To: Mrs. Carlton J. Cook                                                               Lt.Col. Carlton J. Cook

                                                                                                          Ord. Ser. Hq. M.S.B.

26 Front St.     

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

                                                                                                                                                                                           Dec. 31, 1943. Letter # 12

 

My Darling Jeannette:

           

            Well, my dear, this is my last letter this year to you and almost my New Year’s Eve letter as it is now a little past nine o’clock. I hope you are planning to go out and have a good time as you can this evening. I have not anything to do but write a letter to my wife. There isn’t anything I want to do as far as that is concerned without you darling. How I pray that New Year’s Eve will see us together some place in the U.S.A. I took this afternoon off and went to a show at the Red Cross theatre. It was “Sweet Rosy O’Grady” with Betty Gable and Robert Young and was quite a good picture. Then I went to get my hair cut and now don’t be surprised – too much – got it cut real short – about an inch. I have a small infection on my chest and went to see the doctor – a skin specialist today. He said it was connected to my dandruff; gave me some ointment for my chest and some lotion for my scalp; said to cure my chest he would have to cure my dandruff also as it is something in the system that causes on from the other. So I got my hair cut short to treat it and wash it better. I can get some rain water now and of course that works very well for shampooing. The regular tap water is so hard and salty that it leaves your hair all sticky afterwards unless you put vinegar in afterwards as they do in the barber shops here.

            I wrote you last on the 29th and since then have received two more welcome letters – your numbers 13 and 14 of Dec. 17th and 18th, both on the 30th. Guess I’ll answer those now. Your #10, recorded the 28th. I am glad the Christmas cards arrived in time and safely. No, we did not buy the forms. They were mimeographed from forms made up by various soldiers. What do you want to know about the flowers? Curiosity killed the cat once, so to say. It’s a nice day out, isn’t it, dear? But since you are so curious about them, well perhaps I’ll tell you – some other time. There really isn’t room here with all the letters I have to answer and of course I know you are in no hurry to find out so I’ll tell you next month or the month after or sometime. No, no news on rotation. It probably will not come at all or will come all of the sudden with orders to leave quickly. Je ne saia pas.

            Your #12, recorded also on the 28th. Thank for renewing my subscription to the Press. Which reminds me, I received the December issue of House Beautiful the other day. When I have room I shall write you some things to mark in that and in the balance of the November issue. No, do not send me any more packages at all unless I write you to do so. That includes the things from my footlocker in case it comes back. (I mean don’t send them.) I hope some of the things I have sent have arrived safely by now, as you said then they had not come.

            Your #15. Will you thank Aunt Clair and Uncle Tubby for the defense stamps for me? And I hope you have thanked everyone else about whose gifts I have written. By the way I received a money order from the Society of Mercy for a dollar for Christmas with a very nice card the other day. Will you also thank them for me dear? I shall send you the money order to put in war stamps, as that is the best place for it. Surly it was all right for you to buy that hat. When I get back I want you to be the best dressed woman in town, bar none, so you will have to get into practice now. I will answer your letter #14 next time.

            Tomorrow I shall work all day except for time enough for the communion service at 8:30 in the mourning. Then Sunday, all being well I shall take off all day and enjoy sleeping for a while in the mourning. Yesterday I received the package with my dress cap and the box of candied almonds. Many thanks darling. I wrote you previously that I had the box with my clothes and one with the things for Brunet’s. Since using the sharpening compound, my razor works like a new one. All my love to you sweetheart. My thoughts will be in as I shall stay up that long.

 

Love,

Carlton