April 13, 1944 Thursday

Dearest Marjorie,

Well, here I am, Honey. Quite a long period “on duty” since Monday. Big bunch of night scouting and patrolling, light tank problems, medium tank work and stuff. Covered about everything we have studied, and in our spare time we put on two formal reviews with all the fixins. I don’t suppose you’ve ever tried to control a platoon of tanks? I have the last three days and it is not easy. It was all very practical field work—marches, security, attacks and defense positions with the demonstration regiment as enemies. I got killed two or three times a day, on the average.

And tonite we got our uniforms. They are quite nice. Sam made the pants too long, but I guess they will be all right when they have been cleaned a couple of times. It gave me a thrill, too, to sign my honorable discharge from the army. Yes, we will be civilians for about 24 hours between the time we are discharged as enlisted men and signed up as officers. I am trying to figure out a way to have it so that I don’t have to get in again, but I haven’t discovered the method yet. We closed our service records, and I am being “favorably considered” for a good conduct medal! All this was signed tonite, but dated April 21, giving me 1 year and 6 days as an enlisted man.

Finally, we took a big exam in tactics. We still are immersed in maps, and problems. “Actions and orders of Lieutenant 1st platoon” is a phrase that I will never forget. Lieutenant 1st platoon gets into the damnedest messes and they always expect me to get him out.

So, Honey, you can see that big changes are going on. I am still astounded when I forget the problem and look at me standing in the turret of a tank giving orders to four others over the radio. It is still one of the things that doesn’t happen to me. But usually I am too busy to think about that, and I do get a lot of fun out of it. The drivers we have now follow the course we designate, and I’ve been knocking down some of the biggest trees in Kentucky with the medium tanks. They are wonderful. Go anywhere.

Would like to tell you all about the things that happened. This week has been crammed with experiences. One of the ones that pops into my mind is the time my gunner, who controls the radio, flipped the switch from interphone to radio and I found myself broadcasting instructions to the driver of my tank on a range of 40 to 70 miles. I guess everybody got them except the driver. They were good instructions, tho.

Tuesday and Wednesday I didn’t even get to the mail room when it was open. We got back so late. But I got your letters today and your dandy maple sugar. Tastes like home, all right. Thanks very much.

Your surprise week off must have been welcome, anyway. Hope you had a big time, Dear. You know, I think I saw the “Marriage of Figaro” by the same troupe you did when I was in Durham. I am not smart enough to remember the cast, but it is the same opera and the program reads the same. It was when I was a sophomore, I think.

Gee, I have a lot of things to say tonite. Wish I had time to elaborate. How is Grammie now? I asked that Monday, but then I didn’t know about her nose bleed. Hope it was nothing of consequence. Someday we must expect something serious, and I hope like everything I can be with you when it does.

Sometimes life seems pretty complicated! All full of things happening that we don’t have much to say about. A little undemocratic, but like a roller coaster, it’s full of surprises. Can’t help but get a thrill out of it.

If I show signs of forgetting Laura’s birthday on April 21, Hon, will you remind me?

Oh, yes, and while I’m rambling, I might as well do a good job of it and say that my opinion of gangbuster Dewey is not complimentary. He is strictly a party man and supported by every outstanding isolationist in the country. I do not like “party” candidates and isolationists drive me mad. If Wilkie is really out of consideration by any party, I guess my choice will be a democrat. Wallace would be good, but they will insist on Roosevelt and I would choose him at least in preference to any of the possible Republican candidates.

Paper is running out and the lights will be out soon. Goodnite, Bunny. I wish you were here to talk to. I love you much more than a reasonable person should. I’m not at all reasonable about you. Soon I’ll see you and show you how much I love you.

Yours,
Wallace