Love Diary #20
"Sailor's Sweetheart" is a heartfelt 1951 romance from Love Diary #20, featuring a poignant story by Dorothy Woolfolk and art by Mort Leav, whose expressive linework brings the emotional highs and lows of Nella and Navy sailor Joe’s fleeting love to life. As Joe departs for Korea, their fragile promise of marriage is tested by distance, misunderstanding, and heartbreak—only to be rekindled in a moment of sudden, tragic reunion. The cover by Mort Leav captures the story’s bittersweet mood, making this a standout entry in the series.
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Nella and U.S. Navy sailor Joe fall in love. Joe’s battleship prepares to sail for Korea; he wants to wait until he returns to marry Nella. They argue. After he’s gone, the lonely Nella takes a job at the Harbour Inn club but quits when the owner makes a pass at her. Joe is reported missing in action. Upset, Nella goes to work in a dance hall; Joe shows up and rejects her as a “sailor’s sweetheart.” The upset Nella runs out and is hit by a car. Joe apologizes and she will recover.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).