Father Letters

Imagine getting letters from your father, forty years after his death. Several years ago, after my grandmother died (birth on my father's side), my aunt sent letters that were written by my father. Most of these letters were from my father to my grandmother. He gave detailed reports of his military service. This was during the Korean war, but he remained state side. It was fascinating to learn about his different interests and different problems he was encountering. In all of his letters there is a tone of guilt for not writing his mother often enough. He also shares his constant concern for his sister, Alice, and her family. There are also references to "pop" who had a drinking problem.

Either before or during his military service, he broke up with his long time girl friend in Connecticut. She was the one that everyone expected him to marry. When he was stationed in San Antonio, he met a petite, dark haired and beautiful big brown eyed civilian that worked at the base. After dating for a very short time, they were married. This was very upsetting to my grandmother, and many letters of apologies and guilt to her followed.

After my father was out of the service, they moved back to Newington, Connecticut. Not many months passed until my sister was born. Thirteen months later I came into this world. There are no letters during this time because we lived in the same town as my grandparents.

Not sure why, but when I was about eighteen months old, we moved to Houston, Texas. It may have been because there was more work in Texas with the phone company or living in New England was too far from Texas for my mother and too close to her mother-in-law. Father, mother, sister, brother, and another one on the way begin a new life. The letters also begin again.