Letter # 92 September 19,1943

Sept 19, 1943
Chubbins, sweetheart;
Well honey, today is the halfway mark. 3 weeks since you left and three weeks from now I should be home or well on my way home at least. Gee darling it seems like three months instead of three weeks since I saw you. This business of having a furlough so long ahead is harder on me than not having one. I'm just too damn impatient for the time to roll around. If it wasn't for that the time here would be just flying. I've been here seven weeks already and about to start on the eighth. I rather let myself get out of hand, planning so much on this leave. If something does happen to it, I'm going to be one disappointed boy. They'll have to put me in a padded cell for a day or two or I'll tear the place apart.
All the boys that finished Sat. and had leaves took off yesterday afternoon and the ones that were going back to their camps are just getting ready to leave this afternoon. A few of them don't leave until tomorrow. One fellow had quite a bump. His furlough had been approved a couple weeks ago and he was all set to take off. Went down to get his papers and they weren't there and no record of them. Been lost someplace. They are holding him here for a day or so to try and straighten it out. He was sure blue last night and I can understand how he feels. He'll probably get it but it will be a day or two late.
Honey you should see our room. Looks like a sewing bee. Gus and I have been struggling with buttons, patches and stripes all morning. Trying to get our O.D.'s ready to wear. So far I've taken off two patches and replaced them, so they look a little better and have put on two pairs of stripes. Took me all morning. Boy am I fast and handy with a needle. I'm just taking a break and writing to my wifey, and then if I'm still ambitious I'll go back at it. Gus is still working on his and if I look as much at home with a needle as he does it would really be fun to watch. Uses that needle like a crowbar. I guess I would match up with a hammer or wrenches a lot better, but I'll get it done somehow or other.
The damn mail clerk didn't announce mail call this noon and Gus and I were so busy sewing we missed it, so I don't have any letter from my Chubbins to read. Kinda miss it but just think, I'll have two to read tomorrow. I guess if you can get along without one on Sunday, I can also.
The salvage came back yesterday and now I have a nice new raincoat again. It's not too good but a hell of a lot better than the other one ever was. Looks like light green canvas on the outside and is synthetic rubber lined on the inside. Guess maybe I can keep dry for a while with this one. I sent a pair of shoes, the old ones I wore to see you once, in the other day and rather hoped they would give me a new pair to wear when I come home, but no luck there. They put new soles & heels on and sent them back. I don't care anyhow because they are just to the point where they are really comfortable.
Gus got back sometime after I went to bed last night. Says they had a good time but is road sore from walking so much. Imagine a soldier getting sore from walking. That's what our vacation is doing to us. We'll have to take basic all over again to get back in shape.
I'm sorry, honey. I forgot to put Steve's letter in with yours yesterday. I'll try to remember to get it in this one. I'm just the same as I always was. I can't love you and do anything else at the same time. I just can't seem to love you halfway. I have to put all I've got in it. I can't try to do something else and love you along with it, because very soon I've forgotten all about what I was doing and am using all my energy on you. You have the same effect as a lot of real good wine on me. I just can't keep my head when you're close to me. My heart or something just takes charge then. Maybe it's just animal instinct, but I don't think so. If it was that why don't other women have the same effect on me? I know I like to look at them all and I like the looks of lots of them, but that's as far as it goes. Something lacking in them all.
Before I started going with you, I went out with a few girls and never had much desire to touch them or I probably wouldn't have waited until I found you. Almost as soon as I started going with you I had the biggest desire to get hold of you. I wanted to so bad, I was afraid to try for fear you wouldn't like it and wouldn't go out with me again. Then when I did finally get nerve enough to kiss you once you scared me out by acting like it was repulsive to you. "Huh! whiskers" which is what you said and wiped your mouth off and walked away. That scared me for a while again. Then came your birthday and we sat in the living room by ourselves and talked a long time and you acted rather human and looked so damn kissable and desirable that I just had to take another chance. That time you kissed very nice and even returned it. I liked it so well I had to get the hell away before I forgot myself. Honey I was so thrilled I bet I got out to the car in two jumps and that night I dreamed about you. Rather messy too. From then on, honey, you had me even if I didn't know just what had happened until that trip to Put-in-Bay. I was rather slow and dumb darling, but after I got started I don't think I was so slow. I just couldn't keep my hands off you and still can't.
I remember one day when you and I went to Gus & Vi's when they were on Bean St. and they made the remark about the way I looked at you it wouldn't be long. They knew then but I wouldn't admit it or realize it until July 4th. That incident was early in the spring. I remember I was wearing my blue lumberjack. For some reason or other I remembered the incident. Probably because without me knowing it, it started me wondering. Maybe without their help I wouldn't have wakened up and you would have had to do the proposing. Then I could have just grunted and gone back to sleep. Remember they kinda wanted us to sleep together that night at Put-in-Bay and you wouldn't. They tried their best to get us together. I just wonder what would have happened if we had slept together that night. Would you or wouldn't you? I know I would have been more than willing, but at that time you hadn't quite grown up and I just wonder. It took me a hell of a long time to make you forget yourself and show a little passion. And now after 3 years of marriage I still didn't know how passionate you could be until you came to see me down here. Are you still developing honey? or have I sen the limit now? Boy if you still haven't reached your limit I'm going to be hurtin, because I don't think I could keep up with you if you get any "hotter". That was heaven, honey. Maybe that is why I am so impatient to get home again. As for myself, I don't think I can show any more passion than I already have, but I can keep on loving you more all the time.
You're swell honey and I'm sure glad I got you. That lifetime honeymoon is in the bag and I think it will continue to grow nicer as the years roll by. Perhaps some of the passion will wear off in the next 30 years or so but there is a lot of something else left to fill in the space left by physical infirmity. You said you liked love letters so here is one honey. I couldn't think of much of anything else to write. I do love you ever so much and think you are the best wife a man could have.
your lover
Norm.