Feb 17, 1945
Yesterday the letter which Shel wrote to Burt arrived and he let me read it. In it he mentioned that he had talked with you and he even made comparisons between you and Edith in the letter to stress the various points that he wanted to bring out to Burt. It was a long letter and time and again Shel asserted that he didn’t want Burt to take it any other way but in the manner in which the criticism was given. It only reaffirmed the various things that both Manny and I have been harping on Burt these past days. We in particular, I have been really after the guy. The wind up of the whole thing is that Burt has definitely decided to stop writing to Edith. If she should ask you anything at all about Burt and why he doesn’t write, just tell her that you understand from me that Burt is peeved at something she has or has neglected to do in compliance with his wishes.
Before he left he stressed the point that he did not want to have her calling the family and telling them what and when he writes. She has failed. Burt is also a little peeved with his family. In his reply to Shel he told them that he was old enough to know the difference between right and wrong and if he wants to write or call her he will do so, but he went on to explain that she had not been very discreet where his family was concerned. Shel will probably tell you about Burt’s reply. At one point Shel pointed out in his letter to Burt that he had sent her the picture (You remember the one you gave to her) from down under. Well it seems that she was visiting in a crowd where the Reinhardts were and Burt’s uncle and aunt were there and others. She took the picture from her purse and showed the crowd the picture that Burt had sent. His family was terribly embarrassed when they were questioned as to whether or not they had received one too. They had never seen the picture before. It was things like that that Shel kept pointing out to Burt in his letter. It was plenty much to the point.
Burt informs me that there is a great deal of work to be done yet and in all probability we will work all day.
March 9, 1945
Burt has just walked in and wants me to tell you that he just learned that Sheldon is leaving within the week for Vermont. Call him please and wish him luck on his trip. Burt got the word this afternoon and asked that I pass it along to you. It’s good and I pray that it all keeps going that way.
p.s. in script at bottom: Burt (the lover boy) sends his love. Just threw Wong Feing out for good. (Was Wong Feing a lover of my dad’s?)
March 10, 1945
Your note on Edith really took the cake. I read that portion to Burt and he got a big kick out of it. Apparently Edith has been more honest with Burt than either of us had realized. She had told him the whole thing in New York. She included a great many things that she hadn’t told you. However the whole thing will turn out well. If worst comes to worst, I believe that Ben will always take her back. As for Burt….. she can’t have him. That letter she spoke to you about was the last one that he wrote to her. ‘Till the present time he still hasn’t written. From his attitude at the moment he will not write and if she does announce her marriage, burt will answer with a congratulatory reply. Ben has received his just dues. The only one that has got the worst of the whole deal is the soldier boy, Leo. Wish her luck and happiness for me. She ‘ll need the former.
Paragraph about Roosevelt and world peace.
Since I began this to you this evening ‘our boy’ has changed his mind and is now in the midst of composing what might turn out to be his farewell note. With the pains he seems to be taking in writing it it should be a masterpiece. Burt hasn’t shed a tear over the whole thing. Brave boy that.
Today was another spent fiddeling around with odds and ends. Tomorrow the whole gang are planning on a tour of the island and stopping over for some beer and swimming in one of the remote spots. Twouldn’t be bad if it were a group of fellows and gals and you were my gal with me to spend a Sunday. Not being the aforementioned type of affair there is little sense in going. Burt and I have declined the offer and will spend a lazy day here…..doing nothing.
No news to report other than what I have already conveyed. Burt has given up for the evening and will continue tomorrow.
April 9, 1945 – one week after marriage
Still the action that I had hoped would be taken to get me back with Burt was not forthcoming. Sooner or later, I will rejoin them. I will let you know as soon as something is definite. If I can’t, then Manny will.
Incidently I am living not far from him now. This evening I went over to his place and walked in on him. A more surprised person I have never seen. He turned and looked at me and his mouth fell open. Then I explained that I had been back to the states. At that statement he was even more surprised. When I informed him that we were married… the guy was ready to fall over in a dead faint. He is now working and I am going to meet him later this evening. He said that he would write a note and gel all the details of our marriage at that time. I will spend the night at his place and we will be able to sit and talk.
April 12 1945
Writing to you today is very difficult. The shock of Roosevelt’s death has really put a damper on my spirits. Since learning of his passing, which was unbelievable at first, nothing else has enter my mind. A million questions and no answers. So darling if my letter to you tonight is a little dull, bear with me, they will improve.
This morning a few details had to be taken care of and they were completed about noon. Manny and I had lunch together and then I showered and headed back this way to if there was any mail awaiting me from you. There wasn’t any.
After my chores were done this afternoon I tried to get some more information on Burt and when I will see him. Everything was left in the air. Gosh, I would like to see that guy. Manny and I were discussing the Public Relations deal. Burt has put in a word on my behalf.
May 17, 1945
Burt hijacks Bob’s letter:
My darling baby,
Here it is another day has almost come to an end and I find myself a few moments to write. Natch, kid, it’s you I’m going to write to. Yesterday, I almost vowed to myself that I would answer so long overdue letters, but such is not the case. If the movie tonight proves as bad as I think it might be, then perhaps I will be able
Excuse me while I cut in on this letter Baby. Yes, this is your old boyfriend once again, Bob just stepped out for a few minutes to get some dinner, and I stepped in. You know the old routine, exit the husband, enter the milkman, from the rear door. He will probably be back in a few minutes and blow up completely, because of my invading his privacy but I had to tell you that even though you are married to the brute, my heart is with you and I still love you and forgive you… well the boy and I are together once again and a good thing, for I can protect your interests for you. From the vagabond ways of R.C…. Don’t know what you did to the poor boy, but since his return he isn’t the same. Moons all the time, talks about love and sweet meat. I guess that’s you Babe. Keeps telling me that he at peace with the world and vows to be everlastingly true. Just doesn’t sound like the same Cowan, but I guess he means it, and I won’t turn him over to the medics as a psycho case. Will write more very soon, want to end before the tiger returns, and bites my head off. I tease him unmercifully at nite, but he stands up under the strain very well, am sure you are a good influence on the boy. Be good Love Burt
That louse has finally gone and done it. He has been trying for days to get at any letter that I might start to you and stick his two cents worth in. in the past he has been caught in the act… the viper. He means well, but is too far gone to be saved I am afraid!!!! He sat down at the typewriter while I was away for a moment washing my mess gear. I returned and I noticed that there was a great deal more to my letter than there was when I left. Burt was in his bed with an angelic look about him, but he couldn’t keep a straight face and he began to laugh. He turned and tried to explain that it was something very funny he was reading. It all goes to make a wee bit more laughter…
Speaking of Burt, he got hold of a Japanese-American dictionary. He has been spouting Japanese like mad… in his typically New York accent. It was very funny in deed. However, I don’t ever thinkthat he will make a good Jap no matter what happens. We went out this a.m. to try to get a little work done. We accomplished a great deal in one sense, but actually there was nothing tangible. We did exchange our motion picture prints so that we will be able to run pictures for the next few days. Our coming program is just fair. The good pictures are at a premium, so we take what we can get on that score.
The breeze keeps blowing the paper around
Burt sends along his love as well.
Aug. 10, 1945
Darling, it’s over. I can hardly believe it. Do you hear me…IT IS AT AN END… as I was sitting here writing to you, two very excited people ran in to the ten and shouted: turn on the radio. See if it is true. When they told us that a report had been heard that the Japanese had offered to accept to surrender we hurriedly turned on the set and then the report came through. There was wild excitement here. Everyone was running like mad. It seemed almost too much to bear. Burt had come the closest to guessing the time. About two weeks ago… before the atomic bomb or Russia’s declaration, he made a bet that the war would be over in three weeks…we were wild. I felt like breaking down and having a good cry for myself. We were glued to the radio for a little while… then hell broke loose. All the ships in the sea were firing the guns. All the weapons on land opened up… there was nothing but turmoil. Burt and I broke out the Canadian Club that we had been hording since my return from the states and which I had given to him. We drank to you dearest… then the officers here gave us five fifths and we went to work on that. It wasn’t long before everyone was drunk, but happy… the war had come to an end…. The Japs were asking for peace. The firing kept on crazily for a spell. The radio kep repeating that the announcement wasn’t official and that the firing must cease….
It did. Then we all here proceeded to really get down to the business of getting good and drunk. Mr. So and So was introducing himself to Mr. So and So… this went on and on. Burt really tied one on and much later in the evening I put him to bed.
Yokahama, Japan – Geisha
September 9th, 1945
Things have begun to slow down in photographic department.
Extent of damage done described. Americans looked as barbarians, rapists. Bob sees they would have treated americans exactly as they were treated . People tack together pieces of ruins for shelters.
Their interpreter took them to a Geisha house. Burt, a lieutenant, another fellow and Bob were on the trip. Burt was a bit anxious and he asked to be shown where a Geisha house was. The interpreter pointed out a building her and there and said “this Geisha house is second class. This one is first class. When asked to take them there, he said they were closed. Finally we went to one. We had to make an appointment. We did for four o clock in the afternoon. Bob adds: “Now darling, you know the reason that I went is because I know that our children will ask me when they grow up about things like that, so I want to be able to tell them and give them the right information. Don’t you think I am right. Thanks. I knew that you would see it that way. …” We got there at four and took our shoes off before entering. We came in and sat with the master of the hosue on the floor. The mistress came in and explained that a couple of the other girls were out and would not be back til later that evening, so we figured this might be a call house as well. The interpreter told us that they would serve tea, that was the custom. Burt kept saying the hell with the tea…let’s get on with the real thing… so we had tea…. Then the maid brought in some corn on the cob. As much as I would liked to have sunk my teeth into the corn, we didn’t partake, because we didn’t know whether or not the food was poisoned and in the second place, these people have so little to eat themselves that it seems a crime for us to take any. The other chap could’nt resist, so he ate a very small piece of corn. It was explained to us that a complete meal is to follow at this point, but being short of foodstuffs they told us that if brought the food, they would serve it to us. Burt at this point asked who wanted to eat first anyway…
Then this girl … not beautiful… not even pretty, did a short ceremonial dance. This dance would be equivalent to six bars of our music. It was corny. Then Burt got tired of the delay and told the interpreter to tell the master that he wanted to be alone upstairs with the girl. It was okayed. I winked at the others and they nodded their heads. This was it. Not so fast.
The next minute the mistress came in and asked for something and the master went to a safe and took out what looked like a small paddle. The mistress took it upstairs. In a moment, the music stopped and we waited. Would Burt make it or wouldn’t he? Will he get in??? Well, in a few minutes, the mistress came down and whispered something to the master who in turn said something to the interpreter with us. Then Burt came in. he told Burt that what he was looking for could not be had in this house. This was a Geisha hose. A house of prayer and not a whorehouse. He said that if we wanted the other kind of Geisha house, he would take us. So we all had a big laugh over the situation and the expectancy of the group which didn’t materialize. It was late and we went back to where we were living.
Description of MacArthur arriving in Japan, flag raising, catching sight of Cowan. Rosh Hashanah.
My grandmother, Bea Reinhardt, wrote to Bob Cowan – must have been shortly after he married in 1945:
Include hand written note.
Thoisdae
Dear Bobsy:
So you went and dood it. Congratulations and the very bestest of good wishes to you. Gerry is a swell girl and as for you Bob, all I can say is that you are one grand guy.
I can’t tell you how happy I am that you arrived safely and together with Burt again.
However I do hope that this won’t be for long and that very soon you will be with your wife for good. In the meantime do take good care of yourself and also keep an eye on my kiddie.
Burt writes me that you are talking Jewish to the natives. You better be careful or they might take you up on something. It sure handed me a big laugh.
Wrote to your wife today.
I suppose Burt has already told you about Sheldon signing up as a counselor at camp. A very good thing for him. Thank God he is getting around fine and we have our fingers crossed.
Do let u shear from you, Bob, and in the meantime be good to yourselves by being careful and above all, keep well.
My men here join me in wishing you everything that you wish for yourself. Good luck to you and keep happy.
Love
Beatrice Reinhardt
