May 6, undated, 8, and 9, 1944

Johnnie was a happy soldier when he wrote a V-mail to Lucile on May 6, 1944 after receiving three letters from her.

My Dearest Darling,

Received three letters from you in the last two days and sure was glad to hear from you after going a week and not hearing from you at all. One of the letters you wrote was dated the twenty-fourth of April. It just took eight days to get here, not bad at all. You really put one over on me, you being sick and in bed and not letting me know a thing about it till you are well again. Gee honey, I hope you are well now. Please take care of your health. Honey, I received another package from Dad. It sure was nice. I am getting all the cigarettes I want, so don’t send me no more. Tell all hello for me. I miss you a lot and I love you a million.

Johnnie

The next letter is undated on American Red Cross stationery so a guess as where to place it. Johnnie mentions Lucile having a sore throat, something that keeps coming up around this timeframe.

My Dearest Darling

Receive two letters today, one from Dot and one from you. Sure was glad to hear that you both are OK and well. There one thing Lou, what have I been writing you about your health. If I told you one time, I told you a hundred times that if you got sick or had any pains to go to a doctor and in this letter you just wrote to me, you said you had a little sore throat. You don’t know just how serious it can be. So please take care of yourself and go see a doctor or anything that trouble you. If I was only home now, I’d make you take care of yourself and I am not just kidden either. Honey, I tell you why I want you to take care of yourself, even if it isn’t a bad pain, or any sickness you have. You see Lou, during wartime a little sickness amounts to a lot and gets pretty serious sometimes. I found that out from the doctor here in the army and one thing they know what they are talking about. They have to be and have a rating in their army. So, I am telling you again, please take care of yourself because you are really all I want to come home to. You shall know that by now. Well that all for that for now. Dot said in her letter that Drex and Geral, really had a lucky break. That the truck he drives turn over and that it tore up the truck so bad that the people who seen it don’t see how they came out of it alive, I say they are two lucky guys. Don’t you think so? You said that you believe that Kate, Louise and Evelyn have forgot they have a sister-in-law. I believe they even forgot they have a brother. I haven’t heard from any of them in such a long time that I can’t say wherever I heard from them this year or not. If they don’t want to write me it OK, just so you keep up the way you are writing. Thats all I wait for anyway is a letter from you. Well, I will have to close for this time. So, tell all the family hello for me and give them my love. I miss you alots Darling. And I Love you a Millions. Always.

Johnnie

Johnnie’s sisters, Evelyn and Kate Marston

The 1st Battalion moved from Minturno back to Mandragone on May 7, 1944. While the 1st and 3rd Battalions moved into position, the Regiment prepared plans to further the attack or repel enemy counterattack. Parts of the Regiment continued training and preparation for offensive combat, and the part of the Regiment that was in the assembly area remained quiet, hidden from the enemy by smoke generators. Meanwhile, Johnnie heard from his brother-in-law Robert Astin and could not contain his excitement in his May 8, 1944 V-mail to Lucile. He also had fond memories of a dog he used to have.

My Dearest Darling,

Just a few lines to let you know I am well and hope that this finds you a lot better with that sore throat you have. Honey guess who I received a letter from today. None other than your brother-in-law Robert, Ha Ha. Him and Nell seem to be getting along nicely. That’s the last guy I ever expected to hear from, but I guess he took time off from Nell long enough to drop me a line, Ha Ha. That’s the only letter I received today. I was really hoping to get one from you, but it didn’t get here. Maybe I’ll hear from you tomorrow. I really hope so. How did Cecil, Drex, and Woodrow come out on the Army situation? I hope they made out on the good part of it. Has Aunt Agnes and Marie ever shown up yet? If so, tell them I said hello. Luke, you know what I dreamed about the other night? You remember that dog I used to have, and I named him Buck? I dreamed I came home, and you and the dog came down to meet me at the crossing. Kind of crazy, don’t you think? Will close. Keep smiling. I miss you a lot and I love you a million.

Always, Johnnie

Johnnie wrote a long letter on May 9, 1944 on American Red Cross stationery. Not wanting to worry Lucile, he wrote “this paper was given to us by the Red Cross, don’t worry!!” It also appears the two of them disagreed over something he had written in a previous letter. Hopefully, they were able to resolve that issue.

My Dearest Darling,

Received a letter from you today telling me that Aunt Agnes and Marie are home visiting. I hope they both are well and tell Marie I am expecting that big fat kiss she promised me, Ha Ha. I received a nice card from Dad and his wife yesterday. Also, they sent me David Bullard’s address. You remember him, don’t you? Honey, this letter I received from you was mailed the thirty first of last month, so you can see it just took over a week to get to me. Not bad at all, is it? In the letter I wrote you telling about me wanting to send you a picture of me because my beard has grown out. I think you are mistaken about me saying that. If you look at the letter again, you will see that I said that I have a mustache and have let my side burns grow about a inch longer and that it has changed my looks a little. And that’s why I said I wanted to send you a picture of me because of that. If I did say that, I want you to cut that part out of the letter and send it to me because it’s not true and I know for sure I haven’t wrote you anything like that because I have been getting to shave at least every two days and I have no right to lie about anything like that to you. That’s why I want to see the writing and me saying anything like that. If I am right about all this, please read my letters a little more carefully from now one, OK with you? Thanks a lot. I am glad to hear that you had some pictures made of little Melvin and the rest. Sure would like to see them. Lou, about you and your health, I am still asking you and telling you to take care of yourself. I guess I wrote this about you taking care of yourself so much, that you are tired of hearing it. But that’s one thing I worry about, so I hope you understand me. And as for your weight, I think a hundred and fifteen is very good for your size, don’t you? As for myself, at my size I should weigh a hundred and sixty. But as it is now, I am about thirteen pounds under weight. But as for health, I feel OK. Tell Doc I hope to be back soon and that he will know whose still champion of Stackmill on horseshoes playing, Ha Ha. Also tell Ma Stacks I miss her and to keep her chin up and that everything will come out OK at the end. And also tell the rest of the family hello for me and to keep smiling. Well Baby, I will close for now. I hope you understand me on reading my mail more careful. I don’t like to write things to you which isn’t true and if I am wrong on that beard situation, I want you to give me the devil about it in your next letter to me, understand? I miss you a lot Baby!! And I love you a million.

Always, Johnnie

Johnnie’s stepmother, Lola Miller Marston