June 12, 1942 - Dear Audrey

Jan Palson

12 Jun 2026 — 4 min read

Fort Banks - 1940s - Artist Unknown

I can’t see wasting my time shoveling coal or tossing dislikes around.

It's nice to keep priorities and every dollar counts. So not only missing the Saturday inspection but getting his eye appointment done. Seems a good day. He is not sure of the move to Fort Ruckman for future opportunity reasons but it's happening. Also happening is the increase in pay. They will need it if they want to keep that car. And that job in the airplane factory is Pratt and Whitney in Hartford.

Original Letter

Transcript follows.

Transcript - June 12, 1942

Btry H - 9^th C.A., Fort Banks

Dear Audrey,

Just to let you know that I am right on the ball, here is a reminder. You owe me one buck and don’t forget it. If you think you are going to put anything over on me, you are crazy. So get it up. We played pool tonight for nickels and I won twenty cents. It is a screwy game and I had fifty or sixty cents at one time. No skill, just luck. This is the first Saturday in a long while that I am not looking forward to it with misgiving. I have a pass at eight o’clock to go see the Army eye doctor and I’m trying to figure some way of getting out here tonight. There is no chance though and I really don’t care. I have to be back at noon time and so I won’t be able to go anywhere in Boston. I’ll miss the inspection and I’m glad of that. There is still no definite news of where we are going except all the indications point to Fort Ruckman in Nahant and as I said, I don’t relish the idea of going there because I think there is less chance of getting ahead over there and that is what I want to do. I want to go to some school and learn something. I can’t see wasting my time shoveling coal or tossing dislikes around. This morning they had me shoveling coal and I didn’t enjoy myself very much. I didn’t have to work so awfully hard, but it was dirty and when you are not use to it, anything is hard. I’m still coughing up coal dust.

There will be plenty of details over on this other fort before we get settled. We are going to start moving Sunday and they expect to be all finished Monday. So Monday night I will have a new home. It has been real warm here yesterday and today and I did some sweating shoveling. My summer outfit is still not complete so I’ll have to wear the regular uniform tomorrow and roast. I got a letter from my cousin Pearl in Westport, Conn. today and she can’t get over your working in an airplane factory. I mean she has heard of girls working like that but never knew one. She evidently considers you an old friend by now. She says she has been going to write you but she has been busy helping her husband get the hay in. Can you imagine that? If she can do that so can you and I am going to start shopping around for a farm. From what I hear, the gov’t is really going to send the soldiers wife fifty dollars every month. They make up the difference between what I get and what is left for you. That is too much for me to expect and so don’t figure on it until you have the cold cash in your hand. I’m quite sure you won’t get it this month. We will need all the money we can get to swing that car. That is going to be a liability the way the gov’t is treating the car owners. Don’t forget about the ration card. You probably know more about it then I do. Just because I filled two pages yesterday is no reason why I have to do it this time. It’s a bad habit to get into. I love you sweet, very much and still am thinking of what a wonderful time we had Wed. We are going to do it again soon, aren’t we?

Love, Leonard