Wednesday Dec 8, 1943

Dearest Kitten:

My love for you is the only thing that is making me write this letter. I love you so much that despite eight bottles of beer I am compelled to write to you and tell you how much I love you. I love you so much that it gives me no rest and quiet.

Tonight we had our Co. party over at the NonComs club and I just returned as I just had to write to you, even if it was a few lines.

We have been kept so darn busy that I am going wacky. If it isn't one thing it seems to be a dozen others.

Your letters of Saturday and Sunday came today and as usual I was very happy to hear from you.

Pardon the slight interruption as I had to go over and bring back a non com who is slightly phished.

First I must tell you how happy I was to learn that you have taken the babies back. It is your place to take care of them and I realize that it will be tough on you. You will have to let the house go to be able to take proper care of your youngsters.

Even if you have to let the house go a little, it is up to you to take them out and play with them each day. You may think that it sounds funny. Just stop and think for a minute.

Your mother was a very good housekeeper and manager, but, if you remember correctly, she was not a very affectionate woman where her children were concerned.

Supposing the floor was not washed once a week. If your children can regard you as a friend as well as a mother, you have won the battle. Give them a little more attention and the results will prove to be worthwhile.

People should realize the financial condition that you are in and should not expect anything more than a card. A card will show that you are at least thinking of them.

I will send you as much money as I can. You should be able to get along on $130.00 & the money that Mother gives you. Of course you will not be able to buy all the things that you would like to, but in the long run it should pay off, in affection from your children.

Good night Sweetheart - my love is all for you. How I wish that it were possible for me to tell you how much I really loved you. In a few weeks I may be able to, if some of the rumors come true.

Give my regards to everyone & kiss the babies for me.

I love you with all the possible affection in my body.

Your Loving, Devoted, & Faithful Husband

Bob

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Monday Dec 6, 1943

Dearest Kitten:

As I sit down and start writing this letter I am the saddest of Sad Sacks. Things are going from bad to worse. First the C.O. gigged the whole company as we were supposed to go out with full field packs tonight. A few of us NonComs went into the orderly room and started bitching to the Officers. We were all hot under the collar and could have all been court-martialed. We finally got the men out of it, but the barracks have to be in A1 shape tomorrow morning or else.

We just got through GIing our own barracks and checking on my barracks. The men at supper time almost mutinied. About half of them walked out of the mess hall tonight at supper time. They did it mostly so that it would get back to the Orderly room. It was their way of showing their disapproval. You can well understand how I feel at the present time.

There is one thing that I am sure of and always will be, and that is my love for you. If it were not for my great love for you, I do not know what I would do. I always thank God for your love for me. It is one thing that I can always depend on, and receive strength from, to continue on.

Our outfit is considered the toughest outfit in the army. We were always under the impression that the paratroopers were, but the paratroopers consider us the toughest. You can draw your own conclusions.

Your letters of Thursday & Friday came today. So I will try to answer some of your questions.

I was glad to hear that Barbara's finger is not bothering her. If Bobby starts having ear aches, I pity him. I used to have them when I was young. I hope that he is not bothered with them as they are no fun.

Ain't I quite the boy though. I showed the picture to the other NonComs and did they get a kick out of it.

Give Charlotte & Hector my regards. I bet that they are happy that it is all over. I suppose that Hector would have rather had a boy though.

My cold is still with me but it does not bother me. I feel great but I would be better off if I were in Boston or thereabouts. It is warm down here, or maybe it seems that way after being up North for a week.

I hope that Pat likes his new job. If it is what he likes, he will be better off.

How about worrying about yourself and taking care of yourself. I can take care of myself, so stop worrying, huh?

I have to close as it is almost 11:00 P.M.

I love you, Beautiful. Never doubt it for a minute.

Sweetheart, my love for you is so great that I can not make it appear in words.

Give my regards to everyone & kiss the babies for me.

Your Loving, Devoted, & Faithful Husband

Bob

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Sunday Dec 5, 1943

Dearest Kitten:

I love you, my beautiful Kitten. The ache in my heart is due to the empty void that is always with me. The emptiness is due to my being so far away from you.

The only thing that I need, to satisfy all my desires, is to be allowed to go home to you, Sweetheart.

After writing to you last night, Sgt. St. Jean and myself went over to the P.X. and had two beers. From there we went to the show. It was Red Skelton in "Whistling in Brooklyn". It was wacky but I enjoyed it nevertheless. I needed something funny to break the monotony.

Upon arising this morning, the First Sgt. told me that with the aid of another NonCom, we were to be in charge of the men this afternoon to see that they washed the outside of the barracks and all the windows. Today is Sunday, but we do not even get a break because if it.

Do not be surprised if one of these days you have to start addressing your mail to Pvt. Lemire instead of S/Sgt. Lemire. Things are getting so bad that one of these days I am going to blow my top. When that happens I will undoubtedly lose my stripes. The way I feel right now, I do not care and would be a lot happier as a private. A man can go no lower than a private and in that capacity it would be heaven. I could then take my time about doing things and would have only myself to worry about. Our new C.O. is wacky and gives no consideration what so ever to the men. That is what gets my goat.

I got a kick out of the letter that you wanted me not to read. You sure were feeling mean when you wrote it.

You ought to buy yourself a new alarm clock. One of these days you may be sorry if you should happen to oversleep.

In last night's letter I told you that there was nothing new about the cadre. Well there isn't, but there is still a chance. Just keep hoping and praying, it may come true as yet.

It will be good for Estelle to go to work It will take up her mind and give her something to look forward to all the time.

It is probably the cold that makes the alarm clock stop. Now if I were home, we would make enough heat of our own to keep the clock warm. Of course it might stop because of the sights it will see, so there is very little advantage there.

You may be able to get a job with the U.S. Rubber, but I would not plan on it too much.

It was nice of you gals to pitch in for Helen. I hope you have a good time when you go over to her house.

Mrs. Dubuque is lucky in having a registered nurse so close and handy. I doubt if Barbara will be left with a scare on her finger if it is only the nail and a small cut. It sure must have hurt. I know what it feels like to lose a fingernail and it is no fun.

I hope that the salve does the trick for Barbara. It would be a job to put her on goat's milk. In the first place you would have to go after it, and in the second it would cost so much. Let's hope that the salve is sufficient.

I am very happy that you finally got the babies insured. It is something that I have been wanting to have done for a long time. − Later:

Sgt. St. Jean & myself just got back from Mass. We will have to go Wednesday. It is to be a 6:00 P.M. Mass. We will have to rush to make it as we usually eat around 5:45 P.M. [Feast of the Immaculate Conception.]

I hope that you have received your allotment by now. If you have not, the twenty that I sent you probably came in handy huh? Do you need some more? If you do I will send you some more.

My rifle is calling me. I have to oil it up & clean it. So I will close. If I get the chance I am going to write to Mother tonight.

Beautiful, I love you so much that there is standing room only in my heart, because it is all reserved for you. My poor attempts to write about my love for you fall short of really explaining my true feelings. What I need is the personal contact to be able to show you how much I love you.

You have all my love so, give my regards to everyone & kiss the babies for me.

Your Loving, Devoted, & Faithful Husband

Bob

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Keep count of all the kisses that we put into our letters, because when I go home for good, I am taking a week off to collect them all personally.

Sat. Dec 4, 1943

Dearest Kitten:

My love for you is the only thing that inspires me and keeps me going. It is the most beautiful thing in the world. There is no thrill in the world to compare with how I feel when I take you in my arms and kiss you. It defies description, so how can I explain my feelings?

Since being in the Army, my main ambition is to be with you always, so I may be able to take you in my arms and show you how much that I love you.

Your letters of Wednesday & Thursday came after supper tonight. The two pictures of you are swell. I am keeping the pictures of the babies even if they are not so good. I can always get a general idea of them anyhow.

Barbara sure is a funny youngster. She can be half dead and she will not cry, but if her Mommy tries to walk away from her she will cry like hell. I hope her finger will be alright. If only she lost her nail, it should not bother her too much.

This is going to be a short letter as I would like to go to a movie tonight. We have been so darn busy all week long that I need a little relaxation. Tomorrow I will write a nice long letter with everything in it.

There is nothing new about a cadre to Edwards. In fact it looks rather bad for that to come true.

Sgt. St Jean is hollering for me so I will have to cut this short. We are going to have a couple of beers and then go to the show. I hope that it is not something that I have seen.

Things are getting tougher & tougher around here. We scarcely have time to breathe. The new Company Commander is cracking down on everybody, and it is no fun. The NonComs have to be riding the men all the time. Monday night we have our last class, thank God. They are nothing more than something that we already know about.

Well, Beautiful, until tomorrow.

I love you with the whole of my being and every moment away from you is a moment of impatience, impatience to take you in my arms once more for good. Keep praying that the day is not too far distant.

Regards to everyone & kiss the babies for me.

Your Loving, Devoted, & Faithful Husband

Bob

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Some day I will personally collect all that I ever put in my letters.

Thursday Dec 2, 1943

Dearest Kitten:

I love you with all of my heart & soul. The desire to be with you all the time is ever in my mind. Nothing could please me so much as to be on my way home, to you for good, right now.

Your letters of Monday & Tuesday came today and it was great to hear from you. It made me feel better to hear that Estelle & Andrew were feeling better. Let me know Andrew's address as soon as you get it. The way things are around here, I do not know when I will ever be able to write to him though. It is getting tougher & tougher.

Last night I was busy until 11:30, checking clothing. That is why I could not write to you. You were in my thoughts though.

Tonight I wanted to go to the show for a little relaxation but it is too late and I just had to write to you.

We just got through our little Non-com school, and I had to clean my rifle. As soon as I get finished writing I have to go over and shave & shower. To keep clean, I have to take a shower every other night.

We had a retreat parade this afternoon and I was one of the color guard. It is supposed to be an honor, but it was just another headache to me.

Enclosed you will find five pictures taken at Washburn just before we left. I have put the name of the men  in back of each picture. After this is all over, it will be fun to look them over.

Also enclosed is a $20 bill. I am sending it in the event that you should need it. If you receive your allotment, I want you to buy yourself a set of prayer beads. I had hopes of buying them myself for you in Tallahassee, but all they had were glass ones, so buy yourself a set of gold or silver ones and wrap them up nicely and put a card on them for you from me. It is not what I had planned, but under the circumstances, it will have to do.

Mother's letter came today also. Tell her that I will write the first chance that I get.

It is getting late and I have a lot to take care of, so I will close.

I love you so much Sweetheart that I am jealous of every hour that is spent in separation from you.

Beautiful, give my regards to all and kiss the babies for me.

Your Loving, Devoted, & Faithful Husband

Bob

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