December 4, 1917

December 4, 1917

Miss Rose Kraynick

1117 S. Eight St.,

Manitowoc, Wisc

December 3, 1917

Beaver, Wisc

Dear Friend Rose

I just got your kind and ever welcome letter to-day and thought I would answer it as I am always in a hurry to write to you.

Hoping this letter will find you well and happy and still in Manitowoc. Because I will not go back unless you are there.

I thought you forgot me because I didn’t get no letter right away. But I was glad when I got the letter. Ida told me that you was going out to a show with John Pretti. I did not believe her. But I don’t want you to stay in just for me. You want to have a good time if you can. I am having a good time here and I want you too if you can.

But please don’t forget me when I come back. I expect to come Monday the 10^th and if you want to see me you can let me know by writing Wednesday night and you can mail the letter Thursday afternoon when you get off and if you don’t want to go to a show let me know.

I will surely be back Monday. Let me know what time you will be ready. So I won’t have to call you up on the phone.

I suppose as soon as I get there you will be going home for Christmas, but I hope you won’t stay long as I did.

Ida said she wouldn’t write for awhile because she was so busy. You know she must be as Saturday is her happy day. And she expects to go out west Sat.-night. I don’t expect I could write as much as you could, because there isn’t any news here and what I can’t think of now I will tell you when I see you again.

Well Rose I am glad you think as much of me as you said you did in your letter. Please don’t forget to tell me what you got in your heart when I come back. Don’t turn down anyone for me because I wouldn’t hear of you breaking anyone’s heart for I know I would feel funny if you wouldn’t write to me.

Well Rose you said you couldn’t live without me. I wish you couldn’t and would live with me the rest of your life. there would be nothing pliase me better.

My brother got a Bohemian Girl and nothing would please me better if I could get one two.

I guess I will close for this time. Hoping to hear from you as soon as you get this letter. So I will know if you want to see me Monday night or not.

Please excuse my scratching. And this dumb letter as I know nothing else to write.

Good-bye,--

XX with love. XX

From,

Douglas Martin

November 27, 1917

November 27, 1917

Crivitz, WI

Miss Rose Kraynick

1117 Eight St.,

Manitowoc, Wisc.

Dear Rose,

I am going to write you a line or two, but I want to tell you be-foure I start that I don’t think I will write very much. I had to wait in Green Bay from eleven until four-o-clock. So you see I am so sleepy I can’t hardly hold my eyes open. I didn’t get home this morning until 7-o-clock.

Well I am lonesome for you already. I don’t suppose you will miss me until Sun-day then you will get a chance to go out alone or with someone else.

Say I showed those pictures up in my room last night and laid them on the dresser and they are still there.

Well I don’t know what I could write to interest you as I don’t know how to write love letters. But I must say that I was to bashful to tell you to your face that I love you with all my heart and hope you think the same of me.

I like you better than any girl I ever saw and hope your ways and looks will never change.

I don’t think I will write eight pages like you do when you write home, because I wouldn’t know what to write.

When I got up at Denmark last night there was about an inch of snow. Up at Green Bay there wasn’t any. There isn’t any here either. This morning it was nice and warm, but it got cloudy and cold this afternoon. If I were down there I would have to go to bed to get warm. Here if I want to get warm all I have to do is make a fire.

But I am going back there to stay if I have to freeze.

I hope you will not feel affended of what I said in this letter. Please excuse paper and writing as it is the best I could do.

I will have to close for this time as I can’t think of any more and am pretty sleepy. Will close with love and hoping to hear from you real soon. Your moving picture friend, Douglas Martin, Beaver Wisc. R#1.

(Photos of the ship)

Here are some photos of the U.S.S. New Jersey around 1919: