9 November 1943

Dear Father and Mother –

It is a warm sticky evening and I’d give a lot to be able to drop in on you at Little Compton and have a real old fashioned evening by the fireplace with the wind howling outside and a high surf beating on the rocks at Warrens Point. What music that would be. Then early in the morning I’d slip out and go down through the fields to the marsh to shoot a few ducks for supper. There I go dreaming again but I love to think of those days.

Received a wonderful letter from my Billie the other day, in which she said she had sold four of the cocker family (3 pups and Ruffie) at $150 apiece and then flew over to the big Island of Hawaii for a vacation and rest – Wasn’t that cute? She did it all by herself and is now at the Volcano House on Hawaii having a real change and good time. It made me very happy as she was trying to do too much and was getting tired. It was her first plane trip and she was thrilled to pieces. Wimpie is now her only pet and we intend to keep her always as Billie is very fond of her.

Your letters are wonderful and I look forward to each one. They come few and far between but by their dates it is not your fault. However it might save a little time if you make note of my new address.

It is as follows: Captain Stuart W. Tompkins

0-472304, Reg. S-2, 132^nd Infantry

A.P.O. 716, c/o P.M. San Francisco

California

Please advise the rest of the family and tell them to make not of the change. I shall try to write to each one but it will take time to make the complete rounds. As you know my time is not my own.

I’m delighted with my new job as Regimental S-2 of the 132^nd Infantry Regiment, American Division. It keeps me on the trail, in the jungles and over the mountains a good part of the time and I love it. This is a swell outfit and I have made many friends.

When this war is over and we get home and back into the swing of normal living, Elizabeth and I have decided to buy a ranch in the northern part of California or Oregon where we will settle down to the life we both enjoy. We are getting a big kick out of thinking about it and making plans. We almost had our ranch before the war in Oahu but now I’s glad we didn’t complete our transaction as that island will be quite different after this war and we really both love the wilderness.

Well if you two will take good care of yourselves and keep up the good work, we should all be able to have a happy reunion when peace comes to the world again. Just remember that your “Bad Bo” is mighty found of you and will live to the full as you taught me and which I shall never regret. Good night. With loads of love, your Willard