Letter # 66 July 21, 1943

July 21, 1943
2000 Wed eve.
Hello sweet and lovable;
Well honey I have a very good example of how the army can change it's mind. Yesterday they said no more night shift and today they put Sgt.Marinics and I on night shift indefinitely. Just the two of us now. We go on tomorrow night. we'll work until noon tomorrow and have the afternoon to sleep or whatever. I think it will be okay.
I got your box of cookies and your Sunday letter today. The cookies are swell honey and you're a sweet old devil to take such good care of me.
I guess you have been doing a lot of gadding as you call it, but that's what a vacation is for and it's what I want you to do. Get it out of your system if you can honey. [I doubt it] because when I do come home again I'm not going to be too easy to talk into leaving very much. I always did rather like to stay at home and I think I will like it a lot more after this. I can really appreciate wife and home now.
The rumors are really flying around here now. They're coming so thick and fast I can't even remember all of them. Here are a couple of them but treat them as nothing but rumors. Probably no truth in them at all.
#1 All furloughs for privates are cancelled from this date forward to some indefinite date, because a lot of them are going to be shipped out to replacement centers.
#2 The 8th division is changed from a combat unit to a training unit for non-comms.
#3 The privates will get their ratings and be sent to other armored force divisions to train other rookies.
#4 In two mo. North Camp Polk will be empty except for a staff of officers and non-comms to begin another 8th division.
#5 Camp Polk is to be used for prisoners of war camp. They say there is already a bunch of them in south camp. where they moved the W.A.A.C.S. from.
That is all I can remember at present but there are lots more. All you can gather from them is that there might be something afoot and these are the guesses someone has passed out. I don't think any of the Division officers know much more than we do about it. We'll just have to keep on waiting until something happens. Don't get discouraged honey. I'm just talking gossip, and a break may come our way at any time.
I sure am glad you are getting along so well by yourself. I had thought all along that you would be better satisfied there at home than anywhere else and I'm glad it's turning out that way. I want you to be as happy as you can be under the circumstances. It's a hard spot for you and I want you to do as you please. I've told you all this before but just keep it in mind.
Well honey I'm all unwound again. Must be slipping or else I'm writing too often. Can't seem to fill the pages anymore. Not doing so many new things to write about either. I'll soon be down to short love notes. I should be able to write a lot on that subject but I can't say what I want to. I'm still much better at showing than telling I'm afraid.
I do love you a lot honey and think you are the sweetest most desirable woman in the world, even though you say you aren't as nice as I say and call yourself a hard woman of the world, I think I can soften you up and know you will be entirely satisfactory. You're a peach honey. I'm glad I got you before someone else found out how nice you were. I was lucky. No competition.
Night honey, I love you and am hoping to see you soon.
your lover
Norm.