Spencer Heath Archive

Item 2859

Penned letter from Heath’s grandson, Irvan T. O’Connell, Jr., from Korea

No date

 

 

 

 

2^nd Lt. I. T. O’Connell USMCR

MABS 12 MAG-12

1^st MAW

c/o FPO San Francisco

 

Dear Popdaddy,

 

I stopped reading my Greek for a little while because I had the impulse to write you. I’ve been wanting to for a long time.

 

 Marines are not much to talk to, but you would be interested in how this place works.

 

 My job is to feed a large forward Marine Air Base. In theory, everything here is done by requisition and ______. When I need something built, for example, I submit a work order to Utilities and it is supposed to be done. Everything is carefully planned months ahead.

 

 But actually nothing here works this way at all, or at least damn little.

 

 You would be interested. Utilities is hopelessly behind on its Work Orders, always has been. Requisitions are never half filled — until, at least, one learns how the system really works.

 

 Now if I take two hams down to Utilities, then maybe they’ll build me what I want. If I go down to Supply with some nice roast beef, then they’ll find me what I need.

 

 I find that the whole base works this way, not just my department. The authorities have called such transactions by various ugly names. They claim such trading is a detriment to the functioning of the base. But I couldn’t run this department without this ‘horse trading.’

 

 So you see, your contract and exchange grows up even here. That’s why we live so well on this base too.

 

 What have you been thinking about lately, Popdaddy? Come on over to Japan sometime, and I’ll get over there and see you. It can be lonely here. It’s fun here, yes, but aside from my books, there is no one here who can think at all.

 

 Do you know the line: “A darkling plain, where ignorant armies clash by night.”? I used to think about that at night when I’d watch the planes go off with their bombs. It about describes things here.

 

 I wish you were around, Popdaddy. I’ll be home in the spring. Do write and tell what you’re doing and planning and figuring.

 

Love,

 

Irvan