Wayne County
History & Genealogy
A Voice From the Past: Leland Good & the Battleship Arizona
Transcribed by Laurie Selpien
The following are edited letters that were written by
Leland Good, to his sister Muriel JONES Bruce, while he was stationed on the
Battleship Arizona from December 1940 to December 1941. The letters paint a
picture of the life of a sailor before the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Sunday Afternoon
December 23, 1940
Dear Sister & Family,
Received the card from the boys. Tell them thanks a lot & I hope they had a Merry X-mas. Also give Bill my greetings. Say! Tell him to build him a boat “He has the lumber now” & row out to see me. It’s just about 2900 miles. I didn’t send any cards this year, as I didn’t have any place to buy them.
Went roller-skating last night. They have several places for the sailors to spend their dough. Have a few ice rinks also. I spent most of my dough this payday for things I needed. Got my clothes all cleaned & pressed, haircut, wash bucket some “dungaree’s” (same as overall pants) to work in. We’re painting the ship next week I didn’t want to get my blue uniforms full of paint. Some of the fellows took their pay & celebrated X-mas, but not for me. Mine comes to hard for that. (HA! HA!) and I hope I have more sense, I’ve gotten over that crazy age.
Muriel, I wish you could see some of the X-mas decorating out here. They don’t cut the trees. They just rig them up as they stand. Some are trees 50-60 feet high. It’s sure pretty to look off to a mountain Top and see a bunch all lighted up. The grass is green as springtime. Doesn’t seem like December. It’s quite warm & rains quite often also heavy fogs. Will Close Write soon. I’ll try my best to answer your Bro. (Bud)
Pearl Harbor Hawaii
Mon 28, 1941
LELAND GOOD
U. S. S. ARIZONA
Dearest Muriel & Family;
Will answer your most welcome letter. Got it just as we’re going out to sea. So didn’t write for a while as we’re always keeping plenty busy with“ sea watches” and maneuvers. One of our most interesting happenings at sea this time was fueling destroyers at the rate of 12 speed knots also saw a few whales & a lot of sharks. Fired night battle but that’s happening very often now.
Got into port yesterday. Was out to one of the big Army “Bases” today. Went out there as a “Guest”. They sure treated us nice. They have a very beautiful place up in the mountains. It was a very beautiful trip up there as all the vines & shrub-ivy have blooms the year round also seen as much as 80 – 100 acres of pineapples. It’s a funny thing. It rains as much as 4 times a day quite often they still have to irrigate for cultivation. Maybe you don’t remember but in 1935 or 36 they had a volcano down here that wiped out a little town. We were anchored in close to it the other day. You could still see where the lava had run down the mountainside and into the ocean. The town is built back but I think they are crazy as hell for the mountain still rumbles and smokes quite often.
Is the boy’s school out yet? Bet they are looking forward to the last day if it isn’t. Tell them when I come home we’ll buy a watermelon. They don’t have melons here. Guess it is to hot for them or something. There isn’t any insects or snakes there is a shortage of mineral in the water or something. Never hear it thunder either. No metal in the ground Guess you have to get farther east to get into the typhoon. Will close for now. Write often as you can for I enjoy all the news.
With love to all Leland.
Sunday Afternoon August 18, 1941
Dear Sister Muriel & Family
How is everyone? I’m OK. I sure am having a swell time. NO! It’s not fun I’m talking about. It’s enjoying my job. We are sure busy as they are giving us the same training in 6 wks. As they use to give in three months. That’s OK though as that means making the fleet quicker & more manly.
We get up at 5:50. Breakfast at 6:30. We do such things as lash up our hammocks, polish our shoes, polish the floors & stairs and so on. At 8 we go out & will until 11:30 at 1:00 were we’re back until 4:00 Super at 5:00. Then we wash our clothes & clean floors again. Then lights out at 9:30. So you see we are quite busy.
They are building new barracks all the time. It’s getting equal to Chanute Field. They brought in 1200 men just last week. They have 108 companies now with 120 men a company. That’s quite a few men. Of course some of those have went to sea. But that’s the general idea of the men going through..
Went to church this morning. That’s one thing they make compulsory. You have to go to church Sunday or else. They have a Chaplin for Protestants & a priest for Catholics. Maybe your tired of the Navy line, but that’s all I know right now.
Today is Navy Day. We have to dress in our parade outfit for the day. There is a few thousand visitors here. The secretary of the Navy is here from Washington D. C. They saluted him by shooting off the big guns. They sure rocked the ground. They also have a big parade & airplane maneuvers. It’s all quite exciting. Will close for now.
Your Bro. Bud
P. S. It’s fun sleeping in a hammock. One fellow fell out 5 times one night. It’s about 5 feet in the air, don’t swing or roll.
Pearl Harbor Hawaii
Labor Day Sept. 1, 1941
LELAND GOOD
U. S. S. ARIZONA
Dear Sister Muriel & Family:
Will try and get a few more lines off as mail is closing for the States soon. Well Muriel- I’m nearing my first year in this mans Navy. In my first year I made 3 advancements. Will make another in October if there is an opening, making $54 now with all expenses paid. Getting about 3,000 miles of cruising every month, which a lot of people would really pay to get. We’re going to sea again Wed. 3rd, for a couple of weeks. So I’ve leave coming.
The good Ship Arizona took third place in Pacific Fleet sport competition. We took sailing, boxing, swimming, wrestling, baseball and tennis. Got beat in rowing, basketball, bowling, soccer, track, ping-pong and diving so we have a few sports aboard ship anyway. Some are played ashore of coarse. A fellow caught a mud shark fishing from the side of the ship the other morning it was about 3 feet long. They use flies and spinners etc. For that reason I don’t like saltwater fishing. I like worms.
How’s the peach crop? Dessie says it’s pretty good. Boy I’d like to get my hands on a few. The only fruit here is pineapples & bananas. Common fruit cost so much. Well Muriel will close for now. Tell everyone hello. Took some pictures will send to Dessie when I get them developed. You can see them then. With Love to ALL Your Bro. Lee
WRITE!
Pearl Harbor Hawaii
November 8, 1941
LELAND GOOD
U. S. S. ARIZONA
Dear Sister & Family
Got your last letter will work on a few lines today as everyone is “ crapped out” Our expression for loafing around. The climate is really nice out here now gets down to about 78 at night. It’s really nice, but they all figure their winter is dead upon them being used to the hot weather all the time.
Muriel, I probably won’t get home until next spring or summer. They have kinda tightened down again. Don’t think we’ll be in trouble for a long time yet if ever. Tell everyone hello & take care of yourself. With Love to all Your Bro. (Bud)
That was his final letter home. Leland was born in 1918. He was the son of Almon and Adda (SMITH, Jones) Good.
Sadly, at age 23, Leland died December 7, 1941 during the attack of Pearl Harbor. He is entombed aboard the Arizona. He was awarded the Purple Heart
If you have letters or stories you would like to add please contact me, thanks Laurie!
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