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    Please direct all inquiries to grimes@greenthing.net
                
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Postmarked: 3 Sep 1945

From: Charles Hugh Grimes
      Aboard U.S.S. Benevolence
      En route from Yokohama Bay to Tokyo Bay, Japan.

To: Mother Ruby Edney [Dukes] and Father Hugh Grimes

Dearest Mom:

     How is everybody now?  O.K. I hope as I'm getting a lot better.  I can see 
pretty good now and I set up all day yesterday and got up again this morning for 
breakfast.  I'm hoping I get a log better so I can rejoin my own ship as soon as 
possible.

     We just pulled out of the Yokahama bay this morning and are heading out to 
open sea right now.  Tokyo bound now I suppose.  I haven't found out yet whether 
the New Kent is coming to Tokyo or not.  I hope she is cause that will mean I 
can rejoin her there.

     Just got a letter from Dixie and she's about to die of boredom now, or so 
she says. Ha! She's lucky to have a few 4F's to run around with part of the time 
whether she knows it or not.

     She goes on to say that wile buddy of mine Carl Inghram was home for a 
short leave.  She said he asked about me and she told him about my being smashed 
up in an accident in Eninetok. Ha! He said if I didn't be careful he was going 
to wring my neck when he got hold of me sometime. 

     He'll be worried sick about me now, as I haven't written for quite some 
time.  I guess I'll have to do that today sometime.

     By the way, I was going to send you a picture of her but I lost all of my 
pictures somehow when I was brought aboard a couple of weeks ago.

     Anyway, you can have one as soon as I get her to send me another one.  That 
is if she doesn't prove to be so cranky like she is every once in a while.

     Tell Grandma I said I was still going to get her those Salt & Pepper 
shakers from Tokyo, like I promised.  It seems I might be there soon and maybe 
I'll get to go ashore.

     I've just gotten aquatinted with the radio gang on board, and they proved 
to be a swell bunch of guys altogether.  I tried the circuit once and did 
alright on my code taking, which I must say surprised me somewhat.

     You know a fellow has to keep in practice in order to keep taking it good & 
accurate, and I had been laying off since the collision.

     Mom I called Sis long distance once time when I was in Frisco, and she was 
tickled to death to hear from me.  She was working at the time but answered 
nevertheless.  She told me when I got a leave (if I did) to come and get her and 
we'd run off and leave Earl and come home together.  She sounded like she was 
pretty homesick to me, but she couldn't be more than I.  I don't care if she 
tried so if we come barging in sometime, we'll sure have a celebration around 
home won't we?

    Well, I've got to close before I write a "book" instead of a "letter" like I 
started to at first.  Bye for now and take care of yourself.

     Tell dad I said to keep whacking the lumber until I get there.

Love
Charles H.