Evidently, Lester’s leave to go home for a week was re-instated. Though there are no letters surviving with final news of his travel plans, a series of photos from his visit has been treasured and circulated in the family for decades. Perhaps he telephoned home to announce his travel plans. If so, all the neighbors would have known the plan instantly on their party line. Perhaps he sent a telegram. Given the previous on-again, off-again yoyo of anticipation and disappointment surrounding his leave plans, it seems likely that the folks dared not believe he was really coming until they could see him with their own eyes and hug him with their own arms.
However, he did spend a wonderful week at home in early August of 1942. Imagine the parties! The dinners, family reunions, visits with aunts, uncles, cousins and classmates who were still nearby.
Lester (seated in front on the left) and classmates at District 72 school. Sister Frances is on the back row.The boys at school. Lester is on the left in the back row.
Imagine the joy and pride felt in the hearts of his parents, his fiance, his sister and his younger brothers.
With fiance Josephine.
Lester’s leave was granted as he completed his training course, and shortly before he received his navy ship assignment. He would not be spending any more time in Michigan. He would be going on, part of a crew on a navy destroyer destined for distant places.
My grandmother, Lester’s mother, recalled his visit home in August of 1942 with misty eyes. Decades afterward, she would tell her grandchildren (none of whom were born yet in 1942) about Lester’s last evening at home. He sat outside the farm house, gazing across the fields, staring and staring for a long time, as if he couldn’t get enough. He didn’t want to forget what his home looked like, for this is where his heart would always belong.
Lester with his 7-year-old brother Paul.
It was almost as if he knew on some level that he would never be back. He would never see his childhood home or his family again. And they would never see him.
The four Harris siblings. Wallace, Lester, Frances and in front, Paul.Lester with his parents.
Only two days after Lester’s joyful letter announcing his leave to visit home, he writes another story. All leaves have been canceled. What a tragic turn of events. Since the family had already canceled their trip to visit Lester at the Great Lakes, they would have received this news with heavy hearts. Things changed so quickly for the Navy boys in 1942 America.
Lester included a hopeful note by saying that some of the unit would be granted leaves. With his kind and generous heart, he admitted there were those who deserved a leave more than he did. What could possibly happen next?
The Folks
Monday noon.
August 3, 1942
Dear Folks,
Well, here’s the bad news. All of our leaves have been cancelled. We may get them later but for the present we are under 24 hour orders, prepared to leave at any time. I’m sorry to have it happen after we had planned on it and you gave up the trip up here. It is just as well that you didn’t come though as we had only from Sunday noon until midnight and the boys didn’t get out the gate until about two o’clock. They said that they cut down on our liberty because we were getting nine-day leaves and didn’t want us overleave on liberty.
The lieutenant announced the cancellation this morning while we were taking tests for rates. We don’t know yet who passed the test but not many of us think that we passed it.
I understand that we are to be divided into groups. Some of us will get leaves. Some of the boys have been in a year with no leave so they deserve a leave before I do. If I can possibly get a leave, I will be home, you can be sure. I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to come up here as we may go out at any time with only short notice and again we may get our leave later. I don’t think I will call you as there isn’t anything I could say. If I do get sent out right away, I’ll write as soon as possible. You can write to me at barracks 614. My telephone number is Ontario 4548. However, I don’t imagine I would know anything if you did call me. I can’t think of anything else now so will close.
The only news which would have changed his mother’s mind would be news of his own trip home. And indeed he did get a leave approved. The yoyo is swinging up now. Times were so uncertain in 1942, and the world situation so grim, nobody was ever sure of anything until it happened though.
Aug. 1 – 1942
Dear Folks.
It is too bad to cheat you out of your trip but it looks as though I would be coming home sometime next week. I have just returned from filling out my leave papers. I’ll call you when I get to Emporia if I want you to come after me.
It is raining this morning and looks as though it would continue all day. I am in an upper dormitory right next to the lake. During the rain we can’t tell the lake from the sky. There is a bunch of officers homes between the lake and the barracks but we can see over them. This is the first time I have ever seen the lake from this station. I guess it must be pretty big ’cause I can’t see the other side!
It was just a little cloudy at sunrise this morning and it made the lake very pretty. I haven’t met any of the boys I know yet as I don’t know where to find them. I inquired about Mr Baker, my boot company commander, but didn’t get to see him. He has charge of another company now and it seems that I will have to get a pass to go over and see him. We had a nice trip from Dearborn and got in here at four last evening. We drew clothes this morning but I didn’t get any. This afternoon we will have our pictures taken for identification cards.
I called you the other night because at five o’clock that evening the executive had told us that our liberty had been changed to Sunday noon til 9:30 that night. He said there would be no special leaves or liberties. When we got here last night we asked the Lieutenant if we could get leaves. He thought that all of us were getting them so when he learned that, he started to find out about them for us. I’m going to close now and will see you in a few days.
Lester’s letter today is a real glimpse into the past. What fun to read his instructions to the folks on how to use a pay phone! And how to connect with him, use a redcap to move their luggage, and how to tip appropriately in 1942. The folks must be scurrying around trying to get ready for their big adventure. They are going to visit Lester!
July 25 – 1942
Dear Folks,
Well, mom, I am writing this with your pen. How do you like it? It isn’t just like mine but I think you will like it ok. I really don’t have much to write about because I don’t know anything more than the last time I wrote to you.
Josephine said she thought that I should make more definite plans about meeting you but I really don’t know how we can make definite plans without knowing when your train arrives in Chicago or knowing where you are going to stay. I won’t know my barracks or address until we get there.
I believe it would be best for you to call the hostess house at the training station, tell them your address and ask them to broadcast for me. I will go to the hostess house when they call and get your address. If possible, I will stay around the hostess house so as to not miss the call.
In case you can’t get the hostess house, call the Catholic USO and I will call them to get your address. I don’t think we will have much trouble finding each other. That Catholic USO is the one in Waukegan. If you stay in Chicago, call the hostess house at the station or Audra. Sorry I can’t give you the telephone number of any of those places. If you can’t find them in the telephone directory, call “operator” and she will help you.
In case you don’t know how to use a pay phone, here is what you do. Take the receiver off the hook, put a nickel in the coin slot and start dialing your number.
If you are going to Waukegan, you should get a transfer with your ticket and you won’t have to get a taxi for the transfer between stations. If you stay in Chicago, take a taxi to a hotel and they will handle your luggage. If a redcap carries your bags, he will expect a dime for each piece of luggage. Better get a redcap as he will get you to your transfer or taxi without trouble. I never got around much while I was at the Lakes so I don’t know much about the hotels. I have asked one of the boys from Chicago about a nice hotel. He suggested that you stay at the Sherman hotel so if you stay in Chicago I could call you at that hotel. It is a nice hotel and close to the station. You may have to pay three or four dollars for the first night but don’t worry about that. I’ll have enough money to pay your expenses after you get there.
Mom and Dad
I hope that dad is coming with you but if he can’t, perhaps I will get to see him a little later. If you know for sure what you are going to do, you could send me a telegram up here if I would get it before Thursday night. I don’t think that will be necessary though. We still don’t have our orders to leave the 31st but no doubt we will have them then. If there is anything different I will let you know. I waited until after taps to call the other night as I thought everyone would be in the house by then.
We had watermelon for supper tonight along with wieners, potatoes, carrots & turnips, cabbage salad & jelly roll. Not bad was it? I can’t think of anything else to write now. I wish I knew if I am going to get a leave but that remains to be seen. Will see you Saturday afternoon. Remember, if you can’t get me any other way, call Audra. I will call her too.
Love to all
Lester
P.S. All the boys seem to be sure that we are going to get our leaves but I’ve got my fingers crossed.
A model big brother, Lester kept in touch with all of his siblings. In this letter to his teenage brother, he chats casually about some of his activities in Michigan. Zoo and a movie–something every Kansas farm boy would enjoy. He must have purchased a few post cards at the Zoological Park. Though no photos of his own still exist, his family kept the post cards.
Lester also encouraged his brother’s interest in radio technology, even offering to help pay for training with radio equipment after Wallace graduated from high school. Brothers can’t get much better than that.
Wednesday evening
Dear Wallace,
I received your letter so will try to get it answered this evening. You’re welcome to the magazines but you don’t need to send me any Popular Science as we have them in our reading room here. We have magazines of all kinds but I don’t have time to read many of them. It keeps me busy washing and pressing my white clothes. I may go to the show later this evening, “Riders of the Timberline.” Did Paul get my card? We went to the zoological Park Sunday and saw nearlyevery kind of animal and bird. We took some pictures, hope they turn out good. The park is quite large so we didn’t get to see all of it.
We are having a blackout drill tonight at 10:15. That means we will have to get out of bed for it. This will be the third drill since I have been here.
How is the radio work progressing? If you want to take the NRI Course, I think I could help you with monthly payments. How much are they per month? I think it would be a good idea to learn a trade if you can do so while at home. I like my Diesel work very much. Three of us put in requests for special liberty this Saturday to go with our instructor to work on a Diesel engine out on a lake somewhere. Hope I get to go. I spent two days on a locomotive Diesel but didn’t do much work on it. Today our class went on a tugboat here in the canal and saw the Diesel engines on it. The whole engine room was cleaner than most folks’ kitchens or dining rooms and that isn’t an exaggeration. It was spotless. In fact so clean than I’m afraid that may be my job when I get on board ship—running a rag. Suppose? One of the big ships was in but she was ready to leave again so we didn’t get to board her.
Our pay bill passed but don’t know when we will start drawing it.
It was bound to happen at some point. Given that I located a few letters in a special scrapbook that were not part of the main collection, they weren’t collated properly in chronological order. Here’s a letter written on July 4, 1942. Ten days late, it doesn’t hurt to reminisce about Independence Day, from 1942 or even 2014. Though fairly quiet in comparison, the 4th of July in 1942 must have brought many questions to the minds of those who were sending their sons and brothers to defend our liberties.
July 4th, 1942
Dear Folks,
It is about two hours until we can go out on liberty so I’ll try to answer your letters. We had a regimental review this morning instead of this afternoon. We were expecting to get out on liberty at noon but we will have to wait until four. The navy from Great Lakes is to play baseball with the army from Fort Custer, this afternoon at Briggs Stadium here in Detroit. We expected to be able to go see it, but evidently that won’t happen.
We didn’t go to school yesterday afternoon but heard a talk by a reporter who was on the Lexington. He was an interesting speaker but it was just the same as the articles which he had written for the papers.
Thanks for the cookies, Mom. They were good but they didn’t last long. The string was gone from the outside wrapper but the wrapper was still on so I got it ok. Did you get your rocks?
How many kittens do you have now, Paul? Something happened to ours. Maybe they are back under the barracks.
We are having a Defense Bond drive here on the station with competition between dormitories and barracks. This dormitory is leading in the competition. I am making an allotment for one bond each month. They will be sent to you once each three months. We were hoping to be paid today but guess we won’t get it until next week.
This is certainly a quiet fourth of July. The army is putting on an exhibition of paratroops this evening out at the Ford airport. The big transport planes have been flying around the last two days. This morning they dropped three parachutes to test the wind. The transports follow the river up, flying low so they won’t be so easily detected. It is harder to spot them while flying low than when high in the air.
I got a letter from Nelva today but she didn’t have much news. You know that she and Jim are going to school this summer. She has heard from Myron but of course he couldn’t tell where is at now. I heard from one of my buddies who was in “C” & he is on the west coast now. He had been on the east coast so he had traveled some in the two months he has been at sea.
Wallace, you asked how much I weighed now. I got weighed about a month ago & weighed 143 pounds. You still have me beat a ways. The clothes I got when I came in are pretty tight but I can still wear them.
In a letter to his father, Lester actively encouraged his dad to come visit with his mother and youngest brother, Paul. Evidently, Dad had a few reservations. The other brother, Wallace, wasn’t mentioned. Perhaps it had already been decided that he would stay home and take care of the farm chores.
Charley, Lester’s Dad
Given all that there was to do on a farm in wartime forties, it was probably hard for Charley to think about leaving, even to see his oldest son. He didn’t travel too much. However, in his younger days, while he was courting Georgia in 1911, he had accompanied his mother to Colorado Springs on holiday and sent a postcard photo to Georgia from the west.
In wartime Kansas 1942, it was not that easy to leave. Lester gave it his best shot, however.
July 11 – 1942
Dear Dad,
I don’t know how long it took you to write your letter but it usually takes me quite a while too, and I’ll have to go put my leggings on for regimental review this afternoon so this will probably be short.
Can’t you arrange to come with mom and Paul to see me at the Lakes? I’m not going to insist because you know if you can come or not but I would like very much to have you come. We still can’t find out when we are leaving but it will probably be the 14th. I don’t imagine there is much chance of getting a leave to come home. According to an article in the navy paper from the Lakes, we are entitled to ten day leaves if we have six months active service, if our services can be spared and if our commanding officer sees fit to give us leaves. Quite a few “ifs” aren’t there?
I’ve had over six months service. Diesel men from the last draft are still waiting for ships, so my services can be spared. It seems that the last “if” would decide the question for us. That will be the officer at the Lakes and I don’t know who he will be. The boys who left two weeks ago are still waiting at the Lakes and most of the diesel draft of six weeks ago are waiting in New York. I wish we could find out something before it happens but that seems impossible. Just have to wait and see, I guess.
I bought a new pen over at the store in the Ford plant the other day. It is a $2.95 Parker but cost me only $1.65 over there. It writes swell. If mom hasn’t bought a pen yet, I’ll get her one here if she lets me know by the last of next week. Does your pen still work OK?
Do you have most of the work done now? I suppose that you are thru with the corn.
Charley and samples of his corn, 1942.
It is time for me to go so I’ll close and mail this. Remember I want to see you if you can come. I won’t be able to find out anything about getting leave until I get to the Lakes and if we waited until then to decide to come or not, you couldn’t get to the Lakes until my weekend liberty would be over. If we stay at the Lakes more than a week, I would probably get a long liberty. Hoping to see you.
Anticipating a visit from the folks, Lester details his schedule of free time. Classes are drawing to a close and he is looking forward to assignment on a sea-going ship. Josephine’s visit has ended. She has gone home again.
Thursday evening
July 9 – 1942
Dear Folks
I received your letter today and am glad to hear from you. I’m glad that you are planning on coming to see me. However I can’t tell you very much for sure except the regular schedule which says we will have liberty from Wednesday noon until eight Thursday morning and from Saturday noon until eight Monday morning. However the last draft stayed longer than scheduled and had an additional liberty from Friday at 4 PM until eight the following morn.
There is a rumor that we will get nine day leaves—but I don’t believe we will get them. You can go ahead and plan to come. I will let you know as soon as I learn anything for certain but that probably won’t be until we get to the Lakes. You asked how much time I would have before going to the Lakes. I would go directly to the Great Lakes from here in a troop train. We will probably leave here Friday morning, July 24th and get to the Lakes that same night. We would have liberty from noon Saturday, the 25th until eight the following Monday morning. Then again from Wednesday noon, the 29th until eight Thursday morning. If we aren‘t sent out on Friday the 31st, we would probably have liberty again and might possibly get a leave. That is something which no one can say at this time.
There is a small town, Waukegan, where you could stay if you wanted to do that. It is only four miles from the station while Chicago is several miles farther. Will let you know as soon as I find out anything new.
We hear every few days from some of the boys who have gone to sea duty. All of them like it fine. Everyone in my class is restless, tired of this place and wanting to go to sea. I was surprised to get to talk to Wallace the other night when I called Josephine but glad too. I had been wondering what Herb Clayton was doing now. Well, certainly he isn’t too good for the job.
I met a boy from Emporia today. We have been in the same part of the dormitory for two weeks and just now are getting acquainted. He used to live in Toledo. We both knew Einsmingers, south of Americus, and some other folks down there. Another Emporia boy, Snyder, who drove the Camel tobacco truck, is here in another barracks. More men are being sent to school all the time.
We had watermelon for dinner today. It was good too. We had peaches for breakfast but they weren’t any too ripe.
Guess I better close and write another letter or two. I’ll be expecting to see you before too long.
It isn’t time for chow yet so I’ll write a few lines this evening. I had a special liberty over the weekend so didn’t go out last evening as I was tired and had some washing to do. I expected to have a guard tonight but didn’t get it so it will probably come tomorrow.
Greenfield Village has opened so we went thru it Sunday. We spent four hours there and didn’t see nearly everything so you can imagine how much is to be seen. A bus took us inside the grounds to the waiting room from where the tours start. Tickets for the museum and the village cost twenty-five cents apiece but are well worth it. We went thru the village first. It consisted largely of famous old buildings, most of which are the originals though a few are relipicas of the originals. Quite a number of the exhibits are connected with the life of Edison, who was a great friend of Mr. Ford. The depot in which Mr. Edison sold papers when a boy is there but we didn’t get to go thru it. We saw it from a distance and it looked just like any ordinary depot. The building in which Mr. Edison carried on most of his experiments is there, fixed just as he left it when he completed his experiments with the light bulb. Wallace, do you remember in the show “Edison, the Man,” where the boy came running up the stairs, fell and broke the light bulb? The stairs are just the same as in the picture. Edison visited the Village in ’28 or ’29 and lit a fire which has burned continuously ever since.
Upper Floor, Edison’s Menlo Park Laboratory. Re-erected in Greenfield Village, Dearborn, Michigan
In reconstructing one place, Mr. Ford brought seven carloads of dirt from Vermont to make it more realistic. One place called the “rose house” is from someplace in England where they used slate for the roofs. The barn was brought over too and since some sheep were needed, they were brought from England too. We went thru an old grist mill which uses stone wheels to grind the wheat and corn into flour. The flour is sold for souveneirs at the waiting room. We saw wool carded, spun and woven into goods, using the old-fashioned hand methods. In the museum we saw all kinds of chinaware, antiques, guns, farm implements, cars, trains, buggies, airplanes, in fact nearly anything you might mention. There were cars of all kinds, the first ones which Mr. Ford made and cars of a great many other makes. Steam cars, electric and gas models. A person could spend a day in the museum alone. We saw engines of all sizes up to 4,000 horsepower. Old and new locomotives, several airplanes. There were exhibits of nearly all of Edison’s inventions. Wallace would have enjoyed those.
We left about four o’clock as we were tired and Megdalls wanted to go out for the evening so Josephine had to stay with the little girl for the evening. I got three different rides coming back to the station. The second car to pick me up was a man and woman who were coming out toward the station. Before we had talked very long the lady asked “what part of the South are you from?” Lots of people ask me that question. I don’t notice their talk being any different from ours but they know that I am a “foreigner.” I got a letter from Frances yesterday. She said that Betty and Al had been there and gone again. It was sure nice that they could come.
We have had chow now and lots of the boys are here in the reading room writing letters as it is much quieter than in the barracks. We had spare ribs, potatoes, peas, lettuce with dressing and gingerbread. We had iced coffee too but it isn’t any better than hot coffee. I thought it was ice tea and took a swallow of it before I knew what it was.
Has it rained yet? It won’t be so very long before time to cut wheat, will it? How big is the corn? Not very big yet, I suppose.
In a long letter just in time for Father’s Day, Lester describes his busy life. He sees more of the nearby sites, now that Josephine is around to take places. Included is a special, reassuring note to his mother, who evidently has expressed her concerns about what Lester will do after he finishes his training.
June 12 , 1942
Dear Dad
Well finally I am getting started toward answering your letter of two weeks ago. That is very prompt isn’t it? Mrs. Wolfram was right when she said I wouldn’t have much time for writing letters. I have been going on all my liberties, even though there isn’t a great deal for us to do in the evenings.
We went out to Bob-Lo Island on a picnic last Saturday. We had quite a nice boat ride but the picnic wasn’t very much. I sent Paul a picture card of the boat which we took. I don’t know how many people were on the boat but it seemed to be filled. On the trip back from Bob-Lo there were quite a few small boats on the river. I got a big kick out of watching our waves hit them. None of them upset but they would nearly go out of sight when in the trough of the wave. The river channel is marked with bouys which must be lighted each evening. Men were lighting the lanterns for them as we returned. We saw James at the picnic but didn’t talk to him. I don’t see much of him on the station.
The Postal card Lester sent; SS Columbia of the Bob-Lo Excursion Co.
We don’t have anything to do tonight which is unusual. I was on guard last night and today so didn’t go to school today. This afternoon another of the boys and I washed the foundation of the barracks and watered the shrubs and trees. I washed all of my whites again this evening and I didn’t have anything to wear to chow so I missed it this evening. I had one of the boys get me an ice-cream sundae at the canteen so I think I will make out until morning. We had a real good meal at noon. Pork chops, mashed potatoes and gravy, pea soup, lemon pie, ice cream and cool tea.
Your new pen seems to work fine. Try it again sometime. No, I’m not lonesome or homesick. I don’t have time to be. It is easy to make friends and all the people are so nice to us. They are very nice about giving us rides.
Thursday evening: Didn’t get this finished so will continue it today. I wish you could be having some of the rain which we are getting. It rains every time I have liberty and sometimes oftener. We have had several showers last night and today. I had liberty last night so we went out to Greenfield Village but it hasn’t opened yet so we couldn’t go thru it. It is to open this Saturday so we will go see it on the first opportunity. We did walk around some of the grounds but not the main part. We ate supper in Dearborn then went to a show. When we got out of the show it was raining so we stayed in a doorway until the bus came. Megdall’s (where Josephine works) had company so I didn’t stay but started back to the station in the rain. The bus wasn’t due for half an hour so I started walking. A car stopped and picked me up. The fellow brought me right out to the station. That’s the way they treat us up here.
Guess I had as well answer mom’s letter also as I probably won’t have time tomorrow night.
Yes, Mom, $4.00 an hour seems pretty high wages, doesn’t it? Guess what the sweepers at Ford get an hour. They get a dollar and a nickel an hour just to sweep floors. Of course it costs more to live up here. It costs a dollar every time Josephine and I eat a meal and we don’t indulge very heavily for that. Yes, I know that help is scarce. It is scarce here too, especially skilled men. We need more instructors at school but can’t get them. The papers are full of ads for experienced men and women. Better earn and save the money while you can. I imagine Mrs. Rutledge was glad when Leslie was turned down. I admire him for being willing to go anyway. Someone had told me that Don had joined the Marines. I wouldn’t want that branch.
You asked about the Ford Trade School and the Service School. The Service school is for navy boys who work and study in the Ford schools and shops. The Ford trade school is made up of boys from ten years on up to around eighteen, I think. They work as apprentice helpers for several years and are paid two dollars per day while learning. Some of them study in the classrooms to learn mathematics. They operate a good many machines on production work. I think it is a fine chance for them to learn a trade. I believe I like Diesel work better than the machinists trade though I like both courses. If I get to continue in Diesel after I leave here, I should understand it pretty well.
We won’t know until after we get back to Great Lakes whether we go aboard ship or stay on shore. By far the most of the boys go on board ship and they like it much better than ashore. All of the other navy men prefer the sea unless they are married and want to stay settled. I think you are doing a lot of worrying about something which can’t be changed. I know you can’t help worrying but it doesn’t do any good and I am really looking forward to going to sea. Would you want to come to Chicago to see me when I go to the Lakes? You could come here but it costs so much to live here and I wouldn’t get any more liberty than at the Lakes. I don’t know how long Josephine is going to stay.
Glad you enjoyed the magazine. I am sending you a couple more of Our Navy.
I am going to call Josephine then press some clothes. Gale and I bought our electric iron the other day.
Perhaps he telephoned home to announce his travel plans. If so, all the neighbors would have known the plan instantly on their party line. Perhaps he sent a telegram. Given the previous on-again, off-again yoyo of anticipation and disappointment surrounding his leave plans, it seems likely that the folks dared not believe he was really coming until they could see him with their own eyes and hug him with their own arms.
The Bridge 