found letters

12 January 2015
Rummaging thru desk drawers and came across a real treasure - from @ 70 years ago.  A Real Keeper!

The following is a letter my father, Bill Bromley, wrote to his father-in-law, Jack Cheswick (my father called him "Champ.") He is asking him to hold on to an enclosed letter he wrote to my mom, Ruth Cheswick Bromley.

At the time of this writing, they had one 7mos old daughter, Jacqueline - "J.B." and he was an Ensign- noted by his signature at the bottom of each page.  He became a lieutenant, when he was promoted to ship's commander of the LCG 462 after these letters were written.  

Dad went on to live a great life and was married to my mother for 51 years - I'm not sure if my mother ever saw these letters  - something I will find out about soon.

22 February 1945 
In Port

Dear "Champ,"

      Wish that you would do me a big favor. The enclosed letter is one that I want Ruth to get if a notification comes through that I forgot to duck at the right time. It is no sob story but just a few things that I want her to know in case I get killed. I thought that you could put it in a safe place, like your safe, where it would be on the sly between the two of us.

      I want to make sure that Ruth gets it in case, and this is the only method that I can think of. Dad & Ma would worry about it when worry would be and is foolish.

      The prime reason for it is that I am quite certain that I will be in the forward areas until the war ends and there are quite a few jobs ahead of me. I have no silly premonitions or anything like that but I've seen enough of my shipmates go down to realize that the Japs don't know I'm Jack Cheswick's son-in-law, I'm sure your all around pull would help me, there must be some Jap that owes you money or something like that.

      I'm glad that you are around to make J.B. realize that there are men in the family too. Keep up your bowling practice for sure as shooting I'm going to take you on when I get back. That is one of my post-war objectives. Hope that you don't mind this chore too much, but I know that you realize how much I appreciate this and everything else you have done and are doing.

Sincerely, Bill
Enclosed in that letter was another envelope sealed with this letter inside.

Dearest Ches,
     I have been worried lately what would happen to you if I got run over by a Jap battleship. So, thought I would write a note and tell you all I think about it. I know that your wonderful folks would take care of you and J.B., but it's your emotional life that is important.
     You know, you made me as happy as any man could be, you satisfied every good appetite that I have, and made me alive for the first time, made me realize how wonderful life can be. We only had a few short years, but every moment counted and was packed with us.        I am sure that no other man ever had such a generous and beautiful wife.
     My main worry, and I was never more serious, is that you will not remarry because of some feeling of loyalty to me. It sounds nice and heroic in a book, but in reality is a rather dull dish.  In whatever spare time I had between shovelfuls I know I would blame myself for denying you a full and happy life. It was not cold blooded smart to marry when we did, but it would have been the greatest crime in history to deny ourselves each other, and deny J.B.'s right to bask in the sun.
     In the next few months I will see a lot of action. Action in which I will be in a relatively dangerous spot. It is absolutely necessary though for fewer men will die on the beaches if I do my job well.  I hope and pray you will never get this letter, but, if you do, I hope you will realize that I have no fears for my own life for it will be over. My only anxiety concerns you and J.B. but I know you two will be strong and happy living right up to the hilt.  Please tell J.B. the things I would have told her. 
Tell her that her ole' man was a fair sport, a good chemist and a damn fine man at the dinner table.
     There is one thing I want you to know Darling, that is, you are the only woman I have ever loved - and I mean love in all senses of the word. And I've been as proud as the late cardinal ever since you married me.   I caught the gold ring, and I'm hanging on to it as long as I can.
     There are a thousand things I could say but they simply mean  I Love You, keep J.B. in the best of spirits and make her as wonderful as her mother, and keep a laugh in your eye and a lilt in your walk.

                                                   "Your Billie"