Chapter 7 - Mail Call
One of the hardest parts of being company clerk, was mail call. It seemed I was always the messenger in one way or another. Letters from home was another ingredient that kept the people at the 4077 above sanity level. Though at times the news, though happy, would bring a damper on how long we'd been away from home. And how desperately we wanted to go back.
One man specifically, BJ Hunnicutt, great doctor, great human being. His first born daughter, Erin, had just been born when he was called up. Though it was a struggle he remained faithful to his wife Peg, who wrote every week with stories about their daughter. On my way back to the states, I had the privilege of meeting his wife, beautiful woman, and Erin was the cutest little girl I had ever seen. The letters from home encouraged BJ, and were something he held onto to keep from being a nervous wreck. In those letters was his daughter's childhood. And each detail he ran over and over in his mind trying so hard to picture it. But sometimes finding it hard to remember what his daughter looked like. Those letters were his life back in Korea. Without them, I don't know where any of us would have been.
I loved getting letters from back home. Hearing about all the rumors a small town can't seem to get enough of. I really missed my mom and the farm. But I knew they'd always be there whenever it was I did get back home. I almost feel like we spoke more through those letters than we ever would have, had we been face to face like we always are. The "I love yous" came more often and with so much more meaning. If I didn't have my mom to write to, I would have been really lonely.
I loved delivering the mail most of the time, because it seemed almost always to bring good news. Though in some cases it brought tragedy and too often a "Dear John" letter.
I didn't have a sweetheart back home when I was in Korea. My old C.O. Henry Blake had a great sweetheart. And my heart aches till this day that he never got to say goodbye to her. Their relationship amazed me. They loved each other so much. And those letters kept their love strong. Through the loneliness they had the letters. We all had the letters. Thank you letter writers for reminding us there was always someone to go back home to. Thank God for those letters.
One of the hardest parts of being company clerk, was mail call. It seemed I was always the messenger in one way or another. Letters from home was another ingredient that kept the people at the 4077 above sanity level. Though at times the news, though happy, would bring a damper on how long we'd been away from home. And how desperately we wanted to go back.
One man specifically, BJ Hunnicutt, great doctor, great human being. His first born daughter, Erin, had just been born when he was called up. Though it was a struggle he remained faithful to his wife Peg, who wrote every week with stories about their daughter. On my way back to the states, I had the privilege of meeting his wife, beautiful woman, and Erin was the cutest little girl I had ever seen. The letters from home encouraged BJ, and were something he held onto to keep from being a nervous wreck. In those letters was his daughter's childhood. And each detail he ran over and over in his mind trying so hard to picture it. But sometimes finding it hard to remember what his daughter looked like. Those letters were his life back in Korea. Without them, I don't know where any of us would have been.
I loved getting letters from back home. Hearing about all the rumors a small town can't seem to get enough of. I really missed my mom and the farm. But I knew they'd always be there whenever it was I did get back home. I almost feel like we spoke more through those letters than we ever would have, had we been face to face like we always are. The "I love yous" came more often and with so much more meaning. If I didn't have my mom to write to, I would have been really lonely.
I loved delivering the mail most of the time, because it seemed almost always to bring good news. Though in some cases it brought tragedy and too often a "Dear John" letter.
I didn't have a sweetheart back home when I was in Korea. My old C.O. Henry Blake had a great sweetheart. And my heart aches till this day that he never got to say goodbye to her. Their relationship amazed me. They loved each other so much. And those letters kept their love strong. Through the loneliness they had the letters. We all had the letters. Thank you letter writers for reminding us there was always someone to go back home to. Thank God for those letters.
