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.

                                                                                                Aug. 11, 1943. Letter #4

 

My darling Jeannette,

            Well, my dear, since writing to you last on the 9th, I’ve received another letter from you – your #14 of July 24th with the four pictures and the two letters from Grandpa K. Thank you very much for the pictures. They are very good, especially the one of you in your bathing suit, which I have on my desk in my room. But the one of you standing with the flag in the background was - well I won’t say, except keep out of the sun when you have your picture taken. Yes, it was rather bad. The one of your dad was very good (I can’t see his sunburned forehead!).

            I’ve done nothing to write about since my last letter. Tomorrow I’m going to take another trip for a few days via plane to the place I went a few months back. I’ll write you from there, as I’ll probably be there for several days. Yesterday I received a letter from Aunt Frieda, written July 25th, and today I received one from Grandma W., written the same day. I’ll try to write some other letters when I have time but I’ve been quite busy lately and haven’t had much time to write. Tell Grandma K. to tell Grandpa K. that I received his letters and will answer.

            Now I’ll answer some of your letters since I now have all of yours.

            Your letter # 12, written July 21st, was received Aug. 3rd. You mentioned hot weather; it is hot here as well.. You mentioned the price and points of Spam. You can have it at any price and no points, and Vienna sausages and corn beef and a few other things. I am glad to hear your victory garden came out well. Yes, I’m getting used to being called Colonel now.

            Your letter # 13, written July 13, was received Aug. 5. I am glad the long missing May letter finally arrived; It took long enough. In what time are my photographed V letters coming now? I am glad you have a chance to get out in the sun for a sunbath, it will do you good. You asked me about the Brunet family. There are Mr. and Mrs. B. and two daughters, both of whom are about 8 or 10 years older than me. One daughter does Red Cross nursing; I don’t know what the other daughter does, but I know she is a widow. Mr. B. is a retired minister. He and Mrs. B. are both in their seventies. The one daughter and Mrs. B. speak some English and Mr. Brunet and the other daughter are learning a few words. Mr. B. has started studying it at his age. They have a four or five room apartment that is decorated with a lot of old-fashioned furniture. The apartment is located in the back of a cathedral on a small park; about ten minutes walk from my hotel.

            Your letter # 14, written July 25th was received. My mail surely is reaching you in good time and I hope it continues to do so. Grandpa K.’s hand is getting shakier all the time; I had a rather hard time reading his letter. I am glad to hear mother is finally going to a good doctor instead of some quack chiropractor. I hope she will be better now before long. I surely hope Dorothy comes along well also and that she has a girl since that is what she wants. You can send me a telegram form now telling me about that. I haven’t sent any so far but I may try it soon. They take about a week or more. The cable address is AMNAFI for A.P.O.600.

            You asked me what I do in my spare time, but I don’t have much of that. When I do have an evening free and am not writing, I take a walk in a park overlooking the sea and port nearby. I sit there looking out over the sea, and, like yourself, dream of the things we shall do together when we are once more reunited and the things we shall do with our home, the trips we shall take and the good times we shall have together. Other nights I read a newspaper or magazine, and once in a while I go to a movie. That is about all. I would rather be busy because then the time passes more quickly and draws nearer to that time when we shall once more be together. There are times I miss you so much, dearest, that it just doesn’t seem as though I could wait to get back. And it seems to have been an eternity now since I’ve seen you. I love you, my darling, with all my heart.

                                                                        Carlton