Letter # 31, May 22, 1943

May 22, 1943
Sat; eve.
Hello Tootsie;
I've been neglecting you again this week but have been just too busy to write. I'm afraid you will have to get used to not hearing from me so often. The schedule from now on has a lot of bivouac trips on it and we usually don't have time to do anything before dark. It gets dark here at about 8:30 and unless it is nice moonlight like it was last Monday I don't get a chance. That was one of the most beautiful nights I ever remember seeing anywhere, even in Colorado and that is saying plenty. As I said in that letter it would have been a swell night for lovers. You and I, we're still lovers aren't we? Even though married. I love you anyhow, regardless of wether we can be classed as lovers or not.
I don't blame you for having your hair cut now that you are a working girl again. It probably was a lot of work to keep it up and I know you don't have any time to waste. You just got yourself a lot of work by marrying me, but don't you dare be sorry or I'll pick out a W.A.A.S.C. a red haired one if possible.
I liked your hair best as it was when I left, but I loved you before and I could love you if you didn't have any hair, like me. You can do that way again after this is over and you retire to your old position of being my sweet wife again.
It is a rotten break that Tony is getting. Even if he does get well he will be just where he started and have all his training to take over again. I don't doubt that some of his outfit has been sent. Some of these non combat outfits are sent after 6 weeks of training. That was the way I was hoping it would be with me, but in a combat outfit like this it takes a long time to train. They still say at least 9 mo. so I have at least 7 more months of training and I guess a lot of it will be spent under the open sky. Suits me O.K. I like to live outside.
This mail business is screwey part of the time. I got three letters from you today. Your Mon, Tues, and Wed all in a bunch. I had a good time reading that many letters from my honey all at once.
I was glad to see Jim's letter. He seems O.K. and in good spirits. He is down where they are expecting it to be very active soon. I will send his letter back in this one and if I have time will write one to him tomorrow and enclose it in another one to you. He doesn't have his rank on the letter so you will address it and send it for me won't you? Thanks honey, you're sweet.
I bet that day off did feel good. You have been working too steady anyhow. Don't let them overwork you. I want more than a shadow left when I come home. You were a little too heavy in spots but I still don't want you to be much different than you were. About like you were when we were married is swell. You were nice and soft and exciting to look at and touch or maybe I had better say feel. I did more feeling than mearly touching. Remember how you bothered me so I just couldn't keep my hands off you and even though you used to call me "old feeley" I think you liked it a little. I'll have a lot of exploring to do all over again. "Whoope".
Don't let me scare you very much about how tough and wild I am. You usually could handle me very well and I think you still can. You are so nice I couldn't help being nice to you. I love you too, mummy and as you say it would be fun to have you floating and then go home with you. You were almost passionate then. Remember Put-in-Bay last summer?
When you send the glasses again, I think it would be better to put them in the case and then pack the case in another box.
Our friends sure are being nice to you and I hope they keep it up. It will keep you entertained and happy. They're nice.
I imagine the dogwood will live. It is just the moving last year that cut the amount of blossoms.
The whole company goes on all the hikes together and bivouacs, that is about 200 men and officers. In classes we are broken up into groups of 25 or so, each with a second lieutenant and a sargent for instructors.
Since I moved to the barracks I'm in now I don't see H. Marshall much and that is probably why I don't mention him.
Leo is in the tank platoon at present so I don't see much of him either. They said I am too big for tanks and I guess they are right. I don't close the hatches when I get in without coiling up like a spring.
I won't have "Pop" for a bed partner much longer. He is being transfered to another company the end of the week.
Well mummy I guess I better quit and go to bed I'll finish tomorrow. Night Tootsie Wuggles, I love you. I'll tell you some more tomorrow.
Sunday Morn. 7:30
Morning honey dear. Had a nice long sleep and feel swell. Nearly 10 hrs. pretty good for me.
I guess I forgot to say I had received Mr Clark's letter a week ago. Haven't answered yet but will soon, maybe today. I guess this takes care of the questions and comments in your letters so I will continue with part some number or other, of "The Life of Pvt. Norman Effinger in the 8th Armored Force"
Thursday morning we went back to the range and we really had an initiation into real army life in the open. We had nearly arrived at the bivouac area and it started to rain. One of these violent, tropical thunder storms.
It was hot as hell with the sun just seeming to burn and all of a sudden the southern sky showed a large black cloud, racing toward us and spreading over the entire sky. Lightening took the place of the sunlight and kept up a continous rolling and flashing. In a few minutes the first drops fell, great big drops, seemingly the size of pears. They kept coming faster and faster until it seemed as though someone was playing a firehose over me. We were all lined up in marching formation with full packs on our backs and raincoats on. Then the order to march was given and we started out on a 15 mile cross country hike. It wasn't 2 minutes until I found out what they call these raincoats, rain strainers, was true. I was wet clear through and the water ran down my legs inside my leggings and into my shoes, so that at each step the water squirted out the tops of my shoes. Got my feet well washed. The heat completely disappeared and until my circulation speeded up from exercise I was actually chilly. The temperature changes just as fast as the storms come up.
The rain continued without let up. The level land was actually a couple inches deep with water and every little stream or wash was full of water, sometimes knee deep. On the motor trails through the woods, where there had been dust several inches deep, there was that much slippery mud. The first couple hours were like that and then the rain stopped just like turning off a faucet and the sun came out, but not so hot as before. It was the first march I have been on that I didn't sweat until I was sweat out. Usually my clothes are as wet with sweat as they were this time with rain. If I had my choice I would pick a hike like this one every time, to get away from that terrible heat. I'm going to be sweat down to where I was when you first knew me if I stay in this climate very long. The work doesn't faze me but the heat does. You know I never did like hot weather.
Most of the boys took the march in good spirits and even did a little singing part of the way.
Being squad leader I was in my position at the head of the 4th platoon and I overheard an interesting discussion of myself going on behind me in the platoon. The boys were arguing about my age and they were guessing at anything from 18-35. They finally decided I couldn't be any more than 24 or 25 at the most or I wouldn't be able to keep up with the platoon much less lead it. After they had arrived at that decision one of them asked me and when I told them I had to take my helmut off to make them believe it. See, the old man is still as good as some of the young ones.
There are three squads in a platoon. Mine is the middle one. The one on the right is lead by Norman Rahill, a lawyer from New York. He is 33 and single, a very nice person, classified for army intelligence. The one on the left is lead by Carl Bauman, a government secretary from Washington D.C. He is just 20 and also classified for army intelligence. So they have three white collar men men for leaders in the 4th platoon.
We got back at bivouac area about 5:30. 4 hours to cover about 15 miles. We then hunted as dry a spot as we could to pitch our tents.
Our platoon sargent was short a partner and asked me to pitch with him so I did. He was in charge of the radio peep for the night so we slept by the peep. The ground was very wet so I fixed that. I cut half a pine tree down to get enough branches to keep our blankets up off the ground. They make a fragrent, springy bed and I slept like a log. Didn't even know it rained like hell again at night. We had dug a ditch around our tent so if it did rain we wouldn't be flooded out. Good thing we did.
The night was very quiet not even many mosquitoes. My clothes were still very wet and we weren't allowed to build a fire to dry them and on these tactical bivouacs we are to sleep in our clothes, in case we are called to move in the middle of the night and on 5 minutes notice. I didn't like the idea of sleeping in wet clothes but I did and in the morning I was nice and dry. Wasn't cold at night either.
Next morning we took the same hike over again. It was still cool and seemed like a very easy march. When I came in I found a hole in the sole of one of my shoes. Imagine, I've worn out one pair of these heavy army shoes already. Will have to turn them in for repairs tomorrow.
We came in Friday evening, washed all the trucks and etc, scrubbed the barracks, and got ready for Saturday inspection.
We had full equipment and personnel inspection Sat aft. and were through about 4 P.M. I understand we are to have mostly tests and review up to Wed. this week, inspection on Thurs and are to have Fri, Sat, and Sunday off in honor of Memorial Day. I have a suspicion we will do some parading. Three days would be too much for the army to give us all at once. About 20% of the company are to receive three day passes for the weekend. Too bad Wayne couldn't have waited until then to have his wife down. I think maybe I will take a day and see a few of these towns for myself. I'm not very anxious to see them but I've been in camp for 7 weeks and maybe it will be refreshing to get out for a few hours. I'll have to keep in contact with the outside world or I won't know how to act when I get out. To act and talk as we do here would be terrible even for one of the rough parties we had once in a while. When I stop to think of it I haven't even talked to one of the weaker sex more than once or twice since I've been in the army. By the time I come home you'll have to teach me manners all over again. You did it once and you can do it again. You've had quite an influence on me you old devil. Formerly I wouldn't have admitted it was good influence but now I will. Keep it up honey, I love you.
I'm going to end this now. Much as I love you and much as you deserve it I can't spend all my time writing to you. I would like to and could write several times as much as this but I must be polite enough to answer some of the other letters I have received.
Be good honey, love you so much......
your loving husband;
Norm