Letter #505 October 22, 1944

505
October 22, 1944

New Guinea / Sunday

Hello Mummy;

            Woke up this morning to the tune of rain drops pattering on the tent.  Rained for some time, and is still stormy.  Looks so we didn’t take our trip to the beach.  I’ve been catching up on my writing instead.  I’ve written to Mom, Vi, and Jim so far.  I wrote to Mom and Pop Kelser last night, so I guess I’m all caught up again with my “extra letters.”  I can just talk with you now.  Maybe this afternoon I will get ambitious and do a little work on the surprises.  I know, honey, you’re thinking well hurry up and quit talking about it.  Just keep your pants on and I’ll get them done yet.  All this talk and time in making them are going to have you expecting a lot more than they are.  Don’t expect too much, honey.  They really are only small simple things that I could make in no time at home where I have the tools and time.  Only some more “tokens” and their only value will be the sentiment I send with them.  I’ve got some other little surprises cooking in the back of my mind, too.  All I need is to get to doing them. 

            I’m afraid the letter I wrote Vi today was a bit screwy and you may hear about it.  She made a few remarks in her last one that got me started and I wrote what came out.  Anyhow, I didn’t do as I said the other night and write a sample of the La-de-da parts she was curious.  I was tempted though just to advertise how nice you are and how much I love you.  You used to tell me that people thought I didn’t love you cause I wasn’t demonstrative in public.  Thought it was a one-sided affair.  Do you think some of my letters would change their opinion?  I do love you.  I’m proud of it and I want everyone to know it, so there to. 

            Sweetheart, you watch your step with these old me that bring you ice cream and such.  They me be just looking for a nice sensible to take care of them.  You’ve already got one old man to take care of, and even if he can’t keep you bush and isn’t around right now, he still wants you and intends to have you.  He’s very much in love with you.  You’re his wife.  Mrs. Effinger.  Gosh I like that. 

            I see you have done your part and have the supplies on the way that I need for some of my projects.  I won’t have any excuse then will I? 

            OK darling, I won’t ever be afraid of you becoming so self sufficient that you won’t need me anymore.  I know how you feel about it all.  I can exist and get along in some shape without you, but I sure as hell don’t like to and won’t a minute longer than I have to.  We weren’t so very long but it was long enough for me to find out that I’d never want to be without you.  I’ll take over and give you a shoulder to lean on, but remember I’ll need support too.  We’ll support each and together we can lick most anything and be darn happy doing it.  We’re in love, aren’t we?

            I guess you are probably right about me not having much time to do any reading once I’m home again.  I’ll have a lot of lost time to make up for in my evenings.  Any number of things we have planned to build and do about the place.  Have to finish that upstairs if our plans work.  No room for a third party in our present bedroom.  By the time we get that all done the new member will have arrived and you’ll have other things than reading to me to take care of.  I guess I’ll just stay unread until we get our family raised and we’re taking things easy.  How’s that?  I won’t object if you want to read to me while I’m working on our projects but I’m afraid saws and hammers and such would give you an awful lot of competition. 

            No, honey, I didn’t get any more medals for your collection, just a note on my service record.  ]

            I was interrupted on this letter and now it’s night again.  Brownie, Clarke, Otis, Talkington, and I took off for the beach after dinner and had a good time.  We got ourselves a whole mess of coconuts too.  We’ve got a couple dozen here in the tent so we can eat coconut for a few days.  If I can’t go hickory or walnut hunting I can go coconut hunting anyhow.  The results are more gratifying to the eye too.  With the husk on they’re as big as footballs, so forty or fifty of them make quite a stack.  We had some wonderful swimming.  The rollers were really coming in.  Great big husky ones that would bury us in a smoother of white foam one minute and the next toss us high up the crest of another.  Take an awful beating in a short time, but gosh it’s fun.  Took a couple more pictures necessary to finish another roll.  When the pictures once start coming in, they should come regularly for awhile.  I think I know a girl that is going to be in the picture business in a big way when these pictures start coming.  There have been at least twenty fellows that want copies of the jungle pictures.  You haven’t yet had time to say you’ll do it, but I think you will.  You’re sweet to soldiers. 

            I know that these stories of far places and strange things I’m seeing do make you wish you could see them also.  Too bad, honey, the Army doesn’t let us have our wives along with us.  I’d like for you to be seeing all this too.  Gosh would I like to have you with me all the time.  Wouldn’t much give a damn then how long the war did last. 

            Vi said she would also have liked to go up the trail but (she) doubted here ability to do it.  So do I.  If you two gals took a trip like that you wouldn’t need to think about diets the extra you’re always talking about. 

            Gosh, Honey, all those boxes with things to eat sound mighty good to me.  Mom K told me in her letter that she had been vetoed on her suggestions by you.  She seemed to feel that cookies and etc weren’t very much to be sending to me.  I’m glad you didn’t let them get things cause I really can’t use very much and it would probably have to be discarded.  You can always tell people that things to eat our are biggest desire.  Keep ‘em coming.

            Who said you aren’t a football fan in your own right?  Taking your day off on Friday so you can take in the whole game and wanting very much to go to the Wadsworth game.  I don’t see why you shouldn’t unless you’re short of gas or can’t get off work.  I sure remember that game of two years ago.  That was one of the thrillers that only happen at intervals.

            No more letters today.  I have the two from Sunday the 8^th to answer and I’ll leave them for tomorrow.

            I’m going to make up my bed for one and go to sleep.  I don’t say go to bed cause all I ever do there is sleep now days.  No special fun, just a necessity.

            Night darling.  I’m missing you and loving you more than even you know.  I love you my sweetheart wife.

            Your lover, Norm.

Letter # 504 October 21 1944

October 21, 1944

New Guinea.
Saturday eve. Oct 21, 1944.

My Sweetheart;

            Hi Mummy, you darling old devil.  Old sober sides Mummy.  Darn good looking though.  Betcha I could bring a smile to that sober kissable mouth if I were only in reach. I’d kiss you, the way you want to be kissed until you did smile. You would wouldn’t you?  For lots of sloppy ones! 

            Had an inspection of vehicles today and that was all.  Of course, that took nearly all morning, and then we dragged out all our dirty clothes and had wash day for this week.  That about covers my activities for the day.  By the time I had done that and performed the s’s (shave shit shine) on myself the day was about gone. 

            I rated at mail call again today.  Three from you.  Oct 6 and two from the 8^th.  That catches me all up again.  I got the 7^th a couple days ago.  I’m going to start right in on the letters now. 

            Nuh huh, you’re getting curious about what I’m trying to make for you, are you?  I’m afraid you’ll have to be curious a while longer ‘cause they aren’t done yet and I won’t do anything on them tomorrow either unless I change my plans.  It’s been some time since I’ve been swimming and Brownie and I and a few others plan to spend the day at the beach.  Probably hunt some coconuts, too.  Haven’t had any for some time now and I do like them. 

            You can be I won’t tell you if your guesses are right or even close.  You didn’t tell me, did you?  I told you I’d get even and by golly I will, too.  I can’t tease you the way I want to, so I’ll do it any way I can.  Can you guess how I’d like to tease you?  Yeh.  That’s the way.  I love you. 

            Honey, you’re baiting me.  I can just feel it.  You devil.  Remarking about me showing off your picture and then making this statement, “they wouldn’t think I am so nice if they knew me, would they”?  Remember that.  If that isn’t asking for compliments, I’m badly mistaken.  Gosh, honey, don’t I hand you enough of them, even yet?  I can remember when you didn’t get many verbal compliments and had to ask for ‘em.  I guess I needn’t be afraid of repeating so much you won’t pay any attention to them.  I think you like ‘em.  Deserve ‘em too. 

            You darn well that everyone that knows you thinks you’re nice and never have to change their opinion, either.  Men especially.  They seem to do anything they can for you.  If I wasn’t so lucky in having and knowing that I have a most faithful and loving wife, I’d have to be very jealous about you.  You’d never have to beckon a man twice and you darn well know it.  Look at all your truck drivers.  They all tried to snow you under.  A smile of two and another man cuts your weeks for you.  Another one looks after your car, and another puts up storm windows, another looks after the furnace, and others make special efforts to get your mail to you.  Wouldn’t think you are nice!  Honey, you can wrap most any man around your finger anytime you want to.  I know, ‘cause you did it to me and I thought I didn’t care about any woman.  I still don’t.  They are mostly alike and only good playthings.  My wife is the one big exception.  She’s an awful good plaything, too, but that is only a small part of her attractions.  Aw hell, honey, what’s the use, I can’t say what I mean anyhow.  You’re  just the most perfect wife I could ever have and I love you in proportion.  You are so a lady.  My idea of the only real lady, so there to.  I loves you so much. 

            You’re silly honey.  You should have known I’d like the bracelet once I had it.  You don’t thoroughly know me yet, I’m thinking.  If you had consulted me first, I’d have still said no, very definitely.  In fact, when I first saw it my thought was, “she finally had to do it.”  When I had time to think about it and examine it, I began to change my mind and I like it more all the time now.  It isn’t a bracelet to me.  It’s a token of live and best wishes from my one and only to me.  I’m proud of it, and even you don’t believe it, it hasn’t been off my arm in three weeks.  Won’t be either unless it wears off.  It’s a good sturdy, but it needs to be.  It takes a beating, that’s for sure.  Have I made you realize that I do like an awful lot? 

            You aren’t the only who can have three beers under your belt when you write letters.  I have two, tonight, but they don’t seem to have as much effect on me.  We are getting twelve cans of beer this month after all, and I played pig and drank my week’s quota all at once.

            I did get surprise #3 before I got the explanation.  Sure, I like a it “little bit”.  I like it a lot.  It shows a lot of the qualities that are covered up in the other one by that devilish come hither look.  This one shows the strength, dependability and character that sets you so apart from the ordinary run of women.  Still shows an attractive and beautiful woman even if the devils are missing.  I honestly don’t know which I like best.

            Honey, you are becoming a football fan in spite of thinking you mostly because I wanted to go.  When you start seeing the good plays and player in a game, you’re sold on it.  Maybe I made quite an impression on you and your likes while you were cracking my shell and working me over.  How about it?  I’s sure have like to be there so you wouldn’t have had an empty house to go back to after the game and the beers.  I can picture your mood and do I like you in that mood!  Times like that are conducive to trying or even breaking our best score to date.  That score is going to be hard to break, but gosh, when I think of all the fun we can have trying.  As things stand now, there will be an added attraction too, this time, so who knows what may happen. 

            I better slip in my weekly request while I’m think of it.  I wouldn’t want you to resort to forgery.  Things to eat are still the order of the day.  Candy, cookies, nuts, and anything that fertile brain of your can think up.  Tobacco, cigarette lighters, film, are still on the list also.  You do so well with the boxes you don’t need a list, only the request to mail it.  You’re an awful sweet thing , Chubbins. 

            I won’t doubt for a minute that you are ready, willing, and very able to set new records.  You always were able, only you hadn’t found out how able you were.  Remember, I always did say you should be able to take care of two like me, easily.  You can wipe your slate clean and start out fresh but I’m not going to.  I may have reached my high score, but you can bet I’ll always be willing.  That’s as far as my brag goes.  I may be older than I think.  We’ll see one of these days.  Night, sweetheart, I’m loving you more all the time.

3

Your lover,
Norm