Philippine islands

December 25, 1944

My Dearest Darling Wife,

Hello sweet little angel, how is my darling little wife. Awful, awful sweet I know and fine I hope. You had better be dear. Well dolly no sweet letters so far today but I am sure hoping that some comes in before the day is over but I don’t think it will cause it is almost four o’clock now. Gosh Honey I hope so much that our mail will start coming in good. Your precious letters mean the world and all to me dearest and they are so darn swell. They make me so awful darn happy and make me feel so wonderful all over dearest. Gosh Honey your wonderful letters give me the greatest feeling. I sure hope you are getting my letters all right now dearest. Won’t it be wonderful when we are back in each others arms dear and won’t have to write letters any more. You are so darn sweet dearest and I love you so awful darn much dear.

I am feeling fine now dearest and getting along all right in every way. I have plenty of everything now dear. Well Honey it is another pretty nice day here. It rained a little this morning but nothing to amount to anything. I am sure glad it stayed nice and sure hope it stays all right now. Sure hope it is nice at home now dear and sure hope it isn’t to cold.

Well darling today is Christmas Day and what I wouldn’t give to be with you today dear. I would of awakened you with a great big kiss this morning if I had been home dear, yes I would have dear. And then kept it up all day dearest. Gee we would be so happy and be having so much fun darling. This is our third Christmas away from each other dear and my third one out of the United States. I was on Angel Island two years ago, Fiji last year and now the famous Philippines. Honey I know we are both hoping and praying so much that we can be in each others arms by this time next year. This rotation will surely work fast enough so that I can be back in your sweet arms by this time next year dear. It sure is moving slow now but I sure have hopes of it getting better. Gee darling it will be so wonderful when I can give you nice presents once again and be able to hand them to you in person on Christmas morning. I haven’t been able to send you or get you anything at all for three years now darling but you know I will do everything in my power to make up for these years the first year I am back in your sweet arms dear. You always send me so many swell things dear, gee but you are a wonderful little wife darling. I sure hope the rest of my packages come in pretty quick dear. I expect a lot of our mail will be missing for those first two months we have been here but I sure hope now. Seven years ago today we spent our first Christmas together dearest and we enjoyed every one after that until two years ago. Remember the last one we spent together dear, we was over to Peg and Mac’s and we went out by ourselves in the afternoon and then got back there to the house before the rest of them did. We sure did have a close call there dear but we made it. Would you let me do the same thing I was doing if we was together today darling and how many times dear. We wouldn’t have to worry about anyone either dear and we could be so cozy in our little home. Honey I am going to be right with you in the same place we was that afternoon every time you are in there when I get home, yes I am dearest, not one minute out of my sight. Well dolly I worked today, went to work at six and got off at twelve noon. We had our Christmas dinner tonite and just got back from eating dear. We had a real nice dinner and I sure enjoyed it. We had roast turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, carrots, peas, fresh buns and ice cream. We had ice cold coca cola for the drink and boy did it ever taste good. It was made like they make fountain cola dear. We just got an ice plant fixed up so I guess we will be having cold drinks all the time now and maybe ice cream once in a wile to. This we had today was sure good, first we have had since we left Fiji, a year ago now. I sure hope you had a swell Christmas dear and I sure wish I could have been there to really enjoy a wonderful dinner. Honey dear it will be so wonderful when I am back in your sweet arms and eating your swell cooking. You are such a wonderful little cook dear, just a wonderful little wife in every way. Honey dear I am wishing you the Merriest Christmas you could possibly have with us being so far apart. No holidays or any days will really be happy ones for us until we are back in each others arms dear and then they will be the most happy ones we ever spent. I wrote mother and told her to get you something for me dear and then I would send her the money and I sure hope she was able to get you something you wanted dear. I also had a corsage sent to you dear and I sure hope you got it. I had it sent when I was back in the Admiralties dear, that is I paid for it then and the order went in so you would get it at Christmas time. Honey our Christmas will be so darn wonderful when we are back in each others arms, the happiest ones we ever had dear.

Honey you are so darn sweet and I love you so awful, awful much and you know I always will dearest. You are so darn sweet and so precious in every way dolly. Gosh Honey we are so happily married and love each other more every day. Honey dear I know God hears our prayers and will answer them and keep us safe and bring us together as soon as possible. Please take wonderful care of my precious parts Honey, gee but they are wonderful and I love them so darn much. Yours are fine dear miss you awful darn much. You are the sweetest and most adorable little wife in this world dear and I love you so darn much and always will dear.

Well sug I guess I had better close for this time and I’ll write you as soon as possible now dear. I’ll be looking for your sweet letters now dolly. Please be awful, awful careful now dear and take wonderful care of my sweet little wife. Remember now dear chin up and always happy. Tell all hello dear.

Love and more love to my sweet little angel.

Loads and loads of love to my dearest darling wife I love so darn much.