CO. C. 735th Ry. Opn. Bn.

A.P.O. #228 ___P.M. New York, N.Y.

3:30 PM April 9th, 1945

Somewhere in Germany

 

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 St. Paul. You state in your letter today that in the last three letters you got from me, I stated I had received a letter from you. You are right, Pheety, but in those letters I didn’t make any complaint of the many weeks between those letters that I went without any word from you. You admitted in of your letters that you hadn’t been writing, you repeated yourself twice in saying these words, “Vincent will you ever forgive me for not writing you as often as I should.” And then you turn around in your letter today and say it’s a mystery to you why I don’t get your letters. You also state that my mother tells you she tells me all about you, yes but not until just recently after I had heard from you. Pheety I never complained much in my letters that I thought you weren’t writing, because for a while I thought your mail just wasn’t getting to me. Later everyone else was getting theirs and I kept hearing from my folks, then is when I started worrying and plenty. Well since then you can’t imagine what I’ve been going through. I couldn’t imagine what happened to you, all I could remember was I have a wife I’ve always trusted & loved so much that it was impossible for me to believe she would neglect me as you have. I have been working continuously everyday following the armies with countless things on my mind. No matter how hot the Germans make it for us, no matter how much my mind is on my work, you stand out in my mind just the same Darling. Even at the most crucial moment you’re right there with me.

            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 Ft. Snelling has never been touched by another and I can swear that by the hand of God with my hand on the Bible. Darling if you can say that much I’ll sure be a happy boy and I know you can. I’m certainly proud to have a wife so wonderful as you. I love you with all my heart Darling and I’m so homesick to be with you I don’t see how I can wait. The war is almost over and my work will soon be done. So please remain that patient little wife of mine til that day comes when we’ll be living in a little world all our own. Please write me a long beautiful letter today Darling & tell me how much you love me. I love to hear it, only sweet words from you can keep me going. I hope Pheety that you agree with me now what I had to say about knowing all about you while I was away.

            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