Letter # 343 April 14, 1944

April 14, 1944
Fri. eve.
My Darling Wife;
Gosh, honey, I didn't expect to hear from you so soon.  I got a letter already today.  It wasn't very long but it was sweet of you to write so soon.  I really didn't expect you to start until Tues. night at least and here you write before going to school in the morning.
I was wondering if you had gotten home before the big rain.  It started to rain in Cleve. when I got on the train and rained like hell nearly all the way to St. Louis.  Water standing in lakes over nearly all the land in Indiana & Illinois.  Sure looked wet.  The old Mississippi River was up and muddy and running like hell.  She's some stream of water when it's up in flood stage.
I thought we had a swell time in Cleve. that night too.  Art and Marg are good people to have around under such conditions. 
I'm afraid I didn't thank them properly.  I didn't dare take much time or I might have gotten a bit drippy myself.  It isn't very much fun to walk away from you, when I know I won't be seeing you for a long time again.  Anything more than a couple days is a long time to be away from you.  I loves you and need you all the time. 
I'm glad you weren't in too bad shape after I left.  You're a good soldier.  I know you felt bad because I know how I felt.  It gets harder to leave each time, instead of easier.  Hope it isn't necessary to leave many more times. 
You go ahead and do all the hoping and dreaming you want to.  It's fun to dream, only don't get too serious about your dreams.  You're right.  I am rather am rather skeptical about things turning out the way we want them to, but no one but old man time can tell the story.  I'm hoping and dreaming right along with you.  I even did a little scouting around and planning about how we would arrange to meet in Shreveport, in case I'm still here when the time comes.  Got your hotel all picked out.  I won't take time to go into detail about the plans now.  I doubt if they will ever be used.  It looks to me like a move of some sort.
I see that in spite of the strenuous week we put in you enjoyed the furlough as much as I did.  The times we have been together in the past year have all been perfect and yet, each one seems to be better than the last.  The only thing that could be better would be longer or permanent leave.  That will be coming one of these days and then you will have your troubles again.  A husband to take care of and keep track of - and satisfy. 
We are still cleaning tools and getting them ready to pack.  The rest of the company is doing very little but physical training and having a few classes.  We aren't working very hard either.  Taking our own sweet time.
Took calisthenics with the rest this morning and they were rather hard on the old man.  2 miles of double time and I haven't had any of that for a long time.  I made it but I was winded and legs were plenty tired when we quit.  Didn't seem to have any permanent effect though.  Few minutes rest and I was as good as new.  Guess maybe my exercises every day with you put me in shape.  Think so? 
You know, honey, I was thinking back and adding up our score for the past year and we aren't hurtin too much at that.  As near as I can figure the score is well over eighty and that means more than once a week which I suppose isn't too bad for some people.  For us it's about 300 short at least.  Lot of catching up to do yet and more adding on all the time. 
If things work right this summer we'll catch up a bit I bet.  Here's to more and better times coming. 
I guess I'll sign off for tonight.  Night sweetheart, I'm loving you by long distance again, but nevertheless, I'm loving you.  You're the best loving ever came down the road.  You're my wife.
your lover
Norm.