Keywords
World War II;New Guinea;408th Bobm Squadron;22nd Bomb Group;Ben J. Skuda;Scott House;Rabaul;Mr. Naylor
Rights Management
All rights retained by Bryant University
Transcription
[Transcription begins]
Lt. John C. Sullivan 0-741106
408th Bomb Sqdn 22nd Bomb Group (H)
APO # 713 [indecipherable]
c/o Postmaster, San Francisco, California
March 27, 1944
New Guinea
Dear Bryant Service Club,
I was very surprised to receive your Christmas package yesterday. Doubly more so as it was addressed to [indecipherable], New Mexico and I left there one year ago, so you see the army is good on its mail service.
Your news was very good but the best of all was when I read that Ben Scuda, my friend of Bryant days, had been found.
Say, how come that great advice on how to stay single, (Mr. Naylor, of course) took the [indecipherable] to stop?
Oh merciful heavens, that Scott House, the boiling pot of Bryant should be turned [indecipherable] a girls dormitory and the name changed to Harriet Hall! Think of the glorious days the Scott House used to have. Imagine the traditions [indecipherable]. The school could always expect something new from the Scott House [indecipherable].
From your letter everything is changed around there. Wow! Ten girls to every boy! Here is 5000 boys to one girl!
Now the news Not much with me. Naturally since I last wrote I’ve come overseas. Had a little trouble getting here. Took three months for the trip. Usually done is 36 to 40 hours, but we had to have something go wrong and be forced to stay on a little island two miles long and a hundred yards wide. Had to send to States for a part and then were sent to wrong place. Finally got here.
Since I’ve joined the squadron I’ve been on forty bombing missions. Some were dull and some had a little life + kick to them.
My very first mission was a reconnaissance single ship to Rabaul. Rabaul then being the toughest target around here. That mission broke me in. Haven’t worried about a thing since then.
What’s the fastest you’ve even moved on foot? I doubled my speed once. The first night here. Had an air raid. I heard a fluttering in the air and moved fast even though the bomb landed two miles away. That was the last raid the Japs made on us.
Received my promotion to first lieutenant a while ago. Right now we are in training, [indecipherable] of combat flying, on a much larger ship. Hope to be back in combat soon because that means getting my ten missions quicker and coming home for a rest, this summer. Guess that’s all. Hope you all enjoyed the letter. I did yours. Write again soon.
Sully [Transcription ends]
