Oct. 23, 1942 - Dear Audrey

Jan Palson

23 Oct 2026 — 5 min read

Boston Globe - Guess where Mrs. Roosevelt is - jolly old England. Support this work: Newspapers.com

Are you really getting fat?

Can you believe he asks her that? And throwing a young lady's bathing suit out a car window is exactly how you get in this situation. He's walking guard and playing football while Mom carries all the responsibilities. Their tire worries may be over. Do they sell the Packard of not. They'll save that question. He really is lucky he married her. The trailer just needs to be delivered now. $300 down is a deal. Then the fun begins.

Original Letter

Transcript follows.

Transcript

For some context, War Updates follow the transcript. It includes the front pages of The Daily Evening Item from Lynn, Massachusetts (local to Fort Ruckman) and Mom's local Connecticut paper the Hartford Courant for additional news, plus the Women's Page so you're up on the latest recipes and styles, especially hats!

Research, learn, and support this work. Go to: Newspapers.com

October 23, 1942

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

Dear Audrey:

I’m glad you are glad that we are going to get the trailor. It is almost too late to back out now. It is practically sealed and delivered. Just a few minor details to take care of now – like letting a measly $300 pass through our hands. It will mean something we can call our own and that will be nice. It is a start towards something bigger and better. Someday we will build our home and for that day I can hardly wait. It is a step in the right direction. It will be our place and it will be someplace where I can wrestle with my wife without feeling like a high school lad. I love you my wife. That is if we can keep the darn thing. You are right when you say we can’t afford a trailor. I hope the folks don’t think we are a rich pair and that this is another wild venture. We thought of everything and this was our best bet and I like it best. I am going to enjoy having my wife to myself for a change.

But of course I probably won’t because you’ll have someone living down there. You will have to continue carrying the load. Are you really getting fat? I’m not worrying very much now that you are sure it is inevitable. How much longer do you think you can work? I don’t want you over there a single day longer than you should be or want to be. When Bernice says I act worried she is crazy. I am just the same now as the day I threw your bathing suit out of Homer’s car. Which reminds me, I got a letter from Mom today and she says Homer wants to give us three tires but we have to go up and pay them a visit to get them. But you want to sell the car. I am not convinced it is necessary yet. Maybe we will put it up the first of the year but we can drive it until then. If we are in the vicinity, I think we might as well pick up the tires. I really shouldn’t be saying it but I guess you sized up the predicament in one sentence when you said you couldn’t afford to give up a good job when you couldn’t tell what kind of a job you could get in Boston. I wish I could make more money or at least have some money for you to fall back on.

I haven’t furnished very much security. I am glad I married such a swell girl. Here you are carrying all the load with everything depending on you and besides that you have been the most wonderful wife any one ever had. It reminds me of that song “I want a girl just like the girl that married dear old dad” and this is what I have done. I’ve got the best gal in the world. Look for me Monday some time. I’ll try and leave as early as possible so as to get there around supper time. If I am not there by eight o’clock don’t wait supper for me or don’t wait at all and you can fix something for me. You can stop practicing baking right now. You should be an expert by now. I was going to say you can save me a piece of the pie you mentioned in your letter but if you baked it Wed. and I don’t get there until Mon. it won’t be very good. Besides, you won’t get this letter until Mon. either so then where will you be. You better make another one. I received the dollar you sent last week but I didn’t get any in your letter today. You mentioned it but I didn’t’ find any.

I’ll have to bum down anyway. I have a little change but that is all. I’m thinking of calling up Al and tell him we won’t be able to be there the 1^st. I signed my furlough today and it read the 3^rd and so that settles that. Still when I stop to think of it, he could pull the trailor down there without us. You could be there and all he would have to do is leave it. I want to get it there on my leave so we can do a little fixing up together. We will have fun doing that. Well darling, I’ve got to get some sleep because I am going on guard.

Lots of love

Leonard

War Updates

The Lynn Daily Evening Item

Adorable children collecting not only scrap metal but nylons. Yep, now nylon material is needed. It's like we didn't even get ready for this dumb war. Anyway, the war is nothing compared to the battle over Sunday football games.

Read more about it and support this work: Newspapers.com

Meanwhile in Hartford...

Not so much as a surprise air raid test if it's announced in the paper. So much war....

The Women's Page for Mom

That's a 50 pound bag of potatoes - $1.20. Crazy. Swap that sweet potato for something mashed in our Sunday dinner menu. Per Dorothy, you can help your kids, just don't impoverish yourself. And milk if in this fight too!!! Milk is doing paperwork in this scenario.