July 12, 1942 - Dear Audrey

Jan Palson

12 Jul 2026 — 5 min read

Fort Ruckman 1940s - Nahant, Massachusetts (Credit: Capt. Gerald Butler)

If I were a poet...

A nice quite Sunday for a poet to set out some thoughts regarding guard duty at night. Regarding the crying sounds of gulls. Regarding the cold and waiting for the sun. If it's this cold in July, what is he going to do in the winter. He doesn't seem to enthused by the Allies' progress in the war. Going out to polka at the American-Polish Club in Hartford sounds like way more fun. Especially with the "King of Polka". Also, I found some early Sammy Kaye. He had quite the career spanning through the 60s. This is the early 40s so let's swing and sway! And enjoy some Sunday comics.

Original Letter

Transcript follows.

Transcript - July 12, 1942

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

Dear Audrey:

Kind of quiet around her today. I have a sneaking suspicion that there are more fellows outside the fort than there should be. There should only be fifteen men on pass and I don’t think there is fifteen men left in this area. I am talking about this Battery. I came off guard this morning and went to bed and almost slept through noon chow. Turkey and all. I don’t know what woke me up or what it was that prompted me to run over to the mess hall but I did and so I got some thing to eat. I wasn’t very hungry but if you don’t eat when they tell you to, you are S.O.L. I was going to attend church and that I slept through also. I should appreciate that nap, it cost me enough trouble, but I didn’t sleep very good because it is too hot and the flies around here try to drive you crazy.

I don’t know which is worse, flies or mosquitos. They are probably equally as bad. Somehow or other I think the best time to sleep is at night. Don’t you? You can’t teach a new dog old tricks or is that right? Naturally I will grab any opportunity for a nap, but for some real old fashion log cutting, I’ll take mine from dark to dawn. When old Sol goes to sleep I want to too. I don’t know why I am talking like this. I have to go on guard again tonight at mid night. If I were a poet I would take time out here and set down my thoughts and feelings while witnessing the death of one day and the glorious birth of a new one. My only feelings this morning when the dark was rolled away was of disgust and cold. I was disgusted with the sea gulls because of the poor company they make. They made me think of a playground of small children. In the dark, you can’t see them, but they seemed to be crying to each other. I can’t think of any thing any lonelier sound.

I was not waiting for the sun because a sunrise is something beautiful and glorious to behold, but because it would soon be getting warm. I’ll admit now it was nice but I was too cold to appreciate it then. It is your turn to ask me what the devil am I going to do when winter comes and the answer to that is, I am going to freeze to death, I guess. Maybe I should wear my over coat tonight. To make the picture complete I must mention the death of the old. This “guy” night rolls in and over the daylight with such definite completeness and devastation that it makes me think of the way Hitler and Hirohito are rolling over the Allied Nation. Of course there is always the promise of a dawning in which the day light has the last laugh.

This dawning of a new day is the only hope the Allies have. A last laugh yet, even if it is slow in coming. Don’t take these things too serious. I’m not going stir-crazy, just some of the things I was thinking of during my four-hour guard trick. I remembered some of them and thought I would send them along. If they don’t make sense I’m sorry. I’ve been listening to Sammy Kaye. He plays nice soothing music on Sunday afternoons. Just the kind I like. Have you listened to him? I heard Shep Olin, King of the Polka a little earlier and he was very good too. What is the difference between a Mazurka (it sounds like that) and a Polka? They sound pretty near alike to me. Do you remember that Polish band we heard the other night playing from the Polish-American club in Hartford? Well, why don’t we go down there some time so I can show you how to do the Polka. Maybe on my next pass if we have any money.

Well honey, I’ll have to get my nap. I love you.

Lots of love, From Your Man