Letter # 206 February 14, 1944

Feb 14,1944
Mon. eve.
Hello Babe, darling;
Boy! Honey, I did all right today at mail call. This noon I got your Wed. & Thursday letters and your valentine card and this evening I got your Tues. letter. Kinda screwed up but I'm nearly up to date now. Should have gotten your Friday one today. Now maybe I'll get a letter tomorrow. I like to get my letters. They kinda take the place of the loving I'm missing.
We checked the tanks over today and had surprisingly little trouble to fix up. Most of them on the ball again and ready to go. It seems good to be ahead of the game for a change. Have been having a rather easy time of it lately. We work all day but aren't rushed.
We, all the mechanics, go out and fire the 30 cal. machine gun from moving half track, cross country tomorrow afternoon. As far as I know now we will be back at night. If we aren't, my honey will really be hurtin for letters. I always carry stationery and and I may bribe someone to take one in and mail it, if I'm out that long. It'll be in pencil, but I guess you can enjoy it just the same. I wouldn't want to miss three nights in a row. Very seldom missed loving you that many days in a row. Did I? Letters are the only thing to take the place of loving, so I try to keep up. Letters get to be a lot more of a chore than loving, but I really do enjoy writing to you. I loves my big, chubby, good looking wife.
Brownie and I were gold bricking a little in the office this afternoon and all the company officers came in to do the same thing. The first subject for discussion was the one that is bothering all of us. When and if and where are we moving. They are about divided in their opinions. Part of them think we won't move for a long time. The rest think we'll move within the next two or three weeks. The captain's opinion is by the first of March, we will be at P.O.E. I laughed when he said it. He looked at me and asked, "What in hell is the matter with you?" I told him. "I have been hearing that so much for the past month, it's funny." "I can't even believe we'll move at all, much less to P.O.E." Lt Newberger cut in. "You tell him, Effinger." "We'll still be here next fall."
He's even betting all the money anyone wants to put up that we'll be in this country until next September. He asked Captain Spencer if he wanted to put some money on it and the Captain backed down. Said his own opinion was much the same, only the battalion commanders seemed to be sure we were going. It's any ones guess. One as good as another. We may move from here but this outfit needs a lot of streamlining before it will go overseas. Too many men over the age limit and a lot of them aren't physically fit. The captain himself is 33 and not in very good shape. The battalion could be cut in size. The old and unfit transferred and then it would be possible. This is strictly a combat outfit in one of the roughest branches of the service and when it goes to combat every man in it will be, of necessity, a damn good man.
Brownie had a birthday today. 32 yrs. old.
I guess this is all the news and gossip I know and now I'll start answering your letters. Couple very nice sweet ones. You're sweet too. I love you, you old devil.
I didn't think my letter to Tib a very big success, but apparently it was well received. Don't compliment me on not forgetting any member of the family. You are responsible for that. You prompt me and keep me on the ball. Don't see how I ever got along without you. Letters to other people are rather hard for me to write. When I write to you I say what I think and feel and depend on you to understand. I can't do that with others. You're even nice to write letters to. You never get mad at anything I say and always seem to know what I mean. You're nice.
Vi mentioned mentioned in her last letter that you had drafted her to go along to your meetings. It's nice for two left alone wives to be able to go around together.
You damn well know I'm hurtin' for my honey. I miss you a hell of a lot. Don't worry about making it hard for me. [it gets that way without any prompting]. I sure wish you could be here to take care of me. Then you could make it hard for me any time you wanted. I'd like that. So would it. We like to have you love us.
I'm glad you're getting along so well with your winter driving. I thought you could if you'd get over being afraid. There is nothing to be afraid of. Take it easy and use a little caution and you'll do O.K.
I want you to believe you're a very unusual gal or I wouldn't be telling you. You are, and if you aren't egotistical enough to know it, I'll tell you so you will know it. I'm not shooting the shit. You are a very swell person and I know it. Do you think I'd be staying in and loving you, when I might be out loving some gal I could get hold of, if you weren't worth it? I'll say I wouldn't. You're worth waiting a lot of years for. I hope I don't have to wait very much longer. I don't like to be away from you.
I think you misunderstood a part of one of my letters. I can't remember asking for an itemized account of my good qualities, but it's nice to have you tell me. I love to have you think I'm all right. Quite a list honey. I must be some guy.
I remember where the phrase "good posture" came from. Tickled me after having you tell me I had a bay window. All in the past [and future] now. The bald head gets no comment. I don't know where you got your information about the "half foot" being nothing to belittle. I extend my sympathies to any man with less and envy those with more.
The rest are all things I'm afraid you're daydreaming a little about. I'll accept some of them, but I think you are expecting a bigger improvement in me than is really the case. As far as you are concerned, I know I've changed or at least realized that you deserve more than I was giving and I'm going to make a big effort to correct that. In other ways and toward other people, I doubt if there has been much change. I don't want you to be disappointed, honey.
I'm not going to become a hermit. Never fear. I'm only saving my energy and everything until I have you with me and I can really enjoy myself.
You remember I never was too much at going places and there isn't much incentive now. I always enjoyed being with you more than I enjoyed the things and places we went. The things I really enjoyed like skating, fishing, hunting, and etc. I tried to get you interested in so we could go together.
You've got me roped and tied plenty tight and I'm not even going to try to stretch the bonds. I love it. I love you. I like to have you with me. I know I did get a bit annoyed when you tagged me around over the place and bothered me. I could stand a lot of that now. Don't think I'll ever be annoyed by that again. I know now, how much I miss you when you aren't within call.
Gosh, sweetheart, this only answers one of your letters, but I guess I'll stop and write a note to Mom & Hazel yet. I may not have another chance this week.
Night, you old darlin, you. I'm loving you by long distance and saving a lot of the real thing for our next glorious reunion. May it be soon. You'd be surprised how much loving I've got saved up for you. I love you, sweetheart and wife.
your hubby.
Norm.