April 9, 1944 Sunday

Dearest Bunny,

The operator must have known that talking to you was just no ordinary affair. She put us together just as fast as she could, even tho it was Easter and everybody, including Tom O’D. and Jim D., had been waiting a long, long time. I came over late, and still we beat all of them. You sounded just the way I hoped you would. I have to check up now and then to see if you talk the way I think of you. You can say so little in five minutes that it really doesn’t matter much what we talk about. I guess I’ve already forgotten most of it; it’s just hearing you that counts, and knowing you’re there. Puts us very close together for a few minutes.

How is Grammie these days? Very fine and cheerful, I hope. And those roses should be as pretty as I hoped they would be, if my picture of Apt. 2 this afternoon is going to be correct. I have been very lucky to find you home every time I have called. I always take a chance and call station-to-station. Usually aim to call about the time of the Philharmonic, because then you are likely to be in. Missed it by a mile or more today, but that is because I was expecting a much longer wait.

We had a little excitement last night. Tom caught a robber. Some guy dressed up as an officer has been stealing purses lately, and last night Tom happened to be awake and saw him come into our own barracks thru the attic. He let him come in, got between him and the door and turned the lights on. The guy started to go but Tom scuffled with him and held on, yelling, “Boys, let’s get ‘im.” It wasn’t long before we had him surrounded and everybody just waiting for him to try to get away. He thought the better of it pretty quick and waited quietly while we got the M.P.’s. They took him away and it looked like we had the fellow on about 4 charges. But today we find that he escaped from the M.P.’s this morning! We done our duty, however.

Don’t be surprised, Honey, if I am not able to write the next two or three days. From Monday thru Wednesday we are in the field all day, and have scouting and patrolling problems every night until midnight. I will write, tho, if the time shows up anywhere.


At least three of us in our section of 33 men are going to get married on our leaves. Candidates McCully, Bay, and Russell. Probably more will join us when the time comes. Bill B. got married one weekend here some time ago. He was my bun-mate at the beginning of the cycle, remember?

Do you know that I love you very much? I do, and I am becoming quite optimistic about doing something about it. I’d give anything to be with you, and that loks quite possible before very long.

One more faint rumor came in today. It is that after battle training we will go to an officer’s replacement pool here at Fort Knox to wait assignments. Understand places like that are nice to loaf in, and I could stand some very heavy loafing for a while. That’s not very definite, tho.

The music on the air was good this afternoon, wasn’t it? I came back to the barracks and listened and slept most of the afternoon. Consequently, I have now a very nice “Sunday” headache. I wonder what causes them.

The quartermaster things that we buy, must be paid for in cash I find. And we buy them before we get our first pay. So will you please refund me from our stores about 25 dollars? If you send it Saturday, it should get here soon enough. Thank you loads, and I promise to send back $25 as soon as they give me $250. Today it looks as tho I may be able to squeeze in that pink shirt, after all. And I am also getting socks, underwear and stuff from the quartermaster. QM things are very inexpensive.

Bye for now. I love you like the dickens. I d, I do.
All yours,
Wallace



April 9, 1944 Sunday
Dear folks,

This week I’m back on schedule with my writing. Slept real late this morning and then came over to the service club for a late breakfast. Now I’m going to call Marjorie and write in my diary and maybe go to the library for a time.

The 61st class caught a robber last night! Fellows have been losing wallets lately and twice fellows have been wakened by a man in officer’s clothes going thru the barracks late at night. Last night Tom O’Donnell heard him come down to our squad room thru the attic and head towards the bunks of some of our boys. He jumped out of bed, turned on the lights and sounded off. The guy tried to get away but Tom held him and in about 10 seconds we were all out surrounding him. He was a fake officer from the airport, with no kind of story to explain his actions. We turned him over to the M.P.’s, got out our military law books and began to think up charges, only to hear this morning that he escaped from the M.P.’s early this morning! We hope they catch him, but for his own sake, he should not re-visit the 61st class!

Well, two weeks from now, I hope to be an officer. After graduation the schedule calls for four weeks leading basic trainee platoons in their final two weeks of training. Then comes furlough time, when I will return to my native haunts, and haunt you all again.

Happy Easter to everybody. Thanks for your cards, letters and pictures,
Your loving son,
Wallace