My Dearest Helen,               I haven't much to write about today as its the same old thing over and over again.We have just had a captains inspection and are now able to be in our barracks again,     So far darling I haven't got any mail I sure hope that I hear from you before we leave as I know that you must have a lot of news to tell me. It seems a year since I have left but time marches on and each day must surely be bringing this war to a close and the we can together for always I hope.       How are you all now darling? How is Janice and Denny by now are they over their colds and how about yourself dearest are you O.K.? I suppose that you must be working hard getting lined up to move and all. Darling dont work to hard and try not to worry about me. I know that it is hard to try not to but we must always feel that we are well. I shall try to look out for myself as its a good policy for a service man to do.         I could ask you a hundred questions but it still wont

Dearest Gene,                  How are you? Its really nice weather now its so warm it really does give me the spring fever. I can hardly wait to get to digging in the garden. Glad to hear you run across another Diehl sure their nice people. Ha Couldn't help but be. Glad to hear the Briener boy is with you. Say it sure sounds like their feeding you good. Don't get fat now or you'll have to take the tuck out of your pants. that reminds me I forgot about putting some in your shorts. You probably wont need them anyhow petty soon.                 Virgil Egley is home from Panama just think he was down there 2.5 years the same Virgil only he looks a little older. They were here this afternoon Robert is in England.             We received another letter from Junior but he wrote it over a month ago. I will send it along.        Mrs Masonie was just over and wanted to know the number of our lot. She wants to know about the ground. I know she wont want it I wish shed stop bother

Dearest Helen,            Good morning dear, how is everybody this morning? I am fine and enjoyed a very good nights sleep. Went to bed about 9:30 and up at 6:00 this morning. I suppose that you to have been up for  awhile as the time here is still the same as New York time.             What are you going to do today dear? I do not know what is in store for us as most everyday some of the boys are just on work details and must work from 8:15 until 11:00 then at 1:00 until 4:00 most of the work consists of loading repair barges to repair ships that come in the dock. The work is not hard as there are a lot of men so that no one hurts them self. So far I have not had a work detail but are looking for me today. Yesterday I played softball in the forenoon and horseshoe in the afternoon. I am rather stiff today as I have been laying around  to long doing nothing since coming back.            We had a very good breakfast today and I am quite full to start the day on. I am afraid if I keep

Dewey does not agree. Of course a lot is politics but I do believe Dewey is a square shooter. They say most of the service men will vote for Roosevelt but if they want to come home Why? Do as you please but you should vote Gene. I know politics are rotten clean through but its time to change.     Well my dearest I haven't much news and the kiddies are awakening so Ill say bye for now.                                                              All my Love,                                                                          Helen

Dearest Gene,     How is our sailor by this time? were fine the kids are in bed snoring and I'm going to bed pretty soon too. I bet you've been in the bed an hour already. We received your letter today dearest. I hope you will get to go to school down there instead of being shipped out but if you are my darling we must face it bravely and pray that you will be back again soon. Wherever you are dearest remember your family is home thinking and loving you more everyday if its possible to love you any more than we do now. Our love for you is deep dear and wonderful never forget that your love has been and will always mean more to me than anything in this world. You have to and will come back to us Daddy Darling I couldn't ever be happy without you. I'm putting you in gods hands and I know he'll see that you come back safely to us. Did you get any of my letters yet? I sent to Sampson? Dearest if I ever have to get in touch with you should I do it through the chief co

Darling Gene,     Hows our sailor tonight? Were fine. I certainly would like to be out there with you darling. If ever you get a weekend darling and I can come out there let me know and I'll surely be on my way. We received you letter today dear and surely enjoyed it. It sounds like it must be beautiful out there.  We were out home today with Virginia all day. Uncle Charlie Graham and his daughter were there from Anderson. They had been to see grandpa and stayed all night at the folks. Grandpa isn't very good. The folks are alright. I'm going out to the house next week and get it cleaned up and get ready to move. I haven't sold the house yet. Will be glad when its off my hands. I talked to Ruth Lutes tonight. She was over to Emerys. They and the preacher will put out her garden. She said if ever she could do anything to make things easier for me to let her know. Were getting along alright though but darling you know as much as i do that nothing or no one can take t

Dearest Helen:               Good morning Helen Janice and Denny how are you all this morning? I am fine and hope all is well at home. The weather here is nice and sunny and it looks like it will be a hot day today. How is the weather there dear? I imagine that it is also getting very nice and I suppose that you will soon be getting spring fever.    What are you doing today? We are not doing much as I have only had one fire watch of 4 hours since I have been here, yesterday I enjoyed a pleasant afternoon with a few of my buddies, Ray Diehl, and a fellow by the name of Roger Diehl, seems like all the Diehls are nice people. Ha We played horseshoe and had a very good time doing it. There are several men here that were in my old company at Sampson and it seems good as we kind of stick together and the rest of the men are good boys also. There are 60 men in our dorm and there are 4 different dorms here in this barrack making a total of 240 men in all. Bryce Briener from Decatur is her

Dearest Helen,              Here it is about morning again and I have been unlucky enough to get a fire watch the first night here. I started at 2:00 a.m and must watch that no fires break out in our dormitory until 6:00 in the morning. We have no one that checks us here so we can do about anything while on watch. We have to make a report each hour while on watch.        It is sure a swell night here darling I sure wish that you all could be here also then the night would be perfect.We do not have to wear our pea coats and will soon be in whites that is if we stay here long enough. They have a big navy yard here and employ a lot of civilians as our barrack is a unit that is located near civilian houses and it doesn't seem near like Sampson.    Darling it is hard to tell just what is in store for us fellows here, but we do know that where we are is a point of embarkment for the Navy. Here men are sent to all ports but this will be our home port if we get shipped out. Which wi

Dearest Helen,                    Hello dear how are you all to-day I am fine. It is now 9:10 and I am due at train station at 10:00 a.m. so must write in a hurry. I am going to Norfolk VA from there I don't know so will write as soon as I can. Well darling I have to sign off and leave now as they want clean up the barracks and must leave so keep your chin up and I shall try to do like wise. Just remember that I love you with all my heart and that I do miss you all so much. Here's a hug and kiss to you all. Hello Janice and Denny how are you to-day? Do you miss daddy a lot too. So Ill say so long for now and hope to get to write you a long long letter as soon as I get settled tell all I said hello                                                                        All my love,                                    Daddy

Hello my darling, How does this find you this Sabbath day? Did you get to go to church today? We did although it was a terrible rainy morning. There were 104 at Sunday School. That wasn't bad for a rainy morning. I just finished my dishes and Denny is asleep and Janice is dressing up. I talked to George Squire a few minutes ago he wanted your address. Mrs. Masonie was over yesterday evening and wanted to know how the ground stood. George showed her the stakes and all. She would like it I believe if it were more ground. Time will tell who will buy I guess. George said if we stayed he would give us enough ground to square up the lot. He would say that now wouldn't he? Although its generous of him to mention it.  I guess ill go out home Wed and stay a couple of days. I'm sure getting anxious to move.   I sure don't have to worry about kindling dear. The cheese plant dumped a whole truck of better boxes out here on Mr. Ervins back yard and he said I could have all I

Dearest Helen,          Hello Darling. How are you by now I sure hope that you are all fine. We arrived here about 1:00 to-day was pretty tired when I got here, but I will get to go to bed early to-night I hope.       Gee darling you'll never know how hard it was to part from you and the kiddies last night. Dearest you are certainly the bravest wife that a person could ever have. I understand dearest that you to must have had a hard time to act so brave in parting but we can sincerely hope and pray that time will pass quickly and that we can again enjoy the happiness that we once had and did have the past 6 days we were all together again. Darling how are the kiddies by now? I suppose they are having a good time playing. Dearest I am sure they didn't realize that I was leaving last night Do you? How did they act after I left?Tell them Daddy is thinking of them and that I send them a big kiss and hug to them both.     Darling things are happening fast here as we got assig

Dearest wife,   How are you on this Monday morning? I am fine and hope that all is well with my dear family at home.    This is the last letter that I will write dear until I get back here again as Ill probably beat them home if I write after to-day.   Just think darling 3 days left and then home to you all again. Gee I hope these next hours really fly. If nothing happens I will be home Thursday probably about 6:00 p.m as I don't know for sure when I will arrive I am planning on going from here to Ft. Wayne in order to save some time on train connection so just keep calm Thursday and your home sick sailor will probably coming rolling in.    What did you do Sunday dear? I went to church and wrote letters most of the day. I wrote to Uncle Jims as I owed them a letter.    How are all the neighbors and all I hope they are all well. Tomorrow we get paid off and get our round trip ticket for home also we finish our service week on Tuesday then we will lashing our gear as all

Dearest Helen:                  I have now pass my fourth Sat. at Sampson. It seems like it has been a year at times but guess that all month are made up of the same time.    How are you all tonight? I am fine. I am now ready to retire for the night. This morning for four hours I pushed a mop on swab as the Navy call it. That's were three of us that moped the warehouse had to have it ready for inspection at 2:00 P.M. I feel like I have gone a fair days work.        After supper I did my wash 1 suit of underwear, 4 pillow cases, 1 mattress cover, 1 blue shirt, and one pair of blue pants. I am all caught up on this end of it for a change so I wont have to wash laundry.       Tomorrow we go to church at Sullivan Hall there the entire program will be broadcast. I wish I would have known it soon and I would have had you listen in on it.       Got two of your letters today. I didn't get any mail at all yesterday-but made up for it today. Got 2 letters from you dear. 1 fro

        I am writing this blog in honor of my grandmother and   grandfather, whom taught me what love looks like. I recently became lucky enough to acquire hundreds, maybe more than a thousand of the letters that were written between them during the years of 1944-1946 while my grandfather Eugene Johnson was serving during World War II. During this time my grandmother Helen was home in Indiana raising their two children. This blog is for all of my many cousins who also were lucky enough to witness the love these two had for one another. I will be typing these letters out, but they may not all be in correct order. Although each is dated I plan to make entries starting in March of 1944. These are when the letters I have start. Please enjoy and I hope everyone reading these can take away a little lesson to use in your own life. Something I believe my grandparents lived by............. "Love is patient; love is always kind; love is never envious or arrogant with pride. Nor is she