Search This Blog

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Thusday 26 Oct. 1944

Dearest Kitten:
There is never a day that goes by but that my thoughts turn to you and home a thousand times in the course of a day. At times it aggravates me, not because I do not like to dream of you and home, but because it takes me that much longer to complete whatever I am doing. Sounds funny I know but it is hard to concentrate on work when your mind is thousands of miles away. Know what I mean?
The men in my company are going after the record for constructing a barge and it looks like they are going to set a record that no one will beat. Despite the fact that we have the fewest men working on a barge per day. A man has to be an awful heel not to feel a great deal of pride in his men when they show up so well against the other companies.
Letter #125 & two V-mails came today. I am happy to hear that Andrew is doing well. So far he is the real veteran of the bunch. Stop being so optimistic about by getting home in two or three years. Please stop shattering my dreams. I can at least keep the hope in my breast that it will only be a few more months. In that way time flies and before you know it, years have passed.
Listen Sweetheart, you had better stick to your diet so that you will be able to hold me when I return home. You treat me right and I will treat you right. Remember that story?
You sure are getting company these days. Seems like everybody that you know has been up to see you the last few days.
How would you like to have me paint the rooms? I sure would be only glad to help you if I could.
So Bobby has pulled a fast one huh? He must have looked funny when he came into the house sucking on the fudgsicle.
I got a boot out of Andrew’s letters. He reminds me of my own shortcoming, inability to write a letter. Already I have been an hour on this letter. See what I mean when I say that I lack the time to write. It takes me so long that I actually dread writing a letter to anyone, even you. When I finally finish this letter I will tell you how long that it took me and perhaps you can understand why I am unable to write once a day or oftener as I would like to.
Well, thanks for giving me the date that I will be back home. Wow did you say three more children? Woe is me, what a beating I’m going to take.
Did you say that I will receive about twenty boxes? Popular guy, aren’t I?
Goodnight, Sweetheart, I love you will all my heart. Give my regards to everyone & kiss the babies for me.
I love you Sweetheart.
Your Loving Devoted & Faithful Husband,
Bob
Reading time: 30 sec

Composition time: 1 hr. 35 minutes

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Tuesday 24 Oct. 1944

Dearest Kitten:
Letter #123 came today and what a pip it is. A punch line in every paragraph, with never a dull sentence. Whew, you have swept me off of my feet. I surrender dear.
Unfortunately, surrendering is the only thing that I can do. If it were not for the distance that separates us, I would probably break your very pretty neck. Oh well, what is done is done. If a fake fireplace is what you want, rather, what you got and you want to keep it I will probably appreciate it as much as you when ever they send me home. One question please. What did you do with the nickel change?
The Fake Fireplace - left side of photo.
(Christmas, some time in the mid-60s)
The next time that I write to Mother, I will mention what you want me to. She probably will not take my advice but, I can at least try.
It is only natural for parents to be very proud of their offsprings, but I honestly think that we have two very nice children. The last pictures that you sent really showed me how big and how beautiful they are.
Bobby and Barby must be very near set for winter clothes after the rampage you went on. I suppose that clothing our two youngsters is going to be one of the major problems of bringing them up. Oh well work, work, work. Such is life, and not too bad a life if I must say so myself. It is far better to work than to die of boredom.
Women is funny peoples. First you tell me about spending a lot of dough and are half frightened that I am going to give you hell. Then after giving me the full and horrible amount, you start your next paragraph by asking me if I love you. What a Woman.
Of course I love you. It is something that I can not help. Even if you do things that aggravate me, I still can not lose my feelings over something like that.
So the doctor has been giving you & Eva some injections, huh? I am beginning to get suspicious. Just what is that about? Hm. Sounds bad. You had better watch out. Don’t worry, I am only kidding you. You have me wondering now about Eva. Let me know as soon as you find out anything.
Cut out trying to have me doing things that you think I may be doing. It is bad for your morale. And stop worrying about me. I doubt if anybody will ever accuse me of being a hero, so for G-- sakes stop worrying.
Enclosed is another sheet from our newspaper, I hope that you enjoy it.
You know that I love you so much that there are times that I can hardly breathe. When I get feeling blue I sit on my bunk and go through the pictures of my family. It helps to a certain extent and makes me feel proud.
Give my regards to everyone & kiss the babies for me. I love you Sweetheart.
Your Loving Devoted & Faithful Husband,

Bob

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Thursday Oct. 19 1944

Dearest Kitten:
Here it is almost a week since I last wrote and all because I am selfish. Last Sunday my Company commander, Capt. Harris, told me that I could go with a small group of men to a Red Cross rest area at Coolangatta. Coolangatta is a beach summer resort. It reminded me of Ogunquit.
US Servicemen at Coolangatta Beach during WWII
I enjoyed myself immensely and got to feeling like a civilian for a change. We left Monday morning and returned Wednesday afternoon. There was three other of my sergeants along with me and we went swimming, sunbathing, took a hike to the top of a mountain, rode bikes, played ping pong, made pub call twice a day. Anything that even smelled like work was studiously avoided. The three sergeants would not let me alone long enough to write you a letter as they claimed that letter writing was work and had to be avoided.
It is a bit early for the vacation season down there and we had the town more or less to ourselves. The beach is quite beautiful and the sand is the same as at Ogunquit. If they had left me alone I could have gotten pretty homesick. My thoughts were of you and home a great deal and how I wished that we could be enjoying everything together.
I sure hated to come back and get into the harness again. Oh well such is life without my wife.
Now for a crack at answering some of your six letters that I had waiting for me on my return.
Of course I am proud of my company, I would be a heel if I weren’t. Espirit-de-Corps and all that sort of thing, but it is what make an outfit tick.
Your letters are always interesting and you do a very good job of telling me how much that you love me. Just keep on writing the way you do and I will never have a complaint.
So Paul is an ensign. Good on him. It is about time that he did something. Of course I imagine that there weren’t any strings pulled to get him commissioned.
Since going on the diet you have become very ambitious. Keep it up and when I get home I will give you a kiss on your cheek for all your trouble. Nice of me huh?
I am carrying the quarter as a pocket piece. At least as long as I have that, I will never be broke.
When we have our own home, we will have a fireplace. I know that you will like that.
Julie must be a very happy and contented girl. After waiting all that time she deserves a break.
Your Uncle Fred certainly gets around. I can appreciate how you felt about your family not letting you know but do not let it get you down. When I return, we are not going to be so close to them and we will be better off not to be bothered too much with them. Relatives make poor friends.
So, you have been reading some of my old love letters. Now is that nice? Lucky for you that the letters you did get hold of were just ordinary run of the mill type. You see I do not keep any of the real mushy ones just for reasons like that. One never knows who is liable to get to read an old letter.
You’re so kind to me. I am going to appreciate the T-shirts when they get here.
Of course it isn’t fun going to bed alone after being used to having a husband climb in and scratch your back whenever it was itchy.
Do me a favor and tell Gerty to be patient. She will be more than well rewarded when I return. Poor little kid I feel for her. I should not have fooled with her so much. She misses me I bet.
Sorry to hear about Jerry’s little girl. When I hear of a youngster being born a cripple, it does something to me. I am a bit too tender hearted at times.
What do you mean that I am getting to be an old man? A man is only as old as he feels and I feel like sixteen. So look out when I get home.
Sweetheart, do not blame yourself too much about wanting to go to Lorraine’s party. Whenever anything like that comes up, just stop and think, then make your decision. Going in to Boston to an opera, show or something like that is a very good idea. It will do you good and give you a little diversion.
A good soldier can always be spotted by his feet. A soldier’s feet are his most important accessory, his weapon next.
Sorry to say but my Dad overlooked my birthday. Yes I received the box from your mother. There must be some of my letters missing as I wrote and told you about it.
Stop jumping to conclusions whenever my letters are delayed. There are more reasons for delayed mail than you have hairs on your head.
Exactly what kind of injections are you referring to that would make you miss having your friend. H-mm maybe I should look into this.
So you will not have to buy Barby a wig after all. It is about time that her hair grew in. For awhile I was worried as to whether she was every going to have any hair. I get a boot out of reading about all the funny things that they do.
It has been a long time since I have told you how much that I loved you. If I had my way I would be in a position to tell you all the time. My love is like a good whiskey - it gets mellow with age. The amount remains the same but like whiskey the ingredients change slightly - they become more concentrated. Like a bottle, that is me, you can fill a bottle only so full, my body has reached that point. I am full of love for you. The only change is in the ingredients that go to make up that love.
If I had Charles Boyer’s technique and his voice, I would make a recording of my voice so that you could hear me telling you how much that I love you.
Well, Beautiful, I have run out of words so until I write again - I love you with all my heart.
Regards to everyone & kiss the babies for me.
Your Loving Devoted & Faithful Husband,

Bob