June 13, 1942 - Dear Audrey

Jan Palson

13 Jun 2026 — 6 min read

Fort Banks - I'm going to need a new image for Fort Ruckman

It's Saturday evening as he starts to write this and he's still a little bleary eyed. This is the time when he starts wearing glasses! Army regulation square black frames. His pass for his eye appointment was for 1pm but he changed it with a typewriter to 5pm. Genius. I'm so impressed with them figuring that out. And, I feel so old having to do this:

We continue to think good thoughts for Grandma. And apparently, he makes being in the Army sound fun since his Dad is ready to join. Mom is due for a visit with the Mains in Natick. I'm thinking both her and Vicky will have gas coupons to cover the drive. I wonder if they'll continue up the road to the farm to see her parents since it sounds like Vicky will be heading down to Texas. I think payments to the bank are for the car and he'll need to write to the insurance company. He probably gets a break for being in the Army. Note that I think Smokey Joe is a neighbor, June is Dad's younger sister who is just graduating from high school. Nancy is another of Dad's sisters, the youngest I think. I'm not really sure who Aunt Amelia is but I'm working on it.

Original Letter

Transcript follows.

Transcript - June 13, 1942

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

Dear Audrey,

I expect a tough week and would appreciate a little help to swing it. Any little bit you can send me will be deeply appreciated. Otherwise I might have to ask you if you know of a good lawyer because I might have to sue you. If you don’t understand this subtle hint, here it is a little bit differently. You owe me one simolean and so get it up. You aren’t going to get away with this. I’m wise to you wise guys. How’s that? Is it convincing enough? I really can’t see what I am writing because they put some drops in my eyes this morning and it has made me near sighted. I finally got over to see the eye specialists or rather quite a few of them and they gave me quite a going over. They are going to give me glasses I think. I am a little near sighted – not from these drops because this is only temporary. They aren’t too bad. This nearsightedness I have now will wear off in a day or so. In the meantime, I can’t read or see very good at close range. They gave me a pass until 1 P.M. this afternoon and they were finished with me by eleven o’clock so I went to Natick. I got the typewriter out and changed it to 5 P.M. so I was able to stay there 3 or 4 hours. The fellow at the gate passed me in all right.

I better lay off or I will be spoiling another good thing. Not much news. They still haven’t operated on Grandma yet. They are trying to bring her blood pressure down and get her rested up. Smokey Joe has a paper route and expects to make a lot of money. June didn’t go to the Senior Reception because she didn’t want to ask a boy to take her. If I had been home I would have taken her and given the local gals a break. Is that right? The “old man” is right on the pink and raring to join the Army. He says he could improve our ball club. He wants to peel potatoes too. With my shirts and everything else he says he is pretty well fix. To bad those suits can’t do some one some good. Maybe I’ll give them away. From all reports this new fort we are going to is not so good. They moved a lot of stuff over today while I was away. This place is paradise compared with Fort Ruckman. None of the modern features over there that we have here. I’ll need all of the luck you wish on me in your last letter to get any break over there. All I can see from here is hard work. They haven’t even got a good parade ground and probably no ball field. They will have us working all day tomorrow. They have waited this long and you would think they could wait until Mon.

It’s the same old story – six days shalt thou labor and you might as well work the other day. So you are going to go over to the Mains tomorrow. I hope you have a good time. By the time you get this letter you will have either been bored or enjoyed yourselves. Two to one you played cards. He likes to play pitch. I don’t want you to feel obligated to visit these relatives of mine. The next time you and Vicky have a day off together you had better plan to drive up here. I know I should have suggested it before, but I really never thought of it. They wanted to know when you were coming up again over at my house. Nancy especially wanted to know where you were and everyone wanted to know how you were. Mrs. Blanchard across the street was also asking for you. Everyone loves you and so do I, but you should drive up to the farm and see your folks. I don’t believe Vicky has been home in a long while. If she goes to Texas, I suppose it will be more than 7 weeks before she gets a day off with you. Another thing I was going to mention is those payments to the Bank. I don’t know whether or not you started sending them to Aunt Amelia or not, but you should. If you don’t, the Bank sends a book with a receipt to Dad and then he has to return it. If you send the check to Aunt A. he can give her the book, she can take care of it and he won’t have to be bothered with it.

The less he knows about the better I feel. There was about four letters from the Insurance Co. waiting for me and each one said the same thing. You owe us money. It is not worrying me and so don’t let it worry you. Since I’ve been writing my eyes have got a lot better and I don’t have to squint to read this as much so before. It’s time for the lights to go out and so I am going to quit. Just like that. After being on the outside all day and looking at all kinds of girls, I still think I married the most beautiful girl and the nicest. I love you honey. (that ought to hold her)

All my love

Leonard