ADDENDUM

In reference to my Uncle Bill’s letters, Juli had a question:  who was the “Bud” referred to in many of the letters?  Was it my father, another relative or friend, or did it vary?

The answer is, without exception “Bud” refers to my father.  I should have noted at the outset that all the letters I possess were addressed to my father with only two exceptions…one to Bill’s father Byron, which, like the ones to my dad; and one photocopied letter addressed to Mr. Ephraim Stradling.  There were doubtless other letters to other people, including his sister Dorothy (Dot), but I have no record of these.

The photocopied letter introduces an additional mystery that I mentioned to Juli, and attempted a quick resolution, but such was not to be.

As I said, it was addressed to Mr. Ephraim Stradling and was postmarked September 14^th, 1943.  As such, it has particular poignancy to me as it is the last letter we have recorded from him before his plane was recorded missing September 23^rd.  The letter inside is addressed  “Dear Pop and Aunt Mae”.  So who was Pop, and who was Aunt Mae?

Ephraim Stradling would be the brother to Byron’s mother Rose Stradling, so Bill’s Great-Uncle.  His wife was Eugina Elizabeth Williams. 

We know that Byron’s wife Myrle died when Bill was not quite two weeks old (he was born December 31^st, 1921, Myrle died January 10^th, 1922), Virgil and Dorothy both under 5 years old.  Since the kids were farmed out to different families, it is not impossible to believe Ephraim and Eugina had some part in Uncle Bill’s upbringing (after all, My father Virgil was raised by their Great Aunt and Uncle, Mary Stradling Cook and George Cook, who had also had a part in Byron’s upbringing when Rose died).

The “Aunt Mae” part, on the other hand, is more confusing.  Neither of Ephraim’s wife’s two names could be shortened to “Mae”.  So the plot thickens.  They had two daughters and a son.  We will eliminate the son, William, from contention.  The daughters were Myrtle, born in 1906, and Merline, born in 1909.  We have a photocopy of a photo purported to be of Myrtle and Merline holding a pre-toddler Bill on their laps, probably close to 1923 (he looks to be about a year old).  Myrtle was married to Roland Brimhall in 1923, Merline to Alma Barney in 1927, so it is possible that either of these might have had a role in Bill’s upbringing, and you could probably reduce either Myrtle or Merline to “Mae”.  They would both be Byron’s cousins, so technically not aunts to Bill, but here is what persuades me to believe Merline may be the elusive “Aunt Mae”.

In another photocopied page I have, there is a picture of Merline and Alma Standing on a porch.  On the same page is a photocopy of a picture of Bill in uniform (the one most of you have seen), and a photocopy of a news clipping reporting Bill missing in action (I will have to send this in an e-mail).  Also I have a Provo Herald Veteran’s Day Tribute insert section from November 11^th, 2007, with the same photo of Bill, and this tribute: “I always loved you and was proud of you - sis (Aunt Merline)”.

So what do the rest of you think?  Who is Pop?  Who is Aunt Mae? I have some contact information for a few members of the Alma Barney-Merline Stradling Barney family.  Perhaps one of them can shed some light?

Love,

Dad

         

 

                                          

Letters from the field from my Uncle William Stradling Lambson, in chronological order from December 4th, 1942 to September 11, 1943. These are my transcriptions, mostly from originals, a couple from photocopies. The language is unvarnished and uncorrected. The last is especially poignant, as his aircraft was officially listed as MIA on September 23, 1943, and after the war, the crew declared KIA.       

Postmarked  Dec 4 1942

                                                The American Hotel

          Market Boulevard at Seventh                                   Saint Louis

Hi Kid,

      Just a few lines to let you know I haven’t forgotten you.  This is a hellava time to be writing a letter but Well anyway it is two o’clock in the morning I am writing from the hotel.  My Buddie & I just got in to St. Louis and we are just going to Bed.  You see its like this we should stay at camp on our day off but you can’t sleep like you can in in a hotel so we come in mainly to get a good night sleep.

      I received a letter from Dot the other Day.  She told me that you made the C.P.T. at Last.  I sure was glad to hear it.  I only hope you can make the grade now Who knows we might be on the same plane.  You see they take the radio operators from the school here and put them in the Ferry command.  Say that would be a piece of luck.  Well kid I am getting a little sleepy so I had better close.  This letter is just a line to let you know I haven’t forgotten you.  For hell sakes write me.  After all we have been such good pals for so dam long that Well you know what I mean, hell a letter from you compensates a little for not being home and having the times we did.  Say how do you like that.  That word must be all of a .25 cent word.  Anyway.

      Well as I said before I had better close.

                                    Your Bud

                                    Bill

Take care of Aunt for me and tell her Im always thinking of her.  Bless her heart.

This letter might sound like I have been drinking but I haven’t.     

Postmarked Jan 4 1943

Scott Field, Illinois

Hi Bud,

      Well the old K.P. Kid has set down to write another master piece of Literature.  So lend an ear while the Bull Shit flows.  Well to begin with I am a man now so I can talk like one. (I hope)  Say I sure wish you could have been hear for New Years boy did I have a time Im telling you I never consumed so much whiskey in  my life.  The way it began was myself and a pal from Texas decided to go in and really start the year of write.  So we began as soon as we got in town which was about 4:00 in the afternoon.  Anyway when we let up it was about 6:00 oclock the next morning. 

Well anyway when we figured it all up we had spent $38.00 on whiskey, which is a lot of whiskey for two guys to drink.  Im telling you I have never drank so much in my life, Boy oh Boy though we really got on one.  I hope if I come home one of these far off days that we can do the same thing.  Well kid Im beginning to run out of Blab.  So I will close (so until then?)

                                                Your Bud

                                                Bill

PS    Say how do you like the ending (mistifying isn’t it)  If you can figure out what it means you’ll get $36.00 and a try for the $64.00 question on our next program.  Until then this is the K.P. Master Mind signing of from Scott Field 

Postmarked  January 13, 1943    Scott Field. Illinois

Dear Dad,

      Just a few lines to let you know that I haven’t forgotten you.  I received a letter from Dot the other Day and she told me that you hurt your hand.  I hope it isn’t bad.  I am writing this letter in class, so don’t expect to much, between the instructors and the code I am having quite a job.  Well Dad this old army is sure tough And Its getting tougher every day.  This dam radio work sure gets on a persons nerves and I’ll sure be glad to get through with it.  After I finish hear though I will be shipped to another base.  If I have any luck at all I may be able to get a furlough in the summer sometime I sure hope so as I would like to see home again.

      I hope you are getting along alright and that the world is treating you okey.  I guess you are working out at the plant making good money.  anyway doing anything would be better than being in the army.

      Say I guess Virg has told you what I am doing in the army.  Well if he hasn’t I will try and tell you I am at a radio school.  This school is in Illinois it is known as the Radio University of the world.  Boy does that name fit it they turn out more operators hear than any place else in the country.  Im telling you we have more fellows hear than I thought there was in the whole country.  If you could see the crowds we have when it comes chow time then you would know what I mean.  Well Dad I could sit hear all day and tell my little gripes but time is growing short so will close.

                                          Your Devoted Son

                                                Bill

Postmarked Feb. 13, 1943         Scott Field, Illinois

Hi Bud,

Received your letter and just in time to.  I was just getting ready to write you a hot one, however I won’t have to now.  I was getting a little worried when I didn’t receive a letter from you for such a  long while, well anyway three weeks here at camp seems like a lot longer than it does on the out side.  So you can understand my position.  Ha, kidding though your letters mean a hellava lot to me and if I don’t hear from you once in a while I dam near go nuts.  It isn’t like when we were in California because here I know I can’t take off whenever I want to and see you, while If I was on the outside I could.  Well enough of the Sob Story.  I was glad to hear that dad got my letter and that It made him feel better.  I wrote one to Bell the other day because I didn’t know whether dad was home or in Delta.  He moves (P.2) around so much I don’t know where the hell to write.  So I just take a good guess and write where I think he might be.  Say if he happens to be home when you receive this letter tell him hello for me and that I sure would like to hear from him.  After all It isn’t a thing of the past for a Dad to drop a line to his son once in a while.

Well Bud I guess your kind of supprised that I am writing like this, well its this way, today is my day off and I have a hellava lot time on my hand so I just set Down and started to write, and whatever comes to my mind I put down on this scribble sheet.  So don’t be alarmed if this turns out to be a big long dry sheet of gab.  Well I was suprised surprised to hear you hadn’t been called yet.  However I guess you may get it any day now.  I hope you get a good deal out of the school because you’ll need it.

So George is turning all his guns and warfaring implements over to the scrap drive well that fine they will probably be given right back to him when he gets in the army (which won’t be very long) won’t he be surprised.

Gab Sheet no II (P.3)

Say, I received a letter from June the other day I’ll bet you can’t guess what she’s doing well she is working in a radio tube factory in Salt Lake.  Some coincidence, her working in a tube factory and me working with them.  As I sit here writing I begin to think of a date I should have it St. Louis today and am I mad.  She a nice young specimen too, and does she like to …read funny papers.  She is a trim little job with big brown eyes, ebony black hair, and a chassis that would knock your eyes out.  And I can’t go see her all because I happen to be barracks guard which make me very unhappy (oh unhappy day).  Oh well the world is full of sweet young things so I should worry (am I  kidding?)  Say that reminds me.  How is the casanova of Utah making out.  Come, come now, don’t be modest, break down and tell me about some of your thrilling heart throbs of late. (P.4) There should be some pretty nice stuff floating around town and you should be sampling it.  Well my feelings aren’t hurt to badly because there’s some pretty nice stuff here to and they sure take advantage of us poor soldiers (oh well such is the fate of us handsome heroes of the day).  Boy do I love myself.  Well enough of this kind of gab.  I don’t want to let you in on all of my success.  (after all you have already had a sample of my success with the women, of course they were just truffles, that was in my younger day).  Now that I am a man---yes you read right the first time, well anyway now that I am a man I have acquired such heights that will never be equaled and you can quote me on that.

Well Bud I am nearing the end of this gab sheet so will close.  Tell dear old aunt hello for me and tell her to take care of her self.

Yours Truly –(Guess Who)  That’s right the KP Kid Willie

P.S.  Write soon = or else I will have you picked up on vagrancy charges also failure to do so will end immediately in disciplinary action---Buck Private Lambson, Commanding Officer                                  

  

Postmarked Mar 24 1943

Kingman, Arizona

Hi Bud,

      Well Boy I finally arrived at my new school Boy is it a pip (am I kidding) Well I’m telling you it’s a hellava long ways from know where and we don’t have to worry about going into town.

      This school is just a new school so I didn’t expect anything fine and swell so I wasn’t surprised when I arrived here.  Well I won’t have to stay here to long so It won’t be so bad.  In fact I will only be here 6 weeks if I pass the physical and if I don’t I won’t be here that long so I’m not worried.

      Well pal you told me If I needed anymore cash to let you know; well I(m) just the guy who takes advantage of everybody’s generosity so I am going to ask for another {   }.  All kidding aside though I thought that I would get paid the last of the month but to my horror I found out I won’t get paid until I have this field so that the reason I am asking you for another loan.  I really hate to keep pestering you all the time But I just don’t have anyone else to trouble with my financial troubles.  so don’t be too damn hard in your judgment on me (will ya huh).

      Well now that I have that off my mind I will proceed to write the rest of my little tale of woe.  AS I was telling you I would be here six weeks.  Then I don’t know where I will go from here.  WE have a pretty good Joe for a sargent here though he sure tells us fellows how much he thinks of gunnery school, and that’s a lot.

      Well pal I can’t think of much more to gab about so will close.  Excuse the terrible handwriting If you can.  If I don’t hear from you soon I will know that you couldn’t read the letters so----?

      Tell Aunt hello for me and to take care of herself.  And by the way take care of yourself.  after all, if anything happened to you I would be a “financial flop” (So do be careful.)  Oh yes here’s a pun for you.  Do you know what an eskimo with a hard on is called?  Well here it is.  They call him a “fridgid widget with a ridged digit” oh horrors what a smell.  Better I should stop listening to the older Boys. 

Your Bud and co-owner (of  your fortune)

Willie                            

P.S.  I just took out another $5,000 worth of insurance and made you second beneficiary (Don’t that make you feel good?)  Well anyway that’s one way you can make sure of quick payment on the dough you lend me.

                                         

Postmarked May 18, 1943

                                          Monahans, Texas

Hi Bud,

      Would you please deliver the letter inside to Donna for me as it is very important.

      Thanks, Pal---I knew you would.

                            Bill

Sept. 11, 1943

Dear Pop and Aunt Mae,

Just a few lines to let you know that I haven’t forgotten you.  I know that I should write you more often but it seems that everytime I sit down to write I don’t think of anything to write about. So today I decided that I would write no matter what I might say.  So if this letter seems a bit mixed up just don’t pay to much attention to it.

Well everything is about the same as usual and I can’t complain so there isn’t much to talk about the only thing that is new is that I have made a few missions over enemy territory and I would like to tell you about them but it would only be sensored so I can’t say anymore than what I have already said.

I sure would like to hear from you though so if you can find time drop me a line.

Well as I said at the beginning of this letter its just a few lines to let you know I haven’t forgotten you.

So I will sign off for this time.

With Love,

Your Son Bill