May 19, 1942 - Dear Audrey
Well, I guess that’s telling her off.
Spoiler: he does survive his first morning without a letter. And the afternoon. A secret mission to the South Boston Army base is intriguing. We'll never know. And the vaccine schedule will not be questioned. But a big relief he has a new job on the big guns. Still just living for the pass and he can't wait till tomorrow. It's been 10 days!!
Original Letter
Transcript follows.
The Boston Globe - May 19, 1942
Ulster is Northern Ireland. Huge buildup of Allied forces. And you should sit down for this ... the nurses worn slacks!
The Boston Globe - Evening
The Tokyo Raid should have ended the war for us, right? They bomb us, then we bomb them? It's over, right? No? Meanwhile, women in the Army are proving to be jolly efficient up in Canada. And Roosevelt must be doing something right in this war for soldiers to start a drive to double his salary. But it's not over. Not at all.
Meanwhile in Hartford...
Ms. Dorothy Dix is very wise. Dad's will be left out in the cold and snubbed if they refuse their daughters some freedom. Be engaged, not enraged :) As for tonight's dinner, I may try Spanish Veal Chops - sounds great.
Transcript - May 19, 1942
Bat H 9th C.A, Fort Banks
Dear Audrey,
Well, you’ve upset my whole schedule. You’ve turned my life in the Army upside down. My very existence here hinges on my getting your letter every morning and this morning there wasn’t any letter. I’m not sure that I can continue. It’s a terrific blow but I’ll try to overcome it. You’ll be lucky if I pull thru and if I should happen to, you had better not let it happen again. Well, I guess that’s telling her off.
We went over to So. Boston this morning on a special detail but when we got there, we found it was just a joy ride. They weren’t ready for us. We aren’t supposed to say too much, even to our wife and I talk too freely anyway, so I won’t tell you what we were going to do. But it was over at the So. Boston Army base. When we got back here, they herded us over for a tetanus shot and it wasn’t an easy one. This is the first one we have had in a long while and I guess that is why it stung. We were getting use to the others. I forget what I write from one day to the next and so I forget what I wrote yesterday. Did I tell you I’ve got a better position in firing the big guns? It’s not only better, but it’s easier.
We are supposed to practice ball this afternoon for a game with one of the other forts tomorrow. Maybe I’ll get out of the mess hall in the afternoon to play because we have to travel over to the fort. There is some talk of night drill to-nite, but I hope we don’t because then we will have it Wed. and then I’ll miss it. Because I’ll be down in Conn. seeing my best girl. You are my best girl aren’t you? Even if you don’t write me everyday you had better be my girl just the same. Because if you don’t I’m going to pretend to be sick and go to the hospital and have one of the nurses sleep with me. They tell me they have a nurse for every soldier up there. After the first nite they’ll give me two nurses, won’t they? Or will they?
I’ve just come in from nite chow. I started the first part of this letter this morning just before lunch and so now I’ll pick it up. I was only kidding you about writing to me and those nurses. The nurses can’t compare with you anyway. You’ve got too much on the ball and I love you too much. I’ve just found out that we are going to have night drill tonight. Also I didn’t get any letter this afternoon from you. It’s a good thing I’m going to see you tomorrow so now I can give you the devil.
Well, I owe Tony a letter and I think I’ll write him to-nite. Lots of love from me to you. I’m sure anxious to see you. It’s been ten days and it seems like a month. I hope there will be a lot of cars going to Hartford tomorrow night so I can get to see you as soon as possible.
All my love,
Leonard
Next letter Friday, May 22, 1942
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