The R.E. Richey Collection
(Accession No.: 2009.009)
Robert Richey of Munhall, Pennsylvania served as a Photographer’s Mate aboard USS Hornet in 1954-1955. He was a prolific letter writer, documenting his daily life on board and in the photography lab, visits to ports-of-call and shore leave, as well as family news and photography tips.
The Collections & Exhibitions Department has digitized these letters* along with associated archival materials. Help fund our continued efforts to document and archive sailors’ stories like Richey’s by donating to the Museum today!
*Note: The transcriptions have been edited for ease of reading. Or read the original (typewritten) letters!
Letters
1953
16 December 1953 – “Dear Kate” – [Original] [Transcription] (Sea Trials and holiday plans)
March 1955
8 March 1955 – “Hi Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Photography tips, PH2 promotion exam)
26 March 1955 – “Dear Mom” – [Original] [Transcription] (Flight Deck accidents, color photography, basketball game)
29 March 1955 – “Dear Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Future stateside leave, family happenings, letters received and sent, photography tips)
April 1955
1 April 1955 – “Hi Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Upcoming cruise destinations, gifts for the family)
2 April 1955 – “Dear Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Photographing a crash, types of cameras and film, photo-taking advice)
11 April 1955 – “Hi Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Calling home, movies, photo prints, acey-deucey)
11 April 1955 – “Hi Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Jet on fire on flight deck, an injury to his hand, typing vs. writing, finances, golf and liberty activities, possible road trip )
13 April 1955 – “Dear Mom” – [Original] [Transcription] (Easter, hot weather, night flight operations, pay day, golf)
15 April 1955 – “Hi Pop (Dad)” – [Original] [Transcription] (Shore patrol, San Diego, phone calls, camera prices)
16 April 1955 – “Dear Mom and Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Photography tips, finances, family nosiness)
18 April 1955 – “Hi Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Shore patrol, different camera types, the bad behavior of sailors on a Saturday night)
19 April 1955 – “Dear Mom” – [Original] [Transcription] (Ship moving fast, counting down to leave the Navy, family inquiries, coffee)
19 April 1955 – “Hi Mom” – [Original] [Transcription] (Fingernail injury, Japanese dishware, PH2 position, records & music)
20 April 1955 – “Howdy Pal (Dad)” – [Original] [Transcription] (USAFI courses and getting his high school diploma, new Photo Officer, ship food, upcoming schedule)
24 April 1955 – “Hi Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Sending items home, photography talk, PH2 preparations)
24 April 1955 – “Dear Mom” – [Original] [Transcription] (Mailing camera to Dad, the Philippines and Hawaii, writing letters to Mom and Dad, saving money)
26 April 1955 – “Hi Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Memorandum: mailing a Rolleiflex camera to his father; Letter: Anger at short letter, his fingers injury, the Rolleiflex he mailed to his father, code)
27 April 1955 – “Dear Mom” – [Original] [Transcription] (Going to the beach, photo labs being painted, the photo lab’s new Chief, saw a movie, ask about Grandmas, mailing some clothes home)
29 April 1955 – “Dear Mom and Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Bored with San Diego but won’t stay on the ship, doesn’t want to go on the upcoming cruise, painting and confusion in the photo lab)
29 April 1955 – “Dear Mom and Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (About to leave for Pearl Harbor and then Japan, plan to climb Mt. Fuji and see other sites, mailing clothes home)
May 1955
2 May 1955 – “Dear Mom and Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Ship deployment schedule, printing photos, camera talk)
7 May 1955 – “Dear Mom and Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Written at sea on way to Hawaii, medical shots, starting to build a model plane, rolls of film to process)
8 May 1955 – “Hi Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Medical shots, cameras to purchase, thinking of going to school for photography when he gets out of the Navy)
9 May 1955 – “Dear Mom and Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (About to arrive in Hawaii, conducting night operations for the next week, stiff neck from first aid and life saving instruction)
10 May 1955 – “Dear Mom” – [Original] [Transcription] (Caught a cold, places he’s visiting in Hawaii, received the package of goodies she sent, new photo lab chief, cruise books)
13 May 1955 – “Hiya Pal (Dad)” – [Original] [Transcription] (Letter: Fishing, various types of cameras and film, movies, suitcase of clothes sent COD, baseball, liberty in the morning; Memo: price list for cameras and accessories)
14 May 1955 – “Hi Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Fishing, advice on new Linhof camera, feeling sick)
18 May 1955 – “Hi Pop (Dad)” – [Original] [Transcription] (Letter: critiquing Dad’s pictures, wants Dad to wear the clothes he sent home, has not started on the model yet, shrimp dinner, request for cold medicine; Memo: price list for cameras, etc.)
21 May 1955 – “Hi Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Asks opinion on cameras, glad to hear the dog caught a rabbit, new lab boss is good for morale in the photo lab, lost set of keys overboard)
22 May 1955 – “Dear Mom” – [Original] [Transcription] (Tour of Oahu, had fresh pineapple and coconut, over his cold now, sending money home, working on a leather wallet for Dad, General Quarters drill)
22 May 1955 – “Hi Pal (Dad)” – [Original] [Transcription] (Intro memo, tour of Oahu, Hula origins, Pearl Harbor attack, photo tips, privilege, movies)
25 May 1955 – “Dear Mom and Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Final week in Hawaii, fingers healing up nicely, presents for home, photo lab had a readiness inspection)
26 May 1955 – “Hi Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Photography talk, model plane, ship life, pinochle, money, fishing, baseball, Waikiki, sunburn treatment)
28 May 1955 – “Howdy Pop (Dad)” – [Original] [Transcription] (Money, waiting for letters, photographs, being in the Navy, fishing, swimming in Waikiki, his haircut)
30 May 1955 – “Dear Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Sunburn, surfing at Waikiki, photography talk, baseball)
30 May 1955 – “Dear Mom” – [Original] [Transcription] (Sunburn, surfing at Waikiki, mail, family)
June 1955
4 June 1955 – “Dear Mom and Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Midway Island, photos taken in Hawaii, exercising, body measurements)
7 June 1955 – “Dear Mom and Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (International Date Line, mail logistics, travel, family)
10 June 1955 – “Howdy Partner and Pal (Dad)” – [Original] [Transcription] (Photography advice; includes 14 photos Dad sent with Bobby’s notes on the backs)
10 June 1955 – “Dear Momasan and Papasan” – [Original] [Transcription] (Photographic report, future civilian life, Japan, haircut, new Chief and new Photo Officer)
14 June 1955 – “Dear Mom and Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Arrived in Japan, sold a camera, comments on Dad’s pictures)
15 June 1955 – “Dear Mom” – [Original] [Transcription] (Sold the Rollieflex, fudge, wallet he made for Dad, amusement park, letters)
15 June 1955 – “Hi Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Selling cameras to purchase a new one, Kennywood amusement park, color photography, money, division party)
17 June 1955 – “Dear Mom and Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Photo lab division party, acquiring a camera from Kong Bros., bought a fishing rod for 480 yen, selling a camera)
18 June 1955 – “Dear Mom and Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Division party, ship’s store, selling the Contax, new Photo Officer)
20 June 1955 – “Hi Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (Camera talk, responding to news from home, model planes, bringing backup to safely sell camera)
22 June 1955 – “Hi Pal (Dad)” – [Original] [Transcription] (Mailed packages, camera brands, friend in China, color film, finished semi-annual report, model plane)
23 June 1955 – “Dear Mom and Dad” – [Original] [Transcription] (First Aid lecture, cyst on lip and worried about getting it removed, letters)
