Johnny Stanish

May 14, 1942

Flagler County has 74 men in the various branches of the armed forces at this time ..... the list up to date is as follows: JOHNNIE STANISH

October 8, 1942

JOHNNIE STANISH, who has just a little over "one hitch" in the Navy, has just been promoted to Chief Storekeeper. Johnnie is to be congratulated for that is, we believe, the highest rank an enlisted man can attain in the Navy. He is at present at Corpus Christi, Texas. We want to thank the public relations office there for informing us.

December 16, 1943

Chief Petty Officer JOHNNY STANISH arrived here yesterday for a couple of days with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Stanish. Johnny is still located in California.

December 23, 1943

Navy Chief JOHNNIE STANISH spent two days here with his parents last week. Chief Stanish is at present located in San Francisco.

December 30, 1943

Christmas greetings received his week included cards from: Capt. and Mrs. J. R. West (Dr. RICHARD WEST), formerly of Bunnell, who is stationed at the base hospital at Boca Raton, Fla.; Ensign CORISE VARN in the Waves at Charleston, S. C.; Chief and Mrs. JOHNNY STANISH of San Bruno, California; Lt. and Mrs. Joe Norfleet of Seattle, Wash.; Capt. and Mrs. Gilbert Tucker of Camp Davis, N. C.; Pvt. John F. Clements who is with the Marines at San Diego, Calif.; Cpl. Leonard Moody of Camp Haan, Calif.

Also a unique V-Mail greeting from Cpl. Richard Tucker who has served with the Marines in the Southwest Pacific area for the past year and a half.

These greetings and letters are very deeply appreciated by both Fuller and I. I am planning to make up a scrap book of them one of these days (when I can find time) and it will be something that probably all of us as well as the coming generation will enjoy reading.

May 11, 1944

Also a card from Chief JOHNNIE STANISH of the USN and now in the Southwest Pacific saying, "Hi - I am fine, will drop you a line later."

June 8, 1944

A letter to Mr. Z. E. Booe here who, incidentally, lost a son at Pearl Harbor on the Oklahoma, from Chief Storekeeper JOHNNY STANISH. Johnny said his ship had been to New Caledonia, New Guinea, "and then came on up here." He added: "We are working on our new base and hope that we will have it done in the near future. You see, the Japs had this place and when they left they didn't leave much. We are having to build everything new. I am in charge of the commissary office and we are supplying the fleet with provisions. It sure is a big job and as time goes on I suppose we will have a big base here. This place is a mess. It is very hot and it rains every day. They say they have 180 inches of rain each year here. There are no roads at all and the mud is knee deep in places. The Seabees are here and they certainly are doing a good job."

June 29, 1944

Chief Commissary Steward JOHNNIE STANISH writes his parents here that he expects to be at "Lion Four" (out in the Pacific) for the duration. He also added that "I wanted to continue at sea, but was ordered to stay here." Johnny is in charge of feeding the total group on Lion Four.

July 13, 1944

A nice long letter from Navy Chief JOHNNIE STANISH: Somewhere in the Admiralty
Islands. July 2, 1944.

“I have been wanting to drop you all a few lines but I've been so busy that I just couldn't find time, Today is Sunday and I have a few spare minutes, so here I go.

Well folks, it is July in Florida now and, no doubt, it is hot but not as hot as out here. We are only 2 degrees off the equator and it is hotter than H---. We are having a lot of rain and when the sun does come out it just bakes everything. I thought I could take hot weather but I can now truthfully say I don't think I can. I am doing fine, however, and I know that I'll come through all right - hope so anyway.

If you will send me The Tribune I'll pay you whatever it is a year. I would like to have the paper to see what is going on in Flagler County.”

I suppose you folks are doing all right and as soon as this D-- war is over I hope that all the boys will go back to Bunnell and make it what it used to be.

(Ed note: The Tribune doesn't cost you anything, Johnnie, so long as you are in the armed forces. We are only too glad to send it to Flagler county men and women in the armed forces free. Just keep us advised as to your correct address).

Johnnie continued: “I left the States and stopped in New Caledonia and then came on up to New Guinea and stayed there for a few days and then came on up here. I haven't seen any of the boys from Bunnell but I hope I'll see one or two of them before long. We have this island pretty well taken but there are still a few Japs here that we expect to have off in the very near future.

Give the McDaniel's and Holden's my regards.”

August 31, 1944

Letters this week are all from the Navy. The first one, from Chief Storekeeper JOHNNY STANISH follows:

Somewhere in the Admiralty Islands.

"Just a few lines to let you know that I am feeling fine. Have received two Tribunes and it surely is good to read about the folks back home. I am sure that all the Bunnell boys are as glad to get the paper as I am.

Here is a $2 money order for one year's subscription and you keep them coming and I'll keep reading the paper which I do enjoy. Oh yes, I see in the June 29th edition that you have me rated as a Chief Commissary Steward. Mr. Fuller you know d - - - well that I am a Chief Store keeper. In the Navy we say that a Chief Commissary Steward is a Chief Storekeeper with his brains knocked out - so take it from there.

I hope, to get a commission as pay clerk in the near future and if I do I hope to get duty on some ship where I want to be. In these advance base units they make a soldier out of a sailor and the Lord knows I wasn't cut out to be a soldier. I like the Sea too well.

Glad to hear that a lot of the boys are coming home on furlough. I do hope this war will be over soon so they can all come home to stay.

My address has been changed to x x x so you can send The Tribune to it and I'll get the paper all right. Many thanks for I do enjoy it. We don't get papers out here except what the boys get from home. When we get a paper ALL the boys read it before it is thrown away.

Will drop you a few lines in the near future."

(Ed. note to Johnny. We will return your 2 bucks because we are not accepting dough for this paper to any person in the armed forces for the duration. About that CSK, too. ' Sure I know the difference" but I just slipped that time).

December 14, 1944

Then, as the radio announcers says "let us switch to the Pacific - in fact the Admiralty Islands - where Chief Storekeeper JOHNNY STANISH is located. He sends us a beautiful card showing a tropical scene from that Island.

(It looks nice, Johnny, but we remember what you said about that * ! * ? island).

October 4, 1945

Chief Storekeeper JOHNNY STANISH, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Stanish here, has written them that he expects to arrive back in the states about the middle of this month.

November 22, 1945

Chief Storekeeper JOHNNIE STANISH is here (with Mrs. Stanish) visiting his parents. Johnnie is just completing 10 years in the Navy and has been on the Admiralty Islands for over a year.