Johnnie did not have any good news to share when he wrote Lucile at noon on April 12, 1943 from Camp Howze. His Mother was worse, he felt his mother-in-law was overdoing it, he owed the Red Cross money, and he feared he would not be able to get a furlough to go see Lucile.
Hello Darling,
Well here it is another blue Monday for me. I hope you are well. How is your job coming along? I bet its really going hard with you this first week. I received a letter from Kate yesterday. I have written you about that already, haven’t I? I don’t remember whether I wrote you about it or not. My mind has kinda been blank lately. Maybe I’ll pull out of it someway. I received a card from your Mother today. She’s really having too much to do. I wish she would go to the doctor and see about her side. She’s just going along working around the house and trying to keep you all from it. Gosh, I hope she takes care of herself. Well Darling, from what I hear, Mother is getting worse. I hate to get letters like that. Well I guess that’s all for this time. I keep thinking of you. Love Johnnie
Pay the Red Cross was forty dollars. So that honey I don’t know when I will come home now. This boy here in camp say I might not get a furlough because I got one when I went to see Mother. I hope that one doesn’t count against me. It shouldn’t. Do you think so? Honey, save all the money you can because if I don’t get a furlough in the next six weeks, I want you to come and stay with me. I wish you had never left but I guess its too late to wish now. I was a fool for letting you go back anyway. How much do you owe your Daddy now? Let me know in your next letter will you. Well I guess that’s all the news for this time. So, lots Lots Lots Lots
Love, Johnnie
Honey, the way Mother is now, I really need you here with me. Lots love, Johnnie
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Johnnie's sister, Kate Marston |
When Johnnie wrote Lucile on April 13, 1943, he was thinking about her coming for another visit at Camp Howze. But, as much as he wanted to see her, Johnnie was being practical in that he wanted to make sure she had enough money for other things she needed.
Dear Darling,
I received your letter today and was glad you took off a little time from your work to write me, Ha Ha. I am feeling pretty well today, and I also have gained all my weight back. You said you received a card from Louise, and she said for me to write Mother. Well I have wrote her three letters and have not received an answer from any of them yet. I will write her again tonight. Honey, about you coming back out here. Well as far as I am concerned, the quicker you get back out here the better I would like it. But, we have to look at it the other way. I want you to have a little money to back you because that’s one thing you have to have to stay here as you know. At least enough to hold you till you get a job. Don’t you think that’s a good thing to think about? It might be a little harder to find a place this time because alots of the soldier’s wifes are coming in to visit them. But there are also alots going back home every day. Whatever you do, try to get here on a Saturday or Sunday because I usually have Saturday evening and Sunday off. And just in case, I don’t get off to find you a place when you write me that you are coming. I hope you understand what I just wrote. Do you? Say, are you going to send me an Atlanta paper once in a while? Or was you just talking to have something to say when you told me you would. I would like to get it once in a while. I like to read what is going on down there. What about sending me one at least, will you?
Well honey, I guess that covered everything for this time, except I send you my love and hope you don’t take up with one of them potatoes chips men, Ha Ha. Well anyhow, lots lots lots Love to the one I adore.
Johnnie
Johnnie was on the verge of being sent to war yet all that was on his mind was his mother and wife. He shared his fears with Lucile when he sat down at noon to write her from Camp Howze on April 17, 1943.
My Dearest Darling,
Well here is a lonely letter, from a lonely soldier. I hope this finds you well and not as lonely as I am. I have just come back from mail call and was really disappointed when I didn’t receive any letter from you. Maybe I will get one from you this evening. I hope so anyway. I received a letter from Louise yesterday. They are all getting along well, all except Mother, as you know about her anyway. Honey, Mother wants a picture of me and I thought I would send her a large one for Easter Sunday as a present. But as I am in debt with the Red Cross and owe some around here, I don’t know when I can send it to her for Easter Sunday or not. Being that I don’t want to borrow any more money around here in camp, but it looks like I am going to have to anyway because if it is in my power to get it, I am, as you know that anyway. I told you I was going to send you something on your birthday and I did, so I am going to have a picture made someway and send to Mother. I am going to try to do everything I can for her because the way things look, she won’t be here much longer. You don’t blame me do you? I try not to think about her going away, but its no use, it stays on my mind all the time. All you hear around camp now is that we are leaving. That is all they are talking about. Darn I wish they would quit talking about it, that’s another thing that’s getting me. Not that I am scared of going but I am afraid they might send me off without seeing you one more time. It if wasn’t for that, I am ready just any old time. I am not forgetting what them damn Japs have done to us. How is Earl and Geral’s farm coming along? Tell them to write me all about it. How is Robert and Nell? Your Mother? I will answer her letter as soon as I get some more time.
So, lots lots love, Johnnie
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Robert and Nell |
Lucile got a new job and Johnnie poked fun at her in a second letter he wrote on April 17, 1943. He also let her know how important letter writing was to him.
My Dearest Potatoes Chips Baby,
Ha, Ha. Well how are you tonight? I guess you are pretty tired. I hope you are not too tired to drop me a line or two, are you? I wrote you a letter this morning but being that I haven’t any place to go tonight or anything to do, I thought I would write you again. I hope you don’t mind. Well, did you make many potato chips today? About how many do you make a day? Say, do you know I haven’t received a letter from you in about four or five days now? Now don’t tell me those potato chips are taking up all your time or I will quit writing and if you ask me why I haven’t written, I’ll tell you the Army is taking up all my time. And I know you wouldn’t like that. Or would you? Say, tell me something, do you write me every night or every other night, or do you get a letter from me, and say well I will write Johnnie tomorrow night. Then tomorrow night comes you say O’ I am so tired and sleepy, I’ll just wait till tomorrow and write him. If you do, you better change your writing hours or the next thing you know you won’t be receiving any mail at all. And I am not kidding either. Louise wrote me and said that you were going down to see Mother. How do you expect to go see her and come back out here? Don’t tell me you found a gold mine. Tell me what you are going to do in your next letter, will you? Well Baby, I guess that’s all for this time.
So, lots lots love, Johnnie
P.S. I am waiting for the answer of this letter. Johnnie
Lucile’s mother apparently overdoes it at times and that prompted Johnnie to scold her a little when he wrote her a letter on April 17, 1943.
My Dearest Mom,
I received your letter today and was really glad to hear from you. I hope this letter finds you much better. I wish you wouldn’t try to do what a man is supposed to do in fixing your garden. I know you, when there is something to lift or something real heavy to move, you go ahead and move it yourself someway. I wish you would get somebody to do all the heavy work for you. That’s one thing I know is making you feel run down all the time. Watch yourself, will you? As for myself, I am OK. Say, I wish you would get that daughter of yours I married to write me more often than she is doing now. I haven’t received a letter from her in about five days. I know she is working now, but at least she could write me every other night or is it those potato chips? Are they taking up a lot of her time, Ha Ha? I guess Lucile told you about us being shipped sometime soon. Gosh, I wish I knew when and where they were going to ship us. I believe it is to another camp to train some new army boys. I hope so and that it is nearer home. That would suit me just fine, Ha Ha. Say, how is Doc coming along? I hope he is well. Tell him hello for me, will you? How is little Melvin? Does he still remember me? Boy, I sure would like to see him. Tell him I hope to see him soon. Well, I guess that’s all the news for this time. So, I will close. Hoping to hear from you soon.
Lots lots love to you all, Johnnie
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Melvin Stacks |
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