“I suppose you are all worried sick since the war started . . .”

~ Dr. Matt Luckett

I’ve started the process of scanning and transcribing my grandfather’s letters, only to quickly discover that my laptop (on which I have Dragon Naturally Speaking) is far too slow and cumbersome to carry this load. So as I start to shop for a new computer, here is one of the first letters I found, which just happened to be dated December 10, 1941 . . . three days after the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor.

My grandpa, a steam engineer aboard the U.S.S. Chew, tried to allay his parent’s fears. “Don’t worry about me,” he wrote reassuringly, “because everything is O.K. . . . keep your chins up.” The letter has few specifics beyond that, but with several hundred to go I think this is going to be a fascinating journey.

Next Entry:
“When this upset world straightens out we will all be together again.”

[Grandpa’s Homepage]

Published by Dr. Matt Luckett

I’m a historian and aspiring documentarian based in Orangevale, California. I teach history at Sierra College and coordinate the Masters in Humanities External Degree program at California State University Dominguez Hills. I also own 7 South Productions, which I established in 2018 as I began pursuing a new career in documentary film production.

53 thoughts on ““I suppose you are all worried sick since the war started . . .””

  2. Pingback: “When this upset world straightens out we will all be together again.”
  3. Pingback: The Chew’s Crew: “The best bunch of fellas you could ever meet”
  4. Pingback: Things to “Chew” on: Daily ice cream and the process of becoming a “salty sailor”
  5. Pingback: “The Roughest Ships in the Navy”
  6. Pingback: Dollars and Cents
  7. Pingback: April 1941: Out of the Frying Pan, into the Fireman
  8. Pingback: It’s fun to stay at the Honolulu YMCA
  9. Pingback: May 1941: A Reversal of Fortunes
  10. Pingback: June 1941: Tiger Sharks and Thank You Notes
  11. Pingback: July 1941: Day Trips
  12. Pingback: August 1941: Making the Cut
  13. Pingback: September 1941: More of this World
  14. Pingback: October 1941: Our Boys in Blue
  15. Pingback: November 1941: The Year with Two Thanksgivings
  16. Pingback: December 2, 1941
  17. Pingback: Elmer Luckett on Pearl Harbor (excerpted from oral interview, recorded 12-31-14)
  18. Pingback: The Morning When All Hell Broke Loose
  19. Pingback: December 10th, 1941
  20. Pingback: December 16th: “Fighting Mad” with Japan
  21. Pingback: December 19th: Touching Base
  22. Pingback: December 21st: No Kisses or Hugs
  23. Pingback: December 22nd: Revenge will be Sweet
  24. Pingback: December 24th: “It does not seem like Christmas Eve to me”
  25. Pingback: History Mystery: Where did my Great-Grandmother Go to Church?
  26. Pingback: January 1942: Adjusting to a New Reality
  27. Pingback: February and March 1942: Making the Best out of a Bad Situation
  28. Pingback: April 1942: Message Received
  29. Pingback: May 1942: The Royal Treatment
  30. Pingback: June, July, and August 1942: High Water Marks
  31. Pingback: September and October 1942: From Pollywog to Shellback
  32. Pingback: November 1942: Stateside
  33. Pingback: December 1942: Dreaming of a White Christmas
  34. Pingback: A Post about Pat
  35. Pingback: January – April 1943: Last Months Aboard the Chew, Part I
  36. Pingback: January – April 1943: Last Months Aboard the Chew, Part II
  37. Pingback: May – June 1943: Two Homecomings
  38. Pingback: A Shared Place: My Grandpa, My Alma Mater, and Memories of Cape Girardeau
  39. Pingback: July 1943: The Obstacle Course
  40. Pingback: August – September 1943: Everything’s Shipshape
  41. Pingback: October 1943: Doctor’s Orders
  42. Pingback: November 1943: The Big Easy
  43. Pingback: December 1943: A Master at Arms
  44. Pingback: Elmer Luckett and the Shreveport Kid
  45. Pingback: “Just a few lines to a very swell girl:” The First Letters to Grandma
  46. Pingback: “Be frank with me:” Elmer’s Letters to Rose (August – November 1943)
  47. Pingback: “The Fellow with the Blue Suit:” Elmer’s Letters to Rose (July 1943)
  48. Pingback: As Ever: Elmer’s Letters to Rose (December 1943)
  49. Pingback: Now Open: Grandpa’s Letters Homepage and Archive
  50. Pingback: January 1944: Shakedown

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