Co. C 735^th Ry. Opn. Bn.

A.P.O. #228 Co/o P.M. New York, N.Y.

7:00 pm January 15, 1945

Somewhere in Belgium

My Dearest Wife,

Pheety I’m still alive and thinking of you everyday as ever. It’s been so long since I’ve written you that I bet you’re plenty worried. Darling if you’ve been reading the papers quite frequently, you’ll understand why. The activity here has kept us on our toes as never before and I can’t begin to tell you what it’s like. I never knew a man could stand as much work under such conditions in this terrible weather, but we keep going and moving with the war. I’ve worried myself crazy because I haven’t written you Darling, but I’m sure if I could tell you what I’ve been doing, you’d well understand and be thankful that I’m still around to write you once again. I’m okay and I feel fine. I’m over my cold now and am looking better, in fact some of the boys kid me when I get cleaned up after going around for weeks so dirty, they say, “Isn’t he handsome,” and of course that embarrasses me to death and I still won’t admit it. And about you my Darling Margaret I’ll die with you in my heart Pheety and you know it. Oh many times I catch myself going into a trance from thinking of you and how lovely it would be to be with you again. I’m not kidding either Margaret. You’ve no idea just how much I do love you. Oh I often say to myself, “How was I ever so lucky as to find one like you.” You’ve made me feel as no other woman has. You just do things to me when you’re around Pheety. Oh of course you’d never know it. It’s just like my little jealousy, I hide it somewhere. Even my love for you, I mean part of my love I don’t show. But as to how much I really do love you Darling, oh if you only knew. Margaret I guess there’s just no words for it at least if there are I can’t put them together. I’d give anything my love, if I could express fully just what you mean to me and how much you live in my heart. I could never look at another woman Pheety and like in St. Paul I never again want to flirt with one when I’m with you or alone. It’s like you said, we’ll be just living in a little world all our own. To say those words sounds like a dream that will never come true. But it will come true, it must and my hopes are high. But my morale is almost completely gone Darling. I don’t get any mail anymore, all the other fellas do. I worry so when I don’t know anything about you or what you’re doing. I know you don’t hear from me very often Pheety but I swear I just can’t help it. I just don’t have the time everyday. Oh I know you won’t understand now, but someday you will when I can tell you. Being on the move so much and changing A.P.O. numbers all the time would slow up our mail. But the other fellas still keep getting their mail why shouldn’t I? Pheety are you sure you’re writing me often enough. Sometimes I get to thinking that since you don’t hear from me very often is because I’m not writing, so you decide not to write either. Pheety you wouldn’t do that to me would you? You know very well if I had the time I’d sure write you everyday. Most people in the States don’t have any idea what war is like, and how busy the boys really are. If we don’t get our mail what have we to look forward to in this war torn country? We’ll do the work over here, you write the letters and every chance I get I’ll do the same Pheety. Darling I hope you didn’t get angry when I said you couldn’t have me and the Pinewood both, I didn’t mean it exactly that way. But Pheety you should have known better than to worry me by telling you were going down there. You’ve always known how I feel about you being in beer joints without me. Why did you have to go there. I hope you are working somewhere else as you are too lovely to be working in the best beer joint in the country. I wish you didn’t have to work at all but if you want to be busy I think that’s nice. I always said my wife would never have to work but of course the war changed that. When I come back you won’t have to work, we’ll just stay home and love [one another]. That’s all I want to do when I get home Darling is just love you to pieces and I’m so homesick for you I just don’t see how I can go on. I dream of you day in and day out. I just can’t be anything but true to you Margaret and to think even of being untrue to you sounds too fantastic to even mention. I know I’ll never have to worry about my Pheety cause I think you’re the truest little sweetheart that ever lived. When you went in the car that day with Larry in St. Paul I knew that didn’t mean anything to you cause you’ve always worshipped me too much. That was once I really showed I was jealous and Darling I too know what a feeling that is. I just can’t see anyone being near you and the night you went back to the Serger Shop just about killed me inside. You never told me where you were from the time the shop closed ‘til you came home to me at 11:00 pm. You couldn’t have been with Larry cause Pheety you just couldn’t do that to me. We’ve been too happy together and you like my lovin too well to want to be near anyone else at least that’s the way I feel and Darling after living with you and been loved by you. I couldn’t stand to be touched by another woman. Always remember Pheety that I’m you husband, that I’m yours forever. You’re my wife Darling and you belong to me I just won’t stand anyone laying a hand on you. That’s why I don’t ever want anyone dancing with you unless I’m along, but I bet you have danced when you and Peg go somewhere. Have you Pheety? Oh Darling I pray you’re well and haven’t had anymore trouble, it makes me so happy when I know you’re feeling good and are keeping warm and having no more trouble. Always let me know how you’re feeling Darling and what you’re doing. You’re what I’m living for Pheety and I must know all about you while I’m over here. Pheety please write me soon and make me happy again and I’ll write more cause our work is letting up a little now, it always runs in spells. I just wish I could make love to you in my letters like you do in yours. Darling you sure can write ‘em and Boy do I get loved when I read ‘em. Don’t forget Pheety that I love you with all my heart and that love I have for you shall go on until I die. I’ve always said, “I’m lucky to have you—I’m going to keep you—you’re mine, all mine Pheety.” You’re just one solid chunk of love Darling and you have everything. YOU MADE ME HAPPY JULY 28, 1943 NOW I’LL ALWAYS BE HAPPY!—GOODNIGHT MY LITTLE PHEETY! ALL MY LOVE AND KISSES TO YOU, YOUR DUMPLIN FOREVER.