June 30, 1942 - Dear Audrey

Jan Palson

30 Jun 2026 — 6 min read

We had to sing “Now and then I get that old peeling” to keep our spirits up.

It has been a while since he's written, Last letter was June 24. The raise that was promised has yet to come. And don't get him started on passes. Getting back to Fort Ruckman after being out on East Point means we're back to green ink but it will take adjustment. And let's find out how those new glasses are working out.

Original Letter

Transcript follows.

Transcript - June 30, 1942

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

Dear Audrey,

Well I feel a little bad about writing or rather not writing but things have been going bad around here for me. I’ve been so disgusted (and still am pretty sore) with things that I don’t dare open my mouth. I guess I’ve had all the luck I’m going to have. We came off that guard duty last Friday and right off they promised us two-day passes. They said we had been over there long enough and deserved a break. But when they got around to fixing the list, they decided 24 hours was all we could have. Mine came up last night (Monday) I didn’t write because I thought I would be down there by the time the letter reached you. Last night or the afternoon I got all dressed up ready to go out and suddenly they changed the passes and I get mine changed.

If your intuition told you I would be down Monday nite it would have been correct because I couldn’t have come any closer to being there. I was so mad I never said a word. I almost came any way and stayed a week. I’m still in the mood for getting away from the g.d. place. (Here I go, I don’t want to say these things but this place is getting me down. I don’t want you to worry. I can’t take it. I still think it is easier to shut up than blow your top off, but I’m not as sure as I used to be). For three days I had been thinking of seeing you Monday nite and then they do this. My pass now comes up a week from today which is Tuesday July 7^th. What a royal rubbing! Have they been working me! Shoveling rock. I don’t think I worked much harder climbing trees. They do the darndest things. We dug a hole 13 ft. long and 8 ft. deep and now we are going to fill it in. They aren’t going to use it. War or no war I’m losing some of my faith in this ole Army. Today they had me in the kitchen and I’m tired tonite. No enthusiasm (if that is not spelled right call it pep). I never peeled potatoes before today and I sure peeled enough today.

I don’t believe you could have any idea of the number of potatoes an Army outfit will consume in a day. We had to sing “Now and then I get that old peeling” to keep our spirits up. It’s when you can’t laugh any more that it becomes the hardest and so I can laugh this off. If I didn’t look forward to seeing you so much it wouldn’t be bad. I love you and want to see you so much. I can’t think of what I would do if I could not look forward to seeing you. Already I’m looking forward to seeing you next Tues. If they try anything this time I’ll tear out what is left of my hair. (I can’t even keep a little secret from you) I don’t know whether to call it a fit or disgust or what, but the other night I went up to the barber shop and told the barber to use the shears very roughly. And he did, consequently I am now sporting one of those “clips” that is only a half an inch high on the top of my head.

I’m not kidding either. I don’t know whether it looks good or not. I’ve had it four days and hardly anyone has noticed it. You will have to find someone else who looks like me now. The glasses I don’t wear but the hair cut changes me. Maybe Boris Karlov (or whatever his name is) is the guy you want. We got paid today and as expected it was $21.00. I am enclosing $19.00 for you. I couldn’t get up to the Post Office because of the kitchen. Only $16 is my money. A fellow came around with a hard luck story the other day and so being a soft touch, I wrote him a check for $3. I was sorry I did it afterwards, but he wanted to get home in a bad way. I guess you aren’t the only one who pulls your so-called “boners”. I think things will be pretty close this month and you will probably slide by. Next month, unless I get the raise, won’t be much better. It sure is hard to get ahead, isn’t it. I’ve just been figuring again, and July 7^th comes next Wed. and not Tues.

So sort of look for me then. I forgot to mention I still have about $2.25 left and that is plenty. My battery bill gets larger each month. It increases about $.80 a month and I hate to think of what it will be after my 5 years in this Army is over. Did I say 5 years? If I stay away from my wife that long it will be because they lock me up. I love you darling. You are the only gal in the world for me. I haven’t seen anyone yet that can compare with you. Anyone else I see only serves to remind me more of you. My wife who is so nice and soft. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t married me. And what a rooking you got! Your husband is a pretty forlorn looking fellow tonite. I miss you too much. Did you go to church Sunday? It doesn’t seem to do me any good to go. I guess that is heresy. Do you think you are going to like your change in jobs.

I hope they have you something good. A fellow just came along and hit me up for a buck. On pay day everyone is supposed to have money, but he lost his in a crap game. Maybe I lost a dollar too. Today I got three letters from you and so I had a nice time reading them. I hadn’t got a letter before this since last Friday. Well it is getting dark and so I’ll close. I’m sitting on the steps in front of the barracks writing on a book. It is nice here, but I wish you were here.

All my love

(and there is a lot for you)

Leonard

P.S. Maybe in the future you had better address the letters Nahant, Mass. under the Fort R. because your last three letters didn’t reach here because the P.O. couldn’t have known where we were.