Letters From A Son - WWII Letters from Jimmie A. Prime - December 10, 1943

Link to a PDF of the original letter: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2444446/43-12-10.pdf

Dear Mom

We just found out today that our mail went out for the first time today so that is the reason you have not gotten any mail from me. You should, however, receive two letters before this one.

It is one o'clock Friday afternoon now. It has been raining here since early Thursday evening.

We took our G.C.T. test and half a dozen others yesterday (Thurs.). I think I did as well as anyone. It took us all day and I got a terrible headache what with a bad head cold anyway. I am much better today however.

I have a watch to stand tonight from 02400 until 0200 in other words 12:00 till 2:00. You know me, the luckiest guy in the world. ha!ha!

Well, its 2:05 now we just stencilled our names on, ???? sea bags, blankets etc.

Tell Ralph and Nancy hello and tell them I will write to them soon.

The C.P.O. just walked in so I must close now.

Love
Jim

P.S. Tell any one you see I know hello for me. Tell them to write. J.P.

Letters From A Son - WWII Letters from Jimmie A. Prime - December 9, 1943

Link to a PDF of the original post card: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2444446/43-12-09.pdf

Post card from the Navy Department

Letters From A Son - WWII Letters from Jimmie A. Prime - December 8, 1943

Link to a PDF of the original letter: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2444446/43-12-08b.pdf

Dear Mom

I have just finished writing six letters and my time is short.

Say, Mom will you look in my drawers and see how many of my pictures I have left? I don't know where they are but I am sure they are in some one of my drawers.

We went for another boat ride today but I just loafed all the way through it. I was a stearn standby.

Tell Nancy and Ralph I would sure like to hear from them sometime.

Well, I guess I told you everything this morning so tell everyone "Hello" for me.

Love to all
Jim

Letters From A Son - WWII Letters from Jimmie A. Prime - December 8, 1943

Link to a PDF of the original letter: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2444446/43-12-08a.pdf

Dear Mom

This is the most amazing thing I have every experienced. Our company is made up of 17 year old kids like Stuart and I and of men 38 to 45 years old. We are considered equal to them in every respect.

We are beginning to learn to march now. We must also know the semaphore alphabet by Friday plus the eleven rules for guards on duty.

Our C.P.O. just informed us that we have a test to take tomorrow of some sort.

We have only been here three days and already we are getting tan and beginning to look like old salts.

Stuart is here beside me writing a letter to his dad.

Well I have to line up for chow now so this is all for now.

Love,
Jim

P.S. Please share this with Aunt Hope and all the rest as we haven't much time. I will try to write to them soon. J.P.

Letters From A Son - WWII Letters from Jimmie A. Prime - December 7, 1943

Link to PDF copy of the original letter: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2444446/120743Ben.pdf

Dear Ben,

Thank you ever so much for your birthday greatings and salutations.

You need not explain to me about not having time to write. We work from eight till five.

We eat three hours
" sleep five "
" work at detail three hours
" have an hour of calisthentics
" " also to run the obstical course once a day

Then after taking time out for three or four changes of cloths a day we can do what ever we want the rest of the time. Of course we must roll our cloths and keep up our sea bags in our spare time.

All in all we are kept plenty busy all day long.

Yours
from big brother
Jim

Letters From A Son - WWII Letters from Jimmie A. Prime - December 7, 1943

Link to a PDF of the original letter: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2444446/120743.pdf

Dear Mom:

As you can tell by the post mark I am in San Diego. We arrived here Monday night at about 014-45 navy time or 7:45 civilian time.

There are 180 men in our company. 54 aare from L.A. area. The rest are from the south. Most of us are volentary enlisters but a few are drafters.

We got our uniforms today and boy we had all the stuff we could carry.

We got another phisical and one vacination, two shots and one G.I. hairlift.

I haven't much time so I guess I'll close.

Love to all
Jim (over)

P.S. The food is excellant, all you can eat of the best.
J.P.

Letters From A Son - WWII Letters From Jimmie A. Prime

Tomorrow I will start publishing my father's letters home to his mother, Frankie Joy Root Prime, during WWII. My intention is to post them on the anniversary of the day he wrote them, starting with his first, dated December 07, 1943, through the end of his service in the Navy.

Jimmie was 17 years old when he entered the Navy, and served in the Pacific, mostly on the LCI(G) 373, until the end of the war.

Thank you, Dad, for giving your permission to publish these letters. To readers, I hope you find them interesting. Please feel free to comment.

Thank you!
Patti

Sentimental Sunday - Teachers

I am a teacher!

So was my grandmother, Frankie Joy Root Prime!

My grandmother lived the last years of her life at Leisure World in Seal Beach, Orange, California. Many of her siblings also lived there and were able to share a lot of time, memories, friendship and fun together.

When she passed away, I helped clean out her home, distributing and packing up her belongings. In one of the cabinets I found this small ceramic jar, an apple. I asked if I might keep it, and was granted permission.

I have no idea what the story is behind this apple. Was it a gift from a former student? An item my grandmother purchased for herself? I will never know.

What I know now, but I did not know as a child when I found it, was how this small apple connects my grandmother to me, representing both of our teaching careers.

Frankie Joy Root Prime was born April 24, 1895 in Murray, Cass, Nebraska.

She attended Nebraska State University at Lincoln, Nebraska to earn her Teacher's Certificate, and later, the University School of Music.

Frankie taught at the following locations:
McCoy School (Imperial, Chase, Nebraska), 1913-1914
Spring Green (Beaver City, Furnas, Nebraska), 1914-1916
Tobias Elementary (Tobias, Saline, Nebraska), 1916-1918
West A Street School (Lincoln, Lancaster, Nebraska), 1919-1920
Bluff School (Arapahoe, Furnas, Nebraska), 1922-1923
Torrance Extended Day Care Center (Torrance, Los Angeles, California), 1944-??

My grandparents were married September 28, 1920. My grandfather, Elmer Campbell Prime, passed away September 19, 1943, due to complications following an automobile accident.

Frankie Joy Root Prime died June 1, 1968, and is buried at Roosevelt Memorial Cemetery in Gardena, Los Angeles, California.

Merry Christmas To All! - 2009

Merry Christmas to all from (L to R) Robyn, Rose, Jimmie and Patti Prime!

Isn't this Frank, too?

Left to Right: Ben Prime, Hurley Frank Canon holding Jimmie Prime

Wedding Picture

Left to Right:
Elmer Campbell Prime (b: 23 Sep 1892, Arapahoe, Furnas, Nebraska, USA; d: 19 Sep 1943, Torrance, Los Angeles, California, USA)
Frankie Joy Root (b: 24 Apr 1895, Murray, Cass, Nebraska, USA; 01 Jun 1968, Seal Beach, Orange, California, USA)
m: 28 Sep 1920, location and details?

House in Arapahoe, Nebraska

We need help with the identification on this one! We believe this is George Allen Prime with the Campbell sisters next to the house in Arapahoe, Furnas, Nebraska, USA.

Nebraska House

House in Arapahoe, Furnas, Nebraska where Elmer Campbell Prime was born. By extention, the house where Ellen Campbell Prime, his natural mother, died 28 Sep 1892, five days after childbirth.

Primes & Campbell

Left to Right:

Ada A. Prime McGovern (sister of George Allen Prime) (b: Dec 1869, Ames, Story, Iowa, USA; d: July 1932, Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA)

Lucy L. Campbell Prime (b: 25 Aug 1866, Nebraska, USA; d: 12 Feb 1963, Orange, California, USA)

George Allen Prime (b: 20 Apr 1862, Ames, Story, Iowa, USA; d: 18 Nov 1953, Long Beach, Los Angeles, California, USA)

The Prime Boys

Ben Root Prime, Ralph Raymond Prime, Jimmie Allen Prime

How cute is this?

Primes and Dickinsons

Bottom row - Ralph Raymond Prime, Nancy Ellen Prime, Hope Root Dickinson.

Back row - Elmer Campbell Prime, Frankie Joy Root Prime, Ben Root Prime, Jimmie Allen Prime, and Guy Ezra Dickinson.

Primes

George Allen Prime, Elmer Campbell Prime, Lucy Campbell Prime

Back of picture in Frankie Joy (Root) Prime's handwriting