To                                                                                From

                        Mrs. Carlton J. Cook                                       Lt. Col. Carlton J. Cook

                        26 Front St.                                                      Ord. Sec., Hq. M.B.S.

                        Binghamton, New York                                    A.P.O. 600, % P.M. N.Y.C.

                                                                                                Sept. 14, 1943. Letter # 6.

 

My darling Jeannette:

            As well as usual, darling, and I hope this letter finds you the same.  My cold is all over now, including cough and all.  Hope all your folks and mine are well.  I suppose Dorothy has an addition to her family now.  I hope that she has gotten along all right and that she has a nice baby girl.

            This is the first letter in a long time in which I have had no letter to answer from you.  Your last letter ree’d was #18 of Aug. 29th, which I answered Sunday.  And there really isn’t much to write about tonight so I may have a hard time filling this page with anything worthy while writing.

             I don’t believe I ever told you that I sent back to England some time ago with some others to have my footlocker and an extra box, I had, sent back to the states to you.  I am going to send you the key to the padlock on the locker by mail so you can open it.  You have a key which will fit the locker lock.  If it come in before long will you send me my dress cap and the cover for it (inside the cap I think) and also my pair of rubbers (in either the box or locker (I don’t remember).  If it doesn’t reach there by the middle of October, send on my old dresscap and see if you can buy a cover for that for rainy weather.  These field caps are not worth a hoot in rainy weather, I found out last winter.  Also let me know how the things arrive in it.  I left my pocket watch in the locker by mistake.  There are also some new rolls of film, never used.  They probably are out of date by now though.  You see I left quite a few things in the locker which I thought would be sent down here soon after I arrived but plans were changed and no lockers were sent down from England.  We had a chance to have them sent home so I thought that best.  The woolens you had better have cleaned and put away for me; also unpack anything else that should be.  It might arrive soon and might not for several months, I don’t know.

            I wrote to Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Tubby the other day and to Mr. Schad today.  Hope to get enough up with some other correspondence sometime.  Heaven knows I have enough of it.  Last night I went to the Red Cross theater to see Laurel and Hardy in “The Airraid Wardens”.  It was pretty good but not as much so as some of their pictures.  Did you see it? Read a letter from McDowell’s the other day.  They had read a package I sent them with some rasins, fig paste, candy and soap.  They were much pleased as raisins and figs are rationed very much there as are soap and candy also.

            I wrote you Sunday about going swimming that day at the beach.  I had two excellent meals at the mess there – steak for midday dinner and turkey for dinner at night.  We took a bus out to the beach at 12:15 and got there in time to eat.  I returned by bus about 7 PM.  Part of the drive is very beautiful along the shore.  There are high cliffs and the road winds in an out very much like the Amalfi drive in Italy about which I told you I was on there in 1930.

            I didn’t do much else at night if I’m not busy.  I usually read a paper or magazine n my room and I’ve been going to be about ten or 10:30, get up about 7 AM and getto the office about 8:15 or 8:20.  Work starts at 8:30 to 12 and 1 to 5:30 plus as much more is necessary.  Am taking Friday PM and a half a day Sunday off now for my day each week.  Every three weeks I work Sunday PM.  Two of my officers and I switch that way.  Guess there isn’t much else to write in this rambling letter and I haven’t said much already, I see.

            I do muss you so much dear, sometimes more than others.  How I wish we could be together once more and how I pray for that time to come.  I love you darling with all of my heart.  All of my love and kisses.

                                                                                                                        Devotedly,

                                                                                                                                    Carlton