SuzanneAA

Sept. 16th.

Dear mom and dad.

I really hope everything is fine with you at home! The journey over to America was scary. It was a lot of waves and big storms. I got really ill and threw up several times. But it wasn’t only seasick people got during the journey. It was a lot of deceases on board, like cholera, and many people died of it before we were ashore in the States. I didn’t get the decease so I was lucky and I’m all fine.

When we got ashore in America, we came to a place called Ellis Island. There we have to answer some questions, about what knowledge we have and so on. Some of the passengers got sent back to Norway, but the most of us, were sent on a train to get further into the country. Now I am in the middle-west. Everything is so big here! You should see it, I can’t describe it. It’s huge. We are all trying to get a job, and it’s looking good. It also is cheap to buy land over here so I think this will work out just fine.

But sometimes it's very hard. I really miss you back there in Norway! I feel kinda lost without you, and it's something which is missing in my life. And that's you. I wish I could see you every day like before. But that's a bit difficult in these days. But you shall know that I think about you every day and I miss you so much !

Lots of hugs sent to you. Love, Christina.

January 16, 1969.

Dear James, There has been a while since I last wrote to you. Sorry about that! I hope you have had a nice Christmas and a happy new year with your family. Wish I could be there with you, hang out like we did before. I really miss those days, and I hope we can catch up the lost when I get back home.

Over here there it’s horrible! People are getting killed every day, and few days ago, one of my closest friends here got killed. He got a bulled straight to his chest and I was right beside him. He asked me to give his neck less to his wife, and to say that he loved her. It was hard to see him like that, so hurt and in so much pain! It really have gotten in to me, and I have had some ruff days since he died.. Tomorrow he’s going to be sent back home in a chest with the United flag on it, and he’s getting a huge ceremony when he arrives. I must say that I’m not looking forward to give the neck less to his wife. That’s going to be a really emotional meeting.

Now, I hope, with all my heart that this war soon will be over! It’s frightening to wake up every morning knowing that you have to kill people. And sometimes we don’t sleep for days. It’s getting hard both physical and psychical. I’m tired and I have begun to have some sleeping problems. You know, when all you do is running around killing, it’s getting harder and harder for every day. It’s nothing you really get use to do. But I think it soon will be over, and then I can spend the next Christmas and new year with my family and friends.

I really miss you, James. I miss you and my family so much! Let's hope it won't be long till I see you all again. I'm thinking about you everyday, and you are the reason I still am alive. You back home give me strength to get through this!

Do me a favour will you, James? Give lost of greetings to my family and to the rest of my friends. Love you all !

Lots of love from Jack.