Letter # 118 November 6, 1943

Nov 6, 1943
Sat. night
My Darling Wife.
Whoops my dear also. I haven't had three beers and I don't think they would do that to me anyhow, but I can sure tell from your letter what mood you are in. Giggling and talking with your hands and having a good time. Wish I had been there. I bet you would have been willing or maybe even a little anxious for some loving. Think maybe I could have accommodated you too. I'm glad my letters have so much affect on you but I can't believe it was all the letter. It must have been mostly beer. As I remember the letter it was mostly news of camp and not even a love letter.
Go ahead and drink all the beer you want and have fun. I'm not worrying at all about you becoming a soak. Even if you were you'd be a damn nice one and I'd just become a soak along with you and keep on loving you as much as I do now. Maybe more. I seem to remember you used to get rather passionate when you had a few drinks. The last couple times I saw you, you didn't even need the drinks. My old wifey is improving with age instead of wearing out. I wouldn't trade her for any dozen others. I love her.
The nice weather I wrote about has disappeared. It's still warm. I'm laying here on the bunk with only my shorts on, but it sure has been raining. I was over to the P.X. about 6:30 and it rained so damned hard I thought I was going to have to sleep there. Thunder & lightening and then a downpour. Damn near washed the place down to the gulf. We now have another nice juicy helping of good old sticky mud. You should see the shoes you admired because they were so well shined. The La. mud and sand has sure spoiled them. They haven't been dry long enough for several days to even be able to polish them. I only have one pair now, until the others go through the army red tape, and I get another pair.
I haven't been able to buy the wool socks but I haven't tried very hard. It's so warm I don't want them yet.
You're a lovable devil. Buying me Christmas presents already and exalting because I'm not there to stop you. Then on top of all that you send me a $5.00 bill and don't say a thing about it. I'll accept it as a lucky token. Remember what happened the last time you sent me money. We'll just keep our fingers crossed and hope it works again. You'd better stop babying me, honey or you'll spoil me and you'll always have to do it. For some unknown reason I rather like to have you baby me. Anyone else try it and it would make me mad. You're special and I love you.
I have had to rip off all the 8th division insignias, after all that work too, damn it. Our new one looks the same except it has 775 instead of 8 on it. You see we are not a part of the old outfit anymore.
I don't know if we are starting all over again or just continuing and I can't say why I'm not in Hq.Co. anymore than I can tell you why I am in medium tanks instead of lights. Maybe they thought they needed a smart man or two in some of the other outfits.
Don't be counting on them sending me to another school. That would be too much. It rarely happens, at least not close together.
Here is something that is all rumor again but seems rather persistent. It's lasted all week. According to the rumor our training here is to be finished in 3 or 4 more weeks and we are to move. The places mentioned are Fort Knox and Fort Meade, Maryland. Wouldn't that be something?
If that happens I might kinda hint that you could come see me sometime. I don't suppose you could think of doing it but it wouldn't hurt to ask, would it?
You're a sweet old devil to be thinking of coming to see me Christmas. That would surely be the grandest Christmas present you could give me and I'd sure love you for it. I won't say much about it yet. You know I would like it as much as you, but, Honey, you don't know what you would be getting yourself in for. You know part of the story of travel conditions from my experience getting here and I was on government orders and government ticket, and they come first. I have an idea it would be worse traveling at Christmas time. You would only have about 5 days here. One weekend and you know what that means. We might see each other only once or twice.
I'm not saying yes or no for now. We'll just wait a while and see if something happens.
I sure didn't come out right on this paper. It's time for lights to be out so I guess I'll quit on this one and continue tomorrow. Night sweetheart. I loves you so much. Wish I could take advantage of the way you feel. Bet you'd be good.
Your husband who loves his beer guzzling wife
Norm.