Letter #29 May 17, 1943

May 17, 1943
Mon. Aft 4 P.M.
Hi Sweetheart;
Well here I am way out in the La. woods and imagine having time to write in the middle of the afternoon. I drew K.P. duty again today and when we are out the K.P.'s stay on duty all day. We have our work all done until about 5 so I will use the time to write to my darling wife. I love you honey.
You should see the layout we have for a field kitchen. A large canvas stretched up for a tent on a hill in the woods. We are in complete shade and even though it is hot there is a grand breeze making it very comfortable. The cooking is done on 6 large gasoline burners and they can also be slipped under three large portable ovens to do the baking. Two large canvas water bags hang on tripods and hold our drinking water. The water all has to be hauled from the camp. It takes a surprising amount of water for a bunch of men like this, nearly 300 gal of water today.
I got interrupted and it is now 8 P.M. Just finished my K.P. duties and shaved and will write until dark. I hear we are going in tomorrow eve and come back Thursday and Friday, so I will probably get this mailed Tues eve.
I helped break the eggs for scrambled eggs for breakfast, 35 doz of them. It must be quite a job to cook for so many all the time.
I am sitting here with my back against a big pine, we are camped in the middle of a large grove on a hilltop, the moon is just beginning to be bright enough to cast the shadow of my hand on the paper as I write, the sun has just gone down and the western sky is a mass of color, there is a brisk cool breeze blowing through he pines and the pine scent is heavy on the air. All very pretty and restful. Wish you were here honey. It is a perfect setting for a lover's meeting. I don't think I would need all the background to get in a lover's mood if you were here, but it's nice and just perfect for love making. I'm loving you by long distance honey.
Can you feel it?
From the way you answer some of my questions before you even get the letters it seems you must almost know what I'm thinking. I love you and still think you're gorgeous. I am now writing entirely by moonlight so if you can't read it put in words of your own and make them plenty sweet.
Got your Thurs. letter today, one from Tony and one from Clyde Ambrose. I will send Tony's along with this. He sure is getting a tough break.
You must have had one of your spells when you wrote that letter but like always I know that as soon as you finished saying it you were your old self again.
Vi has written me a couple of nice letters and I have answered them.
It sure was swell of Mick to mow the lawn for you. Looks like the boys all must think you're sweet. You are too. Hope they don't take all the men in the army, so you won't have anyone to take care of you. They are real friends. Hope we sometime have the opportunity to return the favors. It's very comforting to know they are all taking care of you while I'm away. Hope Mickey doesn't have to go. In the shape he was when I last saw him it would be plenty hard on him until he looses some weight.
As I have said before it is no place for a married man. I'm not complaining at all but I still don't want other happy couples to be separated as we are. It makes it hard on both but hardest on the wife. Just think how hard my own sweet wife is working and how much change it has made in her life. You're doing a swell job honey. Deep it up for a while longer and I'll be home and make you forget the hard time you are having now.
Don't worry about me being disappointed about you. I know you very well and know you aren't an angel. [note: he spelled it angle!] I never even called you one but even though you have some faults I still mean every word I have said. Who the hell wants an angel. I'd have to be perfect then and you know I'm a hell of a way from that. In fact almost a devil. I don't know how I was lucky enough to get you unless it was to get you out of teaching school.
All I want is a girl just like you, and now that I've had a chance to miss you and realize how much you mean to me I consider myself very lucky to have you for a wife, waiting impatiently for my return. In comparison with any other girl I have ever known you are best and if I could have my pick I would still pick you.
I may have been very slow to realize it, but remember that in all the time we went together and since we have been married we were always together with never even a spat so I had no chance to miss you and fully appreciate what you mean to me. So never fear that I will be disappointed, and don't be scared by what I am going to do to you. You can take anything I have to give.
Well I guess I better quit and go to bed. It is a swell night and I still wish you were here to snuggle up to. When I think, I can almost feel those nice soft curves fitting up to me. Night mummy. I loves you honey.
your loving husband
Norm