July 9, 1942 (?) - Dear Audrey

Jan Palson

10 Jul 2026 — 4 min read

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

You are my weather vane.

While it says July 9, it has to be for July 10th so here we go. He's a good soldier. Or trying to be. I don't understand his math but it looks like the raise in soldier's pay is finally catching up. It's going to help a lot but it's still a hard life for both of them.

Original Letter

Transcript follows.

Transcript - July 9 (?), 1942

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

Dear Audrey:

It is another day gone and good riddance. I hope the people fighting this silly war for us accomplish something towards its end. I’m not looking for it to end this year or next even, but I would like to feel that we are on our way to putting an end to all of this. After a day like today I always feel despondent and my best attempts to be a good are rather futile. I have an idea that they are training me to throw stones at the caskets which the corpses of Hitler and Hirohito are in after they have been defeated and humbled. Either that or I am destined to go from one camp site to another and help build it up and when it is beginning to look like something, move to some other place. I have a feeling we are going to move from here. Well this is fine talk. I had almost convinced myself that I was through griping and could write a letter to you without complaining, but I guess I can’t.

Some of the things we do are really foolish and I can’t help thinking that if the rest of the Army is like this, it is no wonder we are getting the devil knocked out of us. Anyway, you can’t alibi it off as discipline because that is a lot of bosh. Well, I could rave for quite a while. I should admit half of the trouble is me but that is hard. We signed the pay roll today and I am going to have $44 deducted from my pay this month. Boy that is quite a slice. I have not been able to figure whether that will leave me $6.00 or more. If they make up the difference for June which would be $29.00 and make my pay $35.00 it would be wonderful. You had better figure the way we planned until I find out for sure. That is, don’t plan too much on what I get. You won’t get any money from the gov’t until Nov. and then, by my figures you should get $240.00. that will be swell, won’t it. Almost too good. I’ll have to see it first. That will clear up quite a few money worries won’t it? I hope things work out.

In your letter yesterday you said you thought I had a better time when I went down to see you but I only really have a good time when I’m with you. I have a good time all the time when I’m with you. You are my weather vane. You also said something about not being half the woman you thought you were and you are wrong again. If any one is at fault it will be your husband. You are the most wonderful woman in the world. I have all kinds of faith in you I love you more than anything else and I shall always love you. You are the driving force behind me. You are the gears that make me run. When things get me down here and I feel on the verge of throwing my hands up in despair, you make me keep going.

Without you my life would be empty. Does that sound silly? Now that I know what it is, I can’t imagine what it would be if I wasn’t married to you. Well now that I’ve got that baloney off my chest I can close, only it is not baloney because I mean every word of it. I love you darling.

Loads of love,

Leonard