Wednesday March 22, 1944

Dearest Kitten:

It is exactly midnight and I am a wee bit tired. Things are in a hell of an uproar around here and I am exactly in the middle of it. Your husband will be a happy man when the preparations are all over. We are attempting to do a dozen things all at the same time.

No I have not left as yet but the time is getting closer and closer. It is due to the activity and rush that I have neglected you, my poor wife. You have one hope of my not leaving this country, if I am not insane by the time that I hit a P.O.E. I will be very fortunate.

Time is flying by so fast that I am unable to keep up with the date or the days. That may seem rather odd but it is the truth. I am always using dates, but for some reason I am forever looking at the calendar to see what the date is.

Gosh but I love you Sweetheart! You are my Sweetheart as well as my wife you know. You will always be my Sweetheart as long as I live. My love for you is an undying ghost that haunts me in my dreams and is my shadow by day.

My love for you is so great that it irks me and makes me realize how incompetent I am when I attempt to express my love for you in words.

Thanks for your letters. They are a ray of sunshine in my fogged world. Your letters are a very welcome break during the day.

I have to cut this short as it is getting late and my eyes are closing on me. Forgive e for treating you this way but I can not help myself.

Regards to everyone and kiss the babies for me. I love you.

Your Loving, Devoted, & Faithful Husband

Bob

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(xx)

Friday March 17, 1944

Dearest Kitten:

I love you with all my heart and soul. Forgive me for writing such a lousy letter last night but I could not help it. I was so d--- tired that I could not think straight. The effort was too great to even try to concentrate. Only my great love for you was responsible for the poor attempt at a letter.

Since returning to this hell hole I have been a very busy man. As the days continue to pass I get busier if that is possible. It looks as though we will be ready to leave here shortly, of course I can not tell you the approximate date even if I were sure that the rumours were correct.

There is a confession that I must make to you. I have not been able to think of you and home as much as I would like to. 1st Sergeant being a new job to me and it being the first time that I have ever had to move a Company of men, it sure looks like an impossible job right now. It has reached the stage where I have to submerge all my own desires for the benefit of the Company. If I live through these last minute preparations and retain my sanity, I guess that I will be able to stand most anything.

I made out my change of address cards, that is, as far as I could. My APO# is and will remain blank until it is filled out and sent to you after I have been well on my way.

I would have loved to seen Barby all powder. I bet she looked cute. When our daughter grows up, she is going to be a beauty, just like her Mother. If she is as good a woman as her mother, I will feel that we made a success of bringing her up.

The 20th we go into Sun Tans again. It will be a relief to get into them again. I have just returned from the PX where I had three beers. Before finishing this letter I plan to make another trip over. Tonight I am going to sleep in my own bed, it will sure be great to climb into a bed for a change.

Of course you are lonesome for me, just as lonesome as I am for you. I would give a great deal just to be able to hold you in my arms again.

I sure would like to receive a cake from you, but you had better not send me one and you had better stop sending cookies. They reach me in an unrecognizable form. I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but the condition that they are in is a shame. The candy was O.K. but the cookies are almost a waste.

The inability to remember all the things that you would like to write and tell me is not only a problem of your own. I also have trouble remembering all the things that I would like to tell you about.

Thank Mother for the nuts and tell her that as much as I would like to write to her, I find it impossible to do so at the present time. I am so busy that I have to steal time to even write to you.

Glad to know that Arthur arrived O.K. I wonder how he likes it. It is better there than going into the Pacific area. At least there is some civilization around. Of course nothing can make up for not being at home with the ones that you love.

It sure is nice of Andrew to write as often as he does. I wish that I had the time to do as much, but it seems that ever since I came into the Army I have been busy studying or something.

Pauline's new job will be a big help to her. It will teach her self reliance and give her a sense of responsibility. She needs something like that to make her mature.

It will take Bobby awhile before he will learn that he is not supposed to take off on his own for someplace outside of around the house. He is smart enough to learn that when he is allowed out alone that he can only go so far and no further.

Do you know that I love you Beautiful?

I can not help myself, I am head over heels in love with you. Why shouldn't I be? You are the most beautiful and best wife in the world.

This will have to suffice for tonight. So Good-night Sweetheart. I love you Darling.

Regards to everyone and kiss the babies for me.

I love you.

Your Loving, Devoted, & Faithful Husband

Bob

(xx)

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P.S. Next month I am going to take out a class "E" allotment. $60.00 to you and a $50.00 bond a month. Let me know what you think of the idea. I love you Kitten.

Thursday March 16, 1944

Dearest Kitten:

I love you Sweetheart, that seems to be about all that I can say tonight. I am so tired that I can not think properly. It could be because I have not gotten to sleep before midnight any night this week and then I had to sleep on the ground.

This letter is getting me down. I can not seem to get going on it.

Thanks for being so prompt with your letters. I have a tough job trying to get time to read them, but I appreciate every letter. Thanks for the candy and thank Mother for the peanuts.

Although I appreciate your thoughtfulness in sending me some cookies, you had better stop sending them to me as they reach me in quite sad shape. My advice is to quit sending them. I never get time enough to even eat some of them before the wolves get into the box.

Gosh Sweetheart it is impossible for me to finish this letter. Maybe I can do better next time, forgive me.

Regards to all & kiss the babies for me.

I love you.

Your Loving, Devoted, & Faithful Husband

Bob

Saturday March 11, 1944

Dearest Kitten:

I love you with all my heart and soul and my ability as a composer is inadequate to tell you of my love for you. It is impossible to put into words just how much I do love and miss you.

In all my dreams you are the central figure. All my thoughts and dreams are centered around you. All my efforts and ambition is due to your love for me and my love for you.

Your husband is very tired. Things have been really piling up on me. We have a new Executive Officer and is he a slave driver. Since he has taken over I have not had a minute's peace. If he keeps it up, I will be a nervous wreck.

When we get started and are on our way, I will be one of the happiest men in the world. These last minute preparations, changes, and conflicting orders are driving me slap happy.

It will not be very long now before we will get started. I have a good idea about the approximate date that we will be shipped. Of course I can not tell you, but I will tell you to expect it any time now.

We have a lot of work that has to be done between now and the time for us to leave. Forgive me if my letters are few and far between. There has not been a day this week that I have gotten to bed before 11:00 P.M. and up at 6:00 A.M. It is a tough grind.

The approval slip of my allotment finally came through and you should have received a check for the past four months.

It is now 10:00 P.M. and there is so much that I have to take care of that I have practically given up for tonight anyhow.

I am glad to see that Bobby is getting out and playing with the children, by this summer he will be able to go out and play in the park, then your troubles will begin. I can just see him running home to Mama because somebody played a little too rough with him. You will have your troubles trying to keep him clean.

You sure make me homesick, describing all those luscious goodies. It makes my mouth water just to think of it.

How I wish I were able to wash your back for you. There will come a day when I will be able to take care of that little detail for you. Soon I hope.

It is a funny thing about going out or staying in. Once a person starts to stay in, they seem to lose the desire to go out, and once they start to go out, they want to be on the go all the time.

It is very satisfying to know that my wife considers me a perfect husband. It means that she is so much in love with me that she overlooks all of my little and big faults.

Whoever it is that married the wrong man has nobody to blame but herself. She should never have gotten married if she did not truly love the man that she married. It is rather late now to call the whole thing off. If she gets herself into a mess over it, it will be no more than what she deserved. I can see and understand how such a mess could happen, but the least she can do is stick to her first decision. If she tries to change things, she may find out that the man she thinks she loves has only been playing her for a sucker. If she was not sure of him before she got married, how can she be sure of him now. He could be just out for a good time, seeing as the girl is already married he perhaps thinks that he is safe from marriage and can have all the fun of marriage without the expense and confinement.

So Roland and Marion are battling. The only ones that I pity are the babies. It is no surprise to me that it has come to harsh words. If Roland does not watch out he will find himself bounced out of his own house.

Ahhh! So it happened. No twins huh? In a way I am both glad & sorry. What have you reached your second childhood? Diapers at your age.

You hit the nail right on the head when you say that you bet that I would like to give it up and be a private with no worries. I hope that you are right about my keeping my chin up - the only thing that I hope is that I do not stick it out. If I should stick it out, somebody is sure to take a swipe at it.

Your cookies got here in pretty good shape. They were still fresh but slightly broken up. The box was intact but the cookies were broken from bouncing around.

You are not selfish to desire to have what rightfully belongs to you. Stop worrying so much about me and concentrate on your own problems. It should not be years from now before this mess is over. It should and probably will be over in a matter of months.

Thanks for sending the pictures. It brings back happy memories to look at Bobbie's pictures. We have been and found happiness in each other which is in itself a great success for both of us. Most people go through life and never find it. They do not miss it because they do not know what it is like.

Taps just blew and I must get some sleep.

Regards to everyone and kiss the babies for me.

I love you Beautiful and carry in my heart memories of the most perfect wife in the world. How can I help but love you when you are the girl that I used to daydream about?

Your Loving, Devoted, & Faithful Husband

Bob

Sunday March 5, 1944

Dearest Kitten:

I love you, I love you, I love you, that is all that seems to want to come off the end of my pen. It could be that my pen knows what is in my heart. It is so strong that it has the power to control my pen. Love that powerful is really something.

This afternoon I took time out to take a shower and to straighten my clothes out a bit. It was my first shower since leaving home. You can see how busy that I have been. Last night I worked until midnight, and was I dead tired.

We are starting to pack. It means a hell of a lot of work between now and the time that we have. We have to catch up on all our little odds and ends. It is going to be hell on wheels for me. Every five minutes, somebody will be calling up wanting something.

All the men are trying to get three day passes so that they can have a last fling and the C. O. does not and can not give them passes. What a headache!

I have hopes of going to a movie tonight as long as nothing comes up. At the last minute something is liable to come up so that I can not get out of the office.

You say that you are lost without me. Well, I am like a babe 3 years old who is lost in a big city, sometimes. What a feeling, I feel so damn all alone. I am very lonesome for my Beautiful, Gorgeous, Wonderful, Generous, Lovable, wife.

It sure does not seem like three years since the time that we became one. Although we have not been together very much of the time that we have been married, we have had a lot to be thankful for.

It did seem as though we were busy all the time that I was home. It was because we were always going somewhere or coming back from someplace.

We sure have a couple of nice children. How I love them too. They are sure lovable.

Thanks for the little note from Bobby. It was cute.

I was glad to see that you had company. It is good for you to have somebody come up every once in awhile.

It would have been nice if I could have eaten you up so that I could bring you with me wherever I go.

Roland should take better care of himself than what he does. It is too bad that he did not see fit to go for the Hospital ship deal. Just because he had to go to school for awhile should not have stopped him. A man needs some training even for that job. Even though he would be in the capacity of a noncombatant it is still necessary to train a man to take care of himself. One never knows when it will be necessary to fight for one's life.

It will not be necessary to send me a box every week. Of course I would appreciate a box now and then but do not put yourself out too much. Too bad about your cookies not coming so good, but I bet the others will be great.

Perhaps you would like to know how I feel. Well the truth of the matter is that I am fine but I never seem to get enough sleep.

Do you mean to tell me that you threw away another safe? Have you heard about the rubber shortage? You had better watch out or the O.P.A. or somebody will be after you for throwing away an essential product.

Going out and playing will help the children a great deal. It will be good for you also. Make you keep that school-girl complexion and shape. Umm!

I can just taste those cookies. I bet that they are good too. If you can send a box now and then it sure will be great.

Well Darling I have to close as I have some troubles on my hands. To be specific a man who got drunk while on guard duty. I have to replace him and am putting him under arrest. He has been giving me too much trouble. I have given him his last break, now it will mean a Court Martial.

Thanks for the letters and keep them coming.

Thank your mother for the candy again please.

Kiss the babies for me & regards to everyone.

I love you, I love you, I love you.

Your Loving, Devoted, & Faithful Husband

Bob