Letter # 94 September 21, 1943

Sept 21, 1943
My own Chubbins;
Hello gorgeous;
I'm still counting the days and if I can still count it is only 18 more days until that day. Boy oh Boy! It's in the 'teens now honey so, as you say, it can't be so very long anymore. The days seem to fly past and yet the 9th of October seems to be quite a way off. I'm just too anxious to start that third honeymoon I guess. Can't blame me can you, after the way this second one turned out. I still can't get over it honey. Best time I ever had. I think you rather enjoyed it too.
So Art and Jr. enjoyed the trouble shooting letter. I'm surprised I wrote enough that wasn't rather personal, so you could read it to them.
Glad you liked the pictures. I'll try to get some more to bring home with me. I'd like to get some the week we are in the field with the tanks. I don't know if they will allow it or not, but I'll see.
Mick must be having himself quite a train ride. If I remember correctly it was only 5 days from the time I left Columbus until you had the letter I wrote on the train. I rather expected from the way Louise talked that she would follow Mickey if it was at all possible. It may be rather foolish. It all depends on where he is and what outfit he is in. There are lots of camps like this one where wives can find good accommodations and work. Mickey will probably be guaranteed to camp for the first 4weeks, but in lots of camps, after that the rookies are allowed to have night passes at any time they aren't on duty. If he happened to get into an outfit like that, it wouldn't be so bad. She really doesn't have so much as you do to hold her at home. I would advise her to wait until Mick has been located a month or so and has a chance to find out what is what. I hope it does work out that way for them. It's no fun being separated and no one knows it any better than we do. I'd gladly give you the encouragement if I thought it best, but in the outfit I'm in and the place we were in it was definitely out. If I was to be here at Knox for an indefinite time, I think I would probably encourage you a little. I might even ask you to come stay with me. In fact, if you didn't come then I'm afraid I'd beg you to come. It sure was a lot nicer for me. It almost made me forget I was in the army. Just about like having a civilian job that took me away for a couple days at a time.
You seem to be rather necessary for me to be completely satisfied with life anymore. You're a swell old devil and I love you.
Just got back from chow and I'm actually stuffed. Had cauliflower, new potatoes, real good sausage, and sliced peaches, and raisin bread. It tasted so good that Gus and I went around for the second time. Getting to be a regular chow-hound. Boy will I go for my sweeties' cooking when I get home. Seems to me I have a shortcake coming. Maybe a cake or a pie also, if I can leave her alone long enough to bake them. Just have to wait and see if my appetite for something to eat or something to love is strongest.
Well honey, today we started to tear old "Torchy" apart. Got her nearly stripped naked. She isn't even very exciting in that condition but she sure is built to stand a lot of wear and tear. All her curves and corners are hard as hell. I've got some bumps on my head and shins to prove it, and she doesn't respond worth a damn. She really is cold potatoes. Well anyhow we took off her "bustle", removed one of her engines, and generally disarranged her insides. She's a good patient, never says a word or moves a bit. If we get her back together, I guess she'll be good as new.
A couple of the boys just came in to play a trick on Gus. They knew he was out. They unhooked all the springs on one end of his cot and then tied it back up with string. The bedding can then be put back on and it will hold until a man's weight hits the bed, and then go through. It's a good trick and I've seen it done before. This time Gus caught them before they were quite done, so they had to put it back together. Gus says I'm a hell of a guy to sit there and let them do that to him. I told him I thought it would have been fun to see him go through his bed.
Night sweetheart, I'm loving you and counting the days.
Your lover husband.
Norm.