Title: Letter to Mollie Wilson from Mary Murakami, 12/13/1944 (ddr-janm-1-38)

Densho ID: ddr-janm-1-38

December 13, 1944

Haro Mollie----

Long time no write neh! Well, I guess I’ll have to do some explaining neh, but before I go any further how is everyone and everything with you? I hopes all’s well. Let me see now, I have two cards in front of me that I got from you not too, too, long ago. You see the first card which was addressed to Woodland Road on June 27 wasn’t given to me for over two months and I knew I had written you before that to let you know I had moved and was attending the Minneapolis Business College. Well, I suppose you got that letter cuz then on November 18 you addressed a card to that address and since that time I had moved to two other new addresses. Nope, not married yet, but am leading a pretty independent life. And like it too, instead of working for your room and board and being tied down all the time, I’m free to do anything at any time. I’m employed at the North Country Wearables doing secretarial work for a Jewish man. Private too, and like it a lot. Sadae is doing pretty well down there in Chicago. She was up here until the middle of August but went down there and wished I were there too. This is a pretty dead city. I’ve been here over a year now and it’s about time I had a change, don’t you think?

Are you still attending school? I graduated in the end of July and now have started nite school and taking up some more accounting. My bud is coming out here in January and will attend the U of Minnesota. I don’t know, somehow I feel too dumb for the U. Shucks I’m plenty satisfied with the knowledge I acquired at the Business College and who knows, I mite get married too soon to make use of all this. You know Kuki has been in St. Paul since August and we see each other often enough. He came especially up here so that we could be together from Missouri to intern at the St. Luke’s Hospital. He’ll be thru with interning pretty soon and then will be full pledge after he passes his tests. It’s a wonder U.S. hasn’t called him in yet. I’m just lucky to have a boy friend who doesn’t have to be in Khaki. This city is just full of them since Fort Snelling is right here. All the Japanese soldiers are there, next to Camp Shelby which has quite a number of them too. I need more guys like that buy they don’t interest me much. After all, keeping faithful to a fellow for over three years must mean more than-------you know what.

Christmas is drawing near and what’s up your sleeves? I’ve barely gotten over my headaches by completing my list for the family which consists of only 6 of them. Gee, packing them all and sending things is quite a job. The real thing I wanted to do was to pack myself and send me home,…

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…but it was kinda impossible while holding a job at the same time. The boss says I could go home between January and March after the statements and everything’s out. Sure wished I had that do re mi to spend like that. After Chirstmas I’ll be so broke I won’t even be able to get me a round trip ticket which costs about $80.00. I miss the family an awful lost and even more so when the time goes by so fast and you don’t even know what they look like now. Sad ha! But so many of us are in the same boat I guess I’ll just have to glide along as I have been doing.

Well, what’s news in good ole L.A.? Seems likes years since I heard a word from anyone down there. One piece of news here—Tommy Dorsey will be here in this city. Gee, what a piece of news to relate to you ha. Oh yeah, and I went to see Artie Shaw and his orchestra a few weeks ago and boy was it every super! The last show I saw and liked a lot was “Since You Went Away.” Did you see it yet? Sure was good like almost any other war picture. “The Very Thought of You” was kinda good—even just to see a little of Pasadena and Cal Tech. This city’s pretty slow about getting new pictures, etc. Boy! In Chi and St. Louis, they really get them all.

How’re you practicing up on your nihongo. I remember the last time you wrote you were really getting all the kanji’s in. You little smart! Wished I could converse with you one of these days. Well, maybe when the war’s over like we always say. When will it be over anyway? They’ve been saying so long------no one’s optimistic anymore. Shoot, look at all the grief caused by it all.

This city’s full of former Rooseveltians or rather Boyle Heighters and when you mentioned Joe Takahashi, yes, I did see him a number of times, he even came to church a couple of times. Tadashi Ito’s around and Seichii was in St. Paul, but now in Chicago. He visited Suds according to her last letter. Jennie Noda, Michiko Tanaka, and you know those kids’ little identification pictures we have a lot of, many are here. I heard Joe went over seas. More boy’s that I know of our fighting in France and previous to that in Italy. Even some have been wounded that I know of. Have any of your brothers joined?

Well, Molly, I calls this enuf jabbering for one day so I’ll close and write like you promised. I’m enclosing a pic we recently took. I’ve got my mouth twisted in some way in the pic but that’s o.k. I’m as skinny as ever. The gal in the pic is my roommate. And that’s her beau and you recognize mine don’t you? He hasn’t changed one bit. Send me a picture of you one of these days o.k. Say hello to all the folks around there for me. Thanks.

Lovingly,

Mary