Dear Violet, With all my Love, Jack: A B-24 WWII Pilot's Words of Love

By Marcia Havener, Susan Pokorski and John Berry

Dear Violet, With all my Love, Jack is a love story told through the love letters Jack wrote to Violet while training to fly the B-24 and then, as he flew 'the Hump' during WWII. But the story does not unfold only through his letters. The story is told through a back drop of many sources. It is a compilation of historical documents, cultural references of the times, excerpts from an interview taped 40 years after the war during a reunion with two other WWII B-24 bomber pilots who flew with him. These letters also show glimpses of the kind of husband and father he grew to become which were told through the Berry family stories, personal letters, Violet's journal, and a family history written by Violet and her granddaughter, Jodi Havener.

Jack Berry grew up on a farm in southern Illinois and after high school graduation, enrolled in Illinois State Teacher's college. After completing two years, he enlisted in the Army Air Corp. During his Officers' Training, while home on leave, he met Violet. Violet was enrolled in the Olney Sanitarium's Nurses' Training program and was roommates with Jack's sister, Juanita. Violet had gone to Juanita's home for the weekend. Jack always said he knew that very weekend he was going to marry her.

The weekend proved to be the spark that lit this young Lt.'s heart as he tried to keep the flame alive through their exchange of letters. We do not get to see her letters to him. (He did not see the need to save them as she did his). But, we can certainly ascertain many of her responses, support, and growing love for him through his comments back.

Marcia, John and I had each read his letters individually with mother as we each visited her after his death. It wasn't until we were all together one weekend after her death that we sat down and read them together. It seemed important to us to save the content of these endearing letters and thus began the process of telling their story.

Am sure these letters reflect the same kind of love from the hearts of soldiers and sweethearts across generations, races, cultures and time. This is our story.

All proceeds will be contributed to two veteran organizations: Gary Sinese Foundation or Fisher House Foundation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Oct 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098308056

Book preview

Script

Introduction

Dear Violet, With All My Love Jack is a compilation of all the letters Lt. Jack Berry wrote to his sweetheart as he was being trained to go to war and then his tour of duty, ‘somewhere in India’ during WWII.

Jack loved Violet from their first meeting. Jack also loved God, his country, his family; and his great thrill was flying airplanes.

Jack was part of the Greatest Generation. A generation where men and women served and protected their country and then went home, living out the rest of their lives with a commitment to love, loyalty, and integrity in all that they did. We wanted to use these letters to not only be enjoyed as a great fun love story, but also to put into context the history, the culture and the seeds that were planted for Jack and Violet to live their lives together, raise their family, and enjoy the benefits of keeping America safe and strong. You will see glimpses of their life in their Berry patch.

In our research through the family archives, we came across an interview taped on June 20, 1987, over 40 years after the war. Jack and Violet had hosted a reunion with 2 other B-24 pilots who flew with Jack, and their wives. In an attempt to capture some of their time together during WWII and with a couple of Silver Bullets (gin), they recorded stories that they recalled flying the China Burma India Theater also known as flying the Hump. Am sure embellishment was not discouraged. We thought this interview would also put into context the world in which Jack was living at the time of these letters. We were honored to find this interview and get to know these combat pilots who were members of the Greatest Generation and flew the Hump with Jack.

Setting the Stage For the Pilots Who Flew the Hump

Paul: There are Bold Pilots and Old Pilots, but there are no Old Bold Pilots. We are living examples of that.

Wife’s response: Thank God we got the Old Pilots.

Jack: By way of introduction, I am Jack Berry. We flew the big airplanes. We held 5,000 horses in one hand and 25 tons in the other. Of course, we impressed the girls.

Then we have to my left here, John.

John: Thank you very much Jack. I’d like to start off with the fact that I am probably the only one of the three that became a Japanese Ace. I lost enough aircraft of the American forces that I was designated a Japanese Ace by Tokyo Rose. I had enough underwater aircraft to qualify. Now I will pass it on to Paul, probably the steadiest of us all.

Paul: My claim to fame is I am the only guy who 4 pointed in the B-24.

(Laughter)

John: Yea, there are only 3 points.

Paul: Well, there’s a tailspin.

John: Oh yea. Woooooo!

Paul: I did that, remember when we moved from Madagan to Daka.

John: Hauling all the equipment.

Paul: They loaded up the rear end of that airplane.

John: They overloaded everything.

Paul: I went into Daka – thank God I had a …I think his name was Beech. He was standing in between the seats calling off the air speed as we were landing. Thank God I came down low before I rounded out. As soon as I rounded out, I started pulling the power out. (Pause) I was on the ground 100 ft. short of the runway.

(Laughter and snide comments)

Jack: Beech was one of the older pilots. He was ‘the old guy’.

Paul: Yea, and ol’ Gandy was there too. He followed me right into the ravine.

John: Congratulations!!!!

Paul: Beech jumped down and Gandy started talking, Hey that airplane paid off at 135 knots.

Jack: Saved you didn’t it?

Paul: Saved my butt.

John: Oh they did overload us. And then they put personnel on top of all the weight.

Jack: We knew the 24 and we knew we could load it. And our fudge factor was the guys standing in the cat walk and if the tail drug, you knew you had too much in the tail but all you had to do was move the guys forward. Always worked.

(Editor’s Note: you will read more excerpts as their story unfolds.)

Chapter 1

Liberal, Kansas

1943

Liberal Army Air Field

Liberal, Kansas

Nov. 16, 1943

Dear Violet,

Here’s that big dumb-looking Lt. bothering you again. I hope you don’t mind too much. I do have to sell myself to you if I am going to convince you to marry me, don’t I? It seems like pen and ink are going to be my only resource so don’t judge me too harshly. I did study penmanship in college but I had to stay after school to pass and then it was only because of my sunshine personality. (No, I don’t like me, do you? You had better start.)

I got down here without any mishaps. Had to stand up part of the way from St. Louis to K.C. but I guess my feet are the smartest things about me. It took us about 11 hours to come from K.C. to Liberal, four hundred miles. I sure was tired. This Liberal is quite a town. One show, a drug store, and a filling station. Well, maybe it does have a few other stores but these are the ones they brag about. The field is rather nice however. It is about the same as George Field but of course a longer runway etc. for larger airplanes. All we have had today are lectures on top of lectures. Tomorrow we are supposed to fly. I sure hope we do. It has been quite a while since I have and I am getting itchy feet again.

I suppose you are studying hard now to make up for that week I kept you out late every night. It is all your fault though; if you hadn’t been so nice I wouldn’t have had to bother you so much. So when I come home again you better be mean so I won’t force myself on you too much and you will still be able to make that 100 every day. Better yet, study extra hard now so when I come, you won’t have to study. My, my, how I do carry on. Who said you want to study or want me to come home?

I guess I had better close for now. I have done myself about as much damage as I can afford for one time. Be good and write some time. Also, remember when you think a ring should go with those wings let me know. I know it looked like I was trying to blitz you but you have plenty of time to think now, and if you doubt I am an all right guy ask my fans. (Don’t say, what fans?) Anyway, let me know if you ever want to take a chance with me. I think by rights, I should be writing poetry but… Be hearing from you soon, I hope. Tell all the girls ‘hello’ for me.

Love,

Jack

P.S. I will write more when something happens.

Liberal Army Air Field

Liberal Army Air Field was a World War II Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber training base of the United States Army Air Forces’ Second Air Force.

B-24 Liberator Basic Training School

In April 1943, before completion of construction, the initial group of officers and men of the original cadre reported. Liberal AAF was officially opened on 13 May 1943. It was placed under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Forces Pilot School (Specialized 4-Engines), The mission of the base was to train Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber pilots, who were predominantly newly commissioned officers who had graduated from Training Command advanced twin-engine flying schools.

The training cycle was nine weeks in length. Halfway through the cycle of the first class, another class began the course, so that, afterward, a class graduated every four and a half weeks. By 8 December 1943 Col. R. C. Rockwood, operations and training officer was able to tell a group of civilian employees that, We are now training approximately one-fourth of the Liberator bomber commanders trained in the continental United States.

The pace of training is well illustrated in that it was not until 7 October 1943