It started with this picture. . .
By LA-jan - December 07, 2012
I came home from work the other morning and found an interesting
picture that grabbed me as I walked through the kitchen.
Lying on the counter was an old New York Times magazine
opened to this picture
Terry had found this magazine from 1995 commemorating
V-E Day's 50th anniversary. It was at his mom's. Saved by her because
Terry's dad, Joe, was on this
Terry's dad, Joe, was on this
boat, the Queen Mary, coming home from the war
when this picture was shot.
This is a fascinating account from the soldier's memories. Stories
of 19 year old boys taking off on the adventure of their lives.
Amazing stories, in time, I'll share some. But, as I read some of these,
all these names were coming up and one I though I recognized
from mom's letters. Alas, no, but it got me thinking.
What if I googled some of the soldier's that wrote her?
And so I did.
Corporal Klyne F. Pearcy.
He was the soldier that was smitten by mom. His letters were full
of romance and unrequited love. Like this one:
well, I shouldn't be surprised then by what I found
in the CBI Roundup, a soldiers newsletter, from 1944.
It was a news story regarding a new club formed by
a Corporal in China. Read on,
CBI ROUNDUP
VOL. II NO. 19 REG NO. L5015 DELHI, THURSDAY JANUARY 20, 1944.
New Club
FORMED IN C.B.I. BY CORPORAL IN CHINA
By Lt. FRANK S. WRIGHT
CHINA - It all happened at a rest camp "somewhere in China."
Freed of the cares of his clerical duties and spared the routine of daily military life, Cpl. Klyne F. Pearcy, of a fighter organization in the land of the chop-stick, had only to rest and rest and rest - and dream and dream and dream.
It was too good an opportunity to resist, so why not, he mused, be realistic about those dreams - why not write Dorothy June how madly in love he is with her and how she must meet him at the boat after the war ends, so they can hasten to the parson.
But there was Mary Ann, too, whom Pearcy dreamed he loved madly, and so he must write and suggest to her that eternal happiness would be his if she would but consent to be his bride.
And so both letter were written in Pearcy's most gallant style. The word literally dripped with honey as he bathed his superlatives in the language of the Goddess of Love. The two letters sailed away for the homeland.
Surely, time and fortune would be good to him. There was a 50-50 chance one would accept. If both should, he reasoned, he somehow could manage. It was important now that he plan positively for the future and be assured of at least one sweet woman when he reached home.
"Tis a sad, sad story. Pearcy sleeps restlessly these nights. Came a letter the other day. It was from Dorothy June. But lo, she had received the letter which Pearcy had written to Mary Ann.
Perhaps he really intended to marry both girls - just a bigamist at heart. Now he's in the hottest romantic stew that an ambitious Dan Cupid ever conceived.
And so I nominate Pearcy to be the founder of a new and exclusive G.I. organization - The "I Put My Foot Into It From Over Here Club," and the membership will be limited to those who fogged up from this side of the world, who can't put the blame on some civilian back home for swiping his girl's affections - just for G.I.'s (and officers too) who fumbled the romance from "Somewhere in the CBI Theater."
Just step up, men, those of you who can qualify - address your griefs to the unintentional founder of the club, Cpl. Pearcy, c/o of a fighter group, APO 627.
VOL. II NO. 19 REG NO. L5015 DELHI, THURSDAY JANUARY 20, 1944.
New Club
FORMED IN C.B.I. BY CORPORAL IN CHINA
By Lt. FRANK S. WRIGHT
CHINA - It all happened at a rest camp "somewhere in China."
Freed of the cares of his clerical duties and spared the routine of daily military life, Cpl. Klyne F. Pearcy, of a fighter organization in the land of the chop-stick, had only to rest and rest and rest - and dream and dream and dream.
It was too good an opportunity to resist, so why not, he mused, be realistic about those dreams - why not write Dorothy June how madly in love he is with her and how she must meet him at the boat after the war ends, so they can hasten to the parson.
But there was Mary Ann, too, whom Pearcy dreamed he loved madly, and so he must write and suggest to her that eternal happiness would be his if she would but consent to be his bride.
And so both letter were written in Pearcy's most gallant style. The word literally dripped with honey as he bathed his superlatives in the language of the Goddess of Love. The two letters sailed away for the homeland.
Surely, time and fortune would be good to him. There was a 50-50 chance one would accept. If both should, he reasoned, he somehow could manage. It was important now that he plan positively for the future and be assured of at least one sweet woman when he reached home.
"Tis a sad, sad story. Pearcy sleeps restlessly these nights. Came a letter the other day. It was from Dorothy June. But lo, she had received the letter which Pearcy had written to Mary Ann.
Perhaps he really intended to marry both girls - just a bigamist at heart. Now he's in the hottest romantic stew that an ambitious Dan Cupid ever conceived.
And so I nominate Pearcy to be the founder of a new and exclusive G.I. organization - The "I Put My Foot Into It From Over Here Club," and the membership will be limited to those who fogged up from this side of the world, who can't put the blame on some civilian back home for swiping his girl's affections - just for G.I.'s (and officers too) who fumbled the romance from "Somewhere in the CBI Theater."
Just step up, men, those of you who can qualify - address your griefs to the unintentional founder of the club, Cpl. Pearcy, c/o of a fighter group, APO 627.
Ha Ha, what a guy! He must have been a lot of fun, and mom must have
seen right through him!
3 comments
That photo of the soldiers on the boat...Wow! That was jam packed! Your detective work sure is throwing some interesting twists into the diary tales. What a charmer that Kliyne was.
ReplyDeleteThat soldier is hilarious. Guess they have to cover their bases for when they get home :)
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm Klyne Pearcy's son. I happened to google my dad today and saw your blog. I've seen the CBI Roundup story online, so it's crazy to see the letters. Dad (Klyne) and mom died last fall after 66 years together. We printed copies of CBI Roundup online for him to see, but obviously not THAT one. He was disabled in the war (hence a "rest camp") but was a sweet quiet fellow. I know it's an odd thing to ask, but is there any way you could send a pdf scan of the letter to me? It's hard to read them in your pictures.
ReplyDelete