1-30-1939 “Anchored, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba”

October 19, 2016

U.S.S. NORTHAMPTON

Anchored, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

30 January 1939

Darling,

Yesterday, just after having mailed a letter to you, one was received and today another one!  You are keeping your promise to write every day and I am so glad!  It means so awfully much to receive a piece of you every day or almost every day.

Today has been very warm, one might say a typical Cuban day and our work centered about the dressing lines, you see, some monkey with gold braid on his sleeves thought that an addition to the already too numerous bunting, was necessary and so we, meaning Marcoux, Margeson, Vint & me, had to add that one flag and move all the others back one place, plus the removal of six feet from the center span.  An all day job but we finished by 1530, and I am bathed, my scrubbed clothes are hanging on the Bridge drying.

Thus far I have not gone ashore but once, on a swimming party at Cristobal; there being no attraction over here but a beer parlor and I am not fond of alcoholic beverages.  A message came in this P.M. from CINCUS, making provisions for swimming parties and perhaps I shall take advantage of this providing the powers to be aboard ship allow it.

The Commander is in the

II

Sick Bay with Catarrhal fever & all hands wish him a rapid (?) recovery (?) ????? x 6  Did you know that yesterday, Sunday, we had to air bedding?  Almost as bad as some of the times at sea when 2/3 of the bedding was soaked by ocean water.  There is no practical answer to situations like these, people that exercise power & privilege to these ends, in my mind, have a very low mental rating, even lower than mine; heaven help them!

Mess Gear for supper is just sounding so I will close extending all my love & best wishes.  Au revoir!

P.S.

Be sure to get plenty of those 2 ½ hour “short” naps.

P.S.S.

What do you think?

P.S.S.S.

Just had supper (1720) consisting of : STEW, SPAGHETTI, BEETS (PICKLED, COLD), BREAD & BUTTER, SOME KIND OF MIXED, STEWED FRUIT DESSERT, ICED COCOA.   Did I stow it away!   Have been working out, calisthenics & chinning 20 times daily, after working hours.

Tuesday, 31 January 1939

Dearest,

Can you imagine?  I received two of your letters today!  One dated 13 & the other 22 January; quite a pleasant surprise.

If you desire we can continue to live in the same place, providing, of course, that we don’t leave Long Beach altogether, you know, that possibility is very

III

strong.  This morning at 0530, pitch dark, sunrise isn’t until 0645, the first division was ordered to scrub the mast!  Have you ever tried to wash dishes in absolute eclipse?  Well, that’s how the mast looks!

The day was very warm. As usual, temperature about 92 + no shade, I have the mid-watches (12-16) (00-04) and will no doubt wander around the quarter-deck tonite looking at the heavens & thinking of you.  Oh darling, I need you so much!  Your talking, laughter, teasing, especially your kisses.  If anything should happen to you as a result of childbirth I will never be able to forgive myself.  Julia, without you I would be an empty shell, of no use whatsoever to anyone.  You just have to remain & be part of me!

You mention in your letter about Stinson Beach; What you did was right and what’s more don’t you realized by now that I could never have betrayed you?  In my humble opinion there is no person lower than a fellow who violates a woman’s virtue no matter who he may be and you may rest assured that when any of these “goons” brag about subjects like this I shut them up in a hurry.  There is no use in sharing each other illicitly when we can have what has already transpired.  Darling, I mean it when I say it has been paradise.  All my love, till the morrow.

IV

Anchored, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

1 February 1939

Adorable,

How are you today, my sweet?  Barometer high?  Mine is, despite the fact that loads & loads of work has been piling up; that Bridge just about has us snowed under, you see, we are working hard to put it together and next week we will fire again, thus destroying the fruits of our labor.  These smudges you see on the margin are red lead spots, I am trying to get this missil off in this evening’s mail.

Today was warm as usual, bright sunshiny, ideal as a matter of fact; we have worked on the Bridge all day long, painting, scraping, red leading, rushing to get everything in order, for Friday morning, when we get underway.

No mail was received today and we are hoping for two missives tomorrow darling, I shall look forward to news of your having received my first letter.

Will close wishing you all the good health & fortune in the world.

Remembering you always

Arthur

P.S. Have you any idea?