The letters keep coming in to Tokyo

More letters arrived in Tokyo, as the logjam seems to be giving way and the flow of mail is becoming constant.  He even receives some mail while he is writing this letter and is able to respond to it almost immediately.

If anyone knows of the whereabouts of the gong Maj. Gillham talks about in this letter, please leave a comment.  I remember my mother (Monty) talking about it, but I don't remember ever seeing it at 18 Camden Road.

Tokyo
23 Mar 46

Dearest Darling,

Letters from you of 9 and 13 Mar received today -- also one from Monty.  Monty told me Martha had had the measles.  Your latest letter said she was well, so I guess everything is all right.

I am at the office now.  The Sgt. just brought me two more letters from you dated 7 and 11 Mar.  So I will now take time out and read them.

Well, now I can piece things together pretty well.  I am glad Martha got well and hope Monty won't have any trouble with her ear.  Getting wisdom teeth pulled is a rather rugged experience.  I hope you have recovered by now.  Why did you have to have them pulled?

In the same mail, just now, I got a letter from Maj. Evans in Korea.  He came over on the boat with me.  He said I should give thanks to Buddha that I wasn't sent to Korea.  I have never regretted not being sent there.  I guess I was one of the fortunate few after all.

I am glad that my package s have been getting through O.K.  They seem to make about as good time as the mail.  I think the mail will be better from now on.

I don't remember all the pieces of brass that I sent.  Hang that gong up by the chains and hit it with your fist or some padded object and listen to the tone.  Tie a knot in the end of a cord and put it through the cymbal.  Suspended by the cord the cymbal gives a fine oriental sound -- wonderful for playing "Terry and the Pirates."  I hope I don't cause you to be driven out of house and home.

I don't blame you for not caring for that obi you have.  It was never intended to go with your kimono.  In fact, I didn't select it in the first place, but took it off of another officer's hands that couldn't get it in a box he was packing.  I sent it along in that first box because I didn't have anything else to send then.  You may be able to use it to cover a chair or something like that.  I have been on the lookout for an obi to go with the kimono for some time and will get one before I leave.  It takes a lot of accessories and skill to put on a obi.  I sent one of them in the last package and will try to get the complete set.

Your letters are certainly a ray of sunlight to me.  I am so glad they are coming through again.

The girls must have had quite a time at their formal kissing party.  They start out young in Atlanta, don't they?

Loads of love,

Bill

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Terry and the Pirates was a comic strip that was started by Milton Caniff in 1936.  It involved the title character, an all-American boy, who was on a ship in China with a reporter, Pat Ryan.  It was never really made clear who the pirates were, but it was an action adventure comic strip that involved several villains and shady characters.  Maj, Gillham made the reference, I am assuming, because of the strip's Chinese locale.  Caniff drew the strip until a few months after today's letter was written, in December, 1946, when it was taken over by another artist who drew it until it finally ended in 1973.  Milton Caniff went on to create Steve Canyon, another action adventure strip, which ran until 1988, the time of his death.