Wartime Love Letters

Johnny (June 6 -11, 1944)

Tuesday afternoon June 6, 44

Dearest Sweetheart Ella Mae

I received a letter from you this morning sweetheart that you wrote Friday night. I sure was glad to get it darling. I am glad that you appreciate my letters darling. Now they won't be quite so long but I'll try to get you one everyday until I go to sea.

You see sweetheart this morning I was called in the draft. So I'm in school with my crew. We have a wonderful Barracks here. You'll notice my new address so send my mail to me here. We will be here until June 29th. We leave here on the 29th and go to get our ship at Boston. Just outside of Boston. It will be ready for us on July 4th. I mean it will be commissioned on July 4th. Then maybe only maybe though darling between the 29th and the 4th we might get a couple days leave. If so I'll come home but don't put your hopes up high. Just pray we get a couple of days. Then we go on a shake down cruise and when we come back from the shake down she may need some alteration and if so we may get leave while she is being put in condition. I hope we do get a leave then. Boy I'll be close enough when were in port so I can make it home without difficulty. Isn't that a break darling Just think not Norfolk but Boston. I can get home quicker from Boston then I could from Sampson. At least I'm quite sure it doesn't take very long. At any rate honey just pray we get a couple days when we arrive in Boston the last of June. I'd just love to see my sweetheart wife even for just a day. How about you honey. It's a Brand new ship the Silverstine. I'm not sure about the spelling *(It's Silverstein)

Well sweetheart I had to go to Norfolk last night to order some Navy equipment I need that will be ready Friday night. So while I was there and paid 2.25 for it a stamp pad. I had some pictures taken again and this time I look much more like your husband. I took off my hat so you could see my bandaged head. The bandage is off now as the wound is well scabbed over. It is O.K. I have no hair on that side darn it.

My friend Labby is on our ship but my friend Hammond didn't get called. I have about 3 fellows of Co. 229 with me though. I hear we don't get any schooling in our field until we get to ship then we get assigned. I'm not quite sure of this though but I'm going to stick for storekeeper if its possible.

Well sweetheart I moved over here with my dirty laundry so this afternoon I've got to get it washed.

I saw my little friend Keddy this morning he's in the other end of our barracks and he has to go to Orange Texas for his ship.

Darling I here by the radio today that the news about the invasion is really going well. I hope it continues and they are, I mean Germany is defeated quickly so I can come home to my sweet wife to live with you forever. I don't think that day can be to far off now. I hope it really comes quickly.

So you weren't lucky last bingo. Well darling you can't win every time or can you. I am sure glad you went to the bingo. Please go out often so the time will pass quickly and we can be together again for life. OH darling you don't know how good those words sound to me as I write them down. You can't realize how much this separation has made me come to love you more and more. Those letters also make my heart beat as though I were your boy friend courting you.

Well darling I have raved on for quite a bit and if I don't stop I'll be going into another day with dirty laundry and that's not so good. Because boy in this unit there really fussy and I don't want to get in a jam now. The no. of my ship is 534 and it's a destroyer Escort.

Well be good darling and be waiting for me because I love you and hope to be seeing you the first chance I get. I'm going to go easy on what dough I have so I'll have traveling fare home when they say go and go I will as fast as I can.