Sunday, Jan. 2, 1944

Dearest Kitten:

I have been busy as a one armed paper hanger with seven years itch. There are no Officers around to get things balled up, which is a big help. There are a lot of new men coming in and I have to feed them and quarter them. Poor guys they have been bounced around so much that they are probably very discouraged.

Sorry to say that I have been so busy that I was unable to go to church this morning. My job is not an easy one. I have to make a great many decisions. It is my job to see that the men in my Company are fed, quartered, and clothed. No easy job by any means. Feeding, clothing & quartering them is only routine work. I have to father them and chastise them when necessary.

Sweetheart, I must tell you how much I really love you. You are, to me, as a Goddess was to people years ago. Your very wish is my desire. Everything is subordinate to your desires. If you were to let me know your desires and wishes, all my powers would be concentrated to grant them to you. When it is impossible for me to get the things that you want, something inside of me, ambition & love mixed, drives me to attain it for you.

My love for you is so great that it gives me no rest. All that I want to do is to be with you and see that you get all the things that you desire. It bothers me greatly when I am unable to give you the things that you want.

If this letter seems rather disconnected, please forgive me as I am being continually interrupted. Ever since Friday afternoon we have been getting in rookies by 10's, 15's & 20's. We no sooner get them set in the barracks when bing! Some new order comes through and we have to split them p between the other companies.

I have taken on a good job for myself. Here is hoping that I can make good. If I do it will mean considerable more money. I will have to hold the job down for awhile. If I make good, I will be given the rating.

Thanks for the swell letters. Keep them coming. Forgive me if I can not answer your letters completely as it is impossible under the present circumstances. I love you and wish that I were sharing all of the incidents that you write about.

Regards to all & kiss the babies for me.

Your Loving, Devoted, and Faithful Husband

Bob       

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(xx)

Jan. 1, 1944

Jan. 1, 1944

Dearest Kitten:

I am stealing a few minutes so that I may write to you. From now on that will be the way that I will have to write to you, on the fly.

Your letters of Friday, Saturday, & Sunday came yesterday, and your letter of Monday came the day before. I sure got a kick out of the letters. The children certainly did make out fairly well.

Did I ever tell you exactly how much that I love you? If I did not, I sure as hell am slipping. The one thing that I do not want to happen, is my losing my grip as a great lover with my wife. My heart is so full of love for you that I can not understand how I bear being away from you.

As I think back, it does not appear to be a time in my whole life that I did not love you. My love for you seems to have always been a part of me. Do you feel the same way?

This afternoon at 5:30 P.M. there is a group of men leaving on furlough. How I wish that I were just starting out.

Pat is lucky in a way and in another he isn't. They are sure giving him a break. he would much rather do without the furloughs than to get them because somebody died I know.

Night before last I had indigestion. I had to go to bed at eight. The cramps in my stomach were so bad that I had to leave the orderly room and climb into bed.

Hollywood at War, 1944
Photo: Los Angeles Public Library
Herald-Examiner Collection 
http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/commentary
/where-we-are/happy-new-year.html

Last night the NonComs were raising H--- until the wee hours of the morning. I finally got to sleep about 2:00 this morning.

There is so d--m much work here that I do not even have time to breathe. As soon as a certain man comes back from his furlough, I will have two clerks to take care of everything in the office.

Yesterday was pay day. Enclosed you will find $20. I received only a partial payment of $50 again this month. You should receive over $100 dollars this month. The money over $100 is the balance owed you for last month.

Well, Beautiful, I love you with all my heart & all my soul. How I wish that I could personally wish you a "Happy New Year".

Wish everybody a Happy New Year for me and may the year see the return of your husband to you for good.

Kiss the babies for me.

I love you, Darling.

Your Loving, Devoted, and Faithful Husband

Bob       

(xx)

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Tuesday Dec. 28, 1943

Dearest Kitten:

My love for you is getting greater and deeper as the days roll by. How happy I will be when I will be able to take you in my arms and tell you of the great love that I have for you. Were it only possible for me to take you in my arms and lay quietly by your side. How heavenly that would be. Just to be able to touch you, hear you, and smell the sweetness of you, would send my heart into a tail spin.

Oh! well. Instead, I have to be a father to a group of men. They are nothing more than children really. Each with his own little problems, and each presenting a problem in itself. My job is to listen to all that the platoon sergeants allow to see me, and that is by no means a small number.

Life was comparatively simple before I took over the job of 1st Sgt. Now I have to think in terms of a Company of men, instead of a mere handful of men. It is a twenty four hour a day job. In the morning, I arise at 6:00 A.M. and my job is never through. I started this letter at 10:00 P.M. and I am rather tired.

"In the absence of the Company Commander, the First Sergeant shall take charge etc etc" so says the Army regulations. From that angle, you can draw your own conclusions. I never knew just how much trouble a group of men could keep themselves into, especially when the C.O. is away.

A First Sergeant is one of the most heartedly disliked men in the Company, but, he is the first man that the men run to whenever they have troubles or want a favor.

The Company Commander was giving me the works for about a month to see just how I would stack up. He evidently was satisfied.

Well, Beautiful, I must say good night and hope that I may dream of you.

Regards to everyone & kiss the babies for me.

I love you, Darling.

Your Loving, Devoted, and Faithful Husband

Bob       

(xx)

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Saturday, December 25, 1943

Dearest Kitten:

How I miss you tonight. I say tonight because I have been busy all day long. It has been a long day for me. It seemed that everybody was wanting something all day long. A very busy day, all in all.

My heart is aching for you. How I wash that I were home so that I could take you in my arms and tell you of my great love for you.

There is a saying "out of sight out of mind" but it does not apply to us. The one that applies to us is "absence makes the heart grow fonder." Believe me, Sweetheart, you are always with me. Even in my dreams. Such lovely dreams to have.

Never mind though. In a short while we will be together again for keeps, and all of our heart aches and pains will be forgotten, in our new-found happiness of just being together.

When I get home again there will be a lot of loving that we will have to catch up on. Just being near you will give me a certain feeling of contentment and satisfaction.

Sweetheart, from now on my letters will be short and it will be impossible for me to answer your letters. I get a big kick out of all the things that you write about. So please forgive me if I fail to answer all of your questions.

Enclosed you will find a greetings card with the menu and the staff of NonComs. These were at each plate. Also is a card from our old Company Commander who is now Battalion Executive Officer Captain C. W. Ward.

It is late and I must close.

You have all my love and devotion.

Give my regards to everyone and kiss the babies for me.

I love you, Beautiful.

Your Loving, Devoted, and Faithful Husband

Bob             

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

(xx)

Friday Dec. 24, 1943

Dearest Kitten:

How can I express my great feelings toward you on a sheet of cold white paper, when my love for you is so warm?

My feelings are not too bad as I sit down to write this letter as I have been so darn busy. It is all new to me and I am doing my best to work it out properly. The responsibility of every man in the Company is on my shoulders. It is my job to run the Company. You will imagine what it would be like to see that three hundred people were clothed, fed, and quartered. Besides knowing just where they are at all times.

That old feeling of emptiness is creeping upon me again as I think of you. How I love you, Sweetheart. There is nothing in this world that I would rather have, than to be with you now and forever. You are so sweet, tender, beautiful, and desirable, how could I help myself from loving you. My heart is so full of love for you that it would not surprise me if it should burst.

I just happen to think. This letter will probably reach you before yesterday's.

[Due to airmail stamp on it - Dec 23 letter was sent "free" therefore was slower.]

Yesterday's was very short and explained about my new job. Hold onto your bonnet. I am acting First Sergeant. As soon as I can be promoted, I will be. In other words I have the position but not the pay as yet. My base pay will be $138.00 a month.

Night before last our old 1st Sgt. went to town with two other non Coms and they were A.W.O.L. [absent without official leave]. One of the NonComs was in line for the job as well as myself. So being A.W.O.L. it left me as the only logical man for the job. Anyway, that is the way that the Company Commander put it. He left me very little choice in the matter yesterday afternoon when he gave me the job. So here I am, with 11 months' service in the Army and a 1st Sgt. "Speed personified" that is me.

Tonight I am going to midnight Mass and I am going to communion. I will dedicate the mass to you and the babies. There is a lot that has to be taken care of tonight. So I am forced to close this letter.

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year Sweetheart.

Give my regards to everyone & kiss the babies for me.

I love you, Beautiful.

Your Loving, Devoted, and Faithful Husband

Bob

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(xx)