9¹⁵ July-30-43

Dearest Marge,

            Well I found out why I hadn’t heard from you.  I’m sorry because you hadn’t heard from me for so long a time but I can’t help that.  I know I wrote more often than 8 days but I can’t help it if the mail got bunched up somewhere.  Honey check up and see if I didn’t write those letters on different days.  I think I did but maybe the mail didn’t leave the Battery office or something.  It was just 6 days since I heard from you.  The last letter I got was Saturday and today is Friday.  I was worried too because you said in the letter that you wasn’t feeling very good.  Well I know you used to get those cranky spells but you hadn’t for a long time.  I’m not mad but I was wondering if I said something I shouldn’t of. 

            Honey I didn’t have a chance to write this week.  After I got captured I couldn’t write or do much only what I was told.  Maybe someday I can tell you all about this place.  There isn’t much to write about here though.  I got into another mess of chiggers again.  Boy one really bit me [edit for content].  I had to dig the little devil out.  Boy could he really bite.

            Well I guess we are really going to Kentucky.  I’m not sure but I think this is just another part of these maneuvers.  Maybe we will stay there I don’t know.

            Well I got my clothes all washed again.  It’s a job here because water is scarce.  All the streams are dry.  It rained today but not much. 

            Honey I like my watch more ever day.  I cracked the crystal but I’m going to get another one.  A watch here really takes a beating.  I don’t know how I cracked it but it’s done.

            When I was captured on this problem some of our Battery found a joint here in the hills.  The man was in jail for making “moonshine” [edit for content].  She had 3 daughters who wasn’t any better.  The youngest one was only 8 years old.  [edit for content] Some family huh?

            I was helping pick up some telephone lines one day and stopped to get a drink at house.  The old lady was named Thompson and said I was probably some kin to her.  She talked more than Mrs. Stewart.  Her son was at Dayton Air Field.

            I just had a bath.  I’m sitting here with just my shorts on.  Honey pop told me the Ration board gave you a Grade I Tire.  Maybe you can get along now for a while anyway.  I got to thinking about that gas ration and I remembered we never put the back of the A Book in.  Tough S**t.

Honey don’t get mad or worry if you don’t hear from me.  Its just impossible to write very often.  About the only time is when the problem is over. If we are captured or caught with our address on us we get a ^$75 fine. There is a lot more rules like this.  We can’t go to a store during a problem.  One outfit didn’t eat for 3 days during the last problem.

            Tonight my buddy was washing.  He didn’t have anything on and some farmer’s wife came thru camp.  I don’t know what which was embarrassed most.  The farmers here gather up the garbage to feed their hogs.  They get it just for removing it.  It’s worth that.

            Another guy got a telegram from his mother the other day.  His sister was the mother of a 15 kid.  This thing must have been grown up.  This was the third time he had been Uncle in two weeks.

            I’m running out of B.S.  There is a clipping here I found in a paper today.  Maybe you will get something out of it.  It’s about the last problem.

            Marge please don’t get mad any more cause you don’t hear from me.  If you were here you might understand better why I don’t write more often.  Someday before long I’ll stop writing and come home to you.  Boy I wish I could now.  I’ve missed you more than you will ever know and I want to tell you I’m being true to you.  I’ve only been out once since I came to this place.  I just can’t get interested in anything anymore.  Marge you’re the only person in this world for me and always will be.  I love you more every day and someday I’ll prove it to you.  Marge I trust you and I don’t doubt you.  I never did.  Honey I wish I had you in my arms tonight.  I’d squeeze you like you were never squeezed before.  Well Marge unless we move I’ll write tomorrow.  Here’s a big kiss to square up the mail situation.  

XXXXXXXXX           I love you

Ralph.