On the last day before his trip to the south of Japan, Maj. Gillham takes a drive with a colleague and some friends out into the mountains. The scene he paints is reminiscent of a photo I use for my wallpaper on my laptop, and I include it at the end of this post. The whereabouts of the three photos he mentions at the very end are unknown.
Tokyo
15 Apr 46
Dearest Love,
Yours of 8 Apr came today. The mail has certainly improved. That is only a week. However, that long spell with no mail seemed to take something out of me that I am afraid I won't get back until I see you in person again.
I enjoyed your letter very much and was glad you got the things you mentioned. I was beginning to worry about some of those items. It seems that I mailed them ages ago. I was amused at your reaction to the records. I thought they would jar you. You finally get used to it at a 3 or 4 hour performance.
The sweet shrub still contained some of its characteristic odor and brought back many happy memories. I was disappointed that you apparently hadn't gotten the roses I tried to send you on 6 Apr. I cabled the bank at Charlottesville to wire them to you and charge my bank account. Thought a small town bank like that would do me a favor, but something must have gotten fouled up somewhere along the line. Anyway, roses or no, I love you and I am glad I met you 16 years ago. You have meant the world to me ever since.
I was interested in your ideas of using the servants' quarters at the old house for a place to live. I am sure we could make out in such a place and have lots of fun doing it. I hope that before many more years you won't have to put up with a make-shift arrangement, but can have a real home of your own.
Since I am going to Kyushu day after tomorrow, my mail may be a little irregular for a few days.
Yesterday Wilson and I made a big loop back through the mountains. We went right up to the foot of Fuji and then over many mountain roads. I took Hiyoshi's sister, the one in the Chinese robe in the picture I sent you. Wilson took a Japanese school teacher. Hiyoshi San (the girl that went with me) is a doctor of a medicine and is the company doctor at the large factory here. We had a sedan and Dick and I took turns driving. It was the first time I had had my hands on the wheel of anything but a jeep since I left the states. It certainly felt natural to pilot a good responsive automobile over precipitous mountain roads again. The cherry blossoms in the mountains were at the height of their glory. At one mountain village they were having a cherry festival and everyone was decked out in their most colorful kimonos. It was a very pleasant trip.
Enclosed are a few extra pictures that I hadn't sent before.
Lots of love,
Bill
Tokyo
15 Apr 46
Dearest Love,
Yours of 8 Apr came today. The mail has certainly improved. That is only a week. However, that long spell with no mail seemed to take something out of me that I am afraid I won't get back until I see you in person again.
I enjoyed your letter very much and was glad you got the things you mentioned. I was beginning to worry about some of those items. It seems that I mailed them ages ago. I was amused at your reaction to the records. I thought they would jar you. You finally get used to it at a 3 or 4 hour performance.
The sweet shrub still contained some of its characteristic odor and brought back many happy memories. I was disappointed that you apparently hadn't gotten the roses I tried to send you on 6 Apr. I cabled the bank at Charlottesville to wire them to you and charge my bank account. Thought a small town bank like that would do me a favor, but something must have gotten fouled up somewhere along the line. Anyway, roses or no, I love you and I am glad I met you 16 years ago. You have meant the world to me ever since.
I was interested in your ideas of using the servants' quarters at the old house for a place to live. I am sure we could make out in such a place and have lots of fun doing it. I hope that before many more years you won't have to put up with a make-shift arrangement, but can have a real home of your own.
Since I am going to Kyushu day after tomorrow, my mail may be a little irregular for a few days.
Yesterday Wilson and I made a big loop back through the mountains. We went right up to the foot of Fuji and then over many mountain roads. I took Hiyoshi's sister, the one in the Chinese robe in the picture I sent you. Wilson took a Japanese school teacher. Hiyoshi San (the girl that went with me) is a doctor of a medicine and is the company doctor at the large factory here. We had a sedan and Dick and I took turns driving. It was the first time I had had my hands on the wheel of anything but a jeep since I left the states. It certainly felt natural to pilot a good responsive automobile over precipitous mountain roads again. The cherry blossoms in the mountains were at the height of their glory. At one mountain village they were having a cherry festival and everyone was decked out in their most colorful kimonos. It was a very pleasant trip.
Enclosed are a few extra pictures that I hadn't sent before.
Lots of love,
Bill
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