18 December, 1943 (2nd Letter)

[Note from FOURTHCHILD:
Apologies for posting this letter,
the second written on the 18th of December, 1943,
three days late.]

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 527 % Postmaster, N.Y.

Sat. Night, Dec 18, 1943 1930

England

My dearest sweetheart –

It’s the Eve of your graduation and instead of being with you and wishing you luck I'm way off here in England using my imagination. Needless to say darling, I wish you the best fortune and future a girl can have and I not only wish it dear but I’ll devote my life to helping it to materialize. You know Sweetheart that it was futile for me to attempt to send you a Graduation card or gift. I did want you to know though that I did think of it. I hope you got a little note from me anyway. I arranged for that myself a long time ago and I hope it wasn’t forgotten.

I wrote you a short V mail letter earlier today, thinking I might miss the p.m. mail. Right now I’m in my room, alone – and I must tell you of our conveniences. Honestly, to date I’ve fought the war much harder in the United States than I am here. In the first place dear I now share a separate house – yes house – not an ordinary gov’t building – with several other fellows from headquarters. The house would make a group of fraternity boys envious. It has 7 rooms – all separate, two bathrooms with tubs, individual sink, closet, mirrors and chest of drawers in each room and yes, dear – a fireplace in each room – which by the way is typically English. Of course it’s fully electrified. Oh yes – steam heat.

About 200 yards down the road from us and still in the camp proper is an officers’ club that rivals a good sized hotel. It has a main lobby with plush carpets, a large reading room (about the size of your mess-hall at Wilder), with leather chairs, etc., two billiard rooms, dining hall, radios, piano and I don’t know what else. Just behind this building is a small gym with squash and handball courts and there are shower rooms too. I tell you this, darling ,not in an attempt to exaggerate – for it’s the truth. I didn’t believe they had set-ups like this, but I’m actually experiencing it. At the Officers’ Club by the way, they have a movie every night, gratis. One other thing they make available for every officer – a bicycle for his personal use. Now Sweetheart – I have not been drinking. It’s the truth. There’s no reason in the world why anyone should want to leave this spot to go to town for an evening. On Mondays they run Art Classes, Tuesday – Photography, Wednesdays – Open forum, Thursday and Fridays – visiting speakers and Sunday late p.m. – 2 hours of Symphonic recordings with a commentator. Tomorrow they’re playing Beethoven’s 5th.

I hope I’m not boring you, darling – but there’s more. I have the use of a hospital set-up, with laboratory and x-ray equipment, an office for myself and one for my clerk. I can really see and do a great deal of medicine; certainly more than I’ve been able to do since I’ve been in the Army. It’s really an Utopia and I can’t get over it. When I get through writing you, dear, I’m going to write my folks the same. If my mother will only believe it – it may make her feel a little happier. No one says it, but I suppose my mother is taking my absence hard. The Lord knows I try to paint as pretty a picture as possible to them – for her sake. If they sometimes tell you I’m having a good time here – it’s merely because I always write that everything is fine and that I’m enjoying myself. The truth is darling that I’m terribly lonesome for all of you and if I wax enthusiastic as I did above – it’s because I’m searching for an outlet. I don’t intend to find it in anyone else while I’m gone and haven’t. The only satisfaction I can get, therefore, is in something inanimate, as in convenience. I hope I make myself clear, dear.

This past week I’ve thought especially hard about us. It’s probably due to the fact that you’re graduating and I’m wondering what you’re going to do now. I just hope, Sweetheart, that you don’t get too bored or tired of waiting for me. I so want you to be there when I come back and I shudder at any other possibility. Darling I love you so deeply, I’ll never be able to tell you in words. You will just have to see for yourself. I’ll stop now. The boys are starting a Bridge game in a few minutes. The best and truest of luck Sweetheart and you have –

All my love

Greg