October 1944

October 2, 1944
Converse, Indiana

Dearest Darling,
     Well Sweetheart here I am again, back in bed. Imagine that. Do you think I'll ever get all right. I'm about to give up all hope of ever being so I won't ever have to go to a Dr. I am feeling better today than yesterday, it isn't my leg either. Yesterday I started having pains in my left side and it never let up on me all day and mother made me go to a Dr. last nite. I know I never had anything to hurt me so bad not even when I was operated on....


She goes on into detail about her visit to the doctor and after I did some research on the symptoms she described and what she vaguely referred to as the diagnosis in her letter, I believe that she was most likely diagnosed with a pelvic infection and was given antibiotics to clear it up at this time.

     ...I didn't want to tell mother but since Pug went to the Dr. with me she told mother and I am in bed. Aunt Ruth is helping mother out today. Honey if it doesn't get any better I don't care what happens to me. I can't stay here in bed cause there is too much to do. I washed Sunday and there is ironing to be done. So what the heck.
     Darling I received a very sweet letter from you yesterday and I'm very very sorry for not writing. If you want to think there is another, there is nothing I can do about it. But when I tell you there isn't I do wish you would believe me. Pug came yesterday, she is going to stay a couple weeks. Honey you remember how big she was when she was here the last time. She only weighs 115 now. Her mother is getting along pretty good now.
     Darling I want you to know I love you very very much and Honey I do miss you. So you got some more mail from Sherry. Have you ever written her yet. I told you I'd write and tell you what I thought. You know Honey I think I would write her a letter but I can't think of her address. I mean the name of that town. No wait a minute it is Blakeslys isn't it. So you are wondering wether I hear from Paul any more. As a matter of fact no I've not heard from him for about 3 weeks or more. He wrote me five letters I believe since I wrote and told him every thing, and I must hand it to him they were very nice and reasonable letters. He said if I loved you enough, to marry you because he wanted me to be happy although he would give anything if he could share my happiness with me. Well they were nice letters, he didn't write and give me hell or he didn't write and beg for me to give you up for him. If I have Sherry figured right, why if you wrote her a letter she would go around showing it to everyone. I hope you know what I mean.
     You wanted to know what became of "Skinner" I don't know. I rekon she is in Ohio, she hasn't written me since she left. When am I going to your mothers? As soon as I get out of this bed. Or I hope to anyway. Well Sweetheart I'll close for now. I love you very much Darling.



His reply came just a few days later...


Friday nite
Oct 6, 1944

My Dearest Darling
     I am writing you tonite for many reasons but the two main are because I love you and it is friday nite (Sat. afternoon)

     I sure did get a lot written last nite didn't I honey? I had good intentions though, you see they were supposed to leave the lights on untill eleven and at nine they called "lights off" I had a notion to finish it though for I think I could write just about as good in the dark as I do in the light. I just heard some good news if it is true I will get to be with you fifteen days instead of the small ten. Even fifteen days don't sound good enough to suit me. In fact the only furlough what will suit me is the one where I can throw these damn clothes away and roll up my sleeves. Darling please don't ever tell me again that you see a pretty pair of brown pants up town. These uniforms are nice for a change but I am right here to tell you I am ready to change back to my new suit plaid shirt and all. Don't you wish I could? Or do you?
     I got a letter from mother yesterday which I will enclose. Boy honey if I ever quit you my family would sure disown me. I wrote mother and I think I made it pretty plain that all hell couldn't part us as far as I was concerned. I have an idea you feel the same way about it. I am not going to ask you if I am right for I know I am.
     Honey I don't know what to do about your health. Mabey there isn't anyone back there that can keep you off your feet but I bet by god I can. I sure wish we were married - if you have to go to the hospital I won't get to be with you or anything. If they would just station me a littel closer to home it wouldn't be so bad. They better not though or before long there will be changing my name to A.W.O.L. I will be gone so much.
     Well we got moved and naturally it was a change for the worse at least I think so, I even hated to leave the other barraks. That sounds silly but its true. Well I guess I will try to answer your letter and get ready to go to town. I want to get you some pictures and a few other littel things. I promised mother I would get her a pillow cover. I just read your letter over again and if you don't want an operation like Caroline you had better do as the Dr. says. Now darling please do it if you don't give a damn about yourself at least think of me. Honey if you only knew how I felt about you, you would listen to me. I don't even want you to get a scratch much less an operation. Mother says I have been through more hell than the average man at thirty, and I guess she is about right. Now don't forget darling please take it easy for while. That damn work will keep and as the army says if it don't that's just tough shi-.
     Honey you must of thought I was really serious when I said something about another guy. I know darn well there isn't. You must not think I trust you darling but I do honest I do. And when I say that I am not just saying it to hear myself think I mean it I really do. Honey I can't figure out any reason why you should want to write Sherry. I ought to be just as good to you as you was to me. Remember? You wouldn't let me write Paul. But I will give you her address and you write if you want. But will you tell me what you have to say to her before writing her? So Paul was pretty nice about our littel affair, glad to hear it. Some guys probably wouldn't understand. Here is one guy that sure just ain't about to quit worrying about him. If something happened that I got shipped across without getting a furlough I know I would go just plain crazy. After we are married all the men in the world will be the least of my worries. I have heard it said that it was a womens privilege to change her mind but I can promise you one thing after we are married you are just plain stuck with me. If we fight like cats and dogs you will always be mine. I don't believe Sherry will show that letter to very many people for I don't think she will be very proud of it. It was a nice letter but I had to make it plain that I didn't want any part of her....


For whatever reason, the letter stops there. There was nothing else written on the page, no signature, and no other pages in the envelope. This letter tells me that each of their former significant others were still somewhat or just freshly out of the picture.  This letter does say a few things to me that saddens me a bit, for I know how this story ends. As I mentioned at the beginning, this is not a fairy tale romance with a Hollywood ending. But it is real, and the love they shared was very real at that time.  

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