Spitball Army

[Letter postmarked on 8 August 1944 at 12 midnight at Jamaica, New York. Addressed to Mrs. Richard N., Berwyn, Illinois. No return address inscribed on the envelope.]

Aug. 7, 1944
U.S. Naval Hospital
St. Albans N.Y.
Ward F54

My Darling,

Gee hon, but it’s wonderful being so close to you again – that alone is more than money can buy. I have told you most everything over the phone, but I have a lot more to say. I would go on talking for 30 days, I have so much to tell you that I really don’t know where to start in this letter to you. To-day I received the two michraphones you sent me and all of those fine jokes – that was very thoughtful of you, hon, very nice. And did I get a big thrill when I read those articles in the michraphone about you, I just got chills up and down my spine. No foolin’, hon. I was a little disappointed, though, when I had no letter from you yet – gee, hon, how long am I going to have to wait?

Gee hon, I have been going from morning till night trying to get all of my business fixed up, but what a big job it is. Everything involves red tape and it takes so damn long. I finally get paid after 6 months. Now I am working on my sea-bag. I will have to wait till August 10th for that. Then I have to make out papers & papers for my personal articles that I lost and it all involves so much red tape. Then the only thing that has developed on my medical case is x-rays and the reports haven’t come in on those yet, so you can imagine how long it will take for things like that. They should have many more Drs. here, for sure. I will have to wait in line for a long time before the man ever gets to me. I have talked to him for about five minutes and it all added up to nothing. Hon, I hope you know how much I would like to see you but I guess we will just have to be patient but I surely feel the time will come when we will be able to spend 30 days together all the time and I am hoping to get a shore job. Now, mind you, hon, those are just my hopes. If you think praying will help us, hon, you had better start in right now because it will take a lot of prayers. However, hon, I hope you know how lucky I am to be here at all. My Mother wrote me that Margie Thomas’s new husband was killed in France. That’s lousy because Marge is a nice kid.

Hon, there is no doubt in my mind that this will be the craziest letter you have ever received from me but I became so used to writing V-mail that I don’t know how to write one of these civilized letters any more. (Just now, I received a letter from Addie and my third from Mom since I have been here.) Again I say how anxious I am to see you once again, hon, but it’s better if I take my time about getting home. I feel that the longer it takes to get me home, the longer I will be home. I go to a movie every night here, but outside of that all I have to do is think of you. I am thinking of you so much. These Navy nurses you read so much about are one big pain in the A–. I would rather have one good chorpman in Ireland any day. If I don’t write every day, you will know. I am so damn busy trying to get straight –

All my love, hon –
Dick xxxxxxxx