Dearest Phil,
I didn't write yesterday cause I was too tired and it was too late when I finished with Adele. I had two lovely letters from you, though, of July 13 and 14, respectively, and enjoyed both immensely, after three mailless days. I called Dot and she read me her letter (yes, in its entirety) and I enjoyed that, too. You know something, Sweet - you frighten me a bit sometimes when I think of what you'll be like when I have "relations" with you again, after such a long time. Yeh man! (I'm sure you bear in mind the fact that I have a fear of becoming pregnant for some time and I know full well that you (as, well as I won't let it happen, not, at any rate, until we both want it to. I hope I won’t forget this sentence when I do see you.
I did a lot of reminiscing last night. If you will remember, sweet, both you and Jack were home on the 20th last year and today marks the year since Gloria or the family has seen Jack. Tomorrow, incidentally, is the second anniversary of the J. Strongins - yep, it's two years already !
I felt rather ill all day as I “fell off". We're having unusually cool weather for this time of year and it's actually cold at night. Nothing like Philly weather - one day you roast to death, the next, you freeze to death.
I'm kind of proud to report that Adele is making fine progress eating alone. So much so that now I give her a small bowl of corn flakes with milk and a bit of sugar and she eats it all by herself. When she's finished and can't get the last drop she drinks from the bowl (not at all mannerly, is she?)
I've been advised by several people not to send those pyrex bottles you requested. Perhaps there is something else I can get? Do you think I should keep sending chocolate in this hot weather? Were the last packages okay? I shall start the next package tomorrow, when I intend to do some shopping. Today was payday, honey, and we now have another $25 bond, making our total $650.
The news is wonderful, especially about the German Army rebelling. I hope it means an early end and that I will see you in ’44 cause I sure am anxious to see you! Tony is at a POE and Ann has been crying her eyes out all week. It came sort of suddenly though they thought it might happen soon. I also called my Aunt Gussie this evening to learn that my cousin Meyer is in Texas and very disgusted with the present setup. Everyone there sent their regards to you, honey.
I still haven't decided whether I'm going to take Adele with me to Dot's tomorrow or whether I will go alone. I'll see first how Adele is tomorrow. Sarah keeps bothering me to have her feet examined, but I'm sticking to my decision that I'll have her examined in the fall, if she doesn't outgrow it first. It's most annoying though, especially when someone else keeps harping about it. Oh, well, I don't want to sign off in a discordant note, so we'll change the subject to love, if'n you don't mind. I LOVE YOU, PHIL!
Your Eve
P.S. Mom is still at Browns Mills.
20 July 1944
My Own Evvie,
You will receive no letters dated 18 or 19 July. On the 18th, because it had been a pretty busy day, I went to the movies to relax. The fact that there had been no letter from you that day contributed to my decision. The picture was "Uncertain Glory, with Errol Flynn and Paul Lukas. As far as I was concerned, it was a perfectly good plot gone to waste. The writing was bad enough to ruin the interest and suspense that the film could very easily have had. Errol Flynn is terribly miscast in this one. Seems he just can't resist the urge to be charming, and since he is supposed to be a murderer of the first water, it just doesn't jive. The only thing that saved the whole thing from being a complete bust, was was the superb acting of Paul Lukas. To my mind, there isn't an actor in the world who is even in the same class with him. Remember when I raved about his performance in "Watch on the Rhine"? I forgot to say "I told you so when he copped the Academy Award for it.
Yesterday, the 19th, I again found no opportunity to write during the day, and in the evening there was "Cover Girl". I remember you wrote that you enjoyed this one very much. Sorry I can't say the same for myself. The only worthwhile feature of the whole picture, for my money, was Gene Kelly's dancing. Maybe I'm screwy, but I consider Rita Hayworth neither beautiful nor charming. She is talented, undoubtedly, but not so much so that she can get by on that alone. The plot is old as the hills all the way thru, and there wasn't one hit tune in the whole of the production that is generally hailed as the musical of the year. In short, I was greatly disappointed in it.
Your letter (V-mail) of 11 July arrived in the afternoon, together with Dottie's of 7 July, and Mickey Brown's of 8 July. I had time to knock out just one letter before lights out, and I decided to favor Mom 'cause I had held up her letter too long for my peace of mind. By the way, Chippie, didn't you say Mike Nerenberg had written some time back? I'm still waiting to hear from him.
This afternoon, I managed to get off a letter to Mickey Brown. Which reminds me that I have neither sent a letter to Syd or received one from him for a long, long, time. If you'll send me his address, Baby, I'll try to pick up our correspondence with him.
The snap I am enclosing was taken about six months ago at our previous station. The right pant-leg is rolled up cause I had just got off my bike. Klein took the picture, and just received it today. You might send the negative to Jack after you are through with it. If you'll send me some film (127 or 130), I'll take some more snaps for you. We can't get film over here.
Tonight the "Thunderbolt Theater" is having its gala premiere. Although they staged a USO show there some weeks back, this is the first picture since they installed regular theater seats, re-decorated the place, and installed standard projection equipment. The film is "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (no less).
The weather has been beautiful these past few days, and some of the fellows have even gone swimming. I haven't been off the base since last week, but now that the week-end is coming up again, I may go in with Klein within the next day or two.
There was nothing in your V-Mail that required comment, Sweet, and now that I'm completely up-to-date and can't think of another solitary thing to write about, I'll close this with a fond kiss for you, a kiss and hug for the lass, and my love to all.
Ever-lovingly,
Your Phil
July 20, 1944
Dear Phil:
Received your letter today and I don't need to tell you how glad and how pleased I was with it. You put me on a spot, though, with such a long letter. It means that I have to reciprocate. But I do want you to know that it is always a pleasure to write to you. You can tell that by the prompt answers you get.
You need never fear that you can't keep up with me. It is the other way around. You have a far better excuse for not writing than I might have. Mine is just plain "laziness."
Snuff will probably leave in August (Once more) and I'm sure that he will correspond with you. After he was sent back, he received a new classification -- 1A! The Shop then put in another appeal and the Draft Board called to find out if they were crazy. They said that according to Snuff's records he should have been in two years ago. And not only that, but there are only three men left that are under 26. Two are 4F's and the other is Snuff. They said he might leave in July, but definitely by August. There isn't much of a chance of his getting the Navy this time, as they have stopped drafting into the Navy. Also, enlistments have been stopped. It doesn't make much difference to Snuff now whether or not he gets the Navy, as he was glad for the chance to remain at home for a little while longer. It makes me think of the prisoner that got a last minute reprieve.
I hope to be able to send you the "Bulletin" each week. Of course, this depends on whether or not I can get into town to get them, but I shall try my darndest. I'm glad to hear that you enjoy them so much, as I think they are a very good idea, personally. The news may be a little stale by the time it reaches you, but at least it is something from "home".
I enjoyed immensely your story about the show you went to and also your story about "Ev". I called Ev tonight and read her your letter—all eleven pages.
About that paragraph—normally my curiosity would get the best of me and I would insist that you explain it. But I shall respect your wishes and wait for the time when you are ready to tell me. Not that insistence by mail would do me much good anyhow!
I'm just a little surprised that you think that the "incident" didn't mean anything to me. It is just that I can't place this particular one, but I do want you to know that everything we have done together and all the moments we have shared, are treasured ones as far as I'm concerned. There have been so many that I can't forget that I can't remember the particular one you speak of. Well, enough of that before I get even more involved than I am already.
I do want you to know, however, that I certainly wouldn't laugh at you because I happen to have that same particular horror of being laughed at and ridiculed.
Again I shall explain that I don't always wait for an answer from you if I have anything to say. I understand that at this particular time you must be pretty busy and I'll excuse any tardiness on your part in answering.
Ev is supposed to come out here Saturday to spend the day with Adele. However, if she feels she isn't up to it, she will put Adele to bed and come out alone. I'm need not tell you how I'm looking forward to this day. We haven't seen each other for some time. It is not as easy for me to get out now as it has been in the past, as my Mother is working and she depends on me more or less to take care of the house. However, I'm a little ashamed of myself for having neglected Ev. Of course, I speak to her frequently, but I haven't seen too much of her.
Speaking of our double-dating after the war—hurry up and come home, won't you, so we can commence to have some of those good times I'm sure we all have lined up in our minds,
Every time I think about the friendship that exists between us, it puts a little glow in me. Especially when I think that you are a mature man of 30 (?) and I am but a mere child of 21 (?). By the time you get home you will be an A.K. and I'll still be a spring chicken. How about putting that in your pipe and smoking it. (I couldn't resist the little dig. I hope it doesn't hurt you to be reminded that you are getting "old)").
Please pardon the errors, but I have five more letters to answer when I finish yours and my thoughts are running ahead of my fingers. That is because I'm a little out of practice, not having worked for over two years.
Now that it is more or less imminent that Snuff is going away, I'm beginning to feel the strain of it. Up to now I couldn't realize that he was actually going and so, therefore, I had no feeling about it. Now that the full realization has finally hit me, I have the feeling that I should like to follow him. Of course, the applies only if he is stationed somewhere halfway decent. I wouldn't go anywhere that would be a hole. I may change my mind after he goes away, but I can't, right now, conceive of getting along without him, I know that other people have done it, and I could probably do it too (and will), but it hurts deep down inside where nobody can reach.
It seems as though I always pour out my troubles to you, but I know that you can understand how I feel, as I understand about you when you write to me about being separated from Ev. I certainly am doing a lot for your morale. Here I am telling you my troubles instead of cheering you up.
Snuff and I went to the movies the other night, for the first time in weeks, and we saw "Four Jills in a Jeep." It was entertaining, but it had no plot. But then, who goes to the movies expecting a plot.
I just received a letter from one of the fellows I told you to look up. Never mind, now, he is in France. Keep away from him! Stay where you are.
There isn't much more I can think of saying right now, except write soon and often.
Affectionately yours,
Dot
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