July 9, 1942 - Dear Audrey

Jan Palson

09 Jul 2026 — 4 min read

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

We still have it easy compared with them.

The last letter was Sunday July 5th so there must have been a pass because here we are at Thursday. He describes his journey back. He describes his dream but kitchen duty is doggy...

Original Letter

Transcript follows.

Transcript - July 9, 1942

Bat H - 9^th C.A

Fort Ruckman

Dear Audrey:

This is unbelievable and is so wonderful. Here it is 9:30 in the morning and I’m still in bed but that is not the remarkable thing that is happening to me. What is so surprising is this. The cook is shaking me gently by the shoulder and asking me in a soft voice (the soft voice is also surprising because usually they bark at me) if I would like my breakfast now in bed. He has orange juice, toast, coffee, and eggs and everything is fixed just right. (just the way my wife would fix them for me if she were here). He sets the tray in front of me, opens the morning paper and then tip toes out. Can you imagine that? I can’t either but I dreamt it. That is what I was dreaming of this morning (that is if you can call five o’clock in the morning “this” morning) when all of a sudden the fellow comes through the barracks and gives me a whack telling me to get the h-ll up, I even got K.P. this day.

What a jolt! What a rude awakening. I didn’t know what had happened at first and even then it took me ten minutes to pry my eyes open. I’ve been groping around in the dark ever since and it is evening now and I’m going to be as soon as I finish this. I still didn’t get up so on his second time thru the barracks he practically dragged me out of bed and so I was able to stagger over to the kitchen on time. But that was a delicious dream. I guess I was more tired than I cared to admit. I had quite a time getting back here and I finally got here around three o’clock. I didn’t even wash up or turn the bed down. I just flopped down and pulled a blanket over me. I had to stand where you left me quite a long time and when I finally was picked up it was with a fellow from Montreal, Canada. He took me as far as Worcester and we had quite a talk on Canada. The people there are much worse off than the people around here. We still have it easy compared with them.

From there I got a ride with some people going right into Boston and so from Hartford to Boston it was easy. After a while I got to the tunnel and from there a fellow and his girl pick me up and he took me way over by East Boston while he brought his girl home. I sat in the back seat and watched him say good-bye to her. He just forgot I was there and went right ahead whispering sweet nothings and doing some all around smooching. Then he took me to Revere. From there a fellow picked me up and wanted to know how to get to the tunnel and he was going in the wrong direction. He had been looking for it for over an hour and was he disgusted with the dim-out. I set him right but I doubt whether he made it out all right. Oh yes, he was not drunk just a stranger. From there I got rides all over and finally caught a fellow who lived out this way and so I got back o.k. except that I was tired.

I don’t know why I have gone into this trip back here but I have. Take up space as usual, I guess. It probably doesn’t make sense and because I never read them over you are forced to suffer with it. And speaking of suffering, my jaw feels fine today. I had forgotten all about it. So don’t worry your pretty head on that score. The kitchen has got me doggy so I’ll sign off. Write me when something happens to you. I hope you get your transfer. You’ll probably get this letter Sat. so I shall remind you now to go to church Sunday if you are home. I’ll be thinking of you in this little church up here. I’ll be thinking of you always anyways. You are the only girl for me. You are my one and only tomato.

Your big bully

Leonard

P.S. I’m thinking of the way I chased you around the golf course with a club.