Correspondence from Robert Lanter to Preston Lanter

Correspondence from Robert Lanter to Preston Lanter

World War, 1939-1945

Some of the early letters in this folder were written while Robert was still in the Navy at the end of World War II. In the second letter, Lanter discusses how the end of the war was celebrated on his ship in the South Pacific. He also mentions the bombs dropped on Japan. The rest of the letters were written while Robert was traveling and working various jobs from 1951-1960.

Robert Lanter Papers

1944-1960

Contact Special Collections and Archives, Crabbe Library, Eastern Kentucky University for reproductions, rights and permission to publish.

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Transcript of the second letter:

Transcript:
Aug. 10, 1945

Dear Dad,

This day will remain in my memory the rest of my life. The Pacific war is suposed [sic] to be over.

We were all on the bow of the ship watching a movie and then all of a sudden whistles and horns and sirens started to sound off. I had an idea what it was as soon as it happened, then someone shouted "the war is over." In two minutes I wish you could have seen the sight.

I am in one of the biggist [sic] harbors out here and it is full of ships, hundreds of them, big and little. Every one of them turned on every thing they had. All kinds of signal and serch [sic] lights, most of them arc lights.

There were bells and best of all I wish you could have seen the fire works. The Navy has or at least had a lot of flairs [sic] for different uses well for miles on each side all you could see was color. Mostly red, white and green.

We had the kind that you hold but the best kind were the ones that were fired up in the air. They go up about 2 or 3 hundred feet and they start burning and a little chute opens and it comes down slow. Do you remember the fire works at the world fair, well that was just a warm up compaired [sic] to this.

We are anchored [redacted] and we put up a lot more than they did. Every one just about went crazy with joy.

Things are beginning to ease up now. It's after midnight and we started about 9 o'clock. We are all out of breath and ammo.

I can't begin to explain how things are so I guess I'll close for now.

This sure has been a week. First on Mon. we dropped the first bomb and then later in the week Russia got in with us and today or yesterday we dropped the second bomb and now the Japs have had enough I guess.

I'm glad we didn't drop one on Tokio [sic]. I don't want it all torn to peaces [sic] when I get there. I sure hope I get there and it would not surprise me if I do.

Well it's sort of late and I guess I had better close for now.

Write and tell me what it was like in the states.

Lots of love
Robert.