and keep the kids straight. Thanks for everything you have done for me. Maybe I could have done better but we all have one way to
I was a secret myself. I used to lie awake nights when I was a kid, before I slept. I grew up in different places: with Bess, with Ava, with cousins at the farm. I’d fall asleep and hear a voice I’d never heard. I was called Mitch, or nicknames like Cowboy. But this voice said, “Mitchell … Mitchell … Mitchell …” with no question, till the sound didn’t seem like a name or a word.
WAR LETTERS
Mitch
1942–45
Physically the Japanese is a mixed race of all shapes and sizes. He is intensely patriotic, aggressive and stubborn. He is mostly an ignorant villager drilled to fight to the end through years of teaching. While of an inferior type to the civilized Western nations he believes himself to be immensely superior to everything on earth, so he does not surrender freely and is eternally disgraced if taken prisoner. He is liable to run if surprised or rushed by a determined attack and on these occasions you will hear him utter loud squeals. He is entirely treacherous and has no sense of a sporting instinct. He will attempt any number of tricks.
—
Soldiering in the Tropics
(Southwest Pacific Area),
prepared by the General Staff, LHQ., Australia,
and issued under the direction of the Commander,
Allied Land Forces Headquarters, SWPA.
(Revised edition, January, 1943)
FORT WARREN, WYOMING
March 31, 1942
Dear Aunt Bess. Was glad to hear from you, got all five letters at once. So far I have not been able to see much here because we have been under quarantine ever since we arrived, measles and scarlet fever, some fun. We have classes and daily drill anyway but we are not allowed out at night. Maybe it is just as well. They keep us on the jump and by the time night arrives I am ready for bed. The sun comes up every day but there is always a strong, steady cold wind and it carries a lot of dust. I am 2 miles south of Cheyenne and about 500 miles from Yellow Stone Park, don’t know how far from Sun Valley. On the train out I didn’t see much—we traveled at night a lot—but what I did see was just level flat land and once in awhile I could see a house. The boys were looking for Cowboys & Indians but we didn’t see any. Guess that has all passed. Everyone says they will never go to another Western Picture. People live here just like you do at home. Give Clayton my best and I wish I could come East before I leave this country. I look to be sent to the West Coast and then on across, where I don’t know. However I have at least six weeks more here. Well Bess, hope you are taking care of yourself. Tell Katie Sue and Chuck the Twister hello from Old Man Mitch.
Love to all,
Mitch
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
Pvt. M. Hampson
Company C
327th ZMC Bn (Port)
Subport of Oakland, CA
May 26, 1942
Dear Clayton. We hope to go across soon. Have been issued all our clothes and helmets and lack only our rifles—I understand we aregetting a short, 30-cal. rifle, carbine type with lever action, something like the old 97 model Winchester shotgun. Everyone is anxious to get across. Of course none of us know what we are getting into, I expect we will find out soon enough. I am classified a labor foreman and have been made a corporal and might be a Sergeant before we sail. I am getting $54.00 a month now, new pay. You asked how it is here. I had always heard that it was hot in this state of California but it is not as warm as home, people wear coats in the evenings. Would like to have seen you and Bess and the kids but it won’t be possible. Would be an expensive and hard trip out there and I can’t get off to come home, so it will have to be put off who knows how long. I hope you like the new job at Reeder, I was there a couple of times while working at Wheeling. Clayton, stay in good health and keep the kids straight. Thanks for everything you have done for me. Maybe I could have done better but we all have one way to
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