Letter, Irene Conole to her parents
A letter from Irene Conole to her parents, written while on a midnight watch. Irene happily writes that she will be stationed in Patuxent River, Maryland after graduation, although she does not yet know what her job will be. She reports that she has been learning to swim and asks them to send her bathing suit to her. She tells her parents that she has gotten her dog tags and that they make her feel like she is officially in the service. Although she did not get the “Honor Wave” award, she was asked to lead her Company during review, which she was very proud to do. Irene writes about the weather, a letter from Sam, her lack of interest in the men on base, and an intoxicated recruit who was punished. She says she needs boots instead of the Navy ring she had asked for for Christmas.
[page 1]
22 Nov. 1952
Dear Mom and Dad,
I’m writing this letter while
on watch in the barracks. I have
it from midnight to 2:00 am and it
marks my sixth watch I’ve had since
I’ve been here.
Yesterday I had my orders read
to me. I’m to be stationed in Patuxent
River Md. I don’t know whether I spelled
it right. It is a Naval air station
and situated near Washington D.C.
and Annapolis Md. There are quite
a few girls going with me and I’m
quite happy about going there. I’ve
heard that there are two girls to
each cubicle. Here there are eight of
us sleeping in one cubicle. All of us
are on the job training and we are
wondering if we’ll get what we selected
as jobs. Our Company Commander
told us it is a nice place and
very interesting. There is only one
fault and that is the girls who are
[page 2]
2. stationed there now are a little
lax about their cleaning details
etc. So we girls got together and have
decided that we are not dropping
any of our training we received
here. For if we get shipped to another
station later on that base may
be very strict and then we would
be lost.
They opened the swimming
pool and I have been learning
how to swim. We have to know before
we leave here. I have to go to practice
some more tomorrow. Our teacher
is nice and I have a lot of confidence
in her. I’m doing good as a beginner.
Thursday we got our dog tags
and I feel like I’m in the service
now. I’m going to buy a St. Christopher
medal now and put it on the chain.
You can check my bathing suit
and see if it is all cleaned and
put the strap on it that belongs
with it for I can take it with me
to my new duty station.
I’ve decided not to get a Navy
ring. Instead I need boots. They
have to be all black. The ones I have
[page 3]
3. at home would have been all
right if they didn’t have the grey
on top but black instead.
Yesterday we had another test
and now we only have one more
to go.
I didn’t get the title of Honor
Wave and our sister Company won
the American Wave Spirit. But yesterday
my Company Commander asked me
to take our Company to pass in
review. Boy, was I nervous! I did
a beautiful job, as I was told. That
was one thing I have wanted to do
since I came here.
The weather the last two days
has been awful. It has been pouring
rain and I’m a little tired of being
drenched all the time. We have
rubbers but no umbrellas. We have
hoods for our raincoats and they
are waterproof. I put the lining inside
my coat and it keeps me dry and
warm but even with rubbers my
feet get soaked. That is because the
wind is blowing the rain around.
I received another letter from
Sam yesterday. He wants to know if I
[page 4]
4. want to buy an eight room house.
Isn’t he cute. That’s the house they
bought in Sam’s name. I told him
he can give it to me for a present. I
can hear him yelling now. You ought
to hear the advice he gives me. He
doesn’t want me to beleive any of
the things the fellows say to me
here for I might be hurt. Big brother,
isn’t he? I have no interests, what so
ever, in the fellows here.
Last Saturday a girl in another
Company came back from her
liberty slightly drunk. She also was
unmilitary and very discourteous
to the duty officer who was checking
her in. She was reported and
received 24 hours extra duty which
is 120 demerits. She’ll be here till
after X-mas. Boy it doesn’t pay to
cut up. So far my record here is
clean and I intend to keep it that
way. They tells us that anything
we get demerits for does not become
a permanent part of our service
record. When we leave here we
have a clean record and from then
on everything counts.
[page 5]
5. How is the neighborhood doing?
Anything new? I still haven’t written
Julia yet. Oh well I intend to someday.
How is Aunt Mayme? Has she
been calling lately?
I got the package O.K. and we
girls enjoyed the apples. Thank you
much and the girls say thank you
to. I also got the other package Friday
and you had everything in it that I
like.
I borrowed another girl’s pen so
that explains the different ink.
Well I guess I’ll close for now
Love and Kisses
Irene