Everett Schafer's Letters
Letter #18
I Believe I’ll Be Heading For The States….
To Mrs. Dora Schafer
17 April 1945
April 17 1945
Transient Center, Casual Battalion[1]
Dear Mom
Well finally I have something besides the regular bit of news.[2] You can stop worrying about my mail. I started getting mail about six days ago. Yours, LaFerhn’s, Roma’s, Doris and Etta Joan. The reason my mail didn’t get to me is because I’ve been moving around so much that it can’t possibly get to me till I get settled. Was glad to hear that everything is going so well. All the babies and mother getting along so well. Doris said they are trying to build a ball team.
Etta Joan is really getting hep with that race of younger generation. I can imagine what she does and looks like. You see the reason I know so much about home is because I have finally seen Delwin. Yes, after two and a half years, we got together.
He located me here at T. C. and called me up. He was so excited he would just talk. So the next day I found his ship and spent the day, night, and next day with him. He gets liberty day after tomorrow and I’ll see him again. He told me all about his leave at home and everything he’s done. He was so interested in me though, he wanted to know all I’ve done for the past years. We had a very good talk + had a good time. I showed him around the place as he hadn’t spent much time here. He was surprised to find I haven’t changed any, only in my ways and thinking. He is just the same as ever, but perhaps a little more rugged. His ship is just like all the rest I’ve been aboard and I know as much about ships as he does.[3] He still thinks the Marines are a great bunch but he wouldn’t want to be in them.
Also I don’t know for sure but I believe I’ll be heading for the States in a week or so. Don’t count on it but the chances are good. I’ll let you know in plenty of time from here or the west coast.
My shoulder is getting along very good, no pain no strain.[4] I’m just laying around eating + sleeping. Don’t worry about the mail for I may move again. Tell Roma + Joan I received their letters and Joan’s stationary is classy stuff.
I intend to write LaFerhn + Doris today. So till you hear from me again, lots of love to all.
Your loving son
Everett
PS: Tell Shirley to take good care of herself and the baby. I hope its as beautiful as she is, and know it is.
Footnotes
1. This is an administrative unit for unassigned Marines in transit from one duty station to another. Many of them, like Everett, have recently been released from hospitals and are awaiting further orders.
2. A great deal has happened since Everett’s last letter sent in December 1944. In January, his regiment embarked for the invasion of Iwo Jima and made the assault landing on 19 February. Everett himself was on the island for only about 24 hours; he was wounded and evacuated on 20 February. It would be his last day with Baker Company. This statement seems to suggest that other letters were written in the interval, but may not have survived to the present day.
[3] Delwin was a crewman aboard the new attack transport USS Buckingham. The ship had just arrived at Pearl Harbor on 10 April, and put to sea a few days later for additional sea trials and training.
[4] Referring to his Iwo Jima wound, the specifics of which are otherwise unknown.