“The Men that Gave their Lives on Iwo Jima”

Name: Pvt. Joseph Pokorny

Location: Pacific Area

Date: June 10th, 1945

Unit: 4th Marine Division

Pacific Area

June 10th, 1945

My Dear Helen,

      I received your most welcome letter tonight, and words can’t express how glad I was to hear from you. There’s only one thing that I wish and that is that you would write more often. There isn’t no one that I want to hear from more often than from you, and I hope that you believe me. The more that I hear from you the closer, it makes me feel to you, and that is where I want to be, more than anything in the world.

      I was sorry to hear that you were sick and I do hope that you are feeling better when you receive this letter. I know what it is like to have trouble with your teeth and I really do feel sorry for you. I do hope that it wasn’t the other thing you mentioned they got you down but if it was, I hope that it was of me and not someone else. Helen, it has been almost a year since I’ve seen you and since the last time I was with you. The time over here seems to pass very fast but I do miss you and think of you very much. My prayers are for you and I pray that soon we shall be together once again.

      This morning I went to a Catholic high mass. The whole service was in memory of the men that gave their lives on Iwo Jima. It was a wonderful service, and a very nice tribute to all those men whom we shall never see again. I lost some very close friends there and I don’t think that there is a man who was on there that didn’t. May God be with them.

      How is business going. Are you still as busy as always were? Does the old gang still come in on Saturdays. Helen, tabs are blowing and I will have to close for this time. Hoping this letter finds you well, and then I hear from you real soon.

All of my love always,

Joe