Smyrna times., 1945-05-17


that 1 can come back home to my
wife and mother.
VIII close now, hoping that this
letter finds you and your family
quite well.
Yours truly,
Fred.
Sgt. Frederick ]. Burke
A. S. N. 3235s653
A. P. o. 230, o Postmaster
New York City, New York
balance of address on application)
Well, Fred! Sure glad to hear
from you again. Son, it's sure a
long time between those oyster
pies-or something. Right glad to
know you're back on the beam.
AS for my forgiving you my old
friend, that has been done long
ago. In fact, there is really moth
ing to forgive. I know that you
have had your hands quite filed
fighting a war. It's perfectly ma
tural that you spend most of your
spare time in writing to your wife
and mother. 1t is one of those
things the right kind of a fellow
will do. And, I guess if this were
any different, I would stick out
my neck and tell you about it. I
know what both wife and mother
mean to you Fred, so that's that.
Keep up the good work.
Since your letter was written
Fred, much has happened over
your way. At last the present
war in Europe is over. Perhaps it
will be the last for those people
over there, but when you say this,
have your fingers crossed. His.
tory is so often known to repeat
itself. If this be any guide as to
the future, my advice is to keep on
like the dickens to keep
the peace, at the same time no
more going asleep at the switch
for America. No more paying the
price in the lives of our loved ones
for lack of preparedness. Yes, and
sincerely hope that all you Boys
who have gone through World
War II will demand this in the
years to come.
Of course Fred, the war against
Japan is the main objective now
for all of us Americans. Back
home here, we planned to give the
all out to bring all the pressure
that is possible to slap the Jap.
How long it will take to fight
these pirates into a full and uncon-
ditional surrender remains to be
seen. To some extent, that will
depend upon how much of a plast-
ering the Japs really want to take.
Plastering they will get, good
and plenty, too.
Course, you know Fred, like all
first class arm chair generals, one
can sort of turn over in their
minds how much actual fighting
power can be directed against the
Japs when the full force of those
at war against that nation is let
loose. After you add this all up,
it's not hard to believe that the
little yellow men will be in a
tough row of stumps. The
tougher the better, says I.
Fred, I'm mighty glad to know
that things are not going to be too
rough for you any more in the
near future. The big question of
the moment is, are you going to
get back to the States any time
soon? This you may know about;
then again you may not. Anyway,
now about dropping fellow line
and give us the low down on what
you believe will happen to your
own outfit now that the war in
Europe is over? Well all be in
,erested to know what you think
about it.
My friend, I'll have to admit I
10 not leave Smyrna very much
any more. No, not even a trip
over to Clayton only once in blue
moon. With old age creeping up
On me, and plenty of work to oc-
cupy me most of the time, along
with the shortage on gasoline, I'm
sure becoming quite a home body,
as it were. You know the old say
ing, "that old age has an answer
to most things. Well, I'm be-
lieving it more and more every
day. Naturally, Fred, I do talk
with some of the Clayton folks
most every day that passes, and to
a general degree, I guess I know