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“Your Loving Son"

Letters from Everett Ellsworth Schafer
Baker Company, First Battalion, 24th Marines
1942 – 1945

Everett Ellsworth Schafer was born in Statesville, North Carolina, on 1 August 1922. He spent much of his youth in Campbell County, Kentucky, with one older brother (Delwin Vard Schafer) and three younger siblings (Shirley, Etta Joan, and Ronny). Everett had two older half-sisters from his mother’s first marriage, and was particularly close to the eldest – LaFerhn Alvaretta Jones. In fact, Everett would spend a formative time living with LaFehrn and her husband, Henry Kolling (known as “Dutch”) in Dayton, Ohio before the war.

Everett enlisted from Dayton on 8 October 1922, and was posted to Baker Company, First Separate Battalion (Reinforced) immediately after completing boot camp at Parris Island. He rose quickly through the enlisted ranks, making corporal within six months of enlisting, and was placed in charge of a machine gun squad. He would eventually reach the rank of sergeant and command a machine gun section (two squads) in B/1/24th Marines.

Schafer saw combat in the battles of Roi-Namur, Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima; he was wounded in the latter two battles, and his last injury spelled the end of his combat career. He returned to the United States in June 1945 and stood guard at a peaceful post in Virginia until his honorable discharge in September.

The letters in this collection were saved by his mother, Dora Etta Emma (Belch) Schafer. Although he mentions writing to other members of the family, especially LaFerhn and Dutch, none of these are known to survive. His letters are fairly typical of World War II era correspondence: a few details about life in uniform, war stories (though usually not so graphic as to worry his mother), and a lot of references to family life. Schafer managed to connect with his brother Delwin while overseas, and seemed a bit overwhelmed at times with how quickly life moved in the civilian world – particularly with the number of nieces and nephews he hoped to meet after the war.

Everett survived to raise a family, and passed away in 1982. All letters and pictures in this series are provided courtesy of his nephew, Gary Schafer, and other members of the family.

Note: Everett was not shy in his descriptions of Japanese soldiers and civilians; his language, while typical of his time and circumstances, would be considered offensive today. Unless otherwise noted, these letters have been transcribed verbatim

27 October 1942

I’m Going To Try To Win A Couple Medals

31 October 1942

I Don’t Know Anything About The Outside World

3 March 1943

I’m A Corporal

17 June 1943

Really Having A Rugged Life Now

24 November 1943

Taking Rubber Boat Training

6 February 1944

We Have Them Beat Any Way They Want It

12 March 1944

They Call It A Rest Camp

2 April 1944

There Are No Kicks On My Side

26 April 1944

Hoping Always For The End Of This Thing

11 July 1944

Yesterday We Secured This Hell Hole

17 July 1944

Combat Routine Is Like Anything Else, Only More So

19 July 1944

The Ocean Was Red With Blood

22 August 1944

Don’t Let This Worry You…

27 August 1944

Our Gun Was Credited With 80 Dead…

9 September 1944

World Events Are Looking Very Good Anyway

15 November 1944

The Marine Corps Is One Year Older

30 December 1944

I Did Have A Holiday Christmas

17 April 1945

I Believe I’ll Be Heading For The States…

13 May 1945

The Pacific War Is Nothing To Sneeze At

3 June 1945

It Is Nothing Like Overseas

14 July 1945

It Happened So Fast It’s Hard To Believe

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