November 1, 1944

I wonder if our soldier's mother often
thought back to these days, when her boy
was only a few months old,  

Ft. Wayne

Dearest Son:
     Got your letter this a.m.
     I went up & wired money this P.M. now honey don't you drink nor gamble.  You'd better have it put in safe or somewhere for someone will roll you & don't let anyone see it, for you can't trust anyone.  And I have talked to 3 soldiers they say if you don't speak up, you won't get traveling time, just say if you hafto put in 5 or 6 days on road it leaves you such a short time at home.
     Saw Chas & Esther today they said they hadn't from you I don't know if they are dreading to see you or anxious.
     Well no news.  I'm going to Dr. and get my shot & go to GE & get my little ck.  I haven't worked for over a wk.  I guess I told you I've been eye trouble, supposed to get my bifocles tomorrow, mabey I'll be better.
     Georgia went to Chicago for a couple days with Connie, had a card from your girl yesterday, said she was fine but didn't know when she could go home.
     Well honey I must run, mail this.  let us know soon as you can when your coming.  Now honey don't squander your money there for you will need it so badly to eat & travel on. 
     I haven't saw nor heard anything from your Daddy, wish you could of been here while the weather is so nice.  Its sure been lovely.  We still don't have no heating stove.  Well honey I must quit.  Write soon as you can.

Lots of love,
Mother

P.S. No fighting, hold that temper.  I use mine enuf for both of us.

**There is also a letter, on the same date, written in his father's handwriting, from Converse, Indiana (where our soldier's sweetheart lived) but postmarked in Bryan (where our soldier's father lived.).  I don't know if I'll ever understand the man who was my great-grandfather.

Converse, Ind.

Dearest Son
Just a few lines to let you know we brought your girl home Friday.  She is felling pretty good only tired this morning.  She gets to get up a little Wed., but just sit up.  The Dr. gave her her orders for the poor kid sure had had a time of it.  She ask me if I would rite you a few lines so hey you can rite to her home.  I dont fill so good myself.  I guess I have had to much to worry about & do.  She sure has lots some weight.  I wont rite much as I have so much to do, and VonAunt from Kokomo is here over weekend.  So you know I am busy.  Hope you get to come home soon.  I got out of your girl what she wanted for xmas, a watch. 

Love Mano.

**It's a confusing letter, even without the bad spelling.  I always believed the relationship to be better between our sweetheart and her future mother-in-law...not our soldier's father!  And yet, it appears that he was there to help bring her home from the hospital and get her settled, while his mother still did not know that she was coming home.  Quite honestly, I was always under the impression that the relationship was better between our soldier and his mother than with his father...but yet his sweetheart asked this man to drop our soldier a few lines for her.
     I have no idea who VonAunt in Kokomo is, or why he would be involved with him, and why did he sign this letter "Mano" instead of "Dad" or even his name, "Homer". 
     This is one of those letters that makes me wish I could have known my great-grandparents.  Both of them died before I was born, so I never had that opportunity.  I would have liked to have really known them both a little better to understand their relationship with one another even after they had divorced.