In WW II, mail was vital to maintain morale in the armed forces. But mail was bulky and took up precious space on cargo ships. So the U.S. Government instituted V-Mail, converted to Microfilm, which limited letters to one page. Correspondents, especially sweethearts, invented acronyms to save space, much like today’s social media users. Some, popular before the war, are still familiar today: SWAK (Sealed With a Kiss). Others were chaste or uplifting: OOLAAKOEW (Oceans Of Love And A Kiss On Every Wave). However, a few were downright raunchy. To bypass censors, creative acronyms borrowed from geography: NORWICH (kNickers Off Ready When I Come Home) and CHINA (Come Home I’m Naked Already). The best could work both ways: EGYPT (Ever Give You Pleasant Thoughts OR Eager to Grab Your Pretty T**s). Read more about the U.S. Navy during WW II in Tazia and Gemma (see NOVELS).
