February 6, 1945 Tuesday

My Darling,

                There isn’t much doing as usual.  Oh, but I did enjoy that letter today. I sopped those words up like a dry swab does gasoline.  It makes me feel good to know you still see things the same.  You know how it is.  When a little kid is walking in the pitch dark, he’ll keep looking to see if you’re still there to reassure himself that he’s still safe and as long as he knows you’re near him he’ll go anywhere.  I feel kinda the same-that is I see and hear every day-cases where men-married and with families are running with other women-the wrong kind.  OR getting reports from home that their wife is running with men-behind his back.  I’m sorry to say that men who came from Jax with me and who I pal with all the time are such men-3 or 4 of them.  Numberless times they asked me why I don’t come with them and carry on as they do.  Sometimes it’s hard to make them see because I can’t tell them or make them understand many things that our church stands for.  But one thing that always makes them see my point is you.  I tell them, “There’s a girl waiting home for me.  She has faith in my steadfastness in the things I try to make you guys see. I think she’s near perfect and I’m trying to live just as I want her to live” and I tell them many more things just like that and end up with reprimanding them for living as they do while they’re away from their wives.  I can see it cuts them and I mean it too.  They don’t look you in the eye either.

                So you see hon., every now and again-as I said it makes me feel good to know that my actions are not in vain.  That lock of hair that was right nice of you to send.  It was even curled with a red ribbon on too.  And you know what? It even smelled good and when I sniffed it by darn if it didn’t tickly my nose just like it use to.  Gosh but that brought back memories-dear memories of when I used to be close to you and your hair would tickle my cheek.

                You were wondering about my work here.  Well Hon it’s kind of a school-that is, we’re assigned different work on planes and we work under supervision.  It’s not really school, it’s just like name A.B.A.T.U. It’s an “advanced base air training unit.”  Maybe I’m sure enough of what the deal is to tell you now.  If you could read between the lines of that clipping from our orders-you may see that this is just a stopping off place until we see the show.  That is, they polish off our training here and then we go to an advanced base.  The advanced means on the front sea when there is a place taken over like the Philippines were, they fix an air strip and we go in to take care of the planes.  That’s why we’re quite reasonably sure of not going to sea.  Ours will be an advanced land base now for gosh sakes, don’t even give it another thought because it don’t mean I won’t see you for a long time or anything like that.

                I know what you mean Hon when you say it seems like I’m talking to you in letters because when I read yours, I can even see the look on your face when you say those things and can hear the different tones of your voice and see the twinkle in those blue eyes when I smile at something you take too serious.  I know you’re standing by me darling in the things I do, even when they’re fouled up and all wet and I even lose faith in myself.

                You know when I was a lot younger and mom and I used to talk of great men, she used to always remark that in back of almost every great man was a woman to push him on and make him so.  Well, I didn’t like that.  The thought of a mere woman, a lovely female inspiring great deeds? But now I see it.  I know from experience I wouldn’t have done a lot of things if I didn’t know you’d be irked if you saw me trying to get away with something less. I’ve read that letter over and over.  Even Holly-one of the boys-said “alright, alright if you wear it out now you can’t read it after while.” I’m a thinking I’ll have to put that with the other three and make it a big four deal. 

                Darling, I’ve come so near blowing a fuse from wanting to see you that I thought, why don’t I call her up. I don’t know why I never thought of it sooner. To tell you the truth, it wasn’t even me that thought of it.  But, is there any chance youngster?

                Well, I’ve talked for too long and besides, I did a big wash and crimeany I figure when I got out I could take it easy, but I guess the Navy just isn’t built that way so for now, always and even forever, here’s all the love my weary soul can muster you darling.  Pablo