A Sailor’s Letters Home

DULUTH, Minn. — “Dear Mom, Dad. and Annette”

That’s how 18-year-old Allen Westerberg began his first letter home. It was the first of what would be more than 900 letters home that he wrote to his parents and sister during his time in the Navy during World War Two.

Those letters would turn out to be a treasure trove for his son Joe. But it wasn’t until about 5 decades later that Joe would find out that all the letters had been saved.

Joe said his dad didn’t talk much about the war.” He made a comment in the late 90s Oh yeah, I had my letter and I just shook my head you have your letters home?  Yeah, you want to see them and he pulled out this box, and it’s literally a paper copy box filled with these 23 folders.”
When his dad returned home from the war, he sorted his letters and put them into folders, labeled by where he was and the dates. These letters were a glimpse into what a young man from Dassel, Minnesota experienced between March 1944 and September 1946.

Reading those letters, “I watched him grow up as a kid leaving Dassel farm fields to Japan, Pacific Theater, and occupation duty,” said Allen’s son Joe Westerberg

After basic training, Allen went to signalman school where he learned how to use flags and spotlights to signal other ships. When the training was completed He was assigned to LSM 392, a Landing Ship used mainly to transport equipment and people.

Before being sent overseas Allen devised a system to let his family know where he was. He knew the military would censor his letters to make sure he didn’t mistakenly provide any information that could help the enemy.

“Okay here’s our system, If I write let’s say 31 October, if I put the date before the month, take the first letter of each sentence in the first paragraph. And so he was able to write out, you know nearing Pearl at Pearl Harbor … and so they at least they could follow on a map of where he was at that time.”

So what did he write in the more than 900 letters, nearly one a day he sent home?  Mostly it was mundane day-to-day activities or what he had for dinner that night

Dinner Menu

His letters home would be upbeat to assure his family he was okay. He really appreciated the letters, newspapers, and packages he received on board.

Really liked he toffee and coconut bars his mom sent.

The war with Japan officially ended on September 2, 1945. Two weeks after the surrender he arrived in Japan as part of the Occupying Force.  The war was over, but Allen would be in the Navy for another year

Throughout his journeys, he kept up with two of his favorite hobbies…plants and bugs.

Joe explained how his father kept up two of his favorite activities. “He loved collecting insects and was into flowers. He was a horticulture judge for the state of Minnesota for many years. And he would collect butterflies, and insects in the Philippines or wherever he was and send them home. And so I mean in one of the pictures here is him with his butterfly net. “

What stood out to Joe as he read the letters his dad had written?  “I think some of it was just the sadness of my Dad.” Said Joe. “He knew that he had the duty to serve and he readily did that, he signed up. But it was the sadness and just two and a half years. “

“It’s just that he missed out on a year and a half with his family, two and half years from home, “said Joe.

But in September 1946 Allen’s last letter to his family was filled with hope and anticipation of getting home.

Allen passed away in October of 2019 at the age of 94. The project was finished, but he had lived long enough to answer questions, fill in some details, even help Joe figure out his handwriting.

But it wouldn’t be long before the labor of love was completed.

Joe said, “I wish that I had finished when my dad was alive and you know, hindsight is everything. But it was totally finished about six months after he passed. Just him giving me the opportunity to have this piece of history.”

And where is that piece of history now? Earlier this year Joe donated the letters to the World War Two museum in New Orleans.

It was a powerful moment for both father and son. “Even though now I don’t have the original letters when I handed them over and I was let out of the room where they were left, I kind of looked back and was like, ‘See ya, Dad.’ But that’s what he would want.”

His work now done, a son saying goodbye. Knowing that those letters in his father’s hand were now safe in someone else’s hands.

After returning to his hometown of Dassel Allen would then move to Bloomington where the next 20 years with the Navy, serving at the Naval Air Base in Minneapolis.