Friday 27 July 1945 - Final Letter

Dearest Kitten:

I love you very much and wish that I were home right this minute. This army has been getting me down. I am fed up but just have to keep plugging along at it hoping that things will soon change for the better.

From your letters, I see that Bobby is rapidly learning self reliance. It is always a good thing to teach a youngster how to take care of himself. You seem to be doing a very good job of raising our children, without my help.

You asked if there was anything I needed, well, yes there is. Please send me my Army discharge if you can manage it. That is the only thing that I need to make me the richest man in the world. A man is indeed a rich man who has a loving Faithful wife such as I am fortunate enough to have.

About four days ago one of the men came into the orderly room with a monkey. It was given to him by a soldier that was going to the States. He tried to take the monkey with him but the officials would not allow it. He gave my man the name and outfit of the man he wanted to give it to. I phoned and left a message where he could pick up the monkey. This morning he came after him. We had a great deal of fun with him and had gotten attached to the little tike. We hated to let  him go.

No you had not told me about André and Estelle were not going to move near her sisters. It must be a very nice place. Sounds nice anyhow.

Can you imagine my surprise when Lt. Donohoe walked into the Orderly Room two days ago. One of our men took him to shore from a transport and informed him where to find us. He left yesterday after staying overnight.

I can understand why you got disgusted the way some of the Servicemen act when they are away from home. They think that it is necessary to act fresh simply because they are in uniform.

There is a Novena going on for Service personnel that I would like to attend but I have a meeting every night with my platoon sergeants and it usually lasts until it is too late to get to the chapel.

There are rumours that Japan is getting ready to holler quits. I only hope that it is so. It can not come too soon to suit me.

The news is very encouraging anyhow. The Navy certainly are pounding the hell out of Japan. Wish that I could be there to see them do it.

Sweetheart, I had a beautiful dream about you this morning just before I woke up. Was I mad when I woke up to find that it was only a dream. Boy was I loving you, wow.

Give my regards to all the folks and kiss the babies for me. I love you, My Darling wife.

Your Loving Devoted & Faithful Husband,

Bob

Thursday 26 July 1945

Dearest Kitten:

The evening breeze is wonderful tonight and it seems to be cooling my fevered body as well as brush away many of my indecisions. There are times when I do not know what to do and it is a no good feeling and keeps me on edge.

My bright spots are when I receive your letters and can lose myself for a few short minutes while I read it. How I appreciate your kindness in being so faithful to me.

So you changed your mind about the pots & pans. As for moving if you find a more satisfying place, go right ahead. When I return there are going to be some changes made anyhow. In the meantime you may as well satisfy yourself as best you can.

How I love you Sweetheart! If I could only take you in my arms and show you how much that I love you. How happy I will be to return home to you and my children. You will find that I will be very nervous at first but I hope that it will not take me too long to quiet down.

I have been getting nervous and have been concentrating on slowing down and keeping myself from getting overheated.

Gosh Sweetheart but all I seem to want to tell you is how much that I love you.

Goodnight Sweetheart. This is all for now.

Your Loving Devoted & Faithful Husband,

Bob

20 July 1945 (Friday)

Dearest Kitten:

I love you. Enclosed you will find a piece of Mother of Pearl. Have a set of earrings made and have the diamond shaped one mounted on a ring. The dark one is for myself. I want to have it made into a ring.

Have a good job done on the earrings. Am busy so I must make this short. Give my regards to everyone and kiss the babies for me.

Your Loving Devoted & Faithful Husband,

Bob

Saturday July 14, 1945 - Dad to Bobby

Dearest Son:

I hardly know how to start as writing to you is like writing to a stranger and I do not know whether you will understand what I am writing or not.

Son, it is not clear in your mind what is going on and why your Daddy has to be so far away, but maybe some day you will grow old enough so that many things will become understandable to you.

Your father is away from you now so that you will not have to go around begging for food like many youngsters all over this world are doing right this minute. Man being the greedy creature that he is, is forever trying to get more than what he has, and to do that he must take it away from some one else.

There are a number of ways of doing this. The honorable way is by purchasing it in a legal and honest way. Then there is the way of taking it by force. The second way of obtaining anything is one of the main causes for all the troubles of the world. For these reasons your father is miles away and very lonesome for you.

I know that while I am away that you will be a good boy and will always mind your loving Mother. In my absence you must take you Daddy’s place as the man of the house. It means a lot of responsibility and you must show that you are worthy of it.

Daddy loves you and Barby very much and prays every night that he will be home with you very soon.

While I am away, Daddy is depending on you to take care of Mother & Barby.

Give Mother and Barby a big kiss for your Daddy.

Your Loving Father

Saturday July 14, 1945

Dearest Kitten:

I have a bit of excitement to tell you about. We had quite a fire just a few minutes ago. A gasoline tank with a hundred and twenty five gallons in it caught fire. After burning for about ten minutes it blew up. The flames shot about five hundred feet into the air. A lot of men are suffering from burn just from the heat.

Quite a few men went to the hospital for burns and a few from broken bones when everyone panicked. One of my men went to the hospital with a broken collar bone.

I was standing about a hundred feet from the tank when it blew up. I took off like everyone else because like everyone else I was scared and afraid that the gasoline would fall on me. I have been scared but this took the cake.

Today I received your letters of July 3rd & fourth. You seemed very agitated and humble because you have not been writing every day. You seem to think that I have been going through quite a bit of danger. Well tonight was as close to danger as I have been in.

The two bronze stars on my service ribbon was really earned by our second Battalion. The regiment was given credit because our work in Brisbane was as helpful as our being on the spot, and we did do a good job.

Right now we are working hard and it is taking a lot out of us. The heat has slowed us down a lot and we will slow down more as we get acclimated.

You said that you were going to write more often and send more boxes. As for the writing that is O.K. but unless it is something special. We have a very nice variety at our PX which opened yesterday. So unless I ask for something special, do not waste your energy and money.

I am happy that you like your jewel box. I had it made special for you. As for the wallets they were hand made by one of my cooks. As for the price, nothing is too good for my one and only. Just tokens of my great love for you.

You know that I do love you Sweetheart and would do anything for you. How I miss you and the babies. I only wish that I could explain my feelings, but I seem to be unable to properly express my feelings. My only regret is my inability to tell you how much I love you.

The city of Lowell used good sense in not getting fireworks that go off with a bang. Remember there are a lot of discharged veterans whose nerves are not what they should be.

I appreciated the picture of Mr. & Mrs. Gagnon. How happy they must be, and how jealous I am of their happiness.

Well Sweetheart this will be all for now. Give my regards to everyone & kiss the babies for me.

I close with all my love.

Your Loving Devoted & Faithful Husband,

Bob

Friday July 6, 1945

Dearest Kitten:

Does my favorite wife still love me? I hope so because I love her. The lack of proof in the number of letters that I send her will have to be overlooked and I must be forgiven because I lack the time to do better.

Your letter of Sunday June 24th came today and I was glad to get it.

So all the family has a tan now even if half of mine is yellow from atabrine tablets. We started taking atabrine a week before we left Brisbane. It is great tasting stuff. The taste remains in your mouth all day long if you happen to keep it in your mouth too long before swallowing. Very appetizing.

Sweetheart forgive me but I am too tired to continue this letter. You know that I love you with all my heart.

Saw Sgt. St Jean today. He left the Company back in Gordon Johnston. He is a 1st/Sgt. now.

Good night Beautiful. Give my regards to everyone & kiss the babies for me. I love you.

Your Loving Devoted & Faithful Husband,

Bob