Letter # 404 June 28, 1944

New Guinea
Wed, June 28 '44
My lovely wife;
Another hot, damp day but nevertheless, it's another closer to that time we are looking for.  From what I hear of the news, things are looking up almost all over.  Let's hope they continue looking up and this is over quick.  I wouldn't kick a bit if it would end tomorrow and I could start home to you.  I love you.  You're an enchantress or something. 
Nothing much new to tell you about today.  I have a stack of letters to answer yet so I think I'll work on them today.  I just remembered.  There are a couple things I wanted to ask you.  In one of Marg's letters she said a little about my mother being sick and kind of left the impression it might be rather serious.  I have noticed that you have been there frequently and haven't mentioned it, so I gather there must not be anything wrong.  I imagine I got a different impression than Marg intended to convey.  How about it?
The other thing is another request.  I need air mail stationery and can't seem to get it.  Only the paper.  I can get the stamped envelope easier than the stamps.  Send a couple months supply if you think of it.  See, I told you you would have to take care of me even though I'm far away from you.  It goes without saying that it isn't the kind of care I prefer.  I like the more intimate, personal kind of care you used to dish out.  I'm going to need an awful lot of that kind of care.  I'm hungry for it and will be hurtin bad.  Maybe you think you  have had trouble with a classroom of kids.  Wait until you have to try to disipline me.  I'll be worse than all of them and I'll expect to be your pet as well as get some petting.  I'm in love with my big, beautiful wife.  Need some proof?  Just wait a while and you'll get plenty of proof.  I'll be wild and hard to tame, so save a little of your energy for that time.  I'm betting that time will be for good so it won't be only a week or so and then goodbye again.  A couple more like that would nearly kill me.  It hurt like hell to leave you this last time.  You looked so damn nice, I'll always remember it.  Brave girl too.  I'm proud of you. 
I'm not really worrying about my 27 year old Babe, who says she isn't exactly a baby.  But you can't expect me not to wonder a bit.  I do think of you a lot and wonder how you are getting along and what you're doing.  No, I don't really worry.  I just dream.  Mostly about you and us and what we will do after.
I hope you didn't wait all this time to take your trip.  It would help a lot if you had something like that on while your mailbox continued to be empty.  That waiting to hear something must be devilish hard for you.  Poor Mummy.  Gets all the bumps and I can't help a bit.  I can only tell you.  I love you. 
Those iris you say are so pretty.  I don't doubt it, but after the way we treated them, I don't see how they ever did it.  If you want them along the west side of the garage, you can sure have them there.  I think I told you before that the flowers are up to you.  Only now, I'll agree to help you with them as much as I can.  I told you I was changing.  As for the tennis court, I hope to hell we aren't to old by the time I get home.  The way I feel now, I'll be good for 40 years yet.
You better leave the part about it being a good thing for our kids until you have something to go on.  Anyhow, you seem to have the idea or desire and I'm rather surprised to find I agree with it now.  There's something to look forward to.  I'm changed.  I think last fall when you scared me, I kinda got used to the idea and rather liked it.  I'm still glad, under the conditions, that it was only a scare. 
I'm glad to hear that everything is growing so nicely.  At least that part of our home is going on uninterrupted. 
You damn betcha you're stuck for the duration.  We both are and for a long time after that, only I don't think "stuck" is the word.  I like this and I surely don't like being stuck.  I wasn't either.  I got the best of this bargain I'm thinking.  I got a perfectly swell wife.  Bye, sweetheart, I'm loving and missing you every minute of the day and at night. --  well, you can use your imagination.
Your hubby.
Norm.