August 3, 1942 - Dear Audrey

Jan Palson

03 Aug 2026 — 4 min read

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

and I waltzed thru with my pass and only eight hours late.

I feel bad for Mom having to deal with working and wondering full time. Recall that it's not "if" you'll get pregnant as a women in 1942 it's WHEN. Reliable birth control is being developed and could be available but old fashioned ideology rules the day in New England. Spoiler alert - birth control will be on the ballot in November. Stay tuned.

A ride in a convertible on a clear night with smooth jazz sounds really nice but here are the logistics: he took a bus from East Hartford to Haymarket Square in Boston. That's about 98 miles via I-84 E and I-90 E - on a 1942 bus! Note the speed limit was 40 mph to save gas. Then from Haymarket Sq. to Nahant is another 15 miles so quite the trip.

Original Letter

Transcript follows.

Transcript - August 3, 1942

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

Dear Audrey:

I arrived back here all right last night and had good luck. The bus got here around twelve o’clock. My knee joints ached from sleeping in such a cramped position. I was all curled up like a cat around a fireside. The bus stopped short once and I slid on the floor. From Haymarket Sq. I got a ride in a nice convertible coupe with the top down and the radio going. It was a beautiful night and such smooth music. I just leaned back and closed my eyes and the war seemed to slide away. It would have been perfect to have you there at the time. At the time I thought of something clever to say in this letter to you but now I’ve forgot how I worded it. It probably wouldn’t have been clever anyway. This fellow brought me as far as Lynn and was a great help. Usually it is hard to get to there at this time of the night. Then from there a taxi drove us out to the fort. I say “us” because there is always someone hanging on the corner trying to get back to the post. The taxi dropped us at the gate and I waltzed thru with my pass and only eight hours late.

I’ll have to try to get back a little early from now on. I’ve been getting by with too much and I don’t want to push my luck too far. There are quite a few fellows getting caught all the time and besides spending time in the kitchen, it is a blot on their record. I got your letter today and it wasn’t very bad. You can bawl me out better than that, can’t you? First you say you hate me and then quickly change your mind and say you love me. You’ve got to do better than that. Whose girl are you? If what I think is happening to you, you had better be my girl. I’m only kidding with you darling. If the tenth was known and I’ll wake up and realize it pretty soon, but you will make me happy and very proud. You are wonderful and I love you very much. You treat me much too often and too good also. But I love you more and more for it. You are the only girl for me. I’ll close now because I have to go on guard soon.

All my love

Leonard

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