August 19, 1942 - Dear Audrey

Jan Palson

19 Aug 2026 — 6 min read

Big Guns! Casemated 12-inch gun at Fort Ruckman. Source: Wikipedia

Is this the guy you said was so brave?

This is a sweet letter because we all know what's coming. And the evolution to acceptance is quite the journey. At least Dad can relax for a while. They're watching films about the enemy. You'd think the Army could muster some comfortable benches and brace yourself, no popcorn either. Not sure he's safer than the ship yards and defense plants. Just more to worry about. A lovely Soldiers Luxury Mess Kit is sure a nice surprise. I can't believe that the Boston Herold is sadly missing from my newspaper archive access. I will keep looking. He must have gotten this letter off early because there's more coming later. Seriously.

Original Letter

Transcript follows.

Transcript

For some context, War Updates follow the transcript. It includes the front pages of The Daily Evening Item from Lynn, Massachusetts (local to Fort Ruckman) and Mom's local Connecticut paper the Hartford Courant for additional news, plus the Women's Page so you're up on the latest recipes and styles, especially hats!

Research, learn, and support this work. Go to: Newspapers.com

August 19, 1942

Bat H - 9^th C.A., Fort Ruckman

Dear Audrey:

I got a nice letter from you today. It was nice because you told me how much you loved me and how you felt if you were actually caught this month. This is the 19^th and the letter you wrote today was dated the 17^th so I am practically convinced it has happened finally. We asked for it or at least I didn’t do anything to prevent it which in a way is a good thing, but as you say it won’t be as bad as I think. I hope – I don’t know what I’m saying or how to say what I am thinking. It is just a feeling I’ve had all along that it was going to happen, not that it was inevitable but just that I wasn’t as careful as I should be. Or that down deep I didn’t want to be careful that I wanted it to happen. I love you so very much. It gives me an empty feeling in my stomach when I think of you up there all by yourself and I’m down here. When you need me the most I won’t be able to be with you. Maybe it’s because I have a idea that it is such a terrible experience for you to go thru that I worry so much about you. In a few months you have opened a new life for me and if anything happens to you now it will be destroyed just as quick.

Is this the guy you said was so brave? Your husband sounds like a sissy to me. For the past two weeks all he has done is bemoan the fact that he can’t see his pretty little wife more than once a week. I liked the way you said, “if you become a daddy you’ll never regret it”. The “daddy” part is the part that gives me the funny feeling. I don’t want to pay too big a price. I want you the same as you are now. I love everything about you. I guess I’m making a mess of this letter. This subject is a new one for me and I don’t know how to handle it. Maybe I better save my thoughts until I see you. This afternoon we had to sit in the theatre for three hours looking at training film. I get tired of sitting down. That is all I do at work and then on my time off they make me sit in the theatre. I never thought I would get enough of just sitting and those benches down there are not like the seats in that theatre we went to the other week. The films are concerned with “know you enemy” but to h-ll with him if I have to learn about him this way. I rather find out the hard way. I thought my back-bone would be pushed up through my shoulder blades. I finally fell asleep but when I woke up all my bones creaked. Near the end I was squirming like a little boy who has gone too long and is in church for the first time. (I was going to say “with his pop” but I was afraid it would start me off again) As near as I can make out there won’t be anyone leaving for a while least of all your husband.

There was quite a bit of talk for a while and there were all kinds of rumors. I want you to get use to the idea that I will be going away some time. I can’t expect to stay here for the duration so we should make the best of it. I don’t think there is any cause for worry for a few months though because there are so many others that would go before me. Did I tell you the bad accident Warren Brown was in over at the Fore River ship yard. He is no relation of Brownie but he married Peggy’s sister and I’ve known him for a long time. I got a letter from Mom and she says his condition is critical and if he does live, he will be an invalid. I didn’t know he was in such a critical condition and so I wrote him a short letter asking him when he would be back climbing trees and other stuff trying to cheer him up but if he is as bad as all that, the letter will do him more harm than good. I guess he has had three blood transfusions and one by Bud. These defense plants and ship yards are dangerous places to work because of the noise and confusion. If a person is in danger of being hit by something or in the way or doing something wrong, he can’t hear any warning nor can he hear the danger approaching. Consequently the high rate of accidents and fatalities each week. I think a fellow is safer in the Solomon Islands than in Fore River.

But all this talk doesn’t mean much to me until it suddenly dawns on me that my girl works in a defense plant. Are you sure that dept you work in is all right? I’d rather have you in Woolworth's than someplace in P&W where an airplane motor might fall on you. There was a notice on the bulletin board this morning to the effect that they would begin to accept applications from men in the C.A. who wish to join the Commandos. They guarantee you to see action pronto and plenty of it. I dash over but there was such a line that I didn’t sign up today. Maybe tomorrow I’ll get a chance. I figure this way, that if my wife is in a family way, I had better take the easy way out. I could take a gas pipe but we don’t have gas over here. You know I’m only kidding darling. Oh yes, I nearly forgot. Peggy’s mother sent me a package toady. It was (notice the past tense) called the Soldiers Luxury Mess Kit and had pretty near everything in it. Cookies, crackers, candy, nuts, cheese and little jars of jelly flavored with wine and had a real nice taste. All in all though it was pretty sweet and I would have been sick if I had not passed it around. I get the Boston Herald every morning and I like that. I can always find time to read it. Tell Vicky I’m real glad she is going down to see her big moment. I hope the big brute treats his “snooks” ….. Well sweet here is the end. So I’ve got room for one more I love you; “I love you”.

Leonard