438th AAA AW BN
APO 578 % Postmaster, N.Y.
England
13 April, 1944 0900
My darling fiancée –
At last I can call you that! Officially, sentimentally, actually – you are now my honest-to-goodness fiancée, and I can hardly believe it. Yesterday p.m. I got a letter from you written April 5, stamped April 6th and just think – I had it on the 12th! Well I’m missing some before that – and in reading along in your letter, dear, – I come across the sentence “tomorrow will be a week that we’re engaged or that I’m wearing your ring” – and I jumped up with the realization of what I was reading. Here I had been engaged for about 12 days and I didn’t know it. At that – Sweetheart – I ordinarily might have had to wait longer than that if it hadn’t been for the amazing speed of delivery of that letter. Well – I stopped reading, shut my eyes and tried to imagine you with a ring on your ring finger – left hand. I had often wondered what it was like – placing an engagement ring on a girl’s finger. I had seen it in the movies, read it in books – and when I hear from my dad – I’ll still be reading about it. Well – when I get back – I’ll take it off your finger, kiss you – and put it right back on. Incidentally, darling – I hope you like the ring and I hope it was something along the lines you wanted.
I’m thrilled, darling, that you are proud to wear it. I’m proud to have you wear it, believe me. I sat dreaming last night – a sort of recapitulation of the events leading up to our engagement – and all in all, I came to the conclusion – that it was perfectly normal – except for the actual ceremony. Had I been home, dear, things would have gone on just about the same. We started writing about it late in December and three months later – bingo! – we’re engaged! Considering the distance, the necessity for awaiting replies etc. – I think we did very well. So eight months after I met you, darling, you become my fiancée – and I never wanted anything more in my life than for that to happen. And to have it materialize with me away – is almost too good to be true. Again, sweetheart, I must give a lot of credit to your folks – who are now mine, also. I think they were extremely broadminded, cooperative and understanding to have given their consent – and I shall always remind them of it and try to show my appreciation. As for being their son – that is going to be so very easy, dear, I know. I liked your folks immediately and I know that when I get back – we’ll take up from where we left off and have some grand times together.
I got a sweet letter from Lawrence – yesterday – in which he first offered me his congratulations and then went on to tell me what a good choice I had made, pointing out your various attributes. It was a really nice letter. One also came from Stan – and somehow he certainly has changed towards me. He wrote about his work and his social life. The latter he says consists of “a nice string of appealing females to keep things from getting dull”. I feel sorry for Stan, dear, because I know he’d like to settle down and he just hasn’t met the right girl yet. I hope he does because I know it will make him be his old self again. He added he had seen you “last week” – and that you looked “exceptionally well.” Gosh darling, there you are looking exceptionally well for everyone to see and I have to close my eyes to get a real picture of you. But how I can possibly complain – with all the wonderful things that have happened to me – despite the handicap of being away, is beyond me. I’m actually so very thankful – and in my prayers – I have made that fact clear.
Darling – you now belong to me – really – and you must take good care of yourself for me. I’m doing and shall continue to do the same for you. If it’s at all possible to love you more than I do now – well I’m doing it darling. I’m very happy and contented and I’m merely taking a little thing like the war – in stride.
My best love to the folks and my many new cousins, uncles, aunts, grandmothers – etc. To you, sweetheart – my sincerest and deepest love for now and always.
At last I can call you that! Officially, sentimentally, actually – you are now my honest-to-goodness fiancée, and I can hardly believe it. Yesterday p.m. I got a letter from you written April 5, stamped April 6th and just think – I had it on the 12th! Well I’m missing some before that – and in reading along in your letter, dear, – I come across the sentence “tomorrow will be a week that we’re engaged or that I’m wearing your ring” – and I jumped up with the realization of what I was reading. Here I had been engaged for about 12 days and I didn’t know it. At that – Sweetheart – I ordinarily might have had to wait longer than that if it hadn’t been for the amazing speed of delivery of that letter. Well – I stopped reading, shut my eyes and tried to imagine you with a ring on your ring finger – left hand. I had often wondered what it was like – placing an engagement ring on a girl’s finger. I had seen it in the movies, read it in books – and when I hear from my dad – I’ll still be reading about it. Well – when I get back – I’ll take it off your finger, kiss you – and put it right back on. Incidentally, darling – I hope you like the ring and I hope it was something along the lines you wanted.
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Wilma looks at her engagement ring
Wilma looks at her engagement ring
I’m thrilled, darling, that you are proud to wear it. I’m proud to have you wear it, believe me. I sat dreaming last night – a sort of recapitulation of the events leading up to our engagement – and all in all, I came to the conclusion – that it was perfectly normal – except for the actual ceremony. Had I been home, dear, things would have gone on just about the same. We started writing about it late in December and three months later – bingo! – we’re engaged! Considering the distance, the necessity for awaiting replies etc. – I think we did very well. So eight months after I met you, darling, you become my fiancée – and I never wanted anything more in my life than for that to happen. And to have it materialize with me away – is almost too good to be true. Again, sweetheart, I must give a lot of credit to your folks – who are now mine, also. I think they were extremely broadminded, cooperative and understanding to have given their consent – and I shall always remind them of it and try to show my appreciation. As for being their son – that is going to be so very easy, dear, I know. I liked your folks immediately and I know that when I get back – we’ll take up from where we left off and have some grand times together.
I got a sweet letter from Lawrence – yesterday – in which he first offered me his congratulations and then went on to tell me what a good choice I had made, pointing out your various attributes. It was a really nice letter. One also came from Stan – and somehow he certainly has changed towards me. He wrote about his work and his social life. The latter he says consists of “a nice string of appealing females to keep things from getting dull”. I feel sorry for Stan, dear, because I know he’d like to settle down and he just hasn’t met the right girl yet. I hope he does because I know it will make him be his old self again. He added he had seen you “last week” – and that you looked “exceptionally well.” Gosh darling, there you are looking exceptionally well for everyone to see and I have to close my eyes to get a real picture of you. But how I can possibly complain – with all the wonderful things that have happened to me – despite the handicap of being away, is beyond me. I’m actually so very thankful – and in my prayers – I have made that fact clear.
Darling – you now belong to me – really – and you must take good care of yourself for me. I’m doing and shall continue to do the same for you. If it’s at all possible to love you more than I do now – well I’m doing it darling. I’m very happy and contented and I’m merely taking a little thing like the war – in stride.
My best love to the folks and my many new cousins, uncles, aunts, grandmothers – etc. To you, sweetheart – my sincerest and deepest love for now and always.
Your loving husband-to-be –
Greg.
No comments:
Post a Comment