The Richey Collection

//The Richey Collection

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) 

13 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) 

Photographs from R.E. Richey

Some of these photographs are noted as official U.S. Navy photographs. Please do not duplicate without checking with the Museum.

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