Letter # 208 February 16, 1944

Feb 16, 1944
Wed. eve.
Hello sweetness;
This is only going to be a note but I didn't think I'd even get a chance to do that much tonight. I didn't have to stay in the field. Baker and the two boys from Knox are having their first go at it by themselves. Baker made T/4 today so he is eligible to boss a crew. That makes three of us that can now take turns. Lately there hasn't been any turns about it, because we have all our vehicles running. Nothing for any of us to do at the shop so we all went out.
Mac and I did our firing and really fucked up on it. The firing was done from a moving half track. Started from about 400 yds from the targets and moved toward them at about 20 miles per hour. Had a hundred rounds to fire in that space of time. It was so foggy and misty it was impossible to see the targets for more than 50 yards. The targets were life size men. They told us about where the targets were and we shot blindly into the fog until we could see them. Had to fire the hundred rounds and get a score of 45 hits to qualify. It sounds easy but it isn't. It was clear yesterday when the rest fired and so far only 5 men in the battalion have qualified. Brownie got 21, Baker got 26, Mac got 10, and I got 14. Guess we fucked them up right. Made a lot of noise anyhow.
This afternoon I was Lt. Newberger's driver. Baker came in at noon with the news that one tank had broken a drive axle and so we went out ahead of the wrecker and helped get it ready to bring back. Then we went on and found some more trouble. Blown boggie wheel and the bearings had frozen to the shaft so tight, the boys couldn't get it off. We finally had to come back to camp and get a torch and burn it off. Then we went on to the bivouac area. The rest were all O.K. I thought we'd been having too good luck to last.
While we were on our way back to camp Newberger asked me if I'd help take the heads off his V8 and clean the carbon. Couldn't say much, but "Yes Sir". So I've been working all evening. We got it done and the Ford runs a lot better. I made a few other adjustments on it and he was pleased. Offered to pay me but I refused. I'm letting that go into the good will fund. Might help on a furlough. Whenever I can tactfully do it, I'm letting him know I want one. See how much I want to come home to you again? I'm even coming close to doing a little ass kissing.
I had a lot of fun running around in the peep. Newberger kept urging me to hit the breeze and I did. First time I ever had a chance to open one up. This one will do a little over 60 and boy, that's flying low in those light buggies and over these roads. Rough, muddy, and cut up. Worse than riding a horse. They do almost take off and fly when you hit a good bump.
I guess I'll go out again tomorrow. I think I'll be back at night though.
No letter again today and I answered all I had last night. I guess it's a good thing. It's after 12 and I really should go to bed.
Night, honey, I love you more and more as the days go by. You're my darling wife and sweetheart. You're my mummy and I'm hitched good and tight to your apron strings. Night and lots of love, loving, kisses, and things.
your lover
Norm.