A.P.O.
#228 ___P.M.
3:30 PM April 9th,
1945
Somewhere in
My Darling Wife,
Today is
your Birthday Pheety and I wish you all the happiness
this wonderful day can bring you. Just think, two years ago about this time I
asked you to marry me, I met you only two or three
days before your Birthday. I hope you get my card Pheety
& I wish I could have been home to give you some lovely Roses! I’ve
planned that the day I come home I’m bringing you some roses. Will you like
that Darling? I’ve received three letters from you in the past week & was I
ever glad to hear from you. The other day I got your letters of December 9th
and February 19th & today your letter of March 6th. Pheety you mention how embarrassed you were when I had the
Red Cross looking for you. Darling I didn’t mean to hurt you but I was worried
about you. When I notified the Red Cross I hadn’t heard from you for 3 ½
months, I didn’t know where you were for sure and like a good husband I wanted
to know. I could have asked your mother but I wanted a quick answer. I thought
the Red Cross used cablegrams but I guess they did just use airmail after all.
Darling at that time my mother hadn’t told me anything about you as she didn’t
know herself. This week is the first mail I’ve got from you in about four
months. I have only three letters from you in a period of five months &
only 18 letters since I left you in
Darling in
your letter today there was a paragraph that really upset me terribly. The
paragraph lingered on a remark you heard a soldier say who had been overseas
for 31 months. Pheety you completely misunderstood my
in my letter when you mentioned that all I wanted to know when I come back was
what you had been doing while I was gone. I only meant by that statement what
kind of work you had been doing and other impersonal things. Darling you
are my loving wife & as a good husband I’m concerned in everything
my Pheety does. You know very well that I cannot
agree with you when you say you agree with that soldier, when he
said he didn’t want to know what his wife had been doing and he didn’t want her
to ask him what he had been doing while he was gone. Margaret you know as well
as I that this fellow couldn’t possibly love his wife,
he evidently doesn’t trust her and is therefore afraid of learning the truth.
The same is with him, he knows she can’t trust him and would be ashamed to tell
her the truth. Margaret you know you don’t want to live his kind of
married life, so why even think of such things. But I want to know what you
have been doing because I’m sure my Pheety will have
done nothing she would be ashamed to tell me. What in heavens name
Margaret, were you thinking of when you agreed to such an outrageous statement
as this soldier made. It don’t sound like my Pheety even thinking such a thing and I can’t imagine
whatever induced you to agree with such a remark. I hope you didn’t actually
mean it.
In your letter you evidently drew the
conclusion that I mistrust you. Pheety this love of
ours which has kept us so close together in the past two years wouldn’t let my
heart believe you’d do anything you would be ashamed to tell your Pheety. There is nothing anyone could say that would make
me feel any different toward your faithfulness. What in the world have you ever
done that I should mistrust you? I know I’ve made humorous remarks in letters
to tease you, but down deep in my heart I’ve never been in doubt about you
Darling and has kept us so close together in the past two years wouldn’t let my
heart believe you’d do anything you would be ashamed to tell your Pheety. There is nothing anyone could say that would make
me feel any different toward your faithfulness. What in the world have you ever
done that I should mistrust you? – I know I’ve made humorous remarks in letters
to tease you, but down deep in my heart I’ve never been in doubt about you
Darling and you know it! I just couldn’t ever picture you
with anyone else. You always told me that no one can ever take my place in
your life and Pheety I know you really meant it.
I realize how hard it must be for you to enjoy yourself without me anymore and
that many temptations are probably thrown your way, but Pheety
those temptations could never enter or come between a love
like ours, never! I know you have enough respect for yourself and your love for
me is so deep in you heart that all your love & kisses will be saved for me
til I’m home in your arms.
You have been so sweet to me Margaret in our
happy married life, that it actually pains me deep inside to think you
would mistrust me! Margaret you’ve seen me flirt on the street
with girls and you’ve witnessed many remarks I’ve made about that, but I never
dreamed I gave you the impression I would ever be untrue to you. As your
husband, you certainly know me better than that! I’m just an old tease and
you know it, that is as far as it ever goes and I
don’t know of anything I’ve ever done that I’d be ashamed to tell you.
After what you and I have been through together for two years do you think I
could do you wrong? We’re a perfect pair Darling and we want to keep it that
way forever. I think that the trouble with you is Margaret, that you’ve never
had the opportunity to learn just how trustworthy I am. You are letting my
petty flirting and remarks about girls I’ve made in the past, build things up
in your mind to such an extent that you imagine things I wouldn’t event think
of doing. I haven’t forgotten Margaret that I left a Darling wife back home
whom I hold very dear in my heart more than anything in the world, and just
because we’re apart for some time is no reason for you to think for the time
being I’m forgetting it. Even though at times when there has been a few
opportunities to pick something up, the temptation just wasn’t there like it
might have preyed on your mind. If I can’t be with you Darling, what would I
want with another woman. I respect myself and I have
too much pride than to give anyone else the benefit of myself when I and all I
have belongs to only you. I owe it to you
Darling the same as you do to me and as long as you’re my wife it’s going to
always be that way. I really love you Margaret and you know it, that is why
I’ll always be true to you no matter how long we’re apart, that’s the best way
I can put it.
Anyway there aren’t any temptations here, we
don’t have the opportunity & time to think of having good times like
they’re having in the States. We’re just plenty thankful to be alive. After all
we didn’t come over here to have a good time and that’s becoming more evident
each day. My work has me following that armies with a train of supplies on the
road continuously, day after day 24 tiresome long hours everyday, and my only
spare time (when I have it), is devoted to the wonderful memories of you and
the happiness you and I have shared together. Darling if you only realized
you’re on my mind everyday & how much my heart has ached for you, you
certainly would have no doubt about my love for you. Everyday of my life
overseas is the same, keeping that old train moving and at the same time
thinking of you. Where we are now Darling things get pretty
hot out around those trains, and now is when I need your letters most to
keep me going. Oh if it only was safe for you here I would sure like to have
you right by my side. Yes I still love you the same Darling and your heart is
still with me to hear all about you as I want to forget what we’re
seeing and going through now, we have seen it and that is enough.
You say you
admit you go out in a few parties, Darling you aren’t admitting anything, I
expected you to enjoy yourself as much as possible while I’m away, and I’m sure
that when you do go out, that only the thought of your Pheety
is with you. Do you talk about me much Pheety when
you’re out with your girl friends? I’m always showing your picture and telling
my brakeman and engineer how lovely you are. They are always telling me
to quit day dreaming and I catch myself doing that often. They think you’re
really beautiful, they all rave about your picture and of course that makes me
swell up and feel so proud. Oh all I want to do when I get back is give you all
my love with all my heart and soul. Just think of the lovin
you’ll have for me when I get back, isn’t it going to be
wonderful after going so long without being loved. Just think Darling that that
last wonderful kiss you gave me at
You know
Darling it’s sure going to seem funny to walk down
streets with you where there are bright lights and automobiles. The sound of
streetcars going by and people speaking a language I can understand. That first
dance with you will sure be a clumsy one I bet, I hope I haven’t forgotten how.
Remember that dip we used to go through when you straddled my leg. Boy you were
wonderful to dance with Darling, of course I’m not the dancer you are but we do
get along swell together, don’t we Pheety. I’m sorry
I never took you to more dances but boy I’ll make up for everything when I get
home. Won’t that first night be wonderful Darling. Boy
when I think of holding you in my arms I almost go crazy. But when that
day does come, you’ll never have to leave my arms again. All my love &
kisses to you my Darling.
“I LOVE YOU” Your Dumplin Forever
PLEASE WRITE ME TODAY
DARLING!
P.S. – Pheety when this war is
over here there is going to be quite a celebration in the States. The war as
far as your concerned shouldn’t be over til I’m home
safe in your arms, so please wait so you and I can celebrate together, and I
mean CELEBRATE DARLING! Don’t be too sure when you hear it’s over, your Pheety may still be shooting his way over the road
with a train. There people, not only the soldiers, are taking every chance they
get to stop us, so just think twice when you hear the Victory Belle. Dad says
he’s not celebrating til both is boys are safe and
sound at home.
Pheety will you please just for me, explain
what you meant when you agreed with this soldier that I shouldn’t want to know
what you’ve been dong while I have been away. Your letter has me worried cause it just isn’t you Margaret to even think such a
thing. I bet if I had been home and someone made that remark to you, you’d
think they were terrible. Am I right? You certainly don’t feel that way about us
just because we’re a part and you couldn’t have been talking from your heart.
Goodnight Darling and think of me
wherever you go. I’m always thinking of you and loving you more each day.
Your Pheety