S. YENNE JR. RM ?/C ll s s PRAIRIE AD-15 tz-c' ilV.

trLEET
HARLAN

tl.

8o

SAN FRANiISCO, CAL IF.

/CC

POST OFFICE

2L
N0v
1945

MISS MARY YENN:

AIR

MAIL

DELTA

GAII,{MA HOUSE

BL00MtNGTON, tNDtANA

IN

REPI,Y

REI'ER TO:

U. S. S. PRAIRIE
2(,
DEAREST MARY,
I

C/O FLEET POST OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO. CALIF.

NOVEMBER 1945

TM COMINC HOME.

BIG NE',IS ARRIVED. BUT I{OTil I FEEL SO CLOGGED UP I CAN HARDLY THINK. I FULLY ftEALIZE THAT I HAVE SPENT A LOT LESS TI\IE AT SEA THAN A LOT 0F !'ifY C0NTEi,'|P0R|ES. AND HAVE LIVED A LIFE OF CO1|PARITIVE EASE IN CO''PARISON TO'T'JOSE I'IIHO '''SRE ON DEST-

I HAD FIGURED A HUNDRED DIFFERENT THINGS TO SAY t,lHEN THE

ROYEI8 OR OTHER SH I PS THAT HAD TO BUCK THE FULL I|IL,IGFIG OF THE WAR. AND AIII A LOT BETTER OFF THAN THEY tllH0 DIED IN THE PROCESS. BUT-STILL THE FACT REI,4AlNS, ltgE BEEN AWAY, AND NO!l| lrM C0l'llNG
HOME.

MY EYES ARE 'llET. BUT SO ARE THOSE OF MY BUDDIES. TO READ LIKE TMT AS IT-COMES OVER THE RADIO. IS A THRILL SO OVERI,IHELMINC IT IS !MPOSSIBLE TO DESCRIBE. AND IT ISNIT OFTEN THAT YOU CAN GET A THOUSAND MEN TO LOOSE SELF CONTROL AFTER THEY
NEWS

HAVE SPENT Tl1O YTARS BECOMING TOUGH AND BITTER TOEARDS LIFE BECAUSE THEY TEVER I([Ell I4HEN IT ITOULD END, OF IF THEY S0RVIVED WHEN THEY WOULD GO HOME AGAIN. - THIS IS A HAPPY SHIPT TONIGHT. SO HAPPY THAT THERE IS NO CELEBRATIOI{, JUST A CHOKED UP HAPPINESS THAT |TILL KEEP A LOT OF U$ FROM SLEEPING TONIGHT- AND FROM NOI1 ON UNTIL tllE LEAVE EARLY IN DECEMBER,

FEELS THE SAME. GUESS IT'S \O CRIMb.-tU BE BTtnzILY HAPPY. I(IGHT \l0llJ L0VE THE I40RLD, EVEN rHE JRPS.

$/HAT CAN I TALK OF? 1IIHATIS IHE USI UF RECALLING 20 MONTHS OF IHIS. FOR I HAVL NO USE FOR THEM. IIVE ALIilOST OOMPLETELY FORGfiTEN THE PAST IN MY DIZZY PLANS FOR MY LEAVE. ALL I CAN TIjINK OF IS SUNDAY EVENING IN FRONT OF THE FIRE. LISTENING TO THE RADIO. OR FIGHTING DORA UPSTAIRS.'!ELI-. JUST hVERYTHING CONNECTED 'COULD l,T I TH I1OME.. I NEVER BEFORT I MAG I NED I FEEL L IKE TH IS . BUT AT THE SAI.IE TIi'E IJONT FEEL ASHAMED, CAUSE EVERYONh AROUND VD

CAN I,4AKE IT HO[{E FOR CHRIST[4AS. SO PLEASE OONTINUE TO KEEP SECRET THIS WONDERFUL NEWS. STILL DONT WANT T0 DtqsAP0tNT i,loir AND DAD, S0 PLEASE, THtS WtLL BE A COilBtNE

I DONT KNOtll IF I

BETWEEN US.

IM HAPPY. i,{ARY, I 'M OO\JING HOME- OEdS I

LOTS

SF

LOVE,

',l$*'