Letter # 83 September 9,1943

Sept 9, 1943
Hello Sweetheart;
I don't know how far I'll get with this letter but I'll try. I've been trying to get started ever since dinner and haven't had any luck. We've just been batting the breeze and telling stories. Gus Redinger and I got started telling cow stories and we soon had an audience. From there the talk went from war to women and back to W.A.C.S. and etc. The last question was, "Did you ever see bed bugs fucking?" and just now one fellow asked, "What's the only impossible thing in the world?" Ans. Straddle a ditch with a wheelbarrow. That one was rather clean for this bunch. Had some really good and supposedly true experiences these boys have had with women. Wish you could be a mouse and hear some of these bull sessions. I think you'd get a kick out of it. You always did like to hear all the dirt and it sure was inches deep around here this afternoon.
If you noticed anything wrong with my letter yesterday that was also the reason. I tried to write that one with a bull session going on around me and I don't know how much of it got into the letter. I finally gave up and quit without really finishing it. I don't know why but these sessions usually seem to center around my part of the barracks. Maybe it's the same reason that other parties we are with always seem to get rough. I must be the bad influence. I'll have to change my habits I guess. Anyhow we have fun. If I have a few more weeks of these true experience sessions I'll have all the build up I need by the time I get home. With all the rest and a good build up I should be all set for you honey. If you're in the same shape you were in when you landed here, we should have a glorious time. Boy oh Boy honey and only 31 more days to wait. Keep those legs crossed good and hope like hell. I'm looking forward to being with you so much that I'm afraid it'd hurt like hell if anything happened. Gosh honey but I love you. Feel just like a love sick kid with his first girl. I take a look at your picture and get a tight feeling in the chest. Can't even breathe right for a few seconds. It must be love honey. Must be rather evident.
Gus just interrupted me and when I looked up he said, "God Damn Effie don't look at me like that." I asked why? "Why for Christ's sake man you looked just like you were going to get up and kiss me." I told him to blow it out and get the hell away and leave me alone when I was writing my wife. "I know" he says "You're damn near homesick and your wife has only been gone 2 weeks." I'm not homesick, but I sure do miss you honey. You're a swell person to have around. I love you.
Gus knows how it is. He evidently thinks as much of his wife as I do mine. They were married 3 yrs ago the 20th of Sept and they now have a 6 mo. old son. He is 28 yrs old and a farmer from Tappan, North Dakota. He has been in the army for a little over a year. Like most of us he is ready to go back to his wife any time the war is over.
From the sounds of things on the radio and in the papers, things are beginning to move our way at last. A few more weeks will probably tell us a lot about how long the war in Europe will last. If Germany can hold Italy it will be quite a while. If not I would think that part will be cleaned up by spring. I sure hope so.
We sure are having a swell spell of fall weather. Hasn't been over 75 all week and at night I've had two blankets over me. Haven't even sweat a drop for several days and boy do I sleep at night.
Talking about sleeping, last night I had a dream about you. I guess I must have been on furlough, anyhow I was in uniform. We went out to some dine & dance place and, believe it or not, we were dancing and you told me I was a swell dancer. When the dream ended we were skating in the rain and having a big time. Rather crazy but it was fun while it lasted. I don't recall dreaming about anything else, but when I rolled out this morning I had quite some little trouble keeping the "old thing" under control. He's missing you too honey. We both like you an awful lot.
Don't worry about my not wanting to hear about your school work. Remember honey I love you and everything you do is interesting to me. I want to know all about it.
I got your Sun and Monday letter last evening already, but you failed me today honey. So now it's my turn to threaten to lay down on the job if you don't get busy mummy. I don't mean that honey. I just had to get it back at you. I know you're busy and won't kick a bit if you don't write all the time. The positions are reversed now. A while ago I was too busy to write and you didn't kick, but just kept on writing every day. Now I can maybe even up with you.
You're a sweet old devil and will probably break your neck to write me. Don't make it hard on yourself honey. You don't want to spend all your time off writing to me. I'll love you just as much.
School is going along the same as always and everything is swell. Tomorrow is payday and then comes Sat & Sunday and a lot of rest. If you get too far behind on your sleep maybe I can send you some of the extra I'm getting.
Hope your first week of school didn't worry you too much. Just don't let it worry you a damn bit and go out and have yourself a time whenever you can.
Well gorgeous I can't think of much more to say this time so I'll say nighty night. I love you honey chile. Night sweetheart.
Your faithful but impatient lover
Norm.