HI CUZ Blog 100
Copyright 1990 et seq, Donald Rowe
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MLFHS: cursive writing query for our
senior UK
Hi senior listers,
Does anyone remember what age you were when you were taught "joined-up" writing at school? I have some signatures of some girls around 1930/40 and am trying to identify around what age they were likely to have been.
Subject: MLFHS: cursive writing query for our senior
What would be 2nd year juniors? (excuse my ignorance)
Thanks for your answer.
It was second year juniors for me. I won a prize for my writing that year, but then it disintegrated and I was told off forever more about untidiness.
very best
Captain John Angus McDonald USMC letters 1927
Continuing from previous postings …. Captain Jack’s wife
Marjorie May (MacKenzie) McDonald and daughter Barbara McDonald live in USMC
housing at a base in Port Au Prince, Haiti . Captain Jack’s age while in Nicaragua was
49. Imagine yourself in the mountains of Nicaragua as you march along with Nancy ’s grandfather.
July 18, 27
My own darling:-
While I am here I am going to try and have a letter for you
in each mail that leaves Corinto.
This is the peace we were supposed to take over when we
first landed. But I am just as glad that
I didn’t for several reasons.
The friend the Liet here has my news since leaving the
mountains.Hot all day until three PM .
And then it rains.
Lasst February about two thousand natives were killed here,
and the best part of the town destroyed. And taking in all it isn’t a most
desirable peace. No trouble, of any kind, But just bad conditions.
By the time your receive this letter Marjorie, our time in Nicaragua will
be getting short. And believe me I won’t be the least bit sorry.
PAGE TWO
Now this is the dope. Corgresses sails from California on the 25th
of July with a Battalion of Marines, Corinto, which will be about the 10th
of August. We sail for Haiti .
All the Officers that came Haiti are returning.
You and I Marjorie had the right dope, And I am mightily
glad that are kept our home.
From the day we left Leon May 21st until ???
say this area when we finally got settled in home on the move. And the greater part of that time, out of
commission with what was happening elsewhere.
And now that we finally have come down to earth, we are
trying to put together all loose connections.
I am all rested up now and feel fine.
I only lost 30 pounds in weight, But I am getting it all
back slowly. I was very fortunate in having a good company. Ano they have
PAGE THREE
All come through fine, with the exception of the two who
were Captured by the bandit Sandino, July 3. –
The natives in Esteli were very friendly, gave us a
wonderful reception July 4th.
And we had nothing to complain about then & then.
They sent a letter of recommendation to the General in Managua about us. And I
suppose that would do any harm. We are
only 12 miles from Corinto, And near the Railroad and we won’t have any more
kicking to do. George Morse had his arm broken full from a horse. And was sent
home. Lt Hood had the same accident
happen to him and he was sent home.
All the Officers that came from Haiti with us staid in Leon.
Lt Keinling and Lt Scheper were with me all are the time. In Leon they had
the life of Riley, and they look it. Saw Doctors Nicey in Managua .
PAGE FOUR
In the usual Conditions worse if anything, not much more
attached to him. I spent my my few minutes with him. They are only going to
keep one Battalion of Marines in Nicaragua , the 5th
Regiment forces Quantico . With our rich Government Marjorie, they have
only one ship the Argonne to take the Marines
away.
Something is always wrong with the system, ships of all
di9scriptions laying idle everywhere. But only one here.
I do hope that you and Baby are well and not moving. And
That you know for sure that I am returning to Haiti .
Time won’t be long passing now And the worst is over for us here. My letters
to you darling have been few and far between.
But you know the reason well.
And the ones that I have written have not here I believe so
good. We will soon be together and to us that is the best part after all.
PAGE FIVE
We should have lots of money in the Bank now. Use all you
want. And don’t want for anything,
Marjorie. I am glad you got some pleasure from the car. It will feel good to
have my hands on the wheel once more on our way to the beach.
In August darling will see me on my way back to Haiti on the Argonne . And I
will wire you the day and time from the ship when we arrive in Port-Au-Prince .
Good bye darling
For this time And God Bless you
And darling Barbara
All my love
Your Jack
The following is a special treat, a first hand account of
life in the early WWII years, and what some kids (my older brothers before I
was born) did for entertainment. It describes what my three brothers, Dan,
Dave, and Den did when they went …
“Buggying” By Dennis Joseph Rowe
You asked me to write you about –
among other things – what we (three older brothers) did during the War Years –
’41 –’45.
Well, this has nothing to do with
the war but one thing we did was “buggying.” We were all too young to drive and
bicycles weren’t much fun so we got ourselves a buggy. It was an open, two-seat (front and back)
horse-drawn carriage.
I’m not sure where we got it but
along Shore Road
there were some farms with barns. One
was that of Doctor Tryon – an old biddy whom we thought of as a witch I guess
because she didn’t want us in her barn lest we smoke and set the place on fire.
She lived right across from us, was old, single and didn’t farm the
property except to have it hayed.
Anyway we must have swiped – stolen
or misappropriated were too strong a term for us Rowe boy angels on the
buggy. We stripped it down to the extent
of removing the shafts out front that hitched to a horse then found some cable
which must have come from a downed utility pole and wrapped it around the
free-turning front axle – we had a long loop that allowed us to sit or stand at
the back seat to drive the thing.
We would get it out onto Shore Road and push
along – especially where there was some downhill – jump aboard. We weren’t very
good at steering and it was hard to control *(* - once it even veired from a
straight path it became unstable and a handful) so we ended up “all over the
place” and, when there was an upcoming car, was a little intimidating to traffic.
We might have been passed by overtaking traffic – we probably only went to 5,
maybe 10 MPH – but who would risk it?
We probably did this one school’s
out summer – I remember it always being good weather when we terrorized the
territory (Mom & Dad must not have known about this or heard reports or
been visited by the local police).
I recall what brought an abrupt end
to our youthful joyriding: a broken wheel. In one of our many excursions off
the paved roadway, we must have done it at speed and a wooden spoke – it was an
old buggy – either came loose or broke so the metal rim collapsed and
“flatspotted.”
There were many places along the
roadway which were lightly wooded and we were able to hide and retrieve it
easily close by. That’s probably where we
deserted it, as it was impossible to ride it anymore and we 10-to-13 year olds
didn’t know where or how to get or install a spare rim. We sure(ly) couldn’t
ask Dad to help.
It sure was fun while it lasted and
I would strongly recommend the formative experience to any kids – except our
own!
Shore Road is a two lane road in Cape Elizabeth , Maine
I hope to include additional memories of that period in
future HICUZ blog postings.
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