Johnnie survived the 100-mile walk and was ready for a rest, along with the rest of his company. During his noon time break on October 1, 1943, Johnnie wrote Lucile and answered the many questions she had in her letters. He also began thinking ahead to Christmas time.
My Dear Baby,
Well I believe we are going to get paid today. I am not sure though. Well we get a couple of days rest period tomorrow. We all really need some rest. We will get a chance to take a bath and to change clothes. Boy I am really going to enjoy getting into some fresh clothes. We are all wearing the same clothes we came down in the train in. We haven’t had no time to change. You asked me in the letter I received from you yesterday did I want you to buy me a watch. No, I don’t, not if you have to get it on the layaway place, I don’t want no new watches. I just want a watch you can pick up maybe for about ten or fifteen dollars if you can by any chance run across one for about that much and you think it is worth it, buy it. If not, forget it. You asked if I wanted anything special for Christmas. No except you might get some white cloths and make me some handerchief and get me a couple pair of socks. Darling we are getting ready to have mail call so I am going to see if I have any mail from you. Well mail call is over with and I received that package you sent with the flashlight and the socks. Say, how much did the socks cost? Boy I would like to have alots of them, they really feel good on my feet. Say, I received a letter from Louise today also. Say, what do think about Evelyn and Ray? Do you blame her? I am sending you the letter I received from Louise. Say, if you do send me some handerchief and more of these kinds of socks would you so kindly put me a dime bottle of lighter fluid for the lights you sent me? Be sure and fix it where it won’t break. If you love me you would, Ha Ha. Well Darling, as I am about to run out of paper to write on, I will have to close. I will thank you again for the package and as you know Luke, I love you. Tell all I say Hello for me, and lots lots lots love.
Johnnie
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Johnnie and his sisters, Evelyn (left) and Louise (right) |
Before Johnnie’s company moved out again on October 6, 1943, he took time to write Lucile letting her know his paycheck was short this month due to a mistake by the Army.
Hello Baby,
I hope this finds you well. I got a chance to drop you a line and that is about all I will have time to write. I haven’t received any mail from you in five days. I guess you’re pretty busy working and haven’t much time to write. And helping your Mother too. I won’t get much time to write here after and they haven’t given me anything to write at all lately. I got paid this month but didn’t receive but fifteen dollars and fifty cents. I told the company command about just receiving that much and he said they made a mistake and that he would get the rest for me. I took part of that and paid the Red Cross. I am sending you a fifty dollar note that pay in full. Well, we are getting ready to move out again so I will close.
Lots lots love, Johnnie
Johnnie’s company stopped long enough that night to allow him time to write Lucile a second letter on October 6, 1943. Three long weeks of maneuvers were wearing him down but he did not want Lucile to worry about him. He would be okay.
My Dear Darling,
Well tomorrow makes three weeks I have been on maneuvers. To tell you the truth, this has been three weeks of hell and I am not kidding either. I, or rather we, haven’t had not over five hours of sleep, and we have been eating when we can get it. But one good thing, the weather is OK here. I guess I shouldn’t tell you all this because I know you will worry, but Darling, don’t worry because I will be OK. What about you? Are you doing OK? Gee Darling, I miss you alots. I can’t hardly wait to see you again. Well Darling, this is all I can write right now because we are getting ready to move out again. So, tell everybody hello for me.
And lots lots love always, Johnnie
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US Army Signal Corps during the maneuvers, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons |
Earlier, Johnnie promised to help his sister Kate by sending money, but after the Army made a mistake on his paycheck, he was not able to send any. In his October 8, 1943 letter to Lucile, he asked her to apologize to Kate for him. He was also concerned about his sister Evelyn getting a divorce from her husband Ray. But family was not the only thing on his mind. He was also thinking about cigarettes and candy. For the record, Johnnie smoked Lucky Strike cigarettes.
My Dear Darling,
Just a few lines to let you know I am thinking about you and to tell you not to worry about me. You say Robert came home on a five-day furlough and that Nell is going to stay with you. I think that is great because either of you won’t be so lonely. Then of course, it won’t be like having a man with you, especially at night, Ha Ha. I received a letter from Kate last night. I am glad she is OK now. I told her I would send her some money to pay on some of the bills she owes, but as I just received a little bit myself and had to pay the Red Cross also. I just didn’t have any left. My company command said I would get all that was coming to me on my next check, so please explain to Kate why I haven’t sent her any money. Tell her I am real sorry about it. Honey I wrote your Mother about five days ago. I can’t understand why she hasn’t received it. Let me know whether she got it or not. Do you like your job? OK honey, I think that is a good idea of yours to save all the money you can, not for me but you alone. You see money doesn’t do me any good out here because there isn’t no place to spend it anyway. And if there was, you know by now if I did have any money and there was a place to spend it, that is just what I would do. That is one reason I told you to send me a cartoon of cigarettes about every twelve days if you could. Say, I would give a dollar for a bar of candy if I had the money. That is what most of the boys are getting for candy bars and cigarettes. Candy is selling here twenty-five cents a bar and cigarettes are selling four packs for a dollar. You may not believe me but that is the truth. The reason I am getting to write you such a long letter this time is we are having a half of day rest period. Today is the first time I have shaved in twelve days and boy did I have a beard on my face. I had to take some scissors and cut them down where I could shave them off. In other words, since I have had my hair cut, my beard was longer than the hair on my head. When I looked at myself in the mirror and I didn’t know my on self, Ha Ha. I also went down to a creek and took a nice long bath. It sure was good to get in the water too. Say, you never did tell me what you thought about that letter Evelyn wrote me. What you thought about her having trouble with Ray. Would you say she was doing the right thing by getting a divorce? Let me know. Say honey, would it be too much to ask you to send me the whole Sunday paper sometime? You see, when we do get a rest period like this, I would like to read up on the Sunday paper or any paper as far as that matters just to know how the war news is going on. Also, if you see a piece in the paper you think I would like to read, cut it out and send it in the letter you write to me. Thanks alots. Well Darling, as this is all the news I can write and also bother you more about getting these few things for me, I will close hoping to hear from you soon.
Lots lots lots love x x x, Johnnie
P.S. Tell all hello for me and tell Mickey I am waiting to hear from him. Love Johnnie
P.S. I love you Darling always.
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