Letter #14 November 2, 1943

Nov 2, 1943
My Darling Wife;
Surprise! I didn't expect to be able to write to you tonight, but I am. It started to rain just as I was finishing your letter last night and has been a steady downpour ever since. We started to go out this morning and then they changed their minds, so I'm here and off at regular time tonight.
Sure getting a taste of good old Louisiana mud. At the motor park where we have been moving the tanks around, it's about a foot deep. I'm not exaggerating much either. I had mud all the way up my leggings, inside & out.
We had a very busy day repairing tanks and stuff. I don't think we'll run out of work for a while.
Sunday evening I was out walking around, thinking I might see a few of the old crowd. I met Rahill and a couple more and got some of the news. I think I told you the boys said he was still a Pfc. Not true. He is a buck corporal. That's just , not technical. He put in his application for O.C.S. passed his examinations and has been accepted. The catch is there are so many on the waiting list these days that he doesn't think he will be called for a long time. He is rather disappointed and doesn't like his job a bit. He is still with Peterson, our old Co. commander and has platoon corporal work to do, drilling, relaying orders from the C.O. to the men and etc. It does seem like a waste of his special talents.
Several of the old bunch are now M.P.'s and quite a bunch of them are in the infantry. Guess maybe I came out rather lucky in comparison after all.
I didn't get to see Ernie. He left Sat night on a 10 day furlough. As soon as he got back, and found he had a new C.O. he asked for a leave and got it. Too damn bad they couldn't have given it to him at Fort Knox.
Max Stanisbury is with Rahill, and is still working in the motor park. I didn't see him either.
We had quite a talk and as Rahill said, It's nice to renew acquaintance again. We celebrated with a couple beers, and for once, they had ice for it.
Grafton and Wild are in the 710 Tank Bn. Just up the road from us. They have their garage in the same motor park and I saw Wild for a few minutes today. Grafton did O.K. He jumped from a pfc. to a T/4. He is in a light tank company.
Do you remember me telling you about "Lady" the cocker spaniel dog we had in the old company. Well anyhow, she is still with us and has a litter of 4 bastard pups. Sure is a mixture. The boys say every dog in camp contributed his part and I can believe it very easily.
Well I guess that is about all the news I have gathered to date. I'm going to the P.X. after bit and see if I can collect a little more. I've been sitting here wondering why I couldn't think of anything else to write. I guess it's because I don't have any of yours to answer. I got a whole armful of Gazettes and Colliers the other day, that had been waiting here for me. Some of them from back in August.
The addresses are all Fort Knox now so probably you had better have them changed. I don't know if we will be here long enough to be worth while or not, but I guess there is no use of them going to Knox.
How's my honey tonight, well and pregnant I hope______NOT. If you are it can't be helped now and boy it sure was fun. It was a swell third honeymoon and I am already looking forward to a forth. Maybe I'm just piggish but I would much sooner it would be a continuous honeymoon. I just don't like to be away from you for some reason or other. Must be because you are so sweet & nice. Whatever the reason, I am still much in love with you and always will be. I got me a swell little wife and I know it.
Bye now darling. I'm loving you and missing you a lot. Night gorgeous. I love you.
Your lover
Norm.