Leonard's Story: June 23, 1944

Note: VOCO means "Verbal Orders of Commanding Officer"

[June 23, 1944, page 1]

              UNITED STATES ARMY

              CAMP RITCHIE

              MARYLAND

                             23 June

Dear Arnold,

     I have just received a six

day leave. Eighteen hours after

finishing the course I was alerted.

I am due back the 29th. I

am trying to fly home, I have

a priority which will take me

through, however, it is raining

here and the weather has been

bad all week so I don't know

if I will be able to make it.

If not I'll come up to see you

sunday night. I don't know

how much time I'll have

when I get back from leave.

If I fly home, I'll try to

get a 24 hour VOCO sometime

[page 2]

soon after I return and go up and

see you some night. I'll say hello

to the folks love

                 Leonard

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Leonard's Story: May 29, 1944

[I don’t know why the letters skip a year from June 1943 to May 1944; I suppose they have been lost]

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Leonard's Story: April 26, 1943

[April 26, 1943, page 1]

                             4-26-43

                             Camp Davis

Dear Arnold

     I am in study hall thus the paper.

It is a black sin to write in class, in fact

two boys in their last week were kicked out

of school for egetting caught. Notice I say

getting caught - the the army you can't

do anything wrong unless you are caught.

But I feel fairly safe as this book

makes for good camouflage.

However it doesn't pay to pull any smart

guy moves because sooner or later they will

get you. But I am caught up with my

work so I will excuse myself tonight.

     This week has started off pretty

well, for the instructors seem to be

almost human, also we have study

hall from 6:15 to 7:15 instead of

7 to 9 P.M. - this gives us more time in

the evenings and we can even go to

a late show.

[page 2]

I've gotten so I don't give a damn

anymore - the place is run on a chicken

shit basis and if you get on the shit

list you your through. So far I've kept

off the "S" list and hope to keep

keeping off it. When I see some

of the guys that are getting through

as officers I see why we are having

so much trouble in the army.

     I'm getting used to  being kicked

around, and I find that if I take

it easy I get along much better. In

fact on the Saturday inspection

of last week I received a commendation

on my brass - since these are very rare

I felt pretty good about it. Well I

better close before I'm caught.

Write soon.

                             Love

                             Leonard

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Leonard's Story: April 7, 1943

[April 7, 1943, page 1]

(A.A.)

CAMP DAVIS

NORTH CAROLINA

                                             4-7-43

Dear Arnold,

     Thanks for your unusual and

interesting letter of the 29th. I

wish something unusual, exciting

and different would happen to

me.

     Well, I think I am beginning

to wear into the groove a little. Now

I just don't five a damn what happens.

I just play along - I don't even

bother about the date or how many

weeks left - I just go thru a

specified series of motions every day.

     However, I had to change my

schedule the other day - temporarily

I hope - It happened this way:

One by one the toilets went out

of order until only two were still in

working condition - naturally a

shit crisis developed - so I had

to changed my schedule. Otherwise

[page 2]

things are just about the same here

as ever. I could fill pages of beefing

such as shaving with cold water, the damn

furnace broke down, etc., But perhaps

I should write about something good -

- damned if I can think of anything

good at the moment - we measure from

the xy axis down here, consequently every-

thing is just a relative degree of badness

Example         |

                    __|__ good [arrow up] +   note: The equation of the curve

                        |   bad  [arrow down] -            of OCS does not extend

                        |                                              above the x axis

     Everybody here believes in the philosophy

of the dog (forgive me for my coarseness, but this is

the army). Philosophy of the dog: If you can't

eat it or fuck it, then piss on it.

     Well I am writing this in the

baggage room after 10:30 which is illegal,

and its almost 11:00 so I guess I'd

better get in bed before bed check.

                             Your brother

                             Leonard

P.S. If you were in the army you would

hike 100 miles where you could ride 16.

N.B. Flavell would enjoy the dog philosophy

as it is his type of humor - so tell him

for me.

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Leonard's Story: June 14, 1944

[June 14, 1944]

          UNITED STATES ARMY

          CAMP RITCHIE

          MARYLAND

                             June 14, 1944

Dear Arnold,

     I am sorry I can't make

it this week end, I will still

be in this special class. I am

sorry I didn't write you yesterday

when I received you letter, but I

had a rough test this morning (3 hrs).

This is the toughest course I have ever or

ever want to take. We figured the other

that it is about equivalent to an 8 unit course

in three weeks (24 units at tech), the amount of

memory work is almost unbelievable. I finish

the 21st of May, six more days of this hell

in class and one day off to study. So

I hope we can get together soon after the

21st write and set the date.

                             Love

                             Leonard

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Arnold and Newlin: 1985

Arnold was quite ill by 1985 with a heart condition and difficulties after a series of strokes. He took up hydroponic gardening and grew lots of tomatoes.

Arnie's hydroponic tomatoes

Arnie was recognized by the U.S. Army for his regular Army service 1942–1944 and Army Air Force 1944–1946

back side of the Army recognition

Joel finished his PhD at the Ohio State University Department of Linguistics with a dissertation Finnish Particle Clitics and General Clitic Theory, that was the first in the Garland series Outstanding Dissertations in Linguistics. Arnie and Newlin fly up for his graduation in snowy December.

Joel in Columbus, 1985

next post  Arnold and Newlin:  1986

previous post  Arnold and Newlin:  Arnold and Newlin:  1984

first post in Flashbacks  How the Nevis family came to California

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Arnold's Story: September 30, 1944

Al Grote writes with news of his personal life and of classmates from Caltech.

next post  October 1, 1944

previous post  1944 Poem

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Arnold's Story: September 26, 1944 John Mason

Caltech classmate John Mason writes with news about other Caltech friends.

next post  September 26, 1944 MHN

previous post  September 24, 1944

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Leonard's Story: Epilogue – January 1975

If you want to read from the first letter, click here.

Leonard, Dolly, Laura, and Arnold during World War II

Arnold, Bill and Leonard Nevis, World War II

Dolly, Bill, Leonard, Laura, Hazel, and Arnold in the front yard of 501 East Mountain Street, Glendale

++++++++++++++++++

Arnold writes an addendum in January 1975:

     As I recall, Leonard di[d] come home by December, 1945 -- on a
hospital ship to Letterman Hospital in San Francisco.  He was very
sick (below 130 pounds -- some fifty pounds lighter than his usual
weight).  A less sick Major and friend said to my parents that
apparently the doctors and other patients were afraid Len might now
make it during those weeks they steamed across the Pacific -- but
he did!  (HOME ALIVE IN '45) -- and wonders of wonders!  He was well
enough to get a 5-day pass from the Hospital in San Francisco to
be with the family for Christmas, and I got a 5-day pass at Salt
Lake City Air Base (I was on my way to Japan and Korea), so I too
got to see him and be with the family for Christmas!  Len was dis-
charged from the hospital and out of active duty a few months later,
and I returned from Korea late in August, 1946  The war was over
for both of us!

_____________________________________________

 

 

 

Leonard's Story: October 3, 1945

The occupation of Japan started at the end of August 1945 and didn't pick up speed until September, so this letter is not all that long after the occupation began. 

_______________________________________________________________________

                                                   [top line cut off - probably Osaka, Japan]

                                                    Oct 3rd, 1945

Dear Arnold,

     How are you Bud?  As you can see by the address I am now in

Japan.  We are living in a very nice hotel, in fact I have heard

that it is the best hotel in Japan at the present time.  I have paid

anywhere from $5 to $10 per day in the states for the type of room

I have here.  It has twin, inner springs, beds (one of which is

occupied by another officer), separate bathroom, etc.  We eat in

the large main dining room downstairs.  The food is excellent, and

the dining room is very modern and attractive.  We also have a bar

where we can get drinks.  At present we only have Japanese beer to

drink (its damn good), however soon will have have whiskey and other

mixed drinks.  This is just like living on per diem in the states.

We work in an office building, and have plenty of room but not too

much work.  This is a good way to reacclimate back to civilian life.

     The B-29s burned out the major portion of OSAKA, but here and

there are areas (like the hotel and office building) that were un-

touched.  There is block after block of rubble, without a building

left standing.  Most of the people have gone to the country, and

though there are still plenty around the place it is'nt crowded.

     The Japanese people are very friendly and cooperative.  They

are glad that the war is over, even if it did end the way it did.

At present there is a food shortage, and the rice crops were poor

this year.  Consequently the people are worried about the coming

winter.  Only uniforms have been produced in the last three years,

and there is also a cloth shortage.  Most of the men you see (Japs)

are wearing some sort of a uniform, and the women wear pants tight

at the bottoms like a zoot suit.  Yesterday I bought about 29 yards

of white silk cloth at two yen per yard, 13 1/3 cents per yard, which

I will send to mother.  She should be able to make a lot of blouses

out of it.  As usual the GIs have gone all out for souviner buying

and prices are going up.  I am going to wait until I can get over

to NARA or KYOTO before I do any large scale buying.

     What is your situation in regard to overseas service?  I have an

idea that you may never leave the states.  I don't see how they could

use you over here now in your present type of work, and I don't think

they would put you in the MPs, or Inf.

     A small SNAFU has just come up here, which will require my

undivided attention, so I will sign off.

                                            love

                                  [signed] Leonard

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Leonard's Story: August 7, 1945

Apparently Uncle Len had Hepatitis A, or infectious hepatitis.

________________________________________________

                                               Philippines

                                              Aug 7th

Dear Arnold,

     This may catch up with you in Florida.

You should be getting rich on travel pay

and per diem. I feel perfectly well

but will probably be here another week

or so. Two other fellows and I built

a couple of model airplanes, one a

flyable Zero, and the other a solid model

of the P51, which we are giving to a nurse.

If you ever get sick get yellow

jaundice. The only cure is plenty of

rest, and except for two weeks when

I couldn't eat and felt like I had

been kicked in the stomach it hasn't

bothered me at all. However I

a pretty good case of it, they didn't

take my index until I had started

to get well about 16 days later and

it was 95.

     I am starting to put on a

little weight and gut. Enclosed are

two pictures of me. I probably weighed

around 140-150 lbs then (still do).

  

[page 2]

     Although I am a little late may I

extend birthday greetings to an old

man of 24. The three or four years have

really ripped by, what, and they

start accelerating from her on in. When

are you going to get married? or even

get a girl? or have you one in the wood-

pile that I don't know about?

     It looks like we will have to land

on Japan to make them surrender, and I'll

probably be there. How many points have

you got? I have 61! Not counting

my illegitimate children, so I'll

be around here got quite a while.

     Well that's about all for now.

                       love

                     Leonard

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Leonard's Story: July 16, 1945

                                                      July 16

                                                     Leyte Is PI

Dear Arnold,

     Well here I am back on Leyte, a hole

of the first waters. I am in a General Hosp

with a rather severe case of yellow jaundice.

For a while I was pretty yellow (still am), but

its clearing up a little now. I will probably be

here for a month or six weeks or so, as about

the only cure is a good long rest. I would get

sick just as we were coming out of combat. I

had expected to planned to visit Manila

and Baguio, and look up a lot of old friends.

Now I suppose that I will return just in

time to push off for Japan.

     Naturally there isn't much for me to

write about, inasmuch as I have been in bed

for almost three weeks. All I do is read,

sleep, play cards, or chew the fat with some

of the other patients. A hell of a life!

From your letter I surmise that you had a

good visit in the valley. I sure wish I

could have been there. I tell you what

I would like to have right now a thick

malted milk at that malt shop in Hanford,

or even a plain glass of cold fresh milk.

[page 2]

     If it is possible would you explain in a little

more detail just what kind of work you are

doing now (if any).

     Wel Bud, its pretty hard to think of

something to write about, when absolutely

nothing new happens, and when there isn't

much life (pep) in you. So I am going

to close. Write soon.

                        Love

                        Leonard

P.S. Address

     118th Gen Hosp

     APO 1002 c/PM

     S-- ---

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Leonard's Story: April 13, 1945

[written in: 4/13/45. In 2018 I sent the prayer flag to the Obon Society for repatriation with the family of the fallen Japanese soldier, HOKA Kenichi, but I never heard back from them. — JNyF]

Arnold,

     Here is a flag that I picked up one fateful day for its

owner, a Jap by the name of HOKA Kenichi.  I have given Mother

and Dad each one.  You can do what you want with the flag.  I

could get fifty dollars for it anytime, and sailors and merchant marine

men overhere will pay $75-$100 on on up depending upon how bad

they want it.  This is one of the better silk flags, and are

hard to find.  I have been lucky I guess, because I have found

about ten of these flags.  I have given four away to the General,

Colonel, and a major (the General pulled a fast one and got two,

damnit), however I kept the best ones.  About four have been

cotton, torn and bloody, and I gave them to the GIs that were

with me and did not yet have one.  Inclosed is a translation.

                                                Leonard

[Written nearly vertically in the margin is seminary seminary, probably Arnie's handwriting after having received the note, since he was the one interested in becoming a missionary.]

Prayer Flag of HOKA Kenichi

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