U. S. S. PRAIRIE
C/O FLEET POST OFFICE
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.
20 NOVEMBER 1945
DEAREST MARY,
I'M COMING HOME.
I HAD FIGURED A HUNDRED DIFFERENT THINGS TO SAY WHEN THE BIG NEWS ARRIVED, BUT NOW I FEEL SO CLOGGED UP I CAN HARDLY THINK. I FULLY REALIZE THAT I HAVE SPENT A LOT LESS TIME AT SEA THAN A LOT OF MY CONTEMPORIES, AND HAVE LIVED A LIFE OF COMPARITIVE EASE IN COMPARISON TO THOSE WHO WERE ON DESTROYERS OR OTHER SHIPS THAT HAD TO BUCK THE FULL WEIGHT OF THE WAR, AND AM A LOT BETTER OFF THAN THEY WHO DIED IN THE PROCESS. BUT STILL THE FACT REMAINS, I'VE BEEN AWAY, AND NOW I'M COMING HOME.
MY EYES ARE WET, BUT SO ARE THOSE OF MY BUDDIES. TO READ NEWS LIKE THAT AS IT COMES OVER THE RADIO, IS A THRILL SO OVERWHELMING IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DESCRIBE. AND IT ISN'T OFTEN THAT YOU CAN GET A THOUSAND MEN TO LOOSE SELF CONTROL AFTER THEY HAVE SPENT TWO YEARS BECOMING TOUGH AND BITTER TOWARDS LIFE BECAUSE THEY NEVER KNEW WHEN IT WOULD END, OF IF THEY SURVIVED WHEN THEY WOULD GO HOME AGAIN. - THIS IS A HAPPY SHIPT TONIGHT. SO HAPPY THAT THERE IS NO CELEBRATION, JUST A CHOKED UP HAPPINESS THAT WILL KEEP A LOT OF US FROM SLEEPING TONIGHT- AND FROM NOW ON UNTIL WE LEAVE EARLY IN DECEMBER.
WHAT CAN I TALK OF? WHAT'S THE USE OF RECALLING 20 MONTHS OF THIS, FOR I HAVE NO USE FOR THEM. I'VE ALMOST COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN THE PAST IN MY DIZZY PLANS FOR MY LEAVE. ALL I CAN THINK OF IS SUNDAY EVENING IN FRONT OF THE FIRE, LISTENING TO THE RADIO, OR FIGHTING DORA UPSTAIRS. WELL, JUST EVERYTHING CONNECTED WITH HOME. I NEVER BEFORE IMAGINED I COULD FEEL LIKE THIS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME DONT FEEL ASHAMED, CAUSE EVERYONE AROUND ME FEELS THE SAME. I GUESS IT'S NO CRIME TO BE BRAZILY HAPPY. RIGHT NOW I LOVE THE WORLD, EVEN THE JAPS.
I DONT KNOW IF I CAN MAKE IT HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, SO PLEASE CONTINUE TO KEEP SECRET THIS WONDERFUL NEWS. I STILL DONT WANT TO DISSAPOINT MOM AND DAD, SO PLEASE, THIS WILL BE A COMBINE BETWEEN US.
MARY, I'M COMING HOME- GEES I'M HAPPY.
LOTS OF LOVE,
[Signature: "Bud" in handwriting]