June 6, 1942 - Dear Audrey

Jan Palson

06 Jun 2026 — 6 min read

The one of Mom alone with the flowers in the background.

Can you have the one of you alone with the flowers in the background enlarged?

He's right. That's a great picture of Mom. Look how young she is!!! It's the original - no AI was used (or is ever used). So, it's Saturday - inspection day and nerve-wracking. He even skipped the Cotton Dance Friday night to prepare but still. He won't dance with anyone but Mom anyway so best to stay in and write an 8 page letter! Can't believe they're dragging the decision about the military pay raises. Or maybe I can. The longer they debate, the less it costs. The current $21 per month is just crazy.

Original Letter

Transcript follows.

Transcript - June 6, 1942

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

Dear Audrey,

I was sure glad to get your letter this afternoon. I don’t know but I always look forward to the end of the week so that I can take it easy but when it gets here, Saturday leaves me so disgusted I’m ready to tell someone to go jump in the lake. For me these inspections are nerve-wracking. I feel like taking off under the fence and coming down to see you. The more I think of it, the stronger the urge gets. I love you so much and miss you terribly. A lot of the fellows feel like getting out of here too. Quite a few have left already and tonite there will be a lot of empty bunks. Perhaps if I had more nerve, I’d be on my way down to see my wife.

My wife is the nicest and sweetest gal of them all. To get back to your letter which I was sure glad to get. It’s true I got one yesterday, but I was so disgusted today that your letter has given me a lift. When you told me you love me it gave me that tingling feeling. You are much too nice and soft to be pining for a soldier. In fact the next batch of pictures we take, we are going to devote to the real scenery in the family. Meaning you. You looked nice in those pictures. I showed them to a couple of fellows and they said I had a nice looking wife. Of course I disagreed with them and told them you were beautiful. I don’t get any kick out of looking at those pictures of myself. You should have kept them.

The whole bunch of them came out exceptionally well and I was surprised. Can you have the one of you alone with the flowers in the background enlarged? The same size as the one of us together. I am enclosing it so that you will know which one I mean. Don’t forget to return it to me. Maybe I’ll send one. Her address is: Mrs. R. (for Reuben or something) Bragg – The Leonard Morse Hospital – Natick. Her name is Eva but I guess if you address it just “R” it will be perfectly all right. She will be glad to hear from you. She has a bunch or growth on her neck that has to be removed. They aren’t going to operate this week so I guess she will be up there quite a while. Yesterday I got a card from Bernice saying that they might be over Sunday to see me.

I didn’t want them to be turned away from the gate again so I went over to the office and got a pass to go outside the gate and visit with them a few hours then I call up Natick to tell them to come over early if possible. I talked with Maw and she did not know anything about their coming. Well if they do, they do and if they don’t, they don’t. This pass is something new for me. I didn’t know I could get one. My Maw is the one who told me all about Grandma. She wants me to come out there Tues. for a few hours. I wish it was you that was coming over to see me tomorrow and that it was you I am going to see Tues. I guess we have to face things and except them. Today I don’t care what happens. I have no initiative. I can’t expect to see you for a month. Maybe less, but probably a month.

One good thing I heard today and that is that we will only be going two weeks. We have to be back in two weeks. Lord knows why, but I am glad we have to be. When we get back the passes should start again. I feel sorry for Tony. He hasn’t seen his girl for a long while, but I seen mine a week ago and here I am feeling lower than a snakes belly because I can’t see her this week too. I applied for a 13-week course in radio and if I get that it will probably come the first of July. If that happens and I can’t see my girl, I’ll lock the doors and turn the gas on. I would like to go, but 13 weeks is a long time to stay away from you.

I need the undershirts, but I need some pants too. The type I have now I don’t like. You should have a riot picking them out. I guess I’ll have to show you the kind I mean. Of course, I’ll take them off to show you. I am the bashful type. Not like you. Pick me out some nice loud ones. It is the long loose type I mean, and not he tight ones I have. That is a tight one you have there in the trailer. What is the name of that store you have so recently discovered? I’ll write them a letter and state that I am not responsible for any debts incurred by my wife. Not to sell her anything. Lock the doors when they see you approaching. It’s too bad you didn’t keep the blouse from that slack suit. It was pretty and you look nice in it. You look nice in anything. You also look nice without anything. Have I told you that I love you very much? Well I do.

I’ll bet you look nice in your new outfit. We will have to go someplace sometime. Be sure and let me know how you make out with your job. I hope you will get a better job. Not especially for the pay, but because it will be more interesting for you. There is quite a lot of talk about the men in the service really getting more money soon. Perhaps they are really going to do something for us. If we get any more money these fellows will have a h-ll of a time. Half of them are outside tonite and half of what are inside are feeling pretty high. They are having a h-ll of a time up here. A couple of fellows just came in from passes and brought bottles with them so they are off.

Not me, I’m off the stuff. Imagine going to bed on a Sat. night in an Army camp. It’s a horrible thought. Tomorrow is the day I go to church. What a life. I’m not complaining sweet, just commenting. We will both keep our chins up. For you I could do anything. I love you more than anything else. More than I ever thought possible.

Lots of love,

Leonard