Letter, Irene Conole to her parents
A letter from Irene Conole to her parents written from the hospital where she is recovering from a broken jaw. Irene writes that she has received several get well cards and continues to have many visitors. She comments on friends from home and tells her parents that she will apply for the Navy Cross because of her injuries. She writes that she hopes that after three years of clean service she will be awarded the Good Conduct Medal. Irene tells her parents that she intends to remain at the rank of Seaman, once she achieves it, so that she will not have to do clerical work. She hopes she will gain some weight back before she is released from the hospital.
22 April 1953
Dear Mom and Dad,
Boy, I’m a popular girl. I rec’d a
get well card from Aunt Mayme & Mamie,
one from my chief operator, that I like, along
with a note and one from Mr. Parmelee of
Buffalo who is on the Armed Forces Com –
mittee. He wrote a very nice letter inside
of the card. He kidded me a little and
told me that they had notified the
Baltimore Pioneer group about me and
they will send someone down to visit
me. I thought that was nice.
I rec’d a letter from Aunt Anna
and she said the she is going to Rochester
and do some shopping this weekend.
I laughed when I read what Mr. Oakden
and Steffie had to say. You can tell Steffie
that I say he is jealous because he can’t
get good stuff like we have here and that
when we meet he is going to have his
jaw fractured in three parts. How about
that?
I rec’d a letter from Mary Leathem
and she said that she is going to visit
you sometime. I told her to get with it and
do it. I hadn’t heard from her in about
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2. three months and she apolized all
through the letter. She asked me when
I was going to get the Purple Heart. In
the Navy they award the Navy Cross not
the Purple Heart and I think I’ll apply
for it which reminds me, after I have
been in the Navy for three years and
my record is clean, with no recording of
court martials, I can ask for the Good
Conduct ribbon and that is what I am
going to do. I am also going to remain
a Seaman, when I become one, for the rest
of my Navy Tour for if I strike for
something, which is practically clerical
work and who wants to be a secretary,
I will be assign to what I am striking
for and I don’t want to leave my
job that I love. I could see it otherwise
if I had enlisted when I was younger
and was going to make the Navy my
career.
All the fellows have missed me
and thought I was on leave. I get
razzed to no end and they all talk
through their teeth to me. They offer me
gum, candy etc. and they watch me
drink my milk shakes. They all come up
to visit me. I don’t know if I told you
this before but two of the boys that
I work with brought me a dozen of red
long stemmed roses with a little card
that has the stork on the and it says
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3. Best wishes on the new arrival. They
signed the card put “you old bag” on
it too. Everytime they visit me they bring
me a milk shake. I’ve gained two pounds
already.
I found out from the nurse that,
after the wires are removed, they
will probably keep me a week to ten
days. Thats all right with me for
my teeth will probably be sore for a
while and I really will put weight on.
I weigh 142 now and I want to get up to
150.
You sure have my couriosty up about
those packages.
I had my dinner ring band thickened.
It’s a beautiful job and it’s as thick
as the one on my onyx with the cross
on it.
I hope Jack doesn’t do me any favors
by writing to me. If he does it won’t last
to long. Has Aunt Mayme found out
any more interesting news from the
fortune tellers? I bet they will tell her
that there has been trouble around the
letter “I.”
I knew of the exchange of prisoners
but not of the Marine that might be
buried in this country. Is he the one I
wrote you about or was this one killed
overseas?
Little Mike will probably be walking
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4. around when I come home on
leave in the fall. Does his teeth bother
him much?
Now that that bowling season is over
Dad, you should take up baseball. It’s
good exercise (ha)
Guess this is the end. Tell the
Oakdens, Mickey and Steffie that I said
hello. Also tell Mr. Oakden that when I
come home I will tell him all about
how I fought the Korean War.
Give James my love.
Love and Kisses
Irene