A True WWII Love Story Part 3

My dad, Neil, was a man who knew what he wanted and that was for Pamsy Smart to marry him. During the time he was in Sydney he asked her many times, but she being five years younger, had only just begun to date and wasn’t at all sure she wanted to be tied down to this US sailor. He was shipping out, and with all of the active fighting going on in the Pacific, who knew if she would ever see him again?

Thus, the letter writing began.

Mom would send photographs to Dad along with her letters with a sweet note on the back like this one, “To dearest Neil with love from the Smart family. PS I hope you like it darling. Love Pam”



Dad would send letters, photographs and love poems to Mom. Ever the romantic, one of his poems started with “My rainbows dear all end with you” and he had made a card with a sailor looking up at a rainbow with a girl at the top. When I was a teen-ager I thought it was terribly silly but now I think it’s very sweet and terribly romantic.

Through the course of the letter writing Dad somehow managed to convince Mom to marry him – maybe it was the poem? – and they became engaged through the mail. As it didn’t seem likely that Dad would be visiting Sydney again he sent Mom some money and she bought her beautiful engagement ring with it.

Coming next..
The war is over, Neil's back in the USA, Pam’s in Australia, what now?