December 26, 1944

Dearest Kitten:

Here I am once more, still in one piece and still very much in love with you. After the Xmas holiday, I am fortunate to be able to claim that I am still whole.

Xmas Eve your husband got stinko, I regretted it Xmas day though. Wow what a night. It was so hot that as fast as I could take a drink, it squirted right out of my pores. At midnight I attended mass at the Brisbane cathedral. My uniform looked as if I had been taking a shower without bothering to undress.

My morale was quite low so to offset it I kept slightly mellow, starting Saturday night and stopping Xmas night. If I were offered a million dollars to write you a letter, I would be just as poor today as I was Saturday, know what I mean?

Last night we had a stage show “Stars & Stripes”, composed of all soldiers and were they good. They have been all over the Southwest Pacific putting the show on and are they good. I laughed so much that the muscles in the back of my head were sore.

After a week of no mail I finally received two V-mail & letters 156-7-8-9.

You certainly had a time Saturday Dec. 9. I got a boot out of the letter that you started that night and in which everyone wrote something. It made me feel as though I had been there and that I were just reading about something that had happened to me. It is a rather funny feeling, believe me.

Was d--- sorry to hear about Andrew. He must have gone through more than anyone at home will ever know about. It is no fun to think that maybe you have gone nuts because there are times when you lose control of your nerves. A good rest will do wonders for him and he will be all right, I know. It will be better for him to get non-combat duty and stay of there for a little longer than for him to go home. In that way he will be able to regain his confidence in himself before he faces the family. Being able to fulfill a job and know that he is capable of doing it gives a man something more tangible than family sympathy to get straightened out by.

So I’m a big brute now? Careful what you call me or I may beat you up. You’re not so big you know, even if you got the mistaken idea that you are capable of handling me.

There is something that I must let you know about. The First Sgt. in my company is very much in love with you. I know for a fact that he is. He has never told me so, but I know it. Where? Deep down in my heart, because that is where the love I have been talking about is located. Funny but I do not mind having my heart full of love for you. It is a very wonderful feeling.

I get a kick out of my two children writing to me. Although I know that you are guiding their hand in whatever they write to me.

We are having a company party in town. The Red Cross has consented to handle it all for us. Did I say consented? The way my C. O. puts it, they just took it right out of our hands. Chicken dinner, floor show and m-m-m hostesses. Hope I draw a blonde. It is going to be quite a time. Wish that you could be with me, I know that you will see about the best bunch of wild Indians in the world.

Got to leave Beautiful. Take care of my heart until I reclaim it, please. Regards to everyone & kiss the babies for me.

Your Loving Devoted & Faithful Husband,

Bob

P.S. How do you like the request to Santa that someone put in the paper for me?