Thursday 16 March 1945

Dearest Kitten:

Your negligent husband is taking time out to write you a few lines and to tell you that he still loves you very much. I miss you so much that it is not funny. What i wouldn’t give to be able to see you and touch you. I am envious of Andre but am also very happy for him.

He no doubt has earned the chance to be at home. Give him my regards and well wishes.

I can appreciate how you feel about my trying to get home due to physical or mental disability, but it is not worth it. I am sorry to say that I doubt if anything like that will happen to me. You see I am enjoying good health and my mental make up is such that there is not quite enough insanity for me to get a section eight out of the Army.

We will just have to be patient until the Army decides that they have had enough of me. Personally I am glad in a way that I am still capable of doing the job that the Army has given me to do. At times I wish that I were not so conscientious about everything.

Enclosed you will find the pictures that you sent for me to see. They are very nice and Roger looks god in his uniform.

Thanks for the box of canned goods. I am saving them, that is all except the mushroom soup, for a special occasion of some sort. Night before last I had the night fireman heat it up for me. He did not want any, so like the pig that I am, I ate the whole of it. Boy did I relish it.

Just can’t get away with anything, can I. Yes I am afraid that last year I did forget our anniversary and tried to make up for it later. I make a very poor liar and that is the reason I very seldom do. I can only be convincing with the truth.

You cannot imagine what I went through before we finally landed on the boat and for two days thereafter. At 11:00 P.M. on the eve of our anniversary I was walking up the gang plank and the boat took off the following morning.

I received letters #211 + 216. In 211 you tell me that Andre is home in a hospital - 212-13-14 + 15 are undelivered as yet. In 216 you say he is home on a convalescent furlough. It must have been quite a surprise to everyone. The letter he sent me, he told me that he was worse than he had let you people know about and told me to keep it to myself as he did not want to worry the folks.

Poor Bobby, he probably could not understand why Andre was home and I wasn’t. Tell him for me that his Daddy still has a lot to do and until it is done and he is lucky, he will be home again.

That is not fair of Andre telling you all the secrets of a 1st/Sgt. You are apt to get the wrong idea about my work. Of course a lot depends on the outfit and the man holding down the job.

Whenever you tell the children that you will get something for them or do something for them, always do it. If you have to disappoint them, make sure that they understand the reason.

Tell Tess that as soon as I return and she is willing that I would gladly help her make a new addition to the family. Tell her that I think there must be something wrong with Charlie because they waste so much time between children.

Let us hope and pray that the day is not too far away when Ray, Arthur and I will all be home again. It seems such a long time ago that I was home, and yet the time has passed rapidly for me. Mainly, I suppose, because so much has happened to me.

Our youngsters must play hard to be able to break a rocker on a chair. I pity your mother when she gets the whole family together with the children.

I went to the races only once and bet on every race. I could not afford to bet much, eighty cents, and at the end of seven races I was ahead one dollar & twenty cents.

The guy by the name of Bisson in my company, I am happy to say, is not related to you, thank God. He is a special species of the jerk family. Have had considerable trouble with him, but he has quieted down lately.

Yes I received Cle’s letter and she was telling me about all her troubles. It is too bad that she ever had a child. She is too high strung to be a very good parent. Ray isn’t much better either. I pity Ronnie as he is not receiving the proper treatment.

Yes, I am glad that you are seeing more of my side of the family, but, do not get too friendly. With relatives it is best to keep in touch with them but do not get too friendly or you will get hurt.

The home nursing course that you plan to take up is a very good idea. It will always be handy to know and it will give you something to take your mind off of your troubles and those troubles are all me. Bothersome aren’t I? I guess that it is because I love you so much Sweetheart and you in turn love me.

I hate to do this but I must leave you and climb into bed and dream of you.

Give my regards to all the folks and kiss the babies for me. I love you so much that when I think of you, I get tense all over. Even my toes curl up.

Your Loving Devoted & Faithful Husband,

Bob