Letter # 36, May 30,1943

May 30, 1943
Sun Morn. 9 A.M.
Hi Honey Darling.
I'm still safe and sound and the wickedness of the big city still hasn't got me. Leo has gone in to church, he is a good Catholic, and pagan that I am, I am staying in camp writing a letter to my honey. I suppose tonight will be a workout for you.
We didn't go swimming yesterday, couldn't rent a suit anywhere, so we went to town about 10 A.M. and just looked around until noon, ate, and then went to two shows. Imagine me going to three shows in two days, but I enjoyed it. I hadn't seen a regular show since I left home. After the shows we walked the streets for a while observing everything that passed us and then about 9 P.M. we came back to camp. We had the camp practically to ourselves until 3 this morning when the boys started straggling in. A lot of them had gotten rooms in town and didn't come back to camp either night. They really go on a spree if they have the money. Can't blame them much, there isn't much to do in town, but go to a show or a beer joint which is where most of them ended up. A lot of big heads in camp this morning.
Leo and I being alone in out tent when we got back last night, sat and talked for quite a while. He really is in a quandary about what to do. They had planned to be married this June as soon as school let out and were going on a honeymoon in Colorado. I told him that was where we had really wanted to go but it was too far. He lives about 100 miles northwest of Omaha so it is only about 700 miles to the Rockies. I don't blame him for being disgusted at the war for breaking that up. He has spent the last four summers working in a rubber factory in Denver. Gates Rubber Belt Co where we bought all the belts we sold at the store. On weekends he had traveled all over Colorado and knows a lot of the places I do, so we had quite a bull session. He talks like they might possibly get married when she comes down. I couldn't advise him. It's a tough proposition. If this camp wasn't so far from everything and wasn't a combat unit it wouldn't be bad. In this outfit even the top sargents can't live off the post very much of the time. He'll just have to figure it out for himself.
I'm glad I've got my honey all tied up and don't have that to worry about. It's bad enough to be taken away from you without having all those other problems to solve. I love you honey and while I saw some nice girls I still wouldn't trade you for any of them. That's saying quite a little because they are here and you aren't but I mean it. You're the only one for me.
I thought it was plenty hot up at camp but it is worse down here. It seems to be so damp and sultry. My clothes haven't dried out even at night since I've been here. It has rained a nice shower all three days and they say it is a regular occurrence. It is only about 20 feet above sea level and only about 30 miles from the Gulf. the natives don't seem to mind it. Don't even sweat and look cool as cucumbers. I don't see how they do it.
I did very well on my spending money. Including $2.00 I spent for clothes I only spent $6.50 so you see I couldn't have gotten very drunk. I only had four beers and did the rest of my spending on meals, ice cream, and milk. The shows only cost 22 cents a ticket for soldiers, but cigarettes are 21 cents a pack in town. This is one of these war boom towns, normal population only about 1/3 of the number here now, between 70 & 75 thousand at present. I think it would be a swell town in normal times.
The army says we are now real soldiers and not rookies anymore. We have had our first divisional parade and been on our first 3 day leave. I don't know if that makes us soldiers or not but they say so.
I haven't written to anyone else this weekend. I may have time sometime during the week. If I don't I'll do it next Sunday. I've had my fling for a few weeks and will probably stay in camp for a while again.
Well honey I guess I'll have to close and go get my truck ready to move. We leave here at 1 P.M. for camp. This isn't much of a letter. I'll try to do better next time. Here's to the time when we'll be together again honey. You can't possibly realize how much I love you.
Your soldier
Norm