Encoded for for the Veterans History Project, January 9, 2017
All letters in the McNutt collection were digitized.
The following letters were transcribed from the handwritten originals by the donor. No alterations to this transcription has been made, although spelling errors are indicated with [sic]. Any special emphasis (i.e. underlining) is presented *between asterisks*.
I received your letter and it did make me feel kindly bad, but I didn't get mad. I am not going to get mad at you any more without I have an awful good reason and I hope I will never have that, for it's foolish Myrtle awful foolish to get mad or quarrel with you under no conditions until I see you and then I am going to have a real bloody fight with you and fight in to a finish too. When I get at you I'll settle up all old debts and I owe you
that is if you are not married and got an old man to take your part and in that case I'll wait until hubby is away and fly into you and then run like the devil. "He who fights and runs away may live to fight another day." You ought to have seen me for the last week and the week to come. I'll bet you would say I don't know that dirty lousy gink, never saw him before. We have been and are still coaling up and talk about black niggers we have got them skinned a mile. We are coal black. The G.W. [U.S.S. George Washington]
holds 4800 ton of coal and thing we will have to coal her up ever time we make a trip to France and back and that will be about once a month. Gee! I see my finish already. It is the third largest ship afloat and is 720 and one half ft. long, 80 ft. high and about 70 ft. wide. The first week I was on her I know I got lost forty times and would have to hunt an hour to find my way to the fire room. There are regular caves on it. I started this letter Sunday 2:00 AM at the Y.M.C.A. but fell asleep so will try to finish it to-
night (Monday 8th). I had to coal ship all day yesterday (Sunday). Now don't you think that a shame coal ship all week and then have to coal on Sunday too? When you are in the navy Sunday is no more than any other day. It's work all the time. I could tell you a good many interesting things about the ship, but it would take too much time now and I will write about them when I get more time. I haven't much more time tonight so will have to close soon and will write you about the things that happen on here then. Is there
anything in particular that you would like to know about the ship? If there is please ask them and I will answer the best I can. When you wrote you hadn't received those beautiful magnificent stewed up pictures so I guess you have gotten them by now and I know there was a little girl whose name is Myrtle L Barton that was disappointed for they sure weren't good and then the other rummy's that were on there too. Well Myrtle there are very, very few sailors that don't drink and if they don't when they come
in here they soon get into it and are rummys like the rest. Myrtle I am going to try awful hard to let it alone and go out of the navy as good as I come it, or near about it. I don't expect to come out as good, but will try hard to for the sake of Mother, sister and you. If it hadn't of been for you and home I am afraid I would have done some pretty desperate things since I have been in here and would shamed you all. You can't imagine what I have gone through and I may have to go through worse yet
but what ever comes I will try my best to do my best and do nothing that would make you ashamed of me.
You said I had as good a chance to win your love as any one else. In a way maybe I have, but in another I haven't. I can't see and be with you and there are a lot of fellows can. What chance have you of winning a girl's love when you can't ever see her. Very little don't you think so? It will be four years before I can see you and maybe never. Even four years- that's a long, long time and by that time you will be
married, have a family and long have forgotten your sailor boy. This war certainly is Hell. I was going to send you some candy a number of times, I couldn't get it mailed for I don't get off here until six o'clock and by the time I get to a post office which is some distance it is closed. I will send it though just as soon as I can. I would like to write more but will have to close. Be good little girl and ans. real, real soon. A nice long one like before.
With Much love