5^th November 1944

My dear Henrietta, Jim and Lillian,

What a wonderful thrill it was to receive your Christmas box and I was delighted with all the fine presents, cards, and the loving thought put into it. I had a little Christmas just with you and wished that we could have been together while I opened each package. Yes I did open up the works before Christmas because it has to be that way here not knowing where we will be from one day to the next and I knew Santa wouldn’t wind.

Remember the Christmas we use to have in the good old days and what fun they were? Well that’s what I kept thinking about while I was opening up your lovely package and I could almost smell the beautiful Christmas tree and pretending that the rain was snow, I believe I heard the bells on Santa’s reindeer – So you see it really was Christmas for me just because of you and I enjoyed it tremendously. You are a cute family to be so thoughtful and thank you for all.

One gets to do a lot of thinking out here in the jungles and believe me – I do my share – I like to think of all the wonderful times we have had together growing up and even way back to the times when I use to tease you and you would get awful mad and then we’d make up. You mean a lot to me and you can just bet that I’m interested in everything you do.

If you can picture a large jungle island with a beautiful volcano and precipitous mountains with waterfalls, streams, rapids, and rivers, swamps and beautiful beaches, then you will have some idea of my surroundings. The weather is warm and it rains most of the time. The noises we hear when the shooting quiets down is made by many strange birds, crickets, frogs, toads and the thunder and rain. You can just imagine what a city will look and sound like to us after living in the wilds for so long.

Just before our last battle with the Japs, I had the surprise of my life when Ross Burchard phoned and said he was on the Island – We had a grand evening together and the next morning he left for another island. We hadn’t seen each other since 1937 so you can bet we had a lot to talk about. He has become quite fat, bald and gray but still the same Ross.

Lt. Colonel Franco has gone home on leave and I am now the Battalion Commander and hope to do a good job as same – This is the finest battalion in the United States Army and we have an excellent record so I feel quite honored.

It looks like this is going to be a long war out here as these Japs are not human – they are more like wild animals and they just have to be killed off – just like big game hunting with plenty of game – Guess I was made to be a jungle fighter so I’ll stay with it until the end and when the war is over then I can get back to normal living. I am still hoping to get a 30 day leave before more battles – I want to get home to be with my Billie so we can have a little rest and fun together and then I can carry on through hell and high water with more happy memories.

Man can stand almost anything if he feels good inside and nothing can stop him – I know because I have experienced that – Education, training, understanding with a clear mission and all the necessary tools and a clear mind, heart and strong body with the force of will and good horse sense – What more do you want to win? I love to live and live to love with that in mind I’ll flight to the finish.

I have a hard time keeping up with all the correspondence – I never did like writing letters but I always enjoyed receiving them – I would write answers to all and even overdo it in order to get more letters but most of the time it is impossible – You can’t write letters while inspecting the front lines – You can’t write letters while conducting the training and when the day is done you want to listen to a few tales of the officers and relax or study or read until you fall asleep – Our days are full and when night comes I’m tired and of course my letters are a scrawl but please don’t get me wrong – I love you all only I’m a poor correspondent. If I could write all the time I’m thinking about you – you would hear often – perhaps the good lord convoys my thoughts to you – maybe some day we will have WACS here to take our dictation but I guess we won’t see them until we see civilization first for their own sakes.

The hour is late and I’m awful sleepy as you may have guessed. Please take good care of yourselves and keep me posted. Give my love to Father and Mother, Allerton and Majorie, Elizabeth and Douglas and all of our relatives and friends.

Goodnight and may God bless you – With oceans of love – always your devoted brother and uncle,

Willard