Letters to a Lost Soldier - World War II is Finally Over in September, 1945!

By MAXINE CLAMAGE
Updated: SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 15:15
Dear Daddy,
(I originally wrote in September, 1945) We are relieved that Japan finally surrendered unconditionally and we can live in a peaceful world without war. The newspapers showed Emperor Hirohito’s ministers aboard the battleship U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay. They signed the surrender papers before General Douglas MacArthur, who is in charge of the occupation in Japan. The ministers were dressed in suits and wore top hats. General MacArthur wore a khaki uniform with an open shirt and no tie.
The aircraft carriers, cruisers and transport ships, scheduled to carry the invasion troops to Japan, are bringing the American troops home.
I’m glad Mommy was able to join you for a vacation in Miami, when you were reassigned there for rest and recuperation. I liked staying home with Mimi and Bepa and will miss them. They don’t want to spend another winter in Chicago now that it’s safe for them to return home to Los Angeles. They didn’t like the muggy summer here. The weather doesn’t bother me. I’m happy you are alive and home in the United States.
When I cried that I will miss my grandparents, they said they will return here for my birthday in June. They invited me to visit them for next summer vacation and will buy a ticket for me to ride the El Capitan train from Chicago to Los Angeles.
Mommy doesn’t like riding trains. When she returned from Miami, she said there was a hurricane and the water reached up to the windows on the train. She was scared seeing shutters from windows flying down the street.
Mommy said you had more physical exams and the Army doctors recommended further rehabilitation. They are concerned that you still suffer from stomach problems and tender feet, frostbitten in Germany. The doctors also diagnosed you with anxiety. I hope you can be hospitalized closer to home so we can visit during your recovery.
God is answering my prayers. The war is over with Japan and we don’t have to worry about the Army reassigning you to take part in an invasion. I have one more prayer - that you are not commanded to serve in the U.S. Army Occupation in Japan!
We’ve been celebrating since you were liberated from the POW camp in Nazi Germany and returned home to the United States. You’ve been surrounded by relatives, friends and well-wishers welcoming you home. Let’s have fun times together again like before the war.
I’m busy now with schoolwork and Brownies. We are studying American history and learning the Virginia Reel at school. We sing “Old Zip Coon” to the tune of “Turkey in the Straw.” I hope you can see our performance with costumes at Thanksgiving. I am enjoying school very much!
I forgot to mail this letter and it is already October, 1945. Congratulations on being honorably discharged from the U.S. Army. I heard Mommy tell Mimi on the phone that, after weeks of hospitalization, a few visits home and reporting for limited duty at several camps, the government gave you credit for time spent as a POW and awarded you an honorable discharge. The Army gave you a certificate and a pin to wear showing your accomplishment. They said the challenges you face now are the transitions from war to peace and from captivity to freedom. They will help you with the GI Bill. God has answered all my prayers. I am grateful.
Mommy said the Army paid you for the months they held back checks while you were Missing in Action and we won’t have to worry about money for a while. She told Mimi that the world is new for you after being a Prisoner of War for six months. “You want to be a part of that world by opening an electrical appliance store in Chicago that carries records and record players, toasters, Mixmasters and waffle irons. You want to help people get back to normal in their lives.”
It will be fun to visit your store and listen to records. I can’t wait to see you again.
Love,
Maxine