Undated letters - mid-March 1944

Johnnie received tragic family news in March 1944. In an undated letter, he mentions the stabbing death of Leroy Stacks. On March 26, 1944, the Atlanta Constitution reported on the stabbing of 19-year-old Leroy from College Park following “an argument in the Blue Bird Inn, on the Roosevelt highway between College Park and Red Oak, Ga.” A 43-year-old local Fairburn, Georgia farmer named Melvin Lowry was indicted on murder. Leroy, Lucile’s paternal first cousin, was buried in College Park on March 27.

My Dearest Darling Wife,

I received your letter today telling me the bad news about Leroy Stacks being stabbed to death and I know it was a shock to you all. As for myself, I still can’t believe it. Another thing, I am sure they could have saved him if they would have rushed him to the hospital like you say. I am going to drop Aunt Lois a line and tell her how sorry I am to hear about him. I want you to let me know what they do to the guy that done it. Honey, it seems like everything happens to the Stacks family. The last two years, if you get what I mean, I just know your Mother is a nervous wreck again. Things like that really upset her and her being a nervous type anyway and I understand just how you feel about it all too. Please try to settle down again for my sake Darling. Well honey, I guess that’s all I will say about that. Well Darling, I will try and finish up on this today. I started still yesterday morning, but something came up and I had to quit writing and having had time to write no more till now. I don’t know whether I wrote you and said that I received a letter from Dot or not, but I did anyway. And she still seems like the Dot when I saw her last. You know honey, that girl goes through a lot and has been through a lot to stay as joyful as she does. She’s a swell kid and I think a lot of her. You can tell her that or either let her read this if you want. How is Mickey and his girls coming along? I am still waiting to hear from him. Did his girl go to Leroy’s funeral? I guess she did. O’yeah honey, you asked me in one of your letters if I care if you put the money I sent you on a stove. Honey, you do anything you want to with the money I send you. It doesn’t do me any good here and I want you to get the benefit of it. Get what I mean, Ha Ha? No kidding, go spend it the way you want to. Honey, is Irvin still down at Macon, Ga.? What did they ever do to him for staying at home away from camp so long? I don’t think you ever told me how he came out. Let me know, will you? O’yeah, what about sending me the papers once in a while, will you? I like to read about things going on back there. Well honey, I guess I will close for this time, so write me all the time you can, and I will try to do the same for you. Tell all the folks hello for me and to write. I miss you a lot Darling and I love you a million. 

Always, Johnnie

 

The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, March 26, 1944

In another undated letter to Lucile, Johnnie mentions Leroy, as well as the death of a man named Thurman who was killed in Italy on February 16. On March 24, 1944, the Atlanta Constitution reported the death of Henry Grady Thurman, a “paratrooper from Red Oak,” the same area of Georgia that Johnnie and his family lived. 

My Dearest Darling,

I received another letter from you today and in it, you were telling me about the Thurman boy being killed in action over here in Italy. Gee, it seems when bad news starts coming my way it really comes. First LeRoy and now him. I guess it really shocked his family. Sorry to hear about it. Well, I will quit on that. How is this letter finding you? A lot better I hope and over your nervous spell. I hope so. It really makes me feel bad when I know you are not well. I don’t know what would happen to me if you got hurt. I really miss you Luke and God knows how much I care and love you. Maybe we will get a break for us both pretty soon. I hope and pray it will be so. Well Darling, I received a package from Dad and also a letter from him. They are getting along OK. I also received the cigarettes you sent. I want to thank you a lot for the cigarettes. I just hope I get the ring OK. Well Darling, how is the rest of the family? Well, I hope. Tell them all hello for me and tell Grandma I have never received an anwer from her letter I wrote her. Well Darling, I will close for this time so keep writing and I will try to do the same. I miss you a lot and I love you a million.

Always, Johnnie 

H. G. Thurman, Killed in Italy, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, March 24, 1944

We cannot be sure when the next letter was written but Johnnie mentions receiving the ring and cigarettes referenced in his March 24, 1944 letter so this is as good a spot as any to place this letter. Johnnie was using U.S. Navy letterhead so crossed out “Navy” and wrote Army. He was probably using stationery from the ship they were traveling on.

My Dearest Darling

Receive letter from you today and was sure glad to get it after not receiving any from you in the last five days. I am glad to hear that you have been getting my letters pretty regular. But I hope you understanded later on why you won’t be receiving many letters from me, as you know I won’t have time to write you as regular as I have been doing. If I am right, I told you in the last letter I wrote you that I had receive the ring and cigarettes. Honey as I told you in my other letters, whenever you do have pains or sick I want you to go to a doctor. Because I don’t won’t anything to happen to you, regardless of anything else. I hope you understand me Lou you will have to write me, if I expect to get any mail at all because no one else does and I am not kidden either, Ha Ha. The letter I receive from you today just took seven days to get to me and that not bad at all is it. Lou, you said in this letter I just receive from you? That you try to do what I want you to do, I am sure you do Baby and that what makes me love you so. I am sorry to hear about Cecil and Drextel. I hope they don’t have to come in. Do you think they will? I kindy believe Cecil will. But Drex having that breathing trouble he might not make it. I hope when you do go to town this weekend, you try to find me a watch, I hating to ask you for those other things in the letter I wrote you before but I want them, and they will come in handy over here. I hope you don’t think I am asking you to get me anything foolish. Honey you remember that little picture holder you give me back at Trenton N.J. well I had a small picture of you in it and that little glass that fit in it came out and I lost the picture of you. I really hated to lose that picture of you because it was the best picture I ever had of you. What I mean by that is that picture look more like you, when I last saw you. Say honey when are you going to sit down and get other things off of your mind, and write me more then two pages in a letter. Latey I been reading them over two or three times, letting the fellows think I receive a long letter from you, Ha Ha. I know I been writing a lots of V mails to you lately but that all I have time for lately. One thing though, when I do have time to write you like I want to, I really try to write you everything that on my mind. I guess you notice that by this one, I am writing now. Well, I guess you are pretty busy and tired from working all day and want to get a little sleep and the guy here want his pen, so I will close. Tell the family hello for me and give them my love. I miss you alots. Baby and I love you a millions always. 

Johnnie