Wednesday 11 Oct. 1944

Dearest Kitten:

Had a very enjoyable evening last night. One of my platoon sergeants had put in for Officers Candidate School and yesterday he received his papers ten days late. He was supposed to report on the first and it was too late for him to make the school, so the Captain told him to go into town and get drunk. It is the third time that he has missed out on O.C.S. by some mistake exactly like that.

I went in with him and another sergeant. We went to a hotel and had a wonderful meal and drank beer during our meal. Later we went to a newsreel theatre. Got back to camp at about ten. We were crying in each other’s beer and consoling each other as best we could.

Took a sun bath this afternoon with only occasional interruptions. It is very restful to stretch out in the sun and forget everything, almost. I may as well get my skin into condition to stand the sun as we never know what we will be up against later on. A good coat of tan may prevent a bad case of sunburn later on.

As I lay there I was remembering the few days that we spent at Hampton and also the sunburn that you got on my first furlough. We have had a great many good times together that I am thankful for, and am anxious to get back to continue them.

Received seven cards for my birthday. It made me feel that at least I am not forgotten by the folks back home.

Tomorrow night I am invited to a stag beer party being run by one of my platoons. They have invited the Captain and myself, so I will have to attend for a little while anyhow. Such is the life of a 1st Sgt. Nothing but a round of parties, a social butterfly, that’s me. You can not blame me for living up to my social position.

Sorry Sweetheart but duty calls and I must desist till a later date.

Regards to everyone & kiss the babies for me. I love you with all my heart and miss you so much that it is not funny.

I love you Beautiful.

Your Loving Devoted & Faithful Husband,

Bob

Monday October 9, 1944

Monday August 9, 1944 [I believe this date was a mistake - that it was actually October 9, because that year August 9 was not on a Monday, but October 9 was.]

Dearest Kitten:

Another week has passed, which means one week closer to the day of my return to you and the ones that I love. The loneliness in my heart is still part of me. The guy that said, Out of sight out of mind was a damned liar. The more time that passes, the more conscious I am of the loneliness in my heart.

The longer that I am away from you, the more I realize how much that I love you. My love for you is forever burning inside of me. Consuming and controlling my thoughts and desires.

Yesterday morning I went to early Mass and took all day off for myself. Another sergeant & myself went out to a beach close by and had a marvelous time. The only thing that spoiled it was the traveling. The lack of proper transportation facilities takes the pleasure out of going anywhere.

So you like to play poker and sip rum & cokes? If my memory serves me, your diet schedule calls for abstinence from alcoholic beverages. Have you decided that it is no use to try and compete with the debs? They might beat your time with me when I return if you do not put some effort into hanging onto me.

I got a boot out of your answer to all the wolves. When I get home you are going to have to put up with the biggest wolf that you ever saw. You will have to help me to control myself in front of other people. There is one thing that I have found out in this Army and that is that there is nothing like a passionate G.I. and I am most apt to act according to the best G.I. traditions when I get home.

Hope that the doctor’s treatment went O.K. as it has me slightly worried. Take care of yourself and dont cheat on any of the treatments. It may not seem like much now but later on in life it may show up.

When a man is in a combat zone, he is fortunate if he has time to wash his hands or even time enough to eat. Remember that there are lots of times when he has to make a choice between sleep which he has not had for a week or spending part of his precious few hours sleep to write, if he had the material to write with. A soldier in combat moves fast and light. The lighter he is the faster he can move. In a situation where speed means the difference between life and death a lot of men discard the most pertinent essentials knowing the hardships that it will impose on them due to the lack of them. Envelopes, writing paper & a bottle of ink would be the last thing that I would pick up to carry.

Poor Bobby, he is having a hard time trying to understand where his poor Daddy is. There are many youngsters who will go through life with a ghost of a memory of their father. They will always wonder just what their father was like. An unanswered question for a lot of fatherless children.

Excuse me for writing like this but I have to get it off of my chest. The smug complacency that is mirrored in the periodicals that we receive from the States is the main cause. Everything is Post-War and immediately after the Peach settlement. The way the magazines put it, we are just waiting for the Germans and Japs to sign the agreements. It is a long, tough way yet before it is all over.

Tell Bobby for me that his Daddy loves his Mommy very much. He sure can ask the darnedest questions.

I appreciate the words to the two songs that you sent to me. They are very sentimental but they aroused my curiosity as to how the music goes.

Thank goodness that Bobby is not shy. Let us hope that he never gets that way.

Well Sweetheart I have to close and attend to a few details. Give my regards to everyone & kiss the babies for me.

I love you Beautiful.

Your Loving Devoted & Faithful Husband,

Bob

Friday Oct. 6, 1944

Dearest Kitten:

By the time that you receive this letter, you should have received the much promised package. I am going to tell you what it contained so that you will not have thrown anything away that might have been wrapped up. There is three rings - one for you, Bobby & Barby. If they are too small, have Roland ream out the centers. There is three bracelets. The plain one is for Mother. Tell her to have it engraved for me as it takes so d---- long to have it done over here.

Anytime that you want to polish the rings or bracelets, take some dry tooth powder on a dry rag and rub briskly. It is surprising the things that we find that we can use for different things over here. I hope that you like the bracelets.

Yesterday I received your mother’s package and last night I enjoyed a big bowl of mushroom soup. Was it good tasting too. While eating last night my thoughts were of you and all the little things that you used to do for me. This separation has made me appreciate you more than ever. I miss all the little favors that you used to do for me and that I used to take for granted. Maybe the time will come again when I will start to take things for granted. When I do get that way, just let me know and I may keep from getting that way.

Hmm - teasing me huh? You should be careful not to arouse my sex urge or your husband is liable to jump a plane and go home to his Darling wife. How would you like that? Some of my sergeants have made copies of your little item and are having a good time with it.

One of my men wrote and told his girlfriend back home all about his love affair with an Aussie. She wrote back asking what the Aussie girl had that she didn’t. The answer was very simple - Nothing only she has it over here. Not a bad joke huh?

A nice brunette like you is more appealing to me than any blonde that I have seen so far, and I have seen a lot of blondes. You have nothing to worry about.

You certainly are doing O.K. with your diet. What do you mean that you will not [care?] how much you weigh when or after I return? Don’t you want to hang onto me?

What do you insinuate, that Bobby is like me because I can not take it and neither can he? If he can not understand women, then I can agree that he is like me. I hope that Bobby & Barby always do get along well together. Naturally they are bound to have their little spats. It is only a human trait to find fault in someone else.

Sweetheart I stopped my bond allotment for the next month as I want to buy some gifts and prices over here are so bad that it is impossible for me to do so on my pay. These Aussies over here see the Americans coming and what a bunch of robbers.

Getting your Xmas shopping done early aren’t you? It is the best thing for you to do anyway. The rush this year will be worse than anything that anyone has seen.

Herman is rather fortunate to be able to stay in the states. Being overseas is no fun in any sense of the word.

As soon as my flowers start blooming, I will send you a picture of myself in front of my garden. Yep, I got some flowers planted out in front of my orderly room.

So you enjoy playing poker now. Did you say that it does not cost much to play. Maybe not for you but as far as I am concerned, it always costs me dough.

Andrew had plenty of opportunities, huh? Too bad that I had not been there - woo-woo what a time I would have had, learning my french I mean.

Wednesday afternoon I went and played eighteen holes of golf all by my lonesome. The sun was nice and warm and the air was nice and clear except when I would miss a shot. Then the air would not be fit to breath. My game was pretty lousy.

Every chance I get, which isn’t too often, I get out in the sun stripped to the waist. It is beginning to show a little. Most of the men in the company are a beautiful brown. Can’t let them get ahead of me too far.

I have not been feeling well for some time and I think that it is serious, in fact I know that it is serious. My heart is missing and I will not feel better until it is returned to me. Without you Sweetheart, I am about as useless as a man without a heart. So take good care of it Beautiful.

Well Sweetheart I have to close. Give my regards to everyone & kiss the babies for me.

I love you my Darling Wife.

Your Loving Devoted & Faithful Husband,

Bob