July 16, 1942 - Dear Audrey

Jan Palson

16 Jul 2026 — 4 min read

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

In fact, I don’t see why you save all those letters anyway.

Yes, she is saving these letters so one day she can climb to the attic and relive the romance. Well, not exactly. She saves them in ever growing bins and finally has me sort and organize into very large binders because she believes they are wonderful and tell an interesting story. She's right. Can someone reach out to Ron Howard so it can finally be the movie it should be?

Original Letter

Transcript follows.

Transcript - July 16, 1942

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

Dear Audrey:

As expected, no mail from my best girl today. The letter you wrote Tuesday traveled too fast. One day I have plenty to read from you and the next day I starve. They were two nice letters though and I’m glad you sent them when you did. For no particular reason of course. Speaking of reading though, I’m reading a book now that is pretty good. It’s about the American Revolution and so the vicinity of Boston is mentioned quite a bit. I said reading but I am having trouble with these people around here. The minute I get into it someone comes along and drags me off somewhere to work. I am not even a good worker so I don’t see why they put me to work so much. Anyway, I sort of go for this History stuff. I think it is interesting.

Before this one I had a book on the French Revolution. The French people are a queer lot. If they are not being beaten, pushed around and enslaved; they are uprising against the forces that oppress them and then what a bloody mess they have. Well I don’t know what bearing that has on the subject or for that matter how it ever got into the letter. I didn’t have much to say when I started and so was afraid it would prove flat and uninteresting. If it is, and I think it is, you can tear it up. No need to save it. In fact, I don’t see why you save all those letters anyway. Unless it is this and that is to prove yourself. When you get old and gray you can go up into the attic and pull out all these letters and prove to every one that someone once wrote he loved you. (and he does very much and he hopes you won’t mind a little kidding. I have to write something. I will love you more when you are old and gray.) The same way anyone else save reference papers or newspaper clippings to prove themselves. Aha, is that the idea?

You can’t intend to blackmail me because you know I have decided to let you be the breadwinner in the family. I shall never have more than the price of three brews. At last I have you gals figured out. Do you admit now that George Antheil has nothing on me. To wander back to the French people for a moment, I am wondering if the Polish people are equally as queer. Of course I wouldn’t want to say anything on the strength of my brief acquaintance with my wife. Now don’t go jumping up and down. I take it all back. You are the sweetest and the nicest girl in the world. I love you with all my heart. And in the same breath, you are the only girl for me. The last three sentences I really mean and all the rest just tumbled out and I scribble it down as it came out. It wasn’t my fault.

Today was a pretty dull day. Just work and more of it. Tomorrow the kitchen calls me. I didn’t do anything. Just my routine turn. Well this rambling must stop. So my very dear wife, I shall see you this weekend. Probably Sunday night.

All my love

Leonard

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

P.S. I got a card from Tony or did I tell you that. He is at some other camp for a short while.