Johnnie thought about, and wrote to, Lucile when his company camped out under the stars. In an April 21, 1943 letter written many miles from Camp Howze, Johnnie told Lucile how lucky they both were. And as usual, he was thinking about other family members as well.
I would give a dollar for a pack of cigarettes if I had the dollars.Camp out twenty 25 miles from camp.
My Dearest Wife,
I received your letter today and was glad to hear from you after not hearing from you in a week. We are camping out this week and will be out till Friday nite. How far we are from camp, tell you above. You are lucky to get an answer from me way out here and I was lucky enough to get some paper to write you. I am sorry you are not getting any more letters, but that is something I am not getting much to do and that is writing. The only time I have time for writing letters is on Sunday. Please tell your Mother thanks alots for the Easter Card and that it was really nice. Tell Grandma I can’t write her till this weekend and that I would write her as soon as I get back to camp. Tell little Bob Stack’s the same. Honey, I owe all of my money out this month and I could really use some if you can do me any good send it air mail. Tell Doc Hello.
Love lots love, Johnnie
Johnnie wrote Lucile’s mother a letter on April 23, 1943.
Dearest Mom,
I received the nice Easter card and I don’t know how to thank you. I wish I could send you and Doc and the kids something to show just how much I do appreciate it. Well, thanks anyway. I hope this finds you lots better than you have been. How is the garden coming along? What have you planted in it? The outfit I am in has been camping out all this week. We just came in tonight. This has been one week I am glad that is over, Ha Ha. Say, I will get some pictures made as soon as I get ahold of some money. They have put up a picture of the outfit here in camp. I can have six pictures made for a couple of dollars; I think the price is. They are pretty good-sized pictures too. I will get some made as quick as I can. Say, what do you think of your daughter working? She really surprised me. I didn’t think she knew anything except cooking and keeping house, Ha Ha. Say, how is Doc coming along? I hope he is well. How is little Melvin? Tell him I said hello. How is Mary and Betty coming along in school? I bet they will be glad when school is out. Tell them hello for me. Also, tell Mickey to take a little time off of his farming and his mind off of girlfriends too and write me sometime. Tell Gearl the same. I have not heard anymore about us pulling out. If it does come around, I hope they head me nearer to Georgia. I received a letter from my sister the other day and she said that a big knot came up on Mother’s throat. I guess it is just a matter of time now. Since I came back from seeing her, my mind has been a blank. It’s really got me down. Well Mom, I guess that’s all the news for this time so I will close. Hoping to hear from you and all soon.
Your son. Lots love to all, Johnnie
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Johnnie's sister-in-law, Mary Stacks |
Johnnie was broke. In his April 24, 1943 letter written from Camp Howze, he asked Lucile to send him money.
My Dearest Sweets,
I received your letter and also the paper today. Thanks a lot for sending me the paper. I really enjoyed it. If you come down when you say you are, I wish you would tell your Mother to send the paper to me once in a while. I really enjoy reading what happens back home. Be sure and tell her. Honey, we are going back out in the field this week and camp out some more. But we will just be out till Friday and if I am not on any kind of detail, I will meet you some time Saturday. So just in case I don’t meet you, you will know I am on some detail. I hate to ask you to send me some money but I haven’t got any cigarettes, shaving cream, toothpaste, or shoe polish, so you see the only reason is that I owe all of my money that’s coming to me this month. So, you can see if you don’t send me some I will be just out of luck. I hope you can spare it. If not, don’t send it. I’ll make out some how. Well honey, I guess that’s all the news. Except to keep telling you I love you.
Johnnie
P.S. Don’t mention any more about me going to be transferred. It is a military secret. Love Johnnie
As requested, Lucile sent money to Johnnie to buy cigarettes and toiletries. But thanks to friends made on his late March trip back from Miami, Johnnie had already received some by the time the money arrived. He told Lucile about the mother and daughter who made several kind gestures to him in an April 30, 1943 letter written from Camp Howze.
My Dearest Wife,
I received a letter from you yesterday and I couldn’t get the register you sent me with the money in it till today. We have been out on the field all week and that is the reason I didn’t get it till today. Thanks alots for the money you sent me. But it was just a little late for I received some cigarettes from some friends I met on the train, coming back from Miami. The people I am talking about that sent me the cigarettes is a young girl and her Mother. This girl is about eighteen years old and not bad to look at either, Ha Ha. The way I met them was they had a lunch box full of cakes, sandwiches, apples, and alots of other good things to eat. I was sitting across from them on the train and this girl’s Mother came over and invited me to eat with them. Being that I just had sixty cents, of course I went over and eat with them. Do you blame me? They asked me where I live and was I married. I told them yes, to the most wonderful girl in the world and I am not just talking either. As you know you are the only one for me. They asked me would I write them if they give me their address and I told them I would and of course they asked me my Army address. And I give it to them. They sent me an Easter card and the cigarettes at the same time. I think they are pretty nice people, don’t you? They live in Illinois. Honey, I wish you would have come on up because from what I gather, we are leaving some time this month or the part of next month. Gosh, I wish I knew just when we were leaving. We are wearing our summer uniform now and mine doesn’t look bad at all. You shall see, Ha Ha. O’yeah my hair is getting to look like something new, Ha Ha. Well Babe, since this is all the news for this time, I will close. Tell all hello for me, and to be good.
Lots lots lots love, Johnnie
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Johnnie |
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