Letter, Irene Conole to her parents

[page 1]
26 Dec. 1952
Dear Mom & Dad,
Received both letters and as for the
$5 from Henry you can put it in the bank.
Boy I was surprised to hear about getting
another check from the Telephone Co. I figured
it up today and they are paying me what
I made every week not just my base pay. No
complaints boy. I bet they are surprised at
the bank. I was thinking of the fellow that
opened my account.
I received the package with the cookies
that Coleen made. The food doesn’t go so fast
around here as in boot camp for the girls
are always out. I haven’t gotten my clothes
or the box from Henry yet.
What did everyone get for Christmas?
Coleen sent me a picture of her
daughter that was taken at a studio. It’s
the cuteous thing.
Sam sent me a beautiful X-mas card
and it must have cost 50¢. I wrote him
and asked him who picked the card out.
He signed the card “Sam who else.”
Boy the jets here are having a field day.
They are flying so low you’d think they

[page 2]
2. were going to land inside the barracks. The
Navy got a plane from the Army I believe or
somewhere and they are experimenting with
it. No one here knows anything about it not
even the ones who are flying it or servicing
it. One of the chief master at arms told me
that they are experimenting with trying to land
two planes on a ship at once. That means
that a carrier would probably have to be
wider for they land the planes on the side
of a carrier instead of coming into from the
stern (back).
I don’t know if I told you before but we
are not allowed to have a camera here.
I start school Tuesday in which they tell
and show us the whole base.
It looks like when I call home that it will be
always collect for we can’t get change here at
the barracks. So you can pay them with my
money in the bank O.K.?
I love my new job. I am a Wave Master
at Arms. I check to see if the girls are wearing
their uniforms properly when they are in the
Enlisted men’s Club. If they get sick there I
help them and I also act as a hostess. I have
never danced so much in all my life. I
also represent the Waves. When we have big
dances and bingo I am there and I help the
USO girls that come in. I work in the evenings
and the boss who is a civilian told me that
I am never to leave work without a ride. If
the manager is there he usually takes me
otherwise I call Security for transportation.

[page 3]
3. Security is the police here and they patrol in
and off the base in trucks. They have my name
and order to pick me up at the club when I
want a ride. This is a new thing having a
Wave MAA at the club. I don’t wear a badge
for they figure the girls would be slightly afraid
of me and I have to wear a uniform on duty
for if I don’t the sailors who are MAA’s there
would want to wear their civilian clothes too
and then it would be hard for them to keep
the fellows in line. I get along good with the
fellows there and they treat me like a queen.
They don’t charge me for food when I eat there.
In fact the fellows who work there get a
kick out of me dancing with all the fellows and
they can’t see how I never get tired of dancing.
The sailors here behave around the Waves for
they have more to lose than we girls.
There are always drivers who are going
home on weekends and they are always
asking for riders. It’s cheap and better than
going by train.
I have met so many guys from New York
State and we get together and rib the rest
who are not from N.Y.S.
With this job I have no watch at all in
the barracks or any other place and I get
to keep my liberty card so I can leave the
base anytime. Right outside the gates there
is a little town where we do a lot of shopping.

[page 4]
4. The starch doesn’t come out so good so
I’m going to buy the kind in the bottle that
they have here. It’s something like we had at
boot camp and I know how to work with it.
Rosie sent me a picture that Theresa
took of me and it turned out pretty good.
Did they show it to you? I’m anxious
to see the colored ones that Henry took.
I received a nice package from the
ATT boys in the Telephone Co in Buffalo
so I wrote them a thank you letter. The
Telephone Company’s chairman sent me a
X-mas card. Boy, am I popular eh?
The girls I bunk with are terrific and
I really love it here and I’m hoping my
job works out I work 8 – 12 and 6 – 12 and
on dance nights from 6 – 1 and then I
have all day off.
They have a small church here and there
is one priest that is great. It’s situated
right behind our barracks about a two
minute walk.
Well I guess this is all I can think of
for now so I’ll sign off now. Wishing you
all a very Happy New Year.
Love and Kisses
Irene
P.S. Got a card from Mamie but she sent it
to Bainbridge and they forwarded it I
can’t remember sending James a card. Did I?
Give James my love and tell him I said hello.