Sunday, Jan. 9, 1944

Dearest Kitten:

I love you so much that it hurts to be kept away from you. Each night as I climb into bed I say my prayers, and as I say them, I can not help but wish that I were saying them in the manner that I am or was accustomed to saying them. That is with you beside me and the both of us kneeling by our bed. I find it hard to concentrate on my prayers when you are always intruding on my thoughts.

You are so much a part of me, Sweetheart, that if anything should happen to you, I do not know what would become of me. I would do the same thing that you would do, continue on for the sake of our two beautiful children.

Before me, I have your letter of Monday. It came yesterday. How you write, Beautiful. Uh!Huh! What are you, getting mad at the world?

Cut it out or you will be a regular sour puss. If I return home and find that you have, it will be too bad for you. Spank, spank, right on the bare behind!

You wanted to know if I remembered when we went to the Ice Follies, of course I do. How can I ever forget the good times that we had together?

There will be more good times just like them Sweetheart as soon as this mess is over. I have high hopes for us after my return.

You said that you took the tree down with the help(?) of Bobby. I can imagine how much help he was.

How about taking care of that foot of yours. You had better see a doctor about it. Supposing you do have to spend a little money for it. It is better to do that than to be laid up on account of it.

"You'll Never Know" It is getting so that every time that I hear that song tears come to my eyes. I'm a big baby, Huh?

Tell Bobby that Daddy wants Mummy, Bobby, and Barbara too. Tell him to hang on for just a little while longer and his Daddy will be home with him, that his Daddy is just as anxious to get home to him as he is for his Daddy to get home.

Your new allotment should start next month and your first check will be considerably more. The new allotment is retroactive to November. As soon as I get my promotion to 1st Sgt. I will make out a class E allotment so that I will not have to bother about sending the money home to you. Will $150.00 take care of everything? It should. I plan on making a $50.00 Class E allotment to you and send home whatever I have left over from month to month.

You wanted to know what made me sick, it was from eating too fast. That night I was so d--- busy that when I went to eat I rushed too much and I had indigestion. The following morning I as O.K.

You wanted to know if I worried, well, I do a bit. Sometimes I worry too much.

For the third time, Yes I did receive the boxes and thanks again.

So you have a rat in the house? Stop being a big baby and get rid of it or ignore it. I am surprised at you, afraid of a little rat.

It is about time you begin to show some real authority toward the children. Of course do not overdo it, but do not let them get away with anything.

Ii want to be a regular pal to our children as they grow up. There is no reason why we should not be.

Well, Beautiful I have to get going again. Today I have been so busy that I could not even get to Mass. Forgive me.

I love you my most adorable Wife.

Regards to all & kiss the babies for me.

Your Loving, Devoted, & Faithful Husband

Bob       

Thursday, Jan. 6, 1944

Dearest Kitten:

I love you with all of my heart and soul. Your letter of the second came and it made me realize something. You gave me hell and I rightfully deserved it.

First I must tell you that I received your package of candy and Mother's two packages. Thank her for me and tell her that I hope to write to her Sunday. Thank Rita and Roland for their money order.

Roland should thank his lucky starts that he does not have to go as yet. Tell him to stay out as long as possible. Of course they may get him yet. If they do, he will be used to clean up over there. That will not be any pleasant job either.

What the matter with you? Are you getting to be an old sour puss?

You were squawking because somebody was giving a farewell party. Remember that you have a husband in the Army too. Supposing it did keep you awake. I feel bad for you. For gosh sakes, will you snap out of it. Even your own family gets on your nerves. Just because they do not act the way you hope that they will, you have been spoilt by too much attention from me.

They have certain ways about them that you have to overlook. You have certain ways that gripes them. Of course I will admit that they let you know about it. One fault that they have is that they think they know it all.

Are you going to let our marriage bother you? If you do, it will make an old sour puss of you.

Gosh! But I love you Sweetheart. How do I know? Well there is a certain urge inside of me that keeps driving me to plan and hope for the time when we will be together again. Just the thoughts of you fill me up so much that tears come to my eyes and I am forced to blink to keep them from dribbling down my cheeks.

You know, the more I think things over the more I think that we have about enough children. When I return from home for good I want us to be able to go on picnics and have fun and enjoy our two children together. A nice place in the country just outside of a city where everything is quiet and peaceful. A place where a father can come home, take his wife and children into the back yard and fool around until dark. Then after the babies are to bed, settle down in a comfortable chair and read the paper, where you can catch up on some odds and ends. After completing the paper I would grab my wife (you) and tease you a little, perhaps make you a little mad. Then very gently and tenderly, I would make up to you and give you a real loving.

Woe is me. I always knew that I was lucky in getting a gal like you for a wife. Now I can appreciate you a great deal more.

I am curious to learn the dope on Charlotte. I can just imagine. She struck me as the type that once away from home, Whoa! Wild horses could not hold her. Anyhow I will just have to wait until I get home again and learn all the dirt. You know me though. It goes in one ear and out the other. There are very few people in this world who can throw rocks.

Enclosed you will find a letter I received from Andrew. That is the way he wanted it so here it is. Your brother Andrew is a swell egg and I hope he makes out well. The first chance that I get I will write to him. Maybe I may even try to get up to see him.

Take care of our children Beautiful. I know that you will and are very capable of doing a good job of it. Nevertheless it worries me not to be able to be home and see that you and the children are well. A worry wart, aren't I?

Did [I] tell you about our retreat parade a week ago? It seems that the Colonel wanted to try an experiment. He wanted to show the officers in the regiment how a retreat parade should be run off. So we stood a retreat parade without officers. All the officers were with the Colonel at the reviewing stand. I was the Company Commander and the platoon sergeants were acting officers. Company C walked off with the honors and I heard that the Colonel gave the officers hell for letting the NonComs show them up. He claimed that it was run off the best that he has seen it. Of course it was laying it on a little thick.

Tonight we had one with the officers and did they snap today. It would have been too bad for the Officer who did get f----d up.

Well Beautiful I must get to bed. Good night.

Regards to everyone & kiss the babies for me.

Your Loving, Devoted, & Faithful Husband

Bob       

(xx)

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Tuesday, Jan. 4, 1944

Dearest Kitten:

My heart is so full of love for you that there is never a spare minute that I have that my thoughts are not of you. How I yearn to be able to hold your loveliness in my arms. To pet you and tell you of my love for you. The day is not too far distant when I will be able to do just that.

God is just and ever forgiving. With all the prayers that are being said, for this mess to end, he will not turn a deaf ear to our pleas.

Tonight I am lonely for the comfort of home. To be able to nestle on your bosom and feel the warmth of your body would be the closest thing to heaven that I can imagine that there is in this world.

After taking care of a family of almost four hundred, taking care of my own little family will seem like a very easy job. Perhaps it is the responsibility that I am feeling tonight that makes me feel the way that I do.

Pray for me that I do not change too much. This job is making me change to a certain extent. Just pray that, when this is all over and I can forget the Army, I will not have changed too much.

Yesterday I received your letter of Thursday and also a letter from Mother.

We have been extremely lucky about finances since I came into the Army. Six dollars a week will be a big help to you. By the time that you collect all of them, I should receive my promotion. Then I can send you quite a bit from my pay. I plan to take out a Class "E" allotment for you as soon as I get straightened around. By Class "E" I mean, additional money taken out of my pay and sent to you with your regular allotment. Next month I will be able to send quite a bit as these last two pays were only partial payments. The Army owes me about $25 for the past two months and I should receive it in next month's pay.

I am happy to see that Rita is happy again. You know, her case reminds me a great [deal] about Mother. Hank was figuring that his mother would pass the news on to Rita. Just like I figure that you pass the news on to my mother. How's about filling in the blank spaces when I do not write to Mother? A few minutes chat with Mother will keep her satisfied until I can get around to writing to her.

Stop letting your family worry you, will you? The big trouble is the fact that you got used to my waiting on you and you are noticing that your family never puts themselves out physically for anybody. They would gladly help anyone out financially, but if it costs physical exertion, that is where they draw the line.

Well beautiful, it is 11:00 P.M. and taps are playing. I must get to bed as I arise a half hour earlier than the rest of the Company. The end of another wearisome day.

I love you Sweetheart, much more than I will ever be able to show you. You are with me always, but recently I have not had the time to think of you as much as I like to.

Regards to all & kiss the babies for me.

Your Loving, Devoted, Affectionate, and Faithful Husband

Bob       

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

(xx)

Sunday, Jan. 2, 1944

Dearest Kitten:

I have been busy as a one armed paper hanger with seven years itch. There are no Officers around to get things balled up, which is a big help. There are a lot of new men coming in and I have to feed them and quarter them. Poor guys they have been bounced around so much that they are probably very discouraged.

Sorry to say that I have been so busy that I was unable to go to church this morning. My job is not an easy one. I have to make a great many decisions. It is my job to see that the men in my Company are fed, quartered, and clothed. No easy job by any means. Feeding, clothing & quartering them is only routine work. I have to father them and chastise them when necessary.

Sweetheart, I must tell you how much I really love you. You are, to me, as a Goddess was to people years ago. Your very wish is my desire. Everything is subordinate to your desires. If you were to let me know your desires and wishes, all my powers would be concentrated to grant them to you. When it is impossible for me to get the things that you want, something inside of me, ambition & love mixed, drives me to attain it for you.

My love for you is so great that it gives me no rest. All that I want to do is to be with you and see that you get all the things that you desire. It bothers me greatly when I am unable to give you the things that you want.

If this letter seems rather disconnected, please forgive me as I am being continually interrupted. Ever since Friday afternoon we have been getting in rookies by 10's, 15's & 20's. We no sooner get them set in the barracks when bing! Some new order comes through and we have to split them p between the other companies.

I have taken on a good job for myself. Here is hoping that I can make good. If I do it will mean considerable more money. I will have to hold the job down for awhile. If I make good, I will be given the rating.

Thanks for the swell letters. Keep them coming. Forgive me if I can not answer your letters completely as it is impossible under the present circumstances. I love you and wish that I were sharing all of the incidents that you write about.

Regards to all & kiss the babies for me.

Your Loving, Devoted, and Faithful Husband

Bob       

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(xx)

Jan. 1, 1944

Jan. 1, 1944

Dearest Kitten:

I am stealing a few minutes so that I may write to you. From now on that will be the way that I will have to write to you, on the fly.

Your letters of Friday, Saturday, & Sunday came yesterday, and your letter of Monday came the day before. I sure got a kick out of the letters. The children certainly did make out fairly well.

Did I ever tell you exactly how much that I love you? If I did not, I sure as hell am slipping. The one thing that I do not want to happen, is my losing my grip as a great lover with my wife. My heart is so full of love for you that I can not understand how I bear being away from you.

As I think back, it does not appear to be a time in my whole life that I did not love you. My love for you seems to have always been a part of me. Do you feel the same way?

This afternoon at 5:30 P.M. there is a group of men leaving on furlough. How I wish that I were just starting out.

Pat is lucky in a way and in another he isn't. They are sure giving him a break. he would much rather do without the furloughs than to get them because somebody died I know.

Night before last I had indigestion. I had to go to bed at eight. The cramps in my stomach were so bad that I had to leave the orderly room and climb into bed.

Hollywood at War, 1944
Photo: Los Angeles Public Library
Herald-Examiner Collection 
http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/commentary
/where-we-are/happy-new-year.html

Last night the NonComs were raising H--- until the wee hours of the morning. I finally got to sleep about 2:00 this morning.

There is so d--m much work here that I do not even have time to breathe. As soon as a certain man comes back from his furlough, I will have two clerks to take care of everything in the office.

Yesterday was pay day. Enclosed you will find $20. I received only a partial payment of $50 again this month. You should receive over $100 dollars this month. The money over $100 is the balance owed you for last month.

Well, Beautiful, I love you with all my heart & all my soul. How I wish that I could personally wish you a "Happy New Year".

Wish everybody a Happy New Year for me and may the year see the return of your husband to you for good.

Kiss the babies for me.

I love you, Darling.

Your Loving, Devoted, and Faithful Husband

Bob       

(xx)

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