The Peru Gazette

On November 21, 2009 Ernest E. Rock of the Hallock Hill Road passed away at age 84. A retired corrections officer and farmer, Ernie was a World War II Navy veteran serving as an aircraft carrier tail gunner. At Ernie’s funeral his daughter Rebecca Drollette read a letter which Ernie, at age 18, wrote home to his Aunt Ruth Rock as he was completing his Navy training. We are pleased to reprint this letter believing that it exemplifies a wonderful example of an American patriot’s faith in God, country, family and community. That same spirit continues today. Please keep all our soldiers around the world in your thoughts and prayers during this Christmas season. 

December 19, 1943

Dear Aunt Ruth,

I’ve been to Church and we have a wonderful chaplain. The Mass was beautiful. Christmas night the 12:00 Mass that I’ll attend will be broadcast all over the United States.

They are going to make our Christmas as good and entertaining as possible, but there is nothing in comparison with a beautiful Christmas at home. No matter how humble it is, home is the most wonderful place in the whole world especially to a sailor. We are all here for a purpose, for the purpose of eliminating the enemy and making a lasting and permanent peace. We are here for that job. We are going to give everything we have for that job so that in the future we can spend all our happy years at home. I know we are not at home and that our job is dangerous and necessary and in the event we don’t come back what we did will live on. But we are not all going to die and some of us are going to come back to share the peace we fought for.

Here in my company all kinds of men are put together and we are all one. No one man is better than the other. We are Americans and for America. We shall fight and for America we shall die.

This year at Christmas we can’t be together in body, but in spirit we are combined in both. When we go to the railing Christmas Eve we will all be combined with the aid of God.

Now we are being taught to kill and destroy, but we are also being taught to live. To live as Americans should and can. This is a battle and this battle will be won by the strong of mind and the strong of heart.

I’ve got a little friend here from Puerto Rico and I’m teaching him to speak English. He is a nice boy and a real American. He can talk pretty good by now and his nice black curly hair is all gone. We had our regulation hair cuts yesterday and we were clipped bald, but it will grow.

Maybe this letter sounds like a sermon or maybe just plain nuts but our chaplain told us to write home a Christmas letter something like this and I hope I’ve done a good job.

We have a swell time here. A guy is playing a mouth organ and we are raising hell. We do all day. I’ve gained about 5 lbs. A lot of food and not much work. I hope everything is OK at home and around.

                                                            Love,

                                                            Ernest