April 3, 1945. Mama writes a letter to Dad just prior to his deployment to Guam. I do not have the actual letter, but I have evidence of it in the form of a letter that Anna wrote to my mom in 1994. Being that my grandmother never learned to speak or write English, the letter was in Polish. Apparently Mom had sent the letter to Anna as a keepsake of her brother. Anna notes in her 1994 letter “The reason that you found Mama’s letter among Anthony’s belongings is because Mama sent him her blessing, and told him to keep it, if he possibly could. From the way it was folded, he must have kept it in his wallet and most likely read it over and over. …Please tell your sons about Anthony’s letter, Mama’s blessing, and that I have it.” In a departure from my usual practice, given the importance of this letter, I am publishing the entire contents of the document. The following is Anna’s translation of mama’s letter:
“Dear Son,
We are all well. We wish you good health and well-being. We received you letter, the third of April on Tuesday, and one, the second of April on Monday. You wrote that you received the candy and nuts. I am happy and satisfied and pleased, that you received them before Easter. Son, don’t be sad and unhappy and don’t worry. Have deep faith and trust in God, Blessed Mother, Saint Joseph, Saint Michael Archangel, Saint Anthony. They will not forsake you but guard you, because I always pray to them for you. God is taking care of you, everywhere, every place with every step you take. God has the biggest power over the whole world. Have deep faith in God . I am sending you a blessing, with the words of my father Francis.
I wish wherever you will be, wherever you will walk, may the Lord bless you and keep you from all evil, and show you his face. May he be merciful to you, may he turn his face toward you, may he give you peace, may the Lord bless you.
Do not throw this letter out if you can possibly keep it.
On Easter, Anna and Eddie went to the Lubinskis for dinner. Daddy and I went for a walk and stopped in to see the Waszkiewiczes and saw Eddie who was home on furlough. We came home at ten o’clock at night. I have nothing else to write about. We send you our love and all of God’s blessings.
Your parents,
Stanislawa and Joseph Murawski
and also Anna, Eddie and Terenia Lubinski”