April 24, 1942 - Dear Audrey
Oh well, we’re in the Army now.
It's a swell day and the weather is warming up. It's starting to turn green. No relaxing, no enjoying anything until after evening chow and mornings are made for marching. Having a band makes marching in step easier. Even one from the Civil War, lol. Anyway, the WPA is the Work Projects Administration program and part of the New Deal to employ the unemployed.
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Apparently issues with Vicky continue. Mom moved in with her sister to save them both money but it's a small trailer from what I understand. So many things can go wrong. Or be annoying. Dad's wisdom may be spot on but it's got to be tough for Mom and Aunt Vicky to manage everything considering their husbands are away. They are both very brave but Mom may need to figure out someplace else to live. To be "safe and content" until the war is over. In the meantime, it's time to roll out for the afternoon so....
Original Letter
Boston Globe - April 24, 1942
More men being called up for the draft while they figure out how they're going to ration gas. More war, more bombs but check out the story of the 17 year old bride. She's almost 18 but she committed perjury in order to get married. I don't think she gets in trouble but look at that guy - does he look 29??? He can't be 29, can he?? I do hope they lived happily ever after.
Transcript - April 24, 1942
Btry H., 9th C.A., Fort Banks
Dear Audrey,
Today is a swell day and I guess spring is here. It doesn’t make me feel bad, but it gives me spring fever. I got the wandering lust but I can’t wander too far. I would like to wander down to Hartford and see you. Friday is a tough day to write letters. In the other days, I can at least sit on my locker and write but today we have to put everything up on the bunk. We can’t sit on the bunk any day until after nite chow and so Fridays we don’t have anything to sit on. I’m sitting on the stair now.
It’s such a nice day that I don’t feel like marching all afternoon. In the morning we always have a couple of hours of marching after breakfast. The whole battery is out and it looks pretty good. Lately they’ve gotten a W.P.A. band from Winthrop to play for us and so it makes it easier to keep in step. Except of course when the band misses a beat and they do too. They throw the whole battery off and then we look like so many corks bobbing up and down in the water. There is an old man who leads them and he looks to me as if he could remember how he played in the band during the Civil War.
I’m sure you just imagine Vicky’s resentment to you. She can’t help feeling a little peeved at the way things worked out. Tony is quite a way off and I’m fairly close. She has to work Sunday and you don’t and you can come up to see me while she has to work. As for your intruding, before you ever went down there she said she would rather have you than anyone. And if you two sisters can’t get along no one can. I would say that you are easy to get along with. Of course money is something else. Money is the cause of most disagreements. I guess there isn’t anyone who likes “the lettuce” more than your husband, but every once in a while, I can see where money means little. But those times are very few and so on that subject, I have nothing to say.
That was quite a bit of wisdom for me and all at once too. But I do hope that feeling you have of going to Hartford to live passes because I want to feel that you are going to be safe and contented until this is all over. I want to able to know all the time what you are doing and that you can take care of yourself. Of course, it’s probably a dull life down there and nothing exciting happens but I got a letter from Mom today and in it she said she was worried about your driving around alone. She said she thought you were a brave girl. I guess she wrote this before she came over Wed. and before you wrote and said you arrived safe.
Have you noticed how green and nice everything is getting? The buds on the trees are getting awfully big and soon there will be blossoms all over the place. Heath is probably getting things ready for gas season. In fact he has probably sent a couple of fellows out already.
It doesn’t do any good to think what might have happened, but we could have had a marvelous time this summer. Every week would have been a repetition of the two weeks we spent at 18 Hereford St.
Oh well, we’re in the Army now. I expect a short hike tomorrow. About 40 miles???? Well it’s time to roll out for this afternoon so -----
I love you very much honey.
Love
Leonard
Next letter Monday, April 27, 1942
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