July 13, 1942 - Dear Audrey

Jan Palson

13 Jul 2026 — 5 min read

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

Of course as usual I am painting a very bad picture of your husband.

Oh I would love to see a picture of her new haircut. She must have figured out the gas problem - damn rationing. But let's talk about wisdom teeth. Like one day you just decide to have a wisdom tooth removed. Growing up we never went to a military dentist. Military doctors - yes but no dentists. I guess this is why. I wonder how the blackouts affect guard duty. The longest one is tonight. If he could just get his plan over to President Roosevelt or General MacArthur, why this war would be over in no time. Battle-axe battalion!

Original Letter

Transcript follows.

Transcript - July 13, 1942

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

Dear Audrey:

What you spent $7.00!!! And to have your beautiful hair cut off!! I didn’t think I was capable of registering surprise. I had a tooth pulled this morning and the after affects are very bad. Yes, I guess you are right. I do the damnedest things. I’m not happy if I am not making some one miserable and when I can’t do that I make myself miserable. This time I did a good job. It was a wisdom tooth. It didn’t bother me but I had known for quite a time that it should come out so this morning I decided was as good a time as any. What a decision. I wasn’t going to mention it to you because you will fret, but with the way it feels now I couldn’t write a very good letter without saying something about it. The soreness is in my throat and it is very hard to swallow. The dentist on the post did quite a job.

He does not have the equipment he should have but even so I’ve been to a lot better dentists. I think I shall have the rest taken care of in Hartford. This is not much more. One fellow at home gave me a price of $20.00 to have that tooth removed but taking this inconvenience into consideration I don’t know whether it was worth saving $20.00. Of course as usual I am painting a very bad picture of your husband. Discount some of this because I like to have you feeling sorry for me and worrying over me. But don’t because I am a huge sturdy rugged boy. Anybody that can absorbed the beating you hand out can stand anything. I’ve been thinking of some thing since I last wrote you. If the allies could get together about twenty other battle-axes like you and “sic” them on Hitler. You babes would soon make mincemeat out of him. I can just picture you chasing Adolf around Berlin with a driver in one hand and a machete in the other.

Maybe you wouldn’t need twenty if you could get enough “battlers” as savage as you are. Beneath that coy smile of your is a pugnacious nature that poor Hitler and Hirohito would have trouble coping with. I’m glad you are on my side. You are aren’t you? Oh yes, I was going to ask you if you had thought of having your teeth checked. We can afford it and then you can find a dentist for both of us. I’ll only have one day in twelve. By the way, my next pass comes up this coming Sunday. Look for me sooner but Sunday night for sure. I have an idea and if it works, I’ll be down early. No hurry about the dentist because I won’t feel like seeing him for a month after this. My pet peeve used to be grey hounds. I never thought I could come to dislike anything as much as I did those little rascals, but low and behold I am seriously thinking of creeping down and sticking my bayonet in that guy tonite.

Well to pick the letter up where I started in – what you spent $7.00!!! do you think that green stuff grows on bushes and all I have to do is pick it? You will have me in a institution or a concentration camp. And then you run out of gas. There you go, putting yourself before the car. She has herself dolled up but the car goes thirsty. How many times have I told you that the car always comes first. Why for every three glasses of beer I used to drink, I would give the car one. Nothing selfish about that. It is no wonder we got along so swell. (the car and me) I’m glad to hear the pictures came out so nice. Why don’t you save them until I come down? I’ve got quite a few pictures up here now. Well darling I’ll close now. I am kind of anxious to see you with your new “Butch” hair cut. Maybe it will scare me so bad that I will ask for a transfer to Iceland. I love my wife very much honey.

All my love

Leonard