War Letters, World War II
Stephens, Harry T.
Coll. 103
[written
by Paul R. Stephens]
July 23, 1945
Dear Folks-
I received some back letters a couple of days ago & I believe I have all
the mail I was missing. However we haven't had any recent letters for several
days & probably won't for a while longer.
It is a relief to be out of the
heat - at last I feel rested after a few hours sleep and I do mean few. I
am still well though & that the big thing.
I think we are going to get some
write ups after we get back home. I don't think they will be released before
a war correspondence for the Sat. Ev. Post is aboard and collecting material
about our squadron. It is a break for us to get the publicity. He is riding
with me on all my hops which is a bigger break for me. You may have heard
of him - Richard Tregaskis, author of "Guadalcanal Diary." He has covered
all battle fronts since the war started. He was on the Hornet when Doolittle
raid was launched for Japan, was in the Wasp when Torpedo Eight was practically
wiped out, was in on the Italian front, Normandy beach-head & has flown
with the B 24s. He is a swell fellow & we feel flattered to have him with
us. So some day you may see my likeness on the Post along with an article
on our squadron. Please don't say anything about this outside the family -
I would rather nothing be said until if & when it is published.
WESTERN UNION
MR AND MRS HARRY TYLER STEPHENS
1945 AUG 8
I DEEPLY REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR SON ENSIGN PAUL RAMSEY STEPHENS USNR
HAS BEEN MISSING IN PLANE CRASH SINCE 28 JULY 1945 IN THE SERVICE OF HIS COUNTRY.
YOUR GREAT ANXIETY IS APPRECIATED AND YOU WILL BE FURNISHED DETAILS WHEN RECEIVED.
TO PREVENT POSSIBLE AID TO OUR ENEMIES PLEASE DO NOT DIVULGE THE NAME OF HIS
SHIP OR STATION UNLESS THE GENERAL CIRCUMSTANCES ARE MADE PUBLIC IN NEWS STORIES=
=VICE ADMIRAL RANDALL JACOBS
CHIEF OF NAVEL PERSONNEL
2200 W 7th St-Thurs-8-9-45
Dear Paul:
This may seem like a crazy idea
to be writing you after receiving yesterday morning a telegram from the Navy
Personnel at Washington that you were missing after a plane crash on July
28. However, there have been so many cases of boys crashing in enemy territory
and the boys were saved or of their crashing on an island or in the sea and
in some miraculous way they were saved.
And therefore son we are clinging
to hope that in some way later on we will be informed that you are still living
and O K. God has always been so good to us and it may [be] that your life
will be spared to us. We have had many callers by phone and in person. We
wired Bonnie Jean and Lois yesterday morning and this afternoon they called
us on the long distance phone, but we had no additional news to tell them.
Mother is writing them and Paul W and Tom this afternoon. Mrs. Kirchner is
heart-broken and says that she hopes for some definite [news] from Bud very
shortly, tho he may not have gotten the news which we did. Mrs. Shideler was
asked to the phone which we just could not put thru ourselves and among us
yesterday noon. Right after noon we went to see Harriet and the babies.
Boy, we are going to still
hope that you are alive and we do hope and pray that some good word will be
coming real soon. Mother has given up hope, but you may still be alive and
we pray God that you are. Betty Reed wrote us such a nice letter and in it
she said she had just sent you a letter and that she was going to continue
writing. That is the old spirit and I am going along with her. The Navy will
have to give us more definite information before I will believe that your
life is gone out. But if you have really gone, we'll have the happy memory
of our boy to go with us to our last days.
But assuming that you are
still "up and atom", I want to tell you these news items: Bob Ballard is still
in Germany and may be for sometime to come; Mrs. Kirchner says that Bud reports
he is not far from you and tho not being able to see you often, he and you
write to each other frequently; that it is getting most awfully dry here,
so that the grass is drying up and the garden rapidly going by the board;
that Mr. Elmer Patrick is again working at the Martin Lumber Yard office and
was out to eat dinner with us Tuesday evening and is always talking of B J
& Tom; that Clyde has not got his transfer order from the army to railroad
yet, but is still hopeful of the change soon; that we had a fine letter from
Paul W a few days ago, but I guess I mentioned that in last Sunday's letter;
that Tom thinks it may be several months before he gets back.
Still living in expectancy &
with all our love,
Dad
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