J A Hale's Letters
December, 1942 to December, 1943

J A Hale was born 27 May 1926 in Ripley, Oklahoma. The family moved to the East Texas oil field in 1930. J A attended school at Salem School near Troup, Texas. In late November 1942 at age 16, when he was a high school senior, he enlisted in the US Navy . No one knows how he managed to falsify his age at enlistment. He was trained as a Navy corpsman for service with the Marine Corps. J A was killed in action during the invasion of Tarawa on November 20, 1943 at age 17. He was survived by his father, four brothers, and three sisters. His mother died in September of 1943.  J A was in New Zealand preparing for the invasion of Tarawa when he received the news of her death. He was reburied in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (the Punchbowl) in Honolulu on the island of Oahu, Hawaii on March 14, 1949 (Section F  Site 805).

This is an index of copies of the surviving letters exchanged between J A and his mother, brothers, sisters, etc. during the year between his enlistment and his death. The letters are reminders of the circumstances of the American people in 1943.


INDEX of DOCUMENTS
and
TIMELINE


A list of individuals mentioned in the letters may be seen here.

Links to letters 

Date

Pages

Notes

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27-May-42 - JA's Sixteenth Birthday

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2-Sep-42 - Start of Senior Year at Salem school

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Late Nov-42 - JA enlisted in the Navy
US Navy to Dad  2-Dec-42 2 Family notified of enlistment and training assignment to San Diego
Mom to JA  9-Dec-42

2

Sorry you joined; you will regret it, everyone is upset
J C Barron to JA  15-Dec-42

2

You needed a birth certificate; how did you manage to sign up at 16
Kenneth to JA  16-Dec-42 5 Didn't expect you to join until end of school year
Mom to JA  20-Dec-42 3 Short Xmas this year, read your Bible, do you want your senior ring?
Donald to JA  ?-Jan-43 1 It has been really cold; bring me and Paul Jr. a sailor cap
Imogene to JA  ? -Jan-43 3 General encouragement
Mom to JA  7-Jan-43 3 News from home; JA is in training in San Diego
Mom to JA  18-Jan-43 2 Lots of people are leaving the area. It's very cold
Ivery to JA winter-43 3 I would join you if not for my bad leg. It has been very cold and snowy here.
Mom to JA  25-Feb-43 3 News from home
Kenneth to JA winter-43 3 Traded for 3 pigs. We are looking for a new house.
JA to Kenneth 1-Mar-43 2 From San Diego, 1 1/2 weeks before finishing nursing training
JA to Family  3-Mar-43 3 About to leave San Diego for a Hospital assignment for 3 weeks
Phala to JA  8-Mar-43 2 News from home
Mom to JA 9-Mar-43 2 Garden killed in freeze, sending your ring
Mom to JA 11-Mar-43 3 Otis and Ruby are visiting. Octa is in the hospital. Dad is now working 40 hours per week.
JA to Kenneth  17-Mar-43

2

Assigned to a ward in Bremerton Naval Hospital, likes the Seattle area
Mom to JA  23-Mar-43

4

JA made a trip to Iceland??,  pigs expected in a week
JA to Kenneth  27-Mar-43 1 Volunteered to serve with Marines to come back a hero.
W F Peerson to JA  29-Mar-43 2 Describes leave in San Diego
Mom to JA  30-Mar-43 2 News from home. Did you get your ring?
Donald to JA early -Apr-43 2 We have 9 new pigs. I have been sick for 7 days.
JA to Kenneth  5-Apr-43

2

Expects to be "drafted" by the Marines
Donald to JA  9-Apr-43 1 Paul Jr. is mean
Mom to JA  14-Apr-43 3 Rec'd money and cards. Ivery and Gene are visiting.
Phala to JA  14-Apr-43 2 Had fun at Tyler State Park last Saturday
Donald to JA mid-Apr-43 2 Pigs are big and fat. I have to tell a story in school.
JA to Kenneth  20-Apr-43 2 Now with the Marines in San Diego
JA to Kenneth  2-May-43 3 Signed up for 2 months of training in field hospitals with Marines
JA to Kenneth  7-May-43 1 Pay screwed up, needs money
Mom to JA  8-May-43 3 Why did you change to the Marines?
Don Townsend  to JA  11-May-43 2 Report from training camp near Cheyenne
Mom to JA  12-May-43 3 Received your (Navy) clothes. Tornado struck Laird Hill
JA to Kenneth  20-May-43 4 Describes training for service with the Marines
JA to Kenneth 21-May-43 3 Sent a newspaper article about the training program at Camp Elliott near San Diego
Jackson to JA  23-May-43 2 How do you like the Marines?
Training Schedule  24-May-43 1 Second week of Field Services Training at Camp Elliott, California
-------- 27-May-43 - JA's seventeenth birthday
JA to Kenneth  31-May-43 2 Notes about the training program
Mom to JA  6-Jun-43 4 Octa is ill. Had a great Sunday dinner. Two neighbors have died. Phala and Donald passed to the next grade.
F.W. Peerson to JA  10-Jun-43 1 From Attu Island, Alaska. If you are up this way, look me up.
Kenneth to JA 24-Jun-43 2 Refers to racial riots in Detroit and birth of son, Phillip
JA to Kenneth  30-Jun-43 2 Rumor we will be sent to Iceland
-------- early-Jul-43 - JA leaves California for New Zealand. Assigned to Hdq Co 1st Btn 2nd Marines
Mom to JA  8-Jul-43 3 Hot dry summer, lots of work, little excitement
Mom to JA  13-Jul-43 3 Received your clothes. Octa is ill. Polio is causing problems. Pigs weigh 80 lbs.
Donald to JA mid-Jul-43 1 Got your stuff. Pigs got out.
Mom to JA  19-Jul-43 3 Its very hot here. Canning is done. We have some fine hogs. Other news from home.
Mom to Vesta  11-Aug-43 1 It's hot and dry. Haven't heard from JA or Octa. Dad has a new job.
JA to Kenneth and Ivery 19-Aug-43 1 Note from New Zealand?
Mom to JA  22-Aug-43 1 Good to hear that you "landed" safely. News from home.
Mom to Vesta  25-Aug-43 3 JA arrived overseas on the 4th (July or August?). We got a letter from him on the 23rd of August.
-------- 1-Sep-43 - Mom died of stroke
JA to Kenneth 4-Sep-43 2 From FPO address
D Grigsby to JA  6-Sep-43 1 Letter from classmate in Navy/Marine  training
-------- 7-Sept-43 - 2nd Marines start amphibious transport training 
Red Cross to JA   8-Sep-43 1 J A notified of mother's death
Kenneth to JA 8-Sep-43 1 Describes mother's death and funeral
JA to Family  16-Sep-43 1 Heard about Mom's death. Would like to be of help. Sorry he couldn't come home.
Vesta to JA  19-Sep-43 1 Dad and kids not doing too well. Octa is at home helping
JA to Family late-Sep-1943 1 Donald, don't join the Marines or the Army
Kenneth to JA  2-Oct-43 1 Where are you?
JA to Kenneth  14-Oct-43 2 J A is in New Zealand preparing for the invasion of Tarawa
JA to Dad  29-Oct-43 1 Glad to get your letter. Proud Octa is there.
--------- 30-Oct-43 - 2nd Marines complete loading in Wellington, New Zealand for invasion of Tarawa
JA to Vesta  31-Oct-43 1 Glad to hear from Dad. Save this letter.
-------- 1-Nov-43 - Transports sail from Wellington for Elfate, New Hebrides for rehearsal exercises
-------- 7-Nov-43 - First rehearsal exercises completed
--------- 9-Nov-43 - Second rehearsal exercises completed
--------- 13-Nov-43 - Task force leaves Elfate for Tarawa

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20-Nov-43 - Tarawa invasion began. 1st Btn. 2nd Marines held in reserve until near noon.

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20-Nov-43 - J A killed on first day of Tarawa invasion
Dad to Ida May 23-Dec-43 1 Received notice this morning that JA was killed
Claudie Belle to Family late Dec-43 1 Letter of condolence
Ft Worth Newspaper 14-Jan-44 1 J A listed in the newspaper as KIA in the Pacific
Total document pages 134
 
Site last updated 16 April,  2011
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