Jan. 15, 1947

Dearest [foreign characters] Jack,

Hello you! Got your letter and I’m answering quick like a bunny. M’ gosh, you’ve got me worried about your eye now. I certainly hope you’ll be all right eventually. You’d better be! Those Marines!

I think you’re a rat (RAT, that is) P.F.C. H.J. Longendyke, writing in Chinese. Just you wait, that’s all I have to say, just you wait. We’ll see who wins in the end.

So you’re jealous of Ft. Dix, huh? Well, there’s no need to be ‘cuz I’m not the least bit interested in one of them. If I have to go there, I have to and that’s that. So all your fears are in vain, Jack—absolutely. As I told you before—I like Marines but not all of them.

We had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Loads of parties and dances—ahhh—I was living. But back to the grind tomorrow. I can hardly wait. (joke)

I got your card, thank you, and it was the cleverest card I’ve ever seen. If it’s from you I guess it would have to be different. I certainly do like it. You’re so thoughtful, really.

I don’t know if it’s wise to give Frank’s address to Jean because of what may happen. She doesn’t like him and he’ll want her to be serious and first thing you know he’ll be giving her a ring or something. But if you want me to, I will. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, though. I’ll wait till I hear from you again then I’ll do what you say, Ho Kay? Ho Kay.

You aren’t looking forward to our date any more than I am, Jack, old top. We’ll have a lot of fun, I know. You can talk to me in Japanese and I’ll beat away in Greek. I can just see us now, in some institution. Yak, yak. I’m so glad you’re going to learn Russian. It never hurts anyone to know a language or three—huh Jack?

I’m glad you liked that picture. Those girls certainly are knockouts. I feel like a complete fade-out next to them. But they are the trials and tribulations of a wallflower.

We had a wonderful New Year’s Eve party. Everyone was lit except Jean and me. We had a glass of wine to be sociable but that’s my limit. Never was very interested in the stuff and I don’t like boys who are. Mother always told her youngest (me) that. So, being a law abiding child, I have listened to her. The smell of liquor makes me ill so you can imagine what drinking it would do to me. I’m happy with my cokes anyhow. We stayed up all night, then went to 5 o’clock (A.M.) Mass New Year’s Day. All the kids came to my house after church and we had a large buffet breakfast. Then they all went their merry ways HOME. It was pretty gay. In church a man who was as high as a kite sat next to me and fell asleep on my shoulder, snoring like mad! I swear, everything happens to me.

You don’t know how relieved I am to hear you don’t fight all the time. I hated to think of you in a mess continuously. I feel terribly about your eye, Jack, make it get better soon, huh?

Can you give me any idea at all as to about when you’ll be back in the States? A year? Less? Gosh, hope it’s a matter of a couple months. Then I can start planning things. It’s so odd writing to someone you’ve never met, don’t you think? But—who’s complaining? I certainly am NOT!

I feel heart broken ‘cuz we had such a neat Thanksgiving and you didn’t. Gosh, I would’ve sent you something if I had known. Tell me about your Christmas. You surely celebrate that. I hope so. Anyhow, Happy New Year, Mr. Longendyke.

Say, if you run into a Jack Durban over thar in China treat him nicely. He’s the love of one of my sorority sisters. Swell fella. Marine—naturally.

I’ll close for now—Write soon-

Always, your Nance