April 13, 1942 - Dear Audrey

Jan Palson

13 Apr 2026 — 4 min read

I would appreciate you more alone.

Cheer up. You get to see each other in another 3 weeks. In the meantime, there are long days with instructions, which sounds like classes to attend not to mention artillery drilling and marching with your gun on the parade grounds. Lucky he suffered no more than a scratch with that gun shell. I do wonder what that "free show" was called.

On the google map, it's 104 miles between East Hartford, Conn. and Winthrop, Mass. where Fort Banks was. On today's roads, at today's mph, that's over 2 hours travel time. Recall that back on March 17, 1942, the Governor Saltonstall imposed a 40mph limit enforced with heavy fines in order to save gas and rubber. Not to mention blackouts where you couldn't use you lights. Don't get me started on drivers today :)

Original letter:

Transcript follows.

Boston Globe - April 13th

War, war, war but here's some sports for a change. Ted Williams is a pretty popular baseball player on the Boston Red Socks team. So much so he makes the front page. I'm thinking the guys in Battery H were fans.

Also on this day in 1942, Byron Nelson will win the Masters Tournament in a playoff against Ben Hogan. The Masters would not be played again until 1946. Dad would become an avid golfer.

Notice to War Agencies

Found this little article on page 8 and I have to believe it was appreciated by so many. Just a humble request for honesty.

Victory Forum

Here is the aforementioned Victory Forum by Harold Putnam for Monday, April 13, 1942 - page 8 of the Boston Globe.

Also, the Citizenship Questions posted:

Transcript - April 13, 1942

Btry H – 9th C.A., Fort Banks

Dear Audrey,

I hope you got back to Hartford alright and not too late. I know I used to drive it every Sunday night and so I know it is quite a ride, especially all alone. I hope also you've written me a letter by this time (Monday night) so that I'll know you're alright. Even if I didn't tell you that I love you very much every time I write, you mean everything to me. If anything happens to you, there wouldn't be much sense in carrying on anymore. I would go over and take the captain by the back of the neck and make him swallow his arrogant attitude. I'm only using him as an illustration and I'm really serious.

I guess seeing you has made me feel lonely even more than what I was before. I’m glad you went over to my house Saturday night to stay over Sunday and then brought everyone over to see me. I would appreciate you more alone. They like you very much over there but I like you more. After all there are certain things I want to say to my wife that I don't want everyone else listening to.

After I kissed you yesterday and left you I got quite a ride from the sentries at the gate. They told me to cheer up that I would see you in another three weeks. They were jealous because they didn't have such a beautiful blonde to kiss. They're pretty good fellows though. They let lots of the rookies out and they don't know when half of them go. Some of them went down to the restaurant for supper and a drink. That is probably over-doing a good thing.

We put in a long day today. They had us for instructions again tonight. The day isn't long enough for them sometimes. As for me, all I have to do is live between 5:30 in the morning at 9:30 at night and I'm all tired out.

There is a free show at the theater tonight but I'm going to bed. After a couple hours of carrying that gun around the parade ground, I’m tired. At the artillery drill this morning I was pushing a shell into the gun that I broke the skin on my hand. It was only a scratch, but they sent me to the dispensary (hospital). As soon as I came out, I took the bandage off. It's only because they are so careful.

Well, lots of love and give a little to your sister.

Love – Joe

Next letter, tomorrow April 14, 1942

Comments welcome :)