76

Cherbourg, France

June 12, 1945

My darling wife:

            Oh! Maggie darling, but it was good to hear to hear from you again.  It seemed like years since the last time, but it was only a week.  You must know I miss you and everything about you.  Your letters 75 and 77 came today the last one before was 73, so that makes two more missing.  Number 77 with the two pictures had the envelope torn and was patched up and resealed at New York.  Was it only two pictures?  Speaking of pictures honey—You look gorgeous on those pictures.  I can’t see much of your shape, but your face—honey how can you keep those 4F wolves away from you?  Do you have any trouble?  You make me so mad sometimes.  I’m dying to see what you look like.  Please, honey, for me, have some taken of yourself, if you don’t I’ll break your little neck.  It never fails, you either have your face, or arm or leg or your face is turned the other way.  Please honey, say you will.  I want to see some of your new clothes.  I have your pictures right here beside me to give me inspirations.  I just love that one with you kneeling down with Allen in his trunks loving Bobby.  Say Bobby looks awfully cute to me.  I don’t know where she looks like a Searle.  Do you think she does?

            I get the same way as you some days.  I think of you every minute, every second of the day.  It really bothers me some days.  I do think of you every day, but its like you say, some days it really hurts.  That is what they call love, I guess.  It’s a funny thing about you and I honey.  I did wake up a couple of nights.  I roll and toss about 3 or 4 in the morning.  It must be that I have you on my mind, and you thinking about me.  You must be lonesome for me.  I guess you know how I feel too.  Yes honey I still remember our last night together.  I still mean what I said about not being able to live if I lost you.  I love you so darling, and its so hard to be away from you.  I’d swear we are a little different then some people that are married or in love.  We are as much in love as when we are going together in Toledo, even more so.  You’d never think we were married almost three years the way our love grows.  My heart is still yours Maggie and it always will be.  Not only my heart but everything I have is yours.  You still remember the exact time you meet me.  I’ll never forget that day as long as I live.  We were in love before that honey.  It just took a little time for our hearts to find one another.  You have been waiting for me all your life the same as I was looking for you all my life.  It turned out just the way it was meant.  Honey I never had a lucky day in my life until Aug. 2, 1942, and I haven’t had any since.  I love you always my darling wife.

            Your letters of late have been very sweet Maggie, the kind I like to get from you.  I don’t want to hear about war or politics, its you and our love and the children I want to hear about.  It isn’t a power that I have over you honey, its just love.  You were never in love before, I knkow.  Maybe you thought you were.  I know I told girls (that is one or two) that I loved them, but as soon as I said it I knew I didn’t mean a word of it.  I just said it so I could keep their company for awhile and when they mentioned marriage, well that was the end.  In fact I never thought of marriage until Aug. 2, 1942.  From that time on I was never afraid of marriage.  I fell in love for the first time in my life and it is a wonderful feeling.

            Drink some more of that good beer.  Every time you drink some you are doing it for me, as I can almost taste it when you tell me about it.  You are helping the war effort by keeping your husband happy and filled up with beer.

            Things are really tough back home now.  The food seems to be getting more scarce every day.  I sure wish this dam war would end soon.  We are feeding practically the whole world.  If the French would get off their lazy ass and work them fields they could relieve us plenty.  There I go again talking about the war.  I’m sorry honey.  It just makes me mad sometimes.

            I saw that show “Bring on the Girls” on Sunday night.  I guess that’s what it was. 

            Say Maggie tell me more about that dream you had with Rie and I.  How did he get into it.  You better keep these strange fellows out of your dreams don’t you know I am jealous.

[edited for content]

            I don’t know why you aren’t hearing from me.  I write just about every night.  I was a silly ass a couple weeks ago, and I am very sorry.  I hope you will forgive me.  One of your letters made me a little angry, so I wrote back a pretty mean one.  I promise I’ll never do it again.  It was very foolish of me.  I don’t want you ever to get angry with me honey.  We love one another too much to get any funny ideas now.  Don’t take the things I say to serious.  Sometimes we are in a bad mood and take it out in the mail.  Sometimes one gets very lonely and doesn’t mean the things he says.  I do mean I love you, and every word of it.  Please take that serious.  If at anytime I have anything bothering me, I’ll tell you, but don’t take a wrong meaning and get mad, just help me out with things.  I am too happy in love with you for us to do anything foolish.

            Write to me as often as possible Maggie.  Your sweet letters and pictures put my morale up one thousand per-cent.

            Goodnite until tomorrow my dearest.

                                                My heart is yours,

                                                            Your lonesome husband,

                                                                        Pres.