Letter # 463 August 26, 1944

New Guinea
Saturday Eve.
Aug. 26, 1944
Hello Beautiful;
I've just finished my weekly candy ration.  One Butterfinger bar and a pack of gum.  Of course I still have the gum to work on for a day or so.  Cost all of sixpence, [8 cents].  See why I don't spend very much money over here.  It just isn't worth a thing when there isn't anything to buy.
Mail call was a lot better to me today.  Three letters, Aug. 11, 12 &13, from you and one from Mom & Hazel.  Yours are still coming in order.  Since Aug. 1 they have so far been consecutive.  It's nicer that way, but I'll take 'em any way they come and love 'em all.  I love you too, darling.
Our dry spell is broken all right.  It's been raining every day for several days now.  I don't mean steady.  A nice heavy rain about once a day.  It makes the air a lot closer and damper but it's a big relief from dust.  It hasn't made any mud yet.  Hope it doesn't.  I had enough of that last winter in La.
Now I'm going to answer some more letters.  I haven't forgotten that I left my trip stranded in L.A. I'll get to that one of these days when I need something to write about.
In spite of your pooh, poohing the idea of you learning to do so many things I liked to do, skating, hunting, and so on, I still think it was mighty swell of you to do it and never complain 'cause I didn't learn some of the things you liked to do.  You're a very sweet girl and I love you.  Anything I've learned to do I couldn't help but learn. A good teacher can obtain some results from even the most backward pupil.  I had the teacher for the job.  Sweet, beautiful, and talented.  Above all I was in love with her and so had lots of incentive to learn.
You're getting lots of help with your hoping and praying that a year from now we'll be back together and will have forgotten most of the heartache and lonely days I've been away.  I'm holding my breath to hear how they decide the priority of return to civilian life.  I'm scared I won't rate very high.  We'll just have to wait and see.  In any case you may be sure I'll be on my way at the earliest possible minute and that I'll be glad to stay with my wife for a long, long time.  I'll even hate to go back to work after the "vacation" 'cause then I'll only see you morning and night.  Maybe we'll have plenty gas and tires though and I can come home to dinner.  Would you like that?  I used to like it when we were first married.  Remember?
I thought you would like King's Row.  I thought it was a pretty good book.  It was long and in places rather dry but different and interesting in spite of it.  You sure read it a lot quicker than I did.  I started it on the boat and didn't finish it until after I had been here a month or so.  You did it in two evenings.
Sweetheart, you don't sound very much like my egotistical wife when you say you half believe the things I tell you. anyhow it isn't being very dutiful.  Don't you know you're supposed to believe and obey everything I say?  At this distance I can't do anything to make you believe me except to keep on repeating and assuring you that I mean all I say and more.  I love you.
Your idea of a perfect husband isn't a very difficult bill to fill.  One that can make love good both in the flesh and on paper. Any red blooded male should be able to do that if given as nice a subject as you.  If that was all it took I'm certain I could always qualify, but I'm sure you only mean those to be two of the many things that would go into making a perfect husband.  I know I require a lot more qualifications for my perfect wife.  I've got her too.  Had her for four years and still don't know the extent of the bargain I got.  I'm lucky.
Darling, I'm going to cheat you on this letter.  I want to write a couple more yet tonight so I'll only have yours to write tomorrow.  Another ball game tomorrow and I can't seem to stay away from them and take it easy as an old man should.  Crazy aren't I?  As soon as I can see any possibility of coming home I'll start resting up, so that when I get there you can renew your acquaintance with the ceiling.  Night, honey, I love you.
Your hubby.
Norm.