Dear Juanita,
I haven't heard from you in quite some time. I do hope you haven't stopped writing because i enjoy your letters very much.
I went into town on pass the other day and had a very nice time. I went to the theater and saw the picture Sergeant York. It made me kind of homesick when it showed where he was returning home. There was a few other parts that kind of hit me between the eyes.
I suppose it is really nice where you are now. I have heard a lot about it, but i have never been there. I got a letter from Mrs. Daley and she said you were having grand weather. Maybe when I get back I will have a chance to visit your part of Michigan. My real reason I guess for wanting to come there is because I want to meet you. I really hope to get a chance to know you better. That is if you feel the same about the whole thing as I do.
I have been looking forward to recieving dome pictures of you. I am sending you a picture of myself taken just after i came in from work.
I can't think of anymore to write so I will close hoping to hear from you real soon.
Gil
P.S.
I also want to wish you a very Happy Birthday.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
May 11th, 1942
Dear Juanita,
I just received your letter a few minutes ago. I cant quite understand why you are not receiving any letters from me. I have answered each one of your letters. In your next letter please write in the dates of the letters as you receive them. Then i will know which letters you have received.
I thought you were a friend of mine? how am i going to get your honest opinion of that photograph if you aren't going to say anything against.
Of course if it is to bad, why forget that i mentioned. i mailed them home a quite a long time ago, they should be there anyday now.
I am sorry but i cant tell why i have that new address. it is just one of those things we cant talk about. It i ever get back to the states i will tell you all about it.
I am sort of looking forward to receiving those pictures of yourself. I will try to send you some in my next letter.
I am glad you like my nickname, although i have hear of better ones. I'll bet that you have probably got one too, how about breaking down and telling what it is. if you haven't, i am going to try and think one for you.
I'll close hoping to hear from you real soon.
Gilbert.
(it was around this time my grandfather had been shipped out to a unknown pacific island to continue the campaign. also i want to note that at the time my grandmother was about to turn 18 and my grandfather was just about to turn 20.)
I just received your letter a few minutes ago. I cant quite understand why you are not receiving any letters from me. I have answered each one of your letters. In your next letter please write in the dates of the letters as you receive them. Then i will know which letters you have received.
I thought you were a friend of mine? how am i going to get your honest opinion of that photograph if you aren't going to say anything against.
Of course if it is to bad, why forget that i mentioned. i mailed them home a quite a long time ago, they should be there anyday now.
I am sorry but i cant tell why i have that new address. it is just one of those things we cant talk about. It i ever get back to the states i will tell you all about it.
I am sort of looking forward to receiving those pictures of yourself. I will try to send you some in my next letter.
I am glad you like my nickname, although i have hear of better ones. I'll bet that you have probably got one too, how about breaking down and telling what it is. if you haven't, i am going to try and think one for you.
I'll close hoping to hear from you real soon.
Gilbert.
(it was around this time my grandfather had been shipped out to a unknown pacific island to continue the campaign. also i want to note that at the time my grandmother was about to turn 18 and my grandfather was just about to turn 20.)
May 6th, 1942
Dear Juanita,
I received your letter that was dated April 26th today. It takes quite some time to get a letter over her. I try to answer your letter as soon as i get them.
Please don't let the new address fool you, i am still at the same place. That is all i can say about it just now. We are not allowed to tell where we are.
I sure will come to Carsonville when i get back. In fact i will be sort of looking forward to meeting you. I hope it wont be long before i can get back.
Ill try to send pictures from time to time if i can get them made. It is rather hard to take pictures here because we have to be careful of the background. I will like very much to have that picture of you if you care to send it. I am sure it would look very nice on my locker door. Then to i would have a chance to get to know you better.
I was in California at one time but i hope to go back some day and spend more time there. It is very beautiful, that is why i want to go back.
My favorite song right now is Miss You. We hear it quite often over here. They don't play many popular songs here.
Ill close for now hoping to hear from you soon.
Your Friend,
Gil
I received your letter that was dated April 26th today. It takes quite some time to get a letter over her. I try to answer your letter as soon as i get them.
Please don't let the new address fool you, i am still at the same place. That is all i can say about it just now. We are not allowed to tell where we are.
I sure will come to Carsonville when i get back. In fact i will be sort of looking forward to meeting you. I hope it wont be long before i can get back.
Ill try to send pictures from time to time if i can get them made. It is rather hard to take pictures here because we have to be careful of the background. I will like very much to have that picture of you if you care to send it. I am sure it would look very nice on my locker door. Then to i would have a chance to get to know you better.
I was in California at one time but i hope to go back some day and spend more time there. It is very beautiful, that is why i want to go back.
My favorite song right now is Miss You. We hear it quite often over here. They don't play many popular songs here.
Ill close for now hoping to hear from you soon.
Your Friend,
Gil
May 3rd, 1942
Note: there are some gaps between days of my grandmother actually receiving the letters, but my grandfather wrote her everyday he could.
Dear Juanita,
I received your letter that you wrote April 12th a few days ago. I am sorry that i could not answer it sooner but i was very busy. I had been very busy the last two nights and i didn't have any time to do any writing.
It is grand here and it is probably everything you have ever heard about it. I am sorry but we are not allowed to go into detail about the islands.
Those pictures of the farm were very nice and so were those feathers of the peacock. That was the first time i had ever seen any of those feathers. I sure will come to Carsonville when i get back. You and Mrs. Daley have made it sound very interesting and i am sure it will be. I plan to do some hunting around there when i get back.
I will try to send you another picture in my next letter. I am having some made. I am also glad you liked the one i did send, I would like have some more pictures of you. I guess that's only way i will get to know while i am over here.
Ill close for now hoping i hear from you very soon.
Your Friend,
Gil.
(my grandfather was stationed in Hawaii and the surrounding islands right after Pearl harbor. Carsonville is the tiny town my grandmother was born and raised in and Mrs. Daley was a family friend that my grandmother spent time with.)
Dear Juanita,
I received your letter that you wrote April 12th a few days ago. I am sorry that i could not answer it sooner but i was very busy. I had been very busy the last two nights and i didn't have any time to do any writing.
It is grand here and it is probably everything you have ever heard about it. I am sorry but we are not allowed to go into detail about the islands.
Those pictures of the farm were very nice and so were those feathers of the peacock. That was the first time i had ever seen any of those feathers. I sure will come to Carsonville when i get back. You and Mrs. Daley have made it sound very interesting and i am sure it will be. I plan to do some hunting around there when i get back.
I will try to send you another picture in my next letter. I am having some made. I am also glad you liked the one i did send, I would like have some more pictures of you. I guess that's only way i will get to know while i am over here.
Ill close for now hoping i hear from you very soon.
Your Friend,
Gil.
(my grandfather was stationed in Hawaii and the surrounding islands right after Pearl harbor. Carsonville is the tiny town my grandmother was born and raised in and Mrs. Daley was a family friend that my grandmother spent time with.)
April 25th, 1942
Background: my grandfather, Gilbert Goetsch, was stationed with the 34th engineers in the army. he was at Pearl Harbor on December 7th and served all the way through until the end of the war. His sister, my great aunt Marce, was friends with my grandmother Juanita Pickett, and had asked my grandmother to write to her brother stationed overseas since he didn't get much mail and was having a hard time in the army.
Dear Juanita,
I received your very nice letter the other day. You may write as often as you wish. I will try to answer each letter that you write to me.
Sometimes it is rather hard to answer letters as soon as we get them because the lighting in the mess hall is very poor.
I am afraid that i am not a very good dancer. I did dance a little about three years ago. I haven't danced at all lately, i never really cared much about it. But i will be willing to learn when i get back.
I had some photographs taken and i am sending them home, I am going to have my sister bring one out to Mrs. Daley as soon as they get home. The fellows didn't think much of them.
When Mrs. Daley gets hers, how about being a pal and giving me your honest opinion.
I am sorry but i don't know that fellow you mentioned in your letter. he may be on another part of the island.
My birthday is August 29th and i don't mind you calling Gil.
I will close hoping that i hear from you real soon.
Your Friend,
Gil.
(the Gil my grandfather is referring to is his future brother in law who married my aunt Marce. Mrs. Daley is Gils mother.
Dear Juanita,
I received your very nice letter the other day. You may write as often as you wish. I will try to answer each letter that you write to me.
Sometimes it is rather hard to answer letters as soon as we get them because the lighting in the mess hall is very poor.
I am afraid that i am not a very good dancer. I did dance a little about three years ago. I haven't danced at all lately, i never really cared much about it. But i will be willing to learn when i get back.
I had some photographs taken and i am sending them home, I am going to have my sister bring one out to Mrs. Daley as soon as they get home. The fellows didn't think much of them.
When Mrs. Daley gets hers, how about being a pal and giving me your honest opinion.
I am sorry but i don't know that fellow you mentioned in your letter. he may be on another part of the island.
My birthday is August 29th and i don't mind you calling Gil.
I will close hoping that i hear from you real soon.
Your Friend,
Gil.
(the Gil my grandfather is referring to is his future brother in law who married my aunt Marce. Mrs. Daley is Gils mother.
Introduction....
i thought i really knew my grandparents and their story, married at the end of world war 2 and never separated until 1995 when my grandfather passed away. but it was not until a few years ago i kept hearing snippets of a series of letters that my grandfather had written to my grandmother during his time in the pacific theater of World War 2. i had always assumed that they were just love letters written as some many others had done during that time. as i got older and my grandmother got older, she made emphasis that the letters were to be kept hidden and upon her passing, either buried with her or destroyed. she even went so far as to make my mom promise this.
well, my mom had a hard time keeping the promise and when my grandmother passed away earlier this year, the letters fell into my possession on the day of her funeral. i was excited to have a piece of this family history and get a glimpse at the love my grandparents had for each other, one that i often envy and strive for myself one day.
when i picked up the first letter, dated April 25th 1942, and quickly read it, i was confused. the letter was written by my grandfather to my grandmother, but he was writing to her as a stranger. never once having met her. i sifted through the rest of the massive collection and found that from 1942 to 1945, my grandparents never once physically met and had fallen in love through letters. when i asked my mom about it, she told me she never knew until i was about 19 years old and my grandmother followed up by saying "she didn't want her daughters to go that way, that's why she never told anyone."
they married on December 1st 1945, just two months after my grandfather left the war. they were married for 49 and a half years never once leaving each others side. the only sad part is, i only have the letters my grandfather sent to my grandmother. the ones he received from her had to be destroyed since was in the army and constantly moving.
now, a few months after my grandmothers passing the letters sit with me and i guess i want to share with anyone who will take a moment and read this. i need to transcribe them into a hard copy since the paper they are written on is becoming frail and thin, and i think lastly i really need to reconnect with my grandparents and share this amazing love story. i also think in this day and age we all could use a little warm sense of love really is eternal.
well, my mom had a hard time keeping the promise and when my grandmother passed away earlier this year, the letters fell into my possession on the day of her funeral. i was excited to have a piece of this family history and get a glimpse at the love my grandparents had for each other, one that i often envy and strive for myself one day.
when i picked up the first letter, dated April 25th 1942, and quickly read it, i was confused. the letter was written by my grandfather to my grandmother, but he was writing to her as a stranger. never once having met her. i sifted through the rest of the massive collection and found that from 1942 to 1945, my grandparents never once physically met and had fallen in love through letters. when i asked my mom about it, she told me she never knew until i was about 19 years old and my grandmother followed up by saying "she didn't want her daughters to go that way, that's why she never told anyone."
they married on December 1st 1945, just two months after my grandfather left the war. they were married for 49 and a half years never once leaving each others side. the only sad part is, i only have the letters my grandfather sent to my grandmother. the ones he received from her had to be destroyed since was in the army and constantly moving.
now, a few months after my grandmothers passing the letters sit with me and i guess i want to share with anyone who will take a moment and read this. i need to transcribe them into a hard copy since the paper they are written on is becoming frail and thin, and i think lastly i really need to reconnect with my grandparents and share this amazing love story. i also think in this day and age we all could use a little warm sense of love really is eternal.
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