SOLDIER FINDS MUCH OF WORLD IS WATER
John M. Miller, of east of Burt, writes from New Guinea to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Miller. He is also a grandson of Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Cox, of Algona. John has been in the service three years last May and has been overseas since last January. The letter: Somewhere in New Guinea, June 10, 1944.
Dear Folks: A head sergeant told me I could now tell a few things you are anxious to know, so will chance it. It was 63 days, a heck of a long time. I thought it was the longest ride on water I ever wanted to take but I am ready to make it again if it was back to the good old U. S. A. any time now. I knew this was a big world, but I didn’t think so much of it was water.
I suppose you are busy cutting oats by now. Wish I was there to go in on the threshing run. Some of those good oats would be grand to us now. I’ve seen a lot of Japs. The dead ones look best to us. The live ones we can expect, as we are in the combat area, just so we see them first is the main thing. We were just issued 6 sheets of paper. I am afraid the paper situation is going to be serious, so tell all my friends to write, for probably we can’t. Hope everybody is OK. Don’t worry about me, I am fine and going to stay that way.—John.
Source: Algona Upper Des Moines, September 5, 1944
