438th AAA AW BN
APO 578 % Postmaster, N.Y.
England
16 April, 1944 0900
Dearest darling –
Although it’s Sunday morning and we’ve been sleeping later, I’ve already had my breakfast, tidied up my room and I’m ready to write you, dear – and it’s only 0900. I’m so darned rested up, it’s appalling. What with taking it so easy these past 10 days, plus several work-outs in squash – I’m really in better shape than I’ve been in a heck of a long time.
Today should be another quiet day, like yesterday. I didn’t budge out of my room all day except to eat. It was sort of raw out and I had my fireplace going the whole day. I shall probably do the same today as the weather is still about the same. This room of ours – is really pretty. It’s rectangular except for a sort of bay window with fancy glass – the window overlooking the Lake. If you received the card I sent you – you can see what we look out on. The fireplace is at one end of the room with a fancy white mantelpiece, and of course there’s room for two single beds, one large desk and two bed tables. We have a straw – summer type rug and our own sink and mirror. So it’s not too bad a room to have to hang around in, darling – if only you were around here to come up and visit it.
Yesterday I got two letters from you – March 25th and 26th – and what interests me particularly, sweetheart, is that apparently everything concerning our engagement was hanging mid-air, so to speak, until the very last moment, because for example, in your letter of the 26th – no mention whatsoever is made of it and yet 5 days later we were engaged. Apparently my letters were held up and they were the necessary go-ahead signs – which is as it should be – I think.
In one of the two letters I received yesterday, you mention liking Ruth. I’ve been wanting to hear you say that – but I guess you hadn’t seen much of her. Ruth and I were always very close to each other – all our lives – with only 1½ yrs’ difference in our ages. We grew up together as real pals. She has always been sincere and straightforward with everyone and I knew you’d really like her when you got to know her. As for Eleanor – the simple fact is I don’t know her. She was growing up while I was doing junior interning, regular interning and practicing, and before that, of course, she was just a child – so I hardly know her at all.
I was glad to read, dear, that Les was able to get home on a 3 day pass. Boy – what I wouldn’t give to be able to do that! Incidentally – you mentioned telephone calls overseas. I was greatly interested in that – because I hadn’t heard about it. I’ll be able to find out nothing in this town though – it’s too small and I shall have to wait until I can get to a big city. I believe I intimated in a letter of several days ago that from here I don’t think we’ll be able to get to any big cities, at least – not in England. Well – I’ll see. You can bet Sweetheart – that if it’s at all possible to call – that I would do it at the very first opportunity. Gee it would be just wonderful to be able to say ‘hello’ and have you answer! Even if they allowed us a minute or so – it seems to me I could say so much and yet I’ll bet I’d end up saying “Darling, I love you and miss you very much” – and our time would be up.
I started to say something about Les, and I got sidetracked. So the guy’s in the infantry? What is his rating? One thing about the infantry is the chance for advancement, because they have a large table of organization. Incidentally – the place you mention – you may or may not know – serves as a large staging area for troops getting ready to go overseas – or at least it did. I don’t believe that is a breach of censorship – because it is known generally in the States. I knew it before I was even in the Army. He’ll probably get hooked up with some infantry division that’s already trained and ready to go over. Find out what outfit he’s in, dear, if you can.
Well, Sweetheart, darling and fiancée – that’s all for now. How does it feel to be engaged so long, anyway? It feels good over here! Hope all is well at home, dear. My love to the folks. For now, darling – so long and
Although it’s Sunday morning and we’ve been sleeping later, I’ve already had my breakfast, tidied up my room and I’m ready to write you, dear – and it’s only 0900. I’m so darned rested up, it’s appalling. What with taking it so easy these past 10 days, plus several work-outs in squash – I’m really in better shape than I’ve been in a heck of a long time.
Today should be another quiet day, like yesterday. I didn’t budge out of my room all day except to eat. It was sort of raw out and I had my fireplace going the whole day. I shall probably do the same today as the weather is still about the same. This room of ours – is really pretty. It’s rectangular except for a sort of bay window with fancy glass – the window overlooking the Lake. If you received the card I sent you – you can see what we look out on. The fireplace is at one end of the room with a fancy white mantelpiece, and of course there’s room for two single beds, one large desk and two bed tables. We have a straw – summer type rug and our own sink and mirror. So it’s not too bad a room to have to hang around in, darling – if only you were around here to come up and visit it.
Yesterday I got two letters from you – March 25th and 26th – and what interests me particularly, sweetheart, is that apparently everything concerning our engagement was hanging mid-air, so to speak, until the very last moment, because for example, in your letter of the 26th – no mention whatsoever is made of it and yet 5 days later we were engaged. Apparently my letters were held up and they were the necessary go-ahead signs – which is as it should be – I think.
In one of the two letters I received yesterday, you mention liking Ruth. I’ve been wanting to hear you say that – but I guess you hadn’t seen much of her. Ruth and I were always very close to each other – all our lives – with only 1½ yrs’ difference in our ages. We grew up together as real pals. She has always been sincere and straightforward with everyone and I knew you’d really like her when you got to know her. As for Eleanor – the simple fact is I don’t know her. She was growing up while I was doing junior interning, regular interning and practicing, and before that, of course, she was just a child – so I hardly know her at all.
I was glad to read, dear, that Les was able to get home on a 3 day pass. Boy – what I wouldn’t give to be able to do that! Incidentally – you mentioned telephone calls overseas. I was greatly interested in that – because I hadn’t heard about it. I’ll be able to find out nothing in this town though – it’s too small and I shall have to wait until I can get to a big city. I believe I intimated in a letter of several days ago that from here I don’t think we’ll be able to get to any big cities, at least – not in England. Well – I’ll see. You can bet Sweetheart – that if it’s at all possible to call – that I would do it at the very first opportunity. Gee it would be just wonderful to be able to say ‘hello’ and have you answer! Even if they allowed us a minute or so – it seems to me I could say so much and yet I’ll bet I’d end up saying “Darling, I love you and miss you very much” – and our time would be up.
I started to say something about Les, and I got sidetracked. So the guy’s in the infantry? What is his rating? One thing about the infantry is the chance for advancement, because they have a large table of organization. Incidentally – the place you mention – you may or may not know – serves as a large staging area for troops getting ready to go overseas – or at least it did. I don’t believe that is a breach of censorship – because it is known generally in the States. I knew it before I was even in the Army. He’ll probably get hooked up with some infantry division that’s already trained and ready to go over. Find out what outfit he’s in, dear, if you can.
Well, Sweetheart, darling and fiancée – that’s all for now. How does it feel to be engaged so long, anyway? It feels good over here! Hope all is well at home, dear. My love to the folks. For now, darling – so long and
All my love
Greg.
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