I am attempting to transcribe and document the letters my dad wrote to his folks during the Korean War. This one’s a bit of a mess, with photos from his journey to Camp Pendleton followed by Boot Camp, paired with the first letter he wrote after arriving in Korea. I transcribed as best I could, leaving his grammar and punctuation errors, which is just his shorthand or attempt at humor. See Transcript below.

I started with ArtPlay Mini Palette Stravage, which is free this weekend with $20 purchase during ISD, and Artsy Template Multi Pack 1 p5 included in the May Story Value Pack.

I clipped my photos to the small frame masks (with his hitchhiking arm extracted and a drop shadow) and the actual letters to the paint and mask layers of the template. I removed some template layers and recolored others. I added beige Color Fill adjustment layers to the photos and letters. I added Stravage Solid Paper 2 just above the background, then Stravage Gold Paint1, ArtStroke1 and 2, and Paper1 above the solid paper. Embellished with Stravage elements blue ribbon, leaves/shadow, UrbanThreadz1, and corner photo resin white (with beige color fill adj. layer), and the USMC pin (extracted) from the internet. Finished with the title and text boxes, and a Gradient Adj. Layer, blue and cream, Style: Reflected, blend mode Color Burn, 55% opacity.

Transcription:
April 6-7, Friday Night, Dept. of the Navy letterhead

Well I’ll start a diary of a sort again – ok ----Actually to be in so strange a place and in a little danger, I’m having fun!!! Boarded planes at Pasay this morn flew to Hong? Chon? About the center of S Korea and by truck for 30 or 40 mi north from there so we’re 20-22 mi from the line – well we got here, got assigned – me am now in “I” (eye) Co., 3rd Br., 1st Marines, F.P.O., Pac, San Francisco, Calif.

More fun – I just finished supper ole ingenuity Lew takes himself a can of diesel oil and opens a C rat beans w/meat and sets it on top of the flame and has box chow – not only that but I heated a canteen cup of water and poured in instant cocoa ahhh! Tastes just like-a-mama make then in the C rats there’s crackers and candy and cookies + jam – lil packages of instant coffee + sugar + powdered milk.

I’m attached and by a stroke of the best luck a guy can get, the Co. I got with is on 10 day rest after 43 days on the line. I’ll get to know everybody and get mucho straight scoop before I get up front. There (this is straight) is hardly any war going on over here now. When they are on the fast move they say, you walk until you encounter fire then hit the deck wait a while and move on as the north Korean are retreating about the supposed push in May. I know nothing as yet. Everything is fine as yet. Lewie