Letter # 417 July 11, 1944

New Guinea
Tues. eve.
July 11, 1944
My Sweetheart;
Now that I'm working every day all day I don't have so much to write about.  I've caught up on all your letters.  None again today.  I had been very lucky so far and got mail nearly every day.  I'm not complaining, honey.  I know you are writing all the time.  It's only that they either don't hit a plane or they can't get them all sorted all the time.  I'll get a pile of them all at once one of these days.  I imagine that when they start coming with the new A.P.O. they will come faster.  Gosh, I like your letters.  They are all I can have of you, sweetheart.  I want as much as I can get.  You have done such a swell job all this time.  You haven't missed writing every day but very few times.  That's what I call a record to be proud of.  You're sweet.  I love you.  You even write after being out all evening and should be getting your sleep.  Keep it up, honey.  I love 'em.
Gosh, honey, it's three months all ready since I last saw you.  Time is rolling by but I haven't by any means forgotten that wonderful nine days or that last night when you were so sweet and beautiful.  You were too, beautiful.  Most beautiful girl I ever looked at.  I loved you so much I could hardly talk. I think I spent most of my time looking at you.  Acting like a kid with his first case of puppy love.  It is my first case of love but it's way out grown the puppy part.
I must be slipping, honey.  I've been trying to remember the date when I gave you the rings and I can't be sure.  I think it was the 14th of July.  Oh I know the year and month.  I'm not that bad yet.  I think I surprised you with them too. At least I got all the reaction I expected from them.  You practically hugged me to death and weren't a bit stingy with the kisses either.  Then you had to run up and wake your folks and show them.
Couldn't wait until morning could you?  I really didn't expect you to think that much of them.  After all, we had been engaged, verbally, for three years.  If I had known they meant so much to you I might have given them to you sooner.  You made me feel like I had done something real big.
I don't think I ever told you before.  I think it was the Christmas before that.  I couldn't think of a thing to get for you.  We were over at Ed & Betty's and I asked her for a suggestion.  The rings were her suggestion, only, of course she said it in a round about way.  When I said, "No, not yet."  she wouldn't say another word.  I guess I was awful slow in a lot of ways, wasn't I?  That was before you had thoroughly cracked my hard shell.  I hope I have changed a little now.  Not so indendant maybe.  I know I'm very much dependant on you. Can't even imagine what life would be like without you.  Everything I do, think or plan seems to center around you.  Gosh it's swell honey.  Wonderful feeling to love and be loved.  I'm sure glad I gotcha, honey, even if I don't always act like it.  I'll act like it for some time when I come home.  I'll hang around you so much you'll get sick of seeing me and wish I was back in the army again. 
Night again, sweetheart.  I don't think I mentioned it but I love you so much.
Your hubby.
Norm.