438th AAA AW BN
APO 527 % Postmaster, N.Y.
England
26 January, 1944 1400
Wilma darling -
Two more letters from you today as well as one from your Dad – and if you don’t think this has been a good week so far – you’re mistaken dear. And your letters are swell. Before I forget it, sweetheart, will you please stop belittling your letters? They are not ‘boring’ and not ‘nonsensical’, and whatever in the world makes you think so, dear? I love your letters for their directness and sincerity and because of these qualities – you become more vivid to me. I wouldn’t have you write them otherwise for anything, sweetheart. When you say you feel futile and frustrated after finishing one, dear – I do too, but I know it’s just a substitute and that after the war I’ll be able to tell you what and how I feel.
I love to have you think about the future, darling, because I do so much myself. I honestly don’t know what the set-up will be in Salem after the war. It seems that Mrs. Tucker is still holding an office for me and expects I’ll be back. Yet Frank M. will probably want to go back, too. Since Mrs. T. has converted my office into a living room – I don’t know what she has in mind. That office was a good spot – as you would more easily realize, had you lived in Salem, darling. Where we’ll live at first is also a mystery to me. There aren’t too many spots available and right now I think Marblehead is a bit too far. As for schooling – I honestly don’t know. The thought of a sort of honeymoon after the real one, combined with brushing up in medicine for a few months appeals to me strongly, darling; yet I know that the longer the war lasts – the more anxious will I be to get started right after our marriage.
In that connection, sweetheart, I’m pleased to read that your folks are getting used to the idea of the two of us. Believe me – they’re very sweet in not opposing it – even in your mind – and again, all I can say is I know I won’t let you down in any respect whatsoever.
Also – in connection with my future status in Salem – I got a swell letter yesterday from no less a person than Dr. Walter Phippen – about whom I’ve spoken so often. I know I’ve told you of his stature as a medical man, not only on the North Shore – but in Eastern medical circles as well, and frankly I was pleased that he took the trouble to write me. As I look back on it though, I did do a lot of work for him – because he mentioned that fact; he also mentioned that they were working hard at Salem H. to keep it as high grade as when we young fellows were there so that we wouldn’t be ashamed of it when we got back to take up where we left off. He closed by wishing a speedy return etc. and all in all – it was really a swell gesture on his part. I shall write him one of these days.
About your periodic distress, sweetheart – honestly there’s no known material for injection that has proved worthy of the trouble (at least there wasn’t any while I was in practice and I haven’t had opportunity for research in the Army, dear.) Very often the condition is greatly alleviated by married life – or after the birth of a child – so – darling bear with me a little while, will you? (Seems to me I’ve used that pun before?)
I think a lot of the time we’re away, dear, but never in terms of estrangement – in the actual meaning of the word. No doubt we’ll run through a whole gamut of emotions right before we re-meet, but oh! how I’m looking forward to that moment!
The book you mentioned, “Land Below the Winds”, sounds good. I’ve had a chance to do quite a bit more reading than for a long time – and I like it. I’m just finishing an interesting little book called “The Late George Apley” – by John P. Marquand; it was a Pulitzer prize novel – but it’s written in the form of a memoir. It’s particularly interesting because it traces the history of a Boston family, brings in many familiar scenes in Boston, Milton, Harvard, the North Shore etc. Starting tonight – I’m beginning “Oliver Wiswell” by Kenneth Roberts. The latter, incidentally, is the patient of a fellow I interned with at Beverly one year – Ken Cuneo, a swell fellow – who was practicing in Kennebunk, Me – before going into the Navy. I’ve always been in touch with him, visited once, and promised to stay longer as soon as I got married. He has a swell place up there; you’ll love his wife Mary who is a swell girl, too. She was from the Dutton family of Houghton-Dutton – remember, dear? They love to go fishing, hunting, golfing, etc. and I now we’ll be able to visit them from time to time. For that matter – a couple of other fellows I interned with – will be around New England – and our friendship was so close as interns – that we always kept in touch. I don’t know if I ever mentioned that fact to you – or not, but then dear – we had so little time. But put them on the list of our future friends – darling.
Well – I’ll close now, darling, but not without reminding you again that I love you more and feel closer to you now – than when I last saw you – and the reason is, dear, that with each passing day – our love is standing the test of time, and that is what counts. So long then, for now – and you have
Two more letters from you today as well as one from your Dad – and if you don’t think this has been a good week so far – you’re mistaken dear. And your letters are swell. Before I forget it, sweetheart, will you please stop belittling your letters? They are not ‘boring’ and not ‘nonsensical’, and whatever in the world makes you think so, dear? I love your letters for their directness and sincerity and because of these qualities – you become more vivid to me. I wouldn’t have you write them otherwise for anything, sweetheart. When you say you feel futile and frustrated after finishing one, dear – I do too, but I know it’s just a substitute and that after the war I’ll be able to tell you what and how I feel.
I love to have you think about the future, darling, because I do so much myself. I honestly don’t know what the set-up will be in Salem after the war. It seems that Mrs. Tucker is still holding an office for me and expects I’ll be back. Yet Frank M. will probably want to go back, too. Since Mrs. T. has converted my office into a living room – I don’t know what she has in mind. That office was a good spot – as you would more easily realize, had you lived in Salem, darling. Where we’ll live at first is also a mystery to me. There aren’t too many spots available and right now I think Marblehead is a bit too far. As for schooling – I honestly don’t know. The thought of a sort of honeymoon after the real one, combined with brushing up in medicine for a few months appeals to me strongly, darling; yet I know that the longer the war lasts – the more anxious will I be to get started right after our marriage.
In that connection, sweetheart, I’m pleased to read that your folks are getting used to the idea of the two of us. Believe me – they’re very sweet in not opposing it – even in your mind – and again, all I can say is I know I won’t let you down in any respect whatsoever.
Also – in connection with my future status in Salem – I got a swell letter yesterday from no less a person than Dr. Walter Phippen – about whom I’ve spoken so often. I know I’ve told you of his stature as a medical man, not only on the North Shore – but in Eastern medical circles as well, and frankly I was pleased that he took the trouble to write me. As I look back on it though, I did do a lot of work for him – because he mentioned that fact; he also mentioned that they were working hard at Salem H. to keep it as high grade as when we young fellows were there so that we wouldn’t be ashamed of it when we got back to take up where we left off. He closed by wishing a speedy return etc. and all in all – it was really a swell gesture on his part. I shall write him one of these days.
About your periodic distress, sweetheart – honestly there’s no known material for injection that has proved worthy of the trouble (at least there wasn’t any while I was in practice and I haven’t had opportunity for research in the Army, dear.) Very often the condition is greatly alleviated by married life – or after the birth of a child – so – darling bear with me a little while, will you? (Seems to me I’ve used that pun before?)
I think a lot of the time we’re away, dear, but never in terms of estrangement – in the actual meaning of the word. No doubt we’ll run through a whole gamut of emotions right before we re-meet, but oh! how I’m looking forward to that moment!
The book you mentioned, “Land Below the Winds”, sounds good. I’ve had a chance to do quite a bit more reading than for a long time – and I like it. I’m just finishing an interesting little book called “The Late George Apley” – by John P. Marquand; it was a Pulitzer prize novel – but it’s written in the form of a memoir. It’s particularly interesting because it traces the history of a Boston family, brings in many familiar scenes in Boston, Milton, Harvard, the North Shore etc. Starting tonight – I’m beginning “Oliver Wiswell” by Kenneth Roberts. The latter, incidentally, is the patient of a fellow I interned with at Beverly one year – Ken Cuneo, a swell fellow – who was practicing in Kennebunk, Me – before going into the Navy. I’ve always been in touch with him, visited once, and promised to stay longer as soon as I got married. He has a swell place up there; you’ll love his wife Mary who is a swell girl, too. She was from the Dutton family of Houghton-Dutton – remember, dear? They love to go fishing, hunting, golfing, etc. and I now we’ll be able to visit them from time to time. For that matter – a couple of other fellows I interned with – will be around New England – and our friendship was so close as interns – that we always kept in touch. I don’t know if I ever mentioned that fact to you – or not, but then dear – we had so little time. But put them on the list of our future friends – darling.
Well – I’ll close now, darling, but not without reminding you again that I love you more and feel closer to you now – than when I last saw you – and the reason is, dear, that with each passing day – our love is standing the test of time, and that is what counts. So long then, for now – and you have
All my love
Greg
Regards to the family andthat does include Mary
Love
G.
Enclosing some silly stuff from The Stars and Stripes, dear
Love
G.
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE
