Letter # 116 November 4, 1943

Nov 4, 1943
Sweetheart;
I got another letter from my wifey today and the pictures. Could you recognize us in them? We were all so covered with dust we don't look very natural. I'll send them, the tank pictures, back. I'm not interested in them here. The pictures of the house were rather nice I thought.
I dug my calendar out and made another funny little mark on it. Got to keep track of you. I don't know why, because I probably won't get an opportunity to use the information for a long time to come, damn it, but it has kinda gotten to be a habit to see that you keep regular.
You are surely having a long vacation from school. Bet you'll have to work like hell when you do go back, to catch up on the schedule. Wish I could have stayed around for the whole vacation. I'd have kept you busy. I love you you old devil and while I haven't had time on my hands as you have I still miss you a lot. Guess I always will. You have somehow become a part of me and I'm rather lost without you.
Well anyhow are we 7 months closer to being together again than we were last spring? I guess we'll stand it alright, but I don't like it. Can't figure out how I got along so well before I had you.
I didn't know Jim was in the SeeBees either. I don't think he was originally. Must have been transferred. I'll try to find time to write him a letter, but I'll have to do better than I have been. Haven't written a letter to anyone but you, Keeping me too busy. I'll have to stay in Sunday and catch up.
Glad you got some coal. I was a little worried about the strike situation. Thought you might not get any at all.
Don't be afraid to fire the furnace. It can't hurt a thing. You might have to drain the air from the radiators but that isn't much and that is absolutely all that can happen.
I still would like to be able to apply for that job of man about the house you speak of. Sounds very interesting as well as fun. From your pictures I imagine you would be a very nice person to live with. Boy! Those nice soft exciting curves. I think I could love you a lot if I just got the chance. I do love you ever and ever so much.
Margaret's charge was very reasonable. I would be glad to pay several times that much for another 15 days right now. I sure am costing you a lot of money aren't I honey? Hiring a substitute, paying telephone bills and everything. Guess I must have married that girl with piles of money after all.
I was more than a little worried about missing that train until I found I could get to St.Louis ahead of it. As it was, they had the wrong information here, and had me marked A.W.OL. They thought I was supposed to be here the 27th instead of in Louisville. I didn't know anything about that until after I had reported to the C.O. He asked for my orders, looked at them and just said O.K. Told me to get my clothes unpacked and etc and that was all. Later in the day Sgt. Brown and a couple other sgts that were with the old outfit asked me how I made out on the A.W.O.L. charge. It was a surprise to me, because when the C.O. saw my orders he knew what had happened and said nothing about it to me. Brown said he had been sweating for me for three days. Just look at all the trouble I innocently caused.
This morning one of the tanks didn't even make it out of the motor park, but the other 13 did and the biggest surprise was that they all came back under their own power. The four we had left are all ordinance jobs so we didn't have any mechanical work to do, so "Brownie" put me to building shelves, bins and etc. Said he had been waiting for his carpenter to come back.
Tomorrow Brownie and I have to go out and fire the 50 Cal machine gun for record on a moving target. The target is towed on a rail car, like the pictures you've seen.
Well honey, I guess I will quit for tonight. I loves you bushels and bushels.
Night mummy, wish I could help warm your bed for you tonight.
With lots of love
Norm.