Letter # 414 July 8, 1944

New Guinea.
Sat. Eve.
July 8, 1944
My Beautiful Wife;
You are so.  Don't just grin and think I'm hopelessly disillusioned.  I'm not.  We have several very nice pin ups in the tent and none of them look any where near as good as you do.  You see, your picture is nailed up right alongside of my cot where I can say good night to you every night and good morning every morning and hello sweetheart, in between.  Of course the pictures I have of you don't show as much as the pin ups but they could.  Even better.  Remember the one I sent from Polk that I said reminded me of you?  Almost you, only you're better.  Well, I have another of the same girl in a slightly different pose that I can look at whenever my mental pictures fade a bit. As if they ever would.  I could live to be a hundred and never forget the smallest thing about you.  I got it bad, honey.  I'm in love with you, for good and always.  You'd have the toughest job you ever tackled if you tried to ditch me now.  You're mine.  Gee, I'm glad I gotcha.  I love you.
Got two more letters yesterday, after I had written your letter.  The 21st regular mail and the 25 V-mail.  That only made one day different on the two letters you wrote on the 21st.  For that small difference I'd much rather have the regular mail.  It may not be very patriotic but I doubt if my moral would stay as high on V-mail.  I like your nice long sweet letters so much.  They seem to have a lot more of you about them.  You probably know what I mean since you've had all those V-mail I had to write for lack of other paper.  Don't be surprised if some of these days you get letters written on the reverse side of yours.  If I run out of any other paper I'm going to use them.  It would have some good points also.  You could see what you had written.  If there is a shortage of stamps and envelopes - well then, V-mail I will have to answer.  I bought a Pound's worth the other day.  52 of them so I can write a while at least.  A pound is $3.20 in American money.
This money gets me and also driving on the left side of the road. If I'm not thinking about it all the time I drift over to the right and then wonder what the hell the guy coming toward me is doing on my side of the road.  Hard to teach an old dog new tricks. 
Now for your June 15th letter.  I guess I commented on it.  That's the day Louise first heard from Mick.  He was a piker, only writing one letter on the boat.  Sounds like he landed in a pretty good spot.  He'll probably like it rather well.  Sure is a contrast to here but I'm still satisfied to be over here.  I believe it is more interesting to me than England would be.  Funny aren't I ?  The only thing I envy him is the climate.  Whenever you do send me a box, Don't forget to fill any extra space with funny papers.  That may be a hell of a request but I'll enjoy them almost as much as anything you can send.  The candles could be used but don't send them.  They would probably be melted and we build our own lights from a tin can, a piece of rope for a wick, and kerosene or gasoline for fuel.  We'll always have those items in profusion. 
I would appreciate a picture of you once in a while.  They are my most prized possessions.  That's no shit either.  I look at them all the time.  I'm proud of those pictures.  You're lovely and you're being loved plenty. [by long distance, damn it.]
. June 16   I'm quite surprised by the reduction in real estate tax and also auto insurance.  That kind of surprises can keep up all the time. Maybe they make a reduction for pretty war widows. 
Sweetheart, if you want to buy bonds with any of our money, go ahead.  It's up to you.  I kinda like it in the bank also but don't let yourself get called unpatriotic or anything. 
I have the bluebird feather and the rosebud tucked in with your "nice looking lady" picture.  Hard to believe that they have traveled over 10,000 miles.  Good to have a piece of home.  Sentimental.  Yes, I guess I am.  The army will either make a man that way or hard and bitter.  I'm getting soft.  It isn't all the army's fault.  You are doing most of that.  No one could be hard and stay that way around you.  You're so sweet and soft and beautiful.  Gosh, I love you.   
Babe, you old devil.  You really seem to be set on this Mom & Pop business.  It's agreeable to me so I won't be careful any more.  You have something coming.  That long vacation is really going to be fun.  I wish it was starting right now. 
Your letters don't sound a bit screwy to me.  I like to have you talk as though I were right there.  That makes them so much more like you.  You're sweet and so are your letters. 
All ten of our little spruce were there this spring.  I imagine they are covered by weeds.  They'll show up.  Don't worry about the weeds and briers.  I'll take care of them someday. 
I don't know if I'm as satisfactory a lover as you, but I do know I'll try my best and with my new Babe, that best may not be too good.  We are going to have some very perfect times for years and years.  I'm ready and raring to start in where we left off at any time.  May it be very soon.  Night, Chubbins.  I loves you.
Your hubby.
Norm.