Letter # 133 November 21, 1943

Nov 21, 1943
Sun, noon
Darling;
Don't know if we will be working tonight or not, so I'm starting this at noon and will finish it sometime tonight. Gotta get this one written because it may be the last for a few days. Hope not, because I like to write to you when I can't do anything better. Lot rather have you where I can tell you and show you. I love you honey.
Didn't get a letter from you today yet. We may have a second mail call today, because it's a work day, but I doubt it.
Got a letter from Vi, a card from Gus, and a card from Dick Gayer. I don't guess I'll get a chance to answer Vi's letter for several days now. Dick's card is postmarked, Seattle, Wash. Army Post Office. Says they are about through with their work up there and he doesn't know what next. Cold and lots of snow he says.
Still have a couple tanks to make repairs on this afternoon, the new engine to put in and the half track has to be equipped for three days in the field. Mount the air compressor, put in the tool cabinets and etc. So I guess I will be plenty busy all afternoon and maybe night.
I guess you just haven't got the letter I wrote after I got the cookies, or maybe it's another that was lost. I did get them and they sure were good. I ate every last crumb of them. Still have the box and if I ever get a chance I'll send it back full of Yanks and etc. Been buying one every week, just on purpose to send to my sweetie, but I can't seem to find time to get to the P.O.
Well darling, it's now 2000 - 8P.M. to you and we are done for the day, I hope. We didn't get all finished, but they took pity on us I guess and said we could quit. Everything is ready but the tank that gets the new engine. Aren't going to take that one out this time.
Didn't have any mail call this evening so I don't have a letter to answer. Haven't seen any more of the boys so I don't have any more news. I did notice as we came up from the motor park tonight that the outfit Grafton is with, has their heavy wreckers and equipment all loaded and packed for travel. If it isn't a dry run I guess they will be moving soon.
I ran out of time and paper last night so I didn't make all the comments I could about what Franklin said.
A lot of the boys are disgusted and restless. Want to be on the move. They liked the tanks until the novelty wore off and it began to be work. Now they want to try something else. There are about a dozen of them that have been accepted by the air corpse and are just waiting for call. Will go soon now. Lots more are thinking about it. I probably would too if I wasn't such an old man. Seeing I can't get in the air corpse, I'm as well satisfied with this as anything the army has. Don't even mind camp Polk now that it's a livable temperature. I wouldn't do much running around no matter where I was, unless a certain very nice woman was nearby. So the lack of someplace to go doesn't bother me. It is a hell of a way from you but as long as we couldn't be together I guess it is just as well. I think it bothered me more when I was so close and couldn't see you, than it does now that it is impossible.
If I was as lucky as some of these boys, and had a job that would give me a three day or weekend pass every month or so and could be close to home it would be swell. If I ever do get back close again I probably wouldn't be able to get any time off. As you can see mechanics are kept rather busy.
We'll just have to do as you say, count the weeks until this is over or until next summer when you will have time enough to come see me. I love you ever so much and miss you like hell, but I can stand it as long as I know I have you to come back to. That's something to look forward to and I don't mean maybe.
This letter may get to you about Wed. so here's to a very nice Thanksgiving for you. I won't be with you but my heart is there and I'll be loving and thinking of you. I am very thankful I have such a sweet, desirable wife to think about. Still can't understand how I was lucky enough to get you before someone else did. Maybe it was because I had you cornered before you were old enough to think about it much. You were only 19 when I started following you around and I stayed so close you didn't get a chance to look at anyone else. We didn't miss being together very many nights did we? It was fun, but not nearly as much as the last 3 years or as much as the coming ones will be. I love you gorgeous and always will.
Your lover
norm.