My older brother, Paul, has been scanning the boxes full of letters my parents stored in his garage. So far these letters were written mostly in 1945 when my father was in the Navy. At my request, Paul has been sending these to me. These letters are deeply personal communications between two newlyweds caught up in the tumultuous times at the end of World War II.
The letters are all handwritten, and when this one struck a chord, I transcribed it so it would be easier to share. I found myself thinking that younger generations will never have this kind of record of their stories. My relationships were strengthened through telephone conversations. Younger generations use text messages or similar electronic forms of communication; thus loosing any record of their developing love stories... which makes me sad. This letter is an example.
Here George (19 at the time) is in Boot Camp while Nancy (also 19) is with her parents in Horseheads New York.
Service
Men’s
Telephone Center
Great Lakes, Illinois
Friday, August 25 1945
My dearest darling beloved wife Nancy,
I walked over to the canteen with
the boys and had some ice cream. Now I’m back in the barracks ready for a long
letter.
There’s a
big inspection of barracks and personnel tomorrow. I won’t stand the personnel
part of it because I’ll be working on those discharge records again tomorrow. I
will turn over my sac cover to have the clean side up for inspection.
I’m so glad
you’re working in the dairy store. It must be lots of fun, and will be even
more when school starts and the kids come in after it to talk over their
classes, gossip, etc. How about eating some chocolate ice cream for me every
once in a while.
I must
confess I’ve been lagging in my share of our nightly exercises, but I’ll do
some tonight. I’m glad to hear you’re doing yours.
Golly,
tomorrow is Saturday, and I will call you up. I’ve been impatiently waiting for
tomorrow night all week, and now it’s at hand, I’m all excited. Golly it will
be terrific to hear your voice again. I love you so, so much, my darling
Babikin.
I’ve been
thinking tonight of New York State. It’s really beautiful there. What a
wonderful place for us to live someday. And we really will live too. We’ll
enjoy each day as it comes, and realize its value. We’ll appreciate the fine
things that there are in nature. We’ll know how lovely it is to spend a still
winter’s evening together watching the snow glisten with starlight. Or sit near
each other in front of a blazing fire when it’s cold out and we can appreciate
the cozyness of our home.
We’ll love
the autumn, with its crackling leaves to slush through on our walks, and
football games to drive to on Saturdays. We’ll grow closer to each other and to
God as Fall takes its place in our hearts with the other seasons.
In spring
we’ll experience together the same rebirth our animals and the plants around us
do. We’ll watch the slender new green shoots pop up from the earth, and we’ll
watch our claves take their first gawky steps. The cat will have kittens, the
dog will have pups, the brooder house will be full of little peeping sounds,
and we’ll find each other again in deeper love than ever – as the world turns
to Spring and all is fresh and new.
And we’ll
work hard in that time too. We’ll plow, we’ll harrow, we’ll plant, we’ll
cultivate. We’ll plan for another season of joyful labor together, free in body
and spirit, before man and God.
The summer
will come and we’ll make hay and can food for the winter to come. We’ll work
hard and be happy, for we’ll be working for each other and our family, our
children.
What more
can we ask, than four seasons a year. To be together, that’s all I ask darling.
We’ll be
religious people too. We may not attend church each Sunday, but we believe in
God. We’ll do what we believe is right. We’ll be honest and sincere. We’ll be
good to all people. We’ll have lots of friends. We’ll love each other and the
world.
I love you
so much, my darling wife. Our lives will be the happiest of lives. We may have
a bit of a wait, darling, but I will come back. I will hold you in my arms. I
do love you now and forever.
Love you, love you, love you.
Your loving husband,
George.
