80 years ago today.
On this day in World War II history, Allied forces completed their capture of the French port of Cherbourg from the German army. Meanwhile, from an Army camp in Indiana…
*Letter is being shared “as is”…misspellings and all.*
Ft. Benj.
My Dearest Darling:
Just a line to answer your lovely letter. Honey I adore you. I am in the P.X. writing this – that P.X. means post exchange. It is supper time and the rest of the boys are eating but you are more important than eating to me, and I mustn’t let you forget me.
Just a line to answer your lovely letter. Honey I adore you. I am in the P.X. writing this – that P.X. means post exchange. It is supper time and the rest of the boys are eating but you are more important than eating to me, and I mustn’t let you forget me.
Say listen hon, I had that bond business fixed up this morning and I named you as co-owner to them, they will be sent to you and I had it fixed so you could cash them and dear please feel free to cash them any time you need them or want to regardless of what for or who for. Honey I love you more than anything in this world. Darling I never had a chance to prove to you just how much I really do love you. If you would only decide that you could stand me for the rest of your life or maybe a little longer I might get the opportunity some day to prove my love for you. Well I might as well quit talking about it for it is quite impossible for me to tell how much I love you on paper. Have you heard from Charles? I don’t suppose so yet. Don’t forget what you told me you was going to do about that letter. Have you heard any more from the guy that thinks he’s going to be your future? Don’t forget I sad the guy that thinks. I talk like I was very sure of my self don’t I? But really I’m not.
Give Gertie a special hello for me and tell her if I could get out of this place we would go swimming if I had to carry both of you gals from hear to the ocean on my back to do it. While your at it you can give mom a kiss for me and tell Vaughn and Roy hello for me. It sure did sound good to hear his voice the other night when I called you.
“Skinner” must have something good down in Ohio. I hope she has better luck than she did the last time. But honey I still don’t want you to go to Ohio. Just wait a while dear and maybe we can go together if you want to go. Don’t answer this for awhile hon as they are changing us all around and I will probably have a different company. I will call you Friday nite at 9:00 and let you know what to do in regards to your letter to me and everything. Don’t forget to tell me friday nite if Don is home yet. How is [littel] Billy I sure do miss him. It wouldn’t be so bad if he was as close to me as you are for you are in my heart all of the time and always will be. Well honey I have to close and go take and shower and get to bed as I went out on a special detail yesterday morning at 3:00 and I am pretty tired. So I will close hoping to hear you soon (9:00 Friday nite don’t forget) Signing off with love and my mind full of thoughts of love of you.Yours First, Last, and Always
Love Forever I hope
Give Gertie a special hello for me and tell her if I could get out of this place we would go swimming if I had to carry both of you gals from hear to the ocean on my back to do it. While your at it you can give mom a kiss for me and tell Vaughn and Roy hello for me. It sure did sound good to hear his voice the other night when I called you.
“Skinner” must have something good down in Ohio. I hope she has better luck than she did the last time. But honey I still don’t want you to go to Ohio. Just wait a while dear and maybe we can go together if you want to go. Don’t answer this for awhile hon as they are changing us all around and I will probably have a different company. I will call you Friday nite at 9:00 and let you know what to do in regards to your letter to me and everything. Don’t forget to tell me friday nite if Don is home yet. How is [littel] Billy I sure do miss him. It wouldn’t be so bad if he was as close to me as you are for you are in my heart all of the time and always will be. Well honey I have to close and go take and shower and get to bed as I went out on a special detail yesterday morning at 3:00 and I am pretty tired. So I will close hoping to hear you soon (9:00 Friday nite don’t forget) Signing off with love and my mind full of thoughts of love of you.Yours First, Last, and Always
Love Forever I hope
I found included in the envelope with this letter, a copy/receipt of his “Authorization of Class B Allotment For Purchase of War Savings Bonds” showing he had purchased what appears to be a $25 bond with an $18.75 allotment as well as a $10 bond. His sweetheart is listed as the co-owner and the bonds were to be delivered to her home. A notation at the top is written:
“This is a receipt Honey. Keep it. Love, W.H.”
A few other notations to help make sense of the names referred to:
“Gertie” – her sister
“Vaughn” – her step-father
“Roy” – Vaugn’s brother.
“Don” is HIS brother,
“littel Billy” – unknown.
“Skinner” – Probably her cousin,
“Gertie” – her sister
“Vaughn” – her step-father
“Roy” – Vaugn’s brother.
“Don” is HIS brother,
“littel Billy” – unknown.
“Skinner” – Probably her cousin,
He writes of Charles, who was the brother of his sweetheart. In the same context he also speaks of her (now former) beau. I believe that Charles may have been a close friend of this “Paul D.” as they are written of in the context of one another here in this letter. I also have a letter written to her from her brother, Charles in 1943 where he states that he got a letter from Paul D. claiming he would be marrying her. This relationship between she and Paul D. was very possibly long-term and endearing, but would not last.
~ C.
Heritage, Inheritance, & Legacy 