Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

The collection is without restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Bernard M. Pemstein Correspondence, 1943-1946, Accession # 11420, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

These letters were purchased by the University of Virginia Library on December 4, 1996, from Charles Apfelbaum, Watchung, New Jersey.

Scope and Content Information

The letters from 1943 begin on September 7, when Pemstein is beginning his six week course at Hospital School at the U.S. Naval Hospital, at Portsmouth, Virginia. In these letters, he mentions a terrible explosion near Portsmouth, Virginia, and his tour of the aircraft carrier Block Island and the cruiser Baltimore (Sep 18, 21); his plans to try and go to the Navy embalming school (Sep 2[?]); and his assignment to Key West, in which he comments that 27 out of the 31 soldiers in his group sent to the hospital at Key West, Florida, were Jewish (Oct 14-15). Apparently the letters from Key West to Massachusetts are missing and they are not part of this collection.

Letters from 1944 do not begin until August 17, when Pemstein is in Norfolk, Virginia, after traveling from Miami, where he is working in sick bay as a pharmacist's mate until his crew is formed for a ship being constructed in Orange, Texas. In these letters, he writes that he is unimpressed by A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (Aug 27); one contains a report sent to his parents from the Jewish Social Services Agency (Aug); his luck in not having to stand watch, be on cleaning detail, march, or train with the men because he works at the dispensary, and his disappointment that there will not be any leave for the upcoming Jewish holy days (Sep 3); his crew will have 147 men and 6 officers (Sep 6); description of a hurricane in progress (Sep 14); description of his experiences and activities during the Jewish holy day services (Sep 21, 29); leaving for a week afloat at sea, before they transfer to Orange, Texas, to go aboard the U.S.S. French (Sep 25); and leaving Norfolk (Sep 29).

After Pemstein leaves Norfolk, Virginia, on September 29, 1944, he describes Orange, Texas, where his ship will soon be commissioned (Oct 4); his ship leaving for Bermuda, and then Boston (Oct 24); and his tendency to purchase tobacco pipes while in various ports (Dec 19).

During letters written in 1945 Jan-Sep, Pemstein mentions going through the Panama Canal (Jan 3); his adventures in trying to bring medical supplies aboard ship (Feb 12); his belief that the war in the Pacific will end before the one in Europe (Feb 20); his opportunities to learn about medicine and his reading (Feb 21); being at Pearl Harbor (Feb 28); description of experiences on several South Pacific islands, including Saipan and Palau (Apr 2); his whole division moving towards Japan, his worries that Japan will be trouble because it was not invaded before its surrender (Aug 23); the abolition of censorship, his ship at Okinawa, anchored at Buckner Bay, description of his difficulty with green officers and their attitude (Sep 7); leaving for southern Japan to retrieve American prisoners of war, unable to go ashore to participate in Rosh Hashana services, description of the routine of his easy life aboard ship, discussion of the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis off Leyte, Philippines, mentions his ship is in the Fifth Fleet under Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, whose flagship is the U.S.S. New Jersey (Sep 9); description of entering the heavily mined Japanese harbor at Wakayama on Honshu Island, with seventy ships in a convoy (Sep 11); mentions the dislike of the British, waiting for the prisoners of war, and Japanese civilians asking for cigarettes (Sep 13); after leaving Wakayama, his ship escorted an APD carrying mostly Japanese and Dutch prisoners to Guam, many other prisoners had died from dysentery and lack of medical attention, their efforts to prevent disease from Wakayama spreading to the ships, and encountering a typhoon during Yom Kippur (Sep 19); their return to Wakayama from Guam and watching movies every night (Sep 24); and his description of his recreation party on Wakayama and the city itself (Sep 26).

Letters written in 1945 October, mentions that sick bay is now busy but got to see some old Key West comrades at a hospital ship U.S.S. Consolation (Oct 4); description of Wakayama and includes some Japanese coins with his letter (Oct 8); description of his feud with his executive officer, J.B. May, (Oct 12 & 17); his ship kept busy looking for the captain of the U.S.S. Shawnee and a Vice-Admiral who both went down in a plane nearby (Oct 14); became rated pharmacist's mate, second class, effective November 1st (Oct 17); and the notification that he won't leave Japan until the end of January, his move to Tokyo Bay, Yokosuka, as the best liberty spot, and his tour of the grounds of the emperor's palace in Tokyo (Oct 22).

Letters from 1945 November include a description of a busy day in sick bay and arguments over giving the sailors free condoms before visiting Yokosuka, which has a high incidence of venereal disease (Nov 6); the death of his grandmother, Mrs. J. Wilensky (Nov 8); his relationship with Captain Robbins and other officers (Nov 13 & 16); dysentery epidemic aboard ship and on other vessels (Nov 22); and the black market (Nov 27).

Letters in the final folder, 1945 Dec-1946 Apr, include a description of his ship being in a terrific storm at sea (Dec 19); description of the Christmas celebrations on board (Dec 26); leaving Japan on January 2 (Jan 5); at Pearl Harbor (Jan 14); last day in San Francisco and aboard the U.S.S. French (1946 Apr 3); and his last letter dated April 5, 1946, stating he hopes to be in Boston by Wednesday.