Sept. 6, 1942 - Dear Audrey

Jan Palson

06 Sep 2026 — 5 min read

What happens to Casemated 12-inch gun at Fort Ruckman over time. Source: Ft. Ruckman

You cast a spell over me.

Back to the old grind but I think he's burying the lead - he's jumping the fence? This is the best fort ever! And giving boxing lessons via letter ensures a happy marriage or so I've heard. He's got that overnight shift so it can get goofy. But they'll do it all again next week. Sunday comics below.

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 6, 1942

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

Dear Audrey:

Here we go again. Last week I was tired of writing letters. All I wanted to do was be near you. Well I’ve seen you and I miss you and am waiting to see you Sunday. I’m a sucker for a low inside punch and so here is your letter for Tuesday. This was supposed to be the end and I was going to sign off with “love and kisses” but now that I’m started I might as well keep going. A long with that low inside punch, if you give me a good kick in the shins just before you start the swing, you have me ready to lay down and die. Of course an easy way to put me at your mercy is to let me kiss you and love you. You cast a spell over me. You could take my beer and golf balls away and I wouldn’t object. It is just as I said. There are only a few fellows to pull the shifts and I don’t think it is right. Of course I had my three day pass and so I shouldn’t kick but the method they use is not fair. By “they” I mean the office. I don’t suppose anyone individual is to blame but the fault is there. They know there is nothing we can do or say and that we will have to struggle on somehow. The job is here – we have to. It will take some fancy arranging on my part to be able to be around when you come over Sunday.

What irkes me the most is that last Tues. I pick the horses and I don’t know how they ran. Maybe I would have made a couple of bucks if we had gone down. Maybe it was the day for me that all horse players dream about. A killing. I’ll never know now though. Oh me!! What a wife I’ve got. Why did I ever marry that girl? She wouldn’t let me go down and collect the couple hundred dollars waiting for me. I’m only kidding you, darling. If I’d really wanted to go, we would have gone and besides I have always said the race track is no place for anyone who can’t afford to lose what money they have. It is good fun if you have some extra money and you can afford to come away without it. I picked the horses for Sat. and only had two winners which is not very good. For gosh sakes! Don’t forget to give those golf balls back to me. They are as scarce as good wives like you and I had a hard time getting them. I don’t see why you wanted to take them in the first place. Just trying to dominate me. If you aren’t trying to hit me with a club you are taking my golf balls away. What a life. Why don’t you mind your own business? – Whew, did all that come out of me? The whole Battery knew you were browsing around Thurs nite and they knew it as early as that next morning.

I don’t think anyone knows I jumped the fence but even if they do it makes no difference. They never go to bed around here! There are always some playing cards or just coming in. That route over the fence that I used is used quite a bit every night. It is surprising the number of fellows that go out each night. Well I’m getting sleepy so I’ll call a halt to this rambling. It is 3:30 AM and I only have a half an hour to go. Oh yes, by the way, when you start that low inside punch, don’t let it get too low. I don’t see why you want to sock me at all but then you women are hard to understand. To sock your husband, who by the way is so nice to you, for no reason at all is beyond me. What a wife!! What a letter too. If they gave me some thing to do – maybe I wouldn’t have to resort to such screw-ball stuff. Well, I’ll be seeing you Sunday so I’ll tear this up.

Lots of love, Leonard xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx