Wartime Love Letters

Johnny (June 12 -16, 1944)

Monday June 12, 44

Dearest Sweetheart Ella Mae

I receive 3 letters from you today darling and one from Barney. Two of your letters I got this noon and one tonight. If ever there was a sweetheart in the world, you are darling. You don't know how much I love you and how much you mean to me. Those letters fill my heart with overflowing love for you. I only hope I will get a chance to get home to see you and sonny or that you and sonny will be able to see me. If we should get a leave and if we get it from here I'll probably have to ask you to send me some money for trainfare to get home as I doubt if I'll have enough for the full trip and then maybe it won't cost as much as I think and I'll have enough. I sure will hate to have to write you for any but if I need it for trainfare I'll let you know. Maybe if we get a leave it will be from Boston I call on the phone before zi leave. That is only if we get a leave. We don't know yet whether or not we will get any at all but that was in case we do. I do hope we get one before going out.

I heard next week we go out to sea down here for gun practice aboard ship for some days or maybe a week. I don't know too much about it but if you don['t get any mail next week you know why. And then again we might come back to port each night in that case I'll probably find time to write even if I have to stay up late and write it in the toilet. Leave it to your husband to find a way. I can't help it honey I love you so much. I just have to keep writing so you'll know how much I love you darling.

I have a big laundry to do tonight and it looks like I won't get any done as I have to stand here by my bunk until my sea bag is inspected. I suppose I'll have to buy extra clothes and that will take what I had planned on keeping for a leave. I don't think I'll have to buy to awful much though. I thought I would make use of my time which waiting to be inspected by writing you darling.

We had some exercises on ladders and ropes and narrow catwalks and boy am I stiff and lame on top of it all we got calithentics tonight before chow. I feel better now and after I take a show I think I'll feel much better. There has been a great change in the chow here since Saturday. There is a new crew of cooks and a lot of sailors left for there ships so the chow is much better again thank God for that you know I appreciate good food and plenty of it

Barney says in his letter he expects he may get leave about July 1st. I hope he does and I also hope I get one while he is home. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I'm sorry to here you have the hives, did you find out if it was from the medicine. I'm glad to heeree your beginning to gain a little weight. Please darling take good care of yourself and sonny because I want you to come home to darling. Theres nobody in this world or never will be that will ever take your place in my heart so stay in good health and be careful at your work for me. What would I do without you. Don't go jumping over that line at work again because if you wreck yourself what will I do? Please be careful darling for my sake and your own too.

How are all the folks both yours and mine. I don't hear how any of them are only from what you or Peg or Sue mention.

Well all I can say it I love you so much darling and am longing to get home to see you and only hope I get a chance.

A Million Kisses to my sweetheart in the world. Tell sonny I love him also.

Your Sailor Husband                                                                                                                                                          Johnny

Tues. Eve. June 13, 44

Dearest Sweetheat Ella Mae