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# Letter — 22 Feb 1943, to Anna

**Sender**: Pvt. Arthur M. Yena — 1125 Technical School Squadron (Sp.), Flight No. 443, A.A.F.T.T.C., Basic Training Center No. 9, Miami Beach, Florida
**Recipient**: Miss Anna L. Yena, [Quaker] Lane, West Warwick, Rhode Island *(ChatGPT read "[unclear] Lane" — Quaker per family convention)*
**Date written**: 22 February 1943
**Postmark**: not separately captured in this scan
**Stationery**: Plain — no letterhead noted
**Type**: Handwritten, multi-page (Pops "had to rest" because of arm shots)
**Scan location**: `scans/processed/1943-02-22_to-anna/` *(scan-mapping pending)*
**Transcription source**: ChatGPT vision pass 2026-05-27 (batch group-02, letter 3)
**Confidence**: clean (~95%)
**Note**: Pops's most emotionally rich letter in this batch — playful sign-off ("with all my devotion, and love, honor, and obedience, with lots of love (as Pop put it) (if he did it too!)") and several new West Warwick names surface.

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## Transcript (ChatGPT clean)

> Pvt. Arthur M. Yena
> 1125 Technical School Squadron (Sp.), Flight No. 443
> A.A.F.T.T.C.
> Basic Training Center No. 9
> Miami Beach, Florida
> February 22, 1943
>
> Dear Anna,
>
> So I got you busy huh? I kinda thought there would be a bunch up sometime.
>
> So you're cold? Gee out here its nice, warm, the sun is always shining and I'm beginning to get tanned. Boy I guess it sure must have been cold for Pop and Johnny not to go to work.
>
> I received Pop's letter and maybe I wasn't surprised. I was darn glad to have him write because it brings us that much closer together.
>
> I got your pictures and I'm sending a little one home to you. I hope to have quite a few big ones in about a week so when I get those I'll send one too.
>
> It's taking me an awful long time to write this letter than usually but I've been so busy drilling, eating, and cleaning for inspection that I didn't have hardly any time at all. Besides when I did have a half an hour I felt so lousy because of my shots in the arm that I had to rest.
>
> Thank Ma and Pa and everybody for that package because I know you all had a hand in it. It was very thoughtful of you to go through all that trouble. Tell Ma I'm tickled that she has that star hung up for me. When I get back I frame it.
>
> I guess Toritti's brother must have been happy to see home again after all that time. I know just how he felt. Boy I'll bet he hated to leave.
>
> If you see Tony tell him I was asking for him and that I appreciate what he's doing for Ma. Tell him I write him a long letter someday.
>
> I heard from Al, Walter, Robert [Duches?], Teresa McElroy, George Lafond, Harold [Gasp?].
>
> So today I'll write to Kathleen and Johnny separately but here after I think I'll send one big one to all of you folks. That way I still can say all I want to everybody, not use so much stamps and paper, and I won't repeat the same thing so often. How's that?
>
> Before I forget, I got that package this morning that Ma sent. Gee it was very nice and thoughtful but that is ma all over. The boys in here, my drill instructor, and me had a swell time with all those things. They said they wished they could have somebody send them cake, sausage, tuna fish, and candy like that. It really was swell though.
>
> Say, I guess a lot of things sure changed back home. Ma a fur coat and Johnny's farm. I won't know the place when I get back. Was glad to hear Ma got such a nice picture of Mrs. Eichenberger. It's just what she wanted I guess.
>
> I'm glad for your rating and keep up the good work, but don't overwork. It isn't worth it. Maybe when I get back you will have had the situation well in hand like Newberry's. Here's to your rating I hope, or rather I know you'll get it.
>
> Well just about the time I get used to some fellows we part. Out of the 4 Polish fellows here with me, 2 got shipped out to school. In a way its better here now. The two of us can have the inner-spring mattresses and we can have more room.
>
> Oh yes, say when you receive my letters write as soon as possible because I have a feeling I won't be here too long now. I know I've taken a while to answer myself but I try to answer right away. If you should write and I don't answer in a little while don't worry, I might be shipping to a school. I will most probably send a card or something if I get a chance. Write anyway cause I'll get it anyway, wherever I am. They will forward the mail.
>
> If and when you get time or a chance I would like a picture of Mom and Pop and everybody. I know you said you would send it soon, but you know, even if it's just one, a letter of something or another, it makes it more real and cheerful. When I get stationed I'll ask you to send the camera and then I'll send a few every time.
>
> As for me being a gunner, don't worry, they put you where they want you and I might pick up something else. You say everybody thinks the war will soon be over; well I sure hope so because I do miss everybody a lot. I hope I go to school up north but they say most of them go either to Texas or California or out west somewhere. Well we will see. Until I hear from you I hope everybody keeps well and don't let the kids get you down, you sweet little dumpling!
>
> With all my devotion,
> and love, honor, and obedience,
> with lots of love
> (as Pop put it) (if he did it too!)
> Arthur
>
> P.S. Seriously give my love to Ma and Pa, Kathleen and Johnny and the kid and everybody. Don't forget yourself.

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## Major content / narrative significance

- ⭐ **MA'S CARE PACKAGE ARRIVES** — *"cake, sausage, tuna fish, and candy"* — shared with drill instructor and the rest of Pops's room. The package was assembled by Anna + Ma + everybody ("I know you all had a hand in it"). First documented care package in the corpus; sets the template for the long Ma-package thread that runs through Italy 1944-45.
- ⭐ **"MA THAT STAR HUNG UP FOR ME"** — *"Tell Ma I'm tickled that she has that star hung up for me. When I get back I frame it."* This is the **Service Star Flag** — the red-bordered banner with a blue star in the window indicating a family member serving overseas. Ma already hung it up by Feb 1943 (just 3 weeks after Pops left). Family-altar symbol. ⭐ Pops promises to frame it after the war — strong narrative payoff for the post-war chapter.
- ⭐ **POP WROTE POPS A LETTER** — *"I received Pop's letter and maybe I wasn't surprised. I was darn glad to have him write because it brings us that much closer together."* Pop is not a frequent letter-writer; this one moved Pops emotionally. Anchor for the Pop-as-distant-then-warming arc.
- ⭐ **TWO MAJOR NEW BIOGRAPHICAL ANCHORS AT HOME**:
  - **"Ma a fur coat"** — Ma now has a fur coat in Feb 1943 (Pops surprised — *"I won't know the place when I get back"*). Implies Pop's mill is doing well financially or this is a luxury splurge. Possibly bought to celebrate Pops's enlistment or as a gift from Pop.
  - **"Johnny's farm"** — Johnny has acquired a farm. **NEW. NOT YET IN ANY MEMORY.** When? Where? Working farm or hobby plot? — Major Mom-interview question.
- ⭐ **ANNA'S WORKPLACE PROMOTION** — *"I'm glad for your rating and keep up the good work, but don't overwork. It isn't worth it. Maybe when I get back you will have had the situation well in hand like Newberry's. Here's to your rating I hope, or rather I know you'll get it."* Anna is up for a "rating" (job promotion / grade) at her wartime employer. Newberry's = J.J. Newberry Co. (5-and-10 retail chain) — likely a comparable position Pops admires. **The earlier memory note "Anna's wartime job likely Brown & Sharpe" may need re-examination** — by Feb 1943 Anna is somewhere with a "rating" structure.
- ⭐ **POLISH-AMERICAN COHORT AT MIAMI BEACH** — *"Out of the 4 Polish fellows here with me, 2 got shipped out to school."* Pops's billet has 4 Polish-American trainees including himself, now down to 2. Inner-spring mattresses become available. Polish-American identity reinforced.
- ⭐ **MRS. EICHENBERGER** — Ma got "such a nice picture of Mrs. Eichenberger." NEW NAME. West Warwick neighbor/friend, possibly German-American given the surname.
- ⭐ **TONY** — helps Ma; Pops asks Anna to thank him. NEW NAME. Likely hometown handyman, errand-runner, or close family friend who's been a domestic support since Pops left.
- **TORITTI'S BROTHER** — returned home from Army recently (probably honorable discharge or furlough). NEW NAME (Italian-American family in WW network).
- **Letter logistics shift announced** — Pops proposes one "big" letter to all family hereafter, saving stamps and avoiding repetition. (In practice he keeps writing individuals — proposal not enforced.)
- **Cohort attrition**: trainees being shipped out for school in waves. Pops senses he's next ("I won't be here too long now").
- **Sign-off**: *"With all my devotion, and love, honor, and obedience, with lots of love (as Pop put it) (if he did it too!)"* — Pops parodying Pop's formal letter-closing language. Affectionate sibling humor.

## Family-tree refresh from this letter

- **Pop** wrote Pops directly — first acknowledged letter from Pop in the corpus. Emotional anchor.
- **Ma** has the Service Star Flag hung up by Feb 22 1943. Bought a fur coat sometime late Jan / early Feb 1943.
- **Johnny** has acquired a farm. **NEW BIOGRAPHICAL DETAIL.** Mom-interview priority.
- **Anna** — up for a "rating" / job promotion. Pops refers to her as "you sweet little dumpling" — playful older-brother nickname.
- **Tony** — helps Ma at home; NEW NAME, possibly Italian-American family friend or extended family.
- **Toritti's brother** — Italian-American family; brother returned from Army. NEW NAME.
- **Mrs. Eichenberger** — German-American hometown figure; Ma received her picture. NEW NAME.
- **Robert [Duches?]** — replied to Pops's letter (first to-be-confirmed answer from the Feb 17 letter list).
- **Teresa McElroy** — wrote to Pops; NEW NAME, Irish-American hometown.
- **George Lafond** — same as George Lalonde (Camp Blanding truck driver, A&P alum). ChatGPT may have given two variant spellings of one name. Worth normalizing once Mom interview confirms.
- **Harold "[Gasp?]"** — wrote to Pops; NEW NAME, surname uncertain. Possibly Harold Gaspar, Harold Gaspard, Harold Gosch.
- **Al** — finally wrote to Pops.
- **Walter** — wrote (likely Walter Becker or Walter Hillebrandt).

## Open questions

- ⭐⭐ **What was Johnny's farm?** Where, when, what did he raise, did the family eat from it during the war? Top Mom-interview item.
- ⭐ **Why did Ma get a fur coat in early 1943?** Self-gift, Pop's gift, family celebration of Pops's enlistment? Mom-interview question.
- **Where did Anna work?** The "rating" detail + Newberry's comparison may point to a retail or clerical position. Memory's Brown & Sharpe guess may need revision.
- **Tony's surname?** Italian-American probable.
- **Toritti family** — full surname spelling, brother's first name, what unit he served in.
- **Mrs. Eichenberger** — full name, family location, relationship to Ma.
- **Service Star Flag** — does it survive in the family archive? Pops promised to frame it post-war. **Mom-interview / household-artifact question.**

## Themes

miami-beach · 1125-tech-school-sqdn · flight-443 · service-star-flag · mas-fur-coat · johnnys-farm · pop-writes-pops · annas-rating-promotion · newberrys · mrs-eichenberger · tony-helps-ma · torittis-brother · 4-polish-fellows-2-shipped · cake-sausage-tuna-candy · drill-instructor-shared-package · robert-duches · teresa-mcelroy · george-lafond · harold-gasp · valentine-cohort-attrition · sweet-little-dumpling