Aug. 8, 1943

Dearest Jane,

Hi sugar, how goes it, swell I sure hope. Received your letter a few days ago and was very glad to hear from you and no fooling. Sure glad to hear the baby is fine and making so much progress I would surely love to see her. They are awfully cute when they are her age. The little things they learn to say before you least expect it. Guess maybe before to awful long we can get together for a visit, gee I hope so honey and I’m very anxious to see Cynthia. That’s such a dear name. Glad Clive can be with you fairly often as yet, makes it lots easier on you both I know. When they rushed me in the Army they got the job done for distance! I’m about as far from Dallas as you are I guess. But I’m doing OK so far. I made the Medical Corp as a Surgical Technician and before long now will go off to school. My gang has half of our basic training behind us now Clive knows all about that basic, he can tell you. For the Air Corp, there is 48 days of basic. There have been days I thought they would kill me completely out, but you know the old saying (you can’t get a good man down) oh yeah some joke eh? Anyway to make a long story short I will really be glad to get away from here and on to medical school. Be sure kids to tell Clive hello for me and I’m glad he is doing well. What rank is he? He is in a good end; the Quartermasters Corp isn’t it. Well honey I really don’t have so much more news because its army news and you all know more about that than I do but boy howdy I’m catching on pretty quick I believe. Saw a good show this afternoon B. Crosby in Dixie, see it if you can if you haven’t already, it was really OK. Got a nice letter from Ginger yesterday also got a letter from Odell. And I might tell you there is someone back home that says she would wait for me if it was ten years, can you imagine a gal thinking that about a monkey like me. But Jane I want to tell you something, someday I will marry again, yes even after my failures – but Bobby has to be considered and plenty. There are lots of angles for me now you know. He will soon be nine years old. I get the cutest letters from him and it does my heart so good. But I won’t bother you kid about getting off the army path. I’m feeling better than I have in a long time. A year or two of this training and doing my bit is no more than I should do. Well sugar kiss the baby for me and tell her she’s got a treat in store when she gets to see her uncle Tuck and boy is he looking forward to seeing her. Take care of yourself and write me soon as you find time I’ll close for now and write to mom.

Lots of Love Tuck.