Sept. 27, 1942 - Dear Audrey

Jan Palson

27 Sep 2026 — 6 min read

The Lynn Item with serious scrap. Support this work: Newspapers.com

Every Sunday is Thanksgiving Day in the Army...

This will be the last letter for about a week since he's getting a pass and Mom is driving up to get him. There is a new law lowering the speed limit to 35mph so it'll take her a while to go from East Hartford to Fort Ruckman. But the plan is as solid as swiss cheese. They might actually splurge on a hotel to REDACTED and REDACTED. It's cold and damp these days so new socks are in order and a moth ball will solve that musty odor. He's getting over his cold so no money spent. And considering the meat shortage thanks to this war, turkey on Sunday seems like a fine idea.

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

September 27, 1942

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

Dear Audrey:

Every Sunday is Thanksgiving Day in the Army or at least it is at chow. Today we had turkey and all the fixings even to the cranberry sauce. I don’t think I can ever get enthused over a turkey any more. The only time, with a rare exception, that we ever had turkey was on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas and now the Army is giving it to me at least once a week and it is not unusual to have it on a week day. If we have a Thanksgiving Day dinner I suppose I should be thankful for something and so today I am thankful I am not in Stalingrad. I am thankful that I have such a nice wife and that I am going to see her in a couple of days. I’ve just been reading “Popeye” in the funnies and Olive Oyle says “a girl likes to hear her ribs pop” when she is hugged and so I am going to hold you just as tight. Only I won’t want to let go. You are so nice and I love you so much. Just think – I am going to kiss and hug and love you for three days. I don’t see why we can’t have four days. That is if you drive up Tues. afternoon.

I can leave here at four o’clock and be anywhere waiting for you and I have already made arrangements for someone to pull my shift that night so I can stay all night with you. I am beginning to relent a little. I don’t want you over in Natick so I suppose the best thing would be a hotel for the night. (what a tight wad you married. He is afraid to spend a little money.) there is no real good place we can stay in Boston except Brownie’s and Ralph’s and so that only leaves the hotel and I do want to see you Tues. night. Unless I hear from you I’ll stay here Tues. afternoon but I hope you have decided before this to come up then. I am half expecting a letter tomorrow telling me where to meet you. By the way our Btry has a telephone in our day room and the number is Nahant 0584. Of course, I know you don’t go around calling up men but this is for emergency. There is very little danger in my going out Tues. and you know I wouldn’t be taking any unnecessary chances and we could stay close by. This damp weather has given my foot locker a musty smell and I’m wondering if you have anything to pep it up a little. I suppose a moth ball would be all right. There are some woolen things down in the bottom that I haven’t moved since spring. Should you air these things? With the coming cold weather, I think I had better get some warm socks. Don’t you think so? I have been expecting some knitted ones from you all summer but you have disappointed me.

They would have been so nice if you had knitted them with your own little hands. It is going to be cold around here this winter. The wind has been blowing quite hard all afternoon and the water is very rough. I can look out and see the small boats in the bay being pitched all over. Then the wind has blown the sand all around and I am coated with dust and my ears are crammed with it. I’ll never get them clean. (as if I ever did) I haven’t used the money you sent me. Playing football, I think helped sweat a little of the cold out of me and so I’ve put off getting anything for my cold. I can take one of my other girls out up here now. I’ll take the one who doesn’t drink too much because a dollar won’t go very far but of course she will have some money. It is a good thing they don’t drink like you or I couldn’t afford to take them out. The way you lap up the beer is a caution. Well, if I don’t hear anything definite (you should get this by Tues.) from you by Tues. I’ll wait here for you Tues. night and if you don’t show up then I’ll pick you up in Natick Wed. around five or six. How is that?

If you don’t come over here Tues. night I will meet you in Natick Wed. afternoon. If you do decide to come over here and think you will be later than 8:30 well, give me a ring. I’ll wait until around nine o’clock. OK? We will leave it like that. I’m counting the hours and minutes until I see you. Drive carefully and I hope you have good luck. You are my best girl and one and only girl.

Love

Harry

War Updates

Sunday in Hartford...

Note the top line: If This Scrap Drive Fails "Our Fighting Men Will Pay With Their Lives". No metal is safe. Thus an old freezing unit is demolished for the cause. And not only lower speed limits but less gas. Not sure how Mom is getting up around Boston.