Monday 30 Oct, 1944

Dearest Kitten:

How lonesome I am for you. It seems like years since the last time that I kissed you. A great many things have happened since then and a lot of water passed under me, yeh damn near the whole width of the Pacific. Still I can visualize you just as plain as if I had seen you yesterday.

My dreams and hopes are centered around you and the babies. All I need now is the opportunity to carry them out. And yet I am still not certain just what I want when I return home. One thing that I am sure of is that I want to be with you always.

Letter #128 came tonight and I was glad to see that my package arrived OK and that you liked it. The third bracelet was meant for Mother. I wrote to you about it in a letter the same day that the package was mailed, telling you about the contents so that you would not throw anything away thinking that it was only the packaging.

I am getting another package assembled for you but it will be some time before I get what I want.

You sure get your visitors in bunches. It breaks the monotony of doing the same thing day after day.

Yesterday my mess sgt., Sgt. Troise and myself took a train to one of the beaches about forty miles away and went for a swim. What a crowd. We had about two hours on the beach and then started back. We left at 12:30 by train then had to transfer to a bus before we reached the beach at 2:30, then started back at five. We had dinner out there and supper in town. Was I tired when I reached camp last night as I had to stand going both ways.

We ate supper at a Chinese restaurant. While I was up getting some orangeade at the counter, Sgt. Troise talked the waitress into bringing me chopsticks to eat my chinese soup, noodle soup. He told her that I had spent ten years in China before the war. You should have seen all the people watching me try to manipulate the chopsticks. Sgt. Troise had hidden my spoon from me. Finally he took pity on me and gave me my spoon, so I did not starve. An enjoyable time was had by both of us.

We tried to wolf a few of the bathing beauties, question mark, but the wedding rings scared them too much. Sgt. Troise is married also. We had a good time figuring out the different approaches we would use on the different gals we saw. We got a lot of laughs out of it anyhow. We talked a good wolfing game anyhow.

Don’t get to be too much of a stick at home. When I return home you are apt to want to stay home all that time, and that will never do.

Yeah, I’d consider taking you out some time. How much dough are you worth? If it is enough I might even consider marrying you if you promise to support me in a manner to which I am unaccustomed.

So my youngsters are proud of their gifts. They should be as their daddy wants them to always be proud of him.

Does a fish swim? Does a bird fly? Do I love you? Boy, and how. Know what question I am answering.

Good night, Sweetheart. Regards to everyone and kiss the babies for me. I love you.

Your Loving Devoted & Faithful Husband,

Bob

Saturday, Oct. 28, 1944

Dearest Kitten:

Did you know that I loved you? Honest I do. When I think of you, I get poetic, but unfortunately my abilities are such that it’s impossible for me to compose the poetry that would do you justice. The following is an example.

Roses are red, Violets are blue, I’m damn lonesome, How the hell are you?

See what I mean? The feeling is there but the words aren’t. So Beautiful you will have to be content with a man that is just an ordinary guy. Of course to you I am the greatest guy that ever lived. If you do not think so, then you do not truly love me. I am not worrying because I know how you feel.

To me you are the greatest little Sheela, Babe to you, that ever lived.

Tell Pauline for me that she had better forget about the sergeant in the picture. His name is Betcher and he is very much in love with his wife. Just like your husband.

I received my first Xmas card from Ray & Cle. They certainly mailed it early enough. This will be my second Xmas away from home. I plan to get stinko too. Last Xmas I stayed cold sober but not this Xmas. Last year I was about the only sober man in my company. I do not plan to make the same mistake again. Of course I will have to stay under cover away from the rest of the company as it is bad business for any sergeant to be seen by his men in that condition.

It is nice and warm today and it makes me feel like going in for a swim. Too bad but a cold shower will have to suffice. Tomorrow I may get a chance to go in for a swim.

I have a confession to make. I had planned to write a letter to both Barby and Bobby on their birthdays and I never got around to Barby and here it is Bobby’s birthday and I do not feel up to writing to him. So do me a favor and give them both an extra big hug & kiss for me. I know that you probably already have taken care of it, but given’em a go again.

The men in my Company have hung up a record in a certain type of work that will stand for some time to come. Now they are after a different record that will also stand for a long time. The work is in the construction of the barges. Sorry but that is all that I can tell you about it. Some day I may be able to tell you all about it and draw pictures and maps. In a couple of years maybe.

Well, Sweetheart, last night I was feeling down in the dumps and Sgt. Ryan & Donohoe took me over to the club and wanted to get me plastered and feeling the way that I was, I decided to go to a show and then to bed. They did their best to get me to take a drink but the only thing that I had was a coke. This morning I was feeling good and was just as happy that I did not take anything to drink. The beer over here is like a weak whisky and it does not take much to get high on.

I can not get over the last pictures that you sent me. Every time I look at them I feel so proud to have such a nice family.

Afraid that I am all unwound so until later I love you Beautiful. Give my regards to all the folks and kiss the babies for me.

Your Loving Devoted & Faithful Husband,

Bob