Post #594 - March 2, 3, 1945 Five Minutes After Our Re-Union, the Phil You Always Knew Will Come “Real” for You and Dot and I Bought the Same Dress in Different Colors

 

2 March 1945

My Darling,

Another very busy day for me, and a very pleasant one, nevertheless. I was occupied every minute of the day in the Orderly Room, and managed to clear a lot of work that had been “hanging fire," as it were. In the afternoon, your V-mail of 18 Feb. arrived to swell the pile of letters I already have on hand. Il contained nothing startling, but I loved your final paragraph, Chippie. You needn't wonder anymore
about whether or not I have “changed.” I’m positive, Sweet, that five minutes after our re-union, the Phil you always knew will come “real” for you, and you'll no doubt be wondering why my absence (which will assume puny proportions in retrospect) ever seemed so hard to take. For my part, I have ever been guided in all my waking moments by the consciousness that you were, and are, constantly at my side. How then, can I have changed, since I was never really away from you? As for you, honey, I have no qualms whatever. If there is an Evie that I don't know, then I'll be very much surprised, indeed, but not disappointed, no, not disappointed! This evening I called Mrs. Davies on the phone at the Aero Club and got the connection in five minutes. She was very excited and pleased to hear from me so soon again, and was most profuse in her thanks for the bouquet (daffodils and tulips), which had just arrived a few hours before my call. She made no bones about how much she enjoyed having us last week, and made me promise that I would come and visit Meadowcroft at every opportunity. - As if I need any coaxing! Already, Ev, I miss those wonderful people, the Davies, their lovely home, and that beautiful country in the Cleveland Hills. Please try to write to them soon baby!

Forgot to say in yesterday's V-mail, darling, that besides all your letters, there were also letters from Jack N., and that very long, very nice letter of Eddie's, and the midget Bulletins from Dot. Tell Dot for me that I'm truly sorry that I've been unable to write to her for so long now (when you write), and tell Ed that I'm flattered no end that he took so much time and effort to get off such a marvelous letter to me. As you know, Sweet, I had hoped to write to everyone during my furlough, but, alas, it was all I could do to keep you posted from day to day. What really worries me, though, is that I just don't have the time to write more than my daily letter to you, honey, and I feel very badly that I have had to neglect Mom and everyone who has been good enough to write to me over so long a period, but it really isn't my fault, believe me, dear! It's almost time for “lights out"- and just time for me to keep our date, sweetheart—I love you so very much! My dearest love to the punkin, Mom, and all.

Ever,
Your Phil

March 3, 1945

Darling Husband Mine,

Never did get the opportunity to write yesterday and doubt very much if I'll have time for very much writing this evening (it is very late) but I intend to make this a real longie to make up for the intervening days.

First and foremost, here are two small shots of Adele that the man made here last Sunday. I am enclosing the 5x7 shot, which is really very nice (though not too clear) and is just our Adele, in my latest package, which will go forth this week. I hope you like them, for they ought to give you a pretty good idea of what she's like at home.

Friday night I went downtown with Fay, as I said I would.

March 4, 1945

I was too sleepy to continue and figured I'd continue on this today, hence the break. I didn't get to see the girl I hadn't seen for eight years, but I did see her folks and they recognized me as soon as I walked in. We went to another girl's house (her husband was just discharged from the Army and opened a business something like Perilsteins - glass) and there were several other girls, all in the same boat as I, present. We chatted and then we played cards. Glory be - I won 10¢. After the game, Loretta, our hostess, served some delicious sandwiches, cake, etc. and we left about 12:15. Fay and I walked home from Broad St. in a driving rain and I sure was messed up when I got into the house.

It was about 2 when I hit the sack and I was so tired I couldn't fall asleep. I was up when the alarm went off at 6:45 and was ready for work by ten to eight. Mr. B. picked my dad and me up as usual and after work I went out to West Philly where I bought two dresses. Dot and I bought the same dress in different colors. This particular dress was $9 and the color and material are very similar to the dress I wore when we were married. Mine is aqua and Dot's is rust. I wanted the rust one, but I looked better in the aqua. The other dress I bought was $13 and looks like a two piecer. It's a crepe material, the top is a coral color and the bottom is black. There are little hobnails (gold ones) stamped into the coral material. Both dresses feature the new cape sleeves (which I dislike) but there isn't much to choose from cause they all feature cape sleeves. The coral and black has a high neck which ties into a bow, the skirt has two large gathered pockets on either side and it has a wide black belt. The aqua is a button-down--the-front with a square neck that ties into a little bow. The buttons are white pearl. The cape sleeves on this one remind me of a lattice design (strips of material put together so they form little blocks).

Besides all this, I hit a large jackpot on Friday. There were your letters of 12/13/14/Feb., my check and the check from S & D. Need I add how happy I was to receive them! I seem to recall you once saying that women were unpredictable. Since that is the case, may I ask what got into you? I was in such a happy mood until I got to your letter of the 14th. All I know is that after I read it, I was so utterly disgusted with you that I was glad you were so far away, so I could not give voice to my feelings. You might have asked me whether I liked the idea of giving up the bond allotment before you did so. What made me angry though, was the fact that you did it some time ago and just got around to telling me about it. Evidently that is why you finally became cleared financially, but you didn't tell me as much. Why? You must have known what I would say, so I'm not going to disappoint you.

No, I think this business of saving with the soldier's deposits stinks, in plain words. You asked me to please stop buying bonds with the money I could save and build up a cash reserve to which we would have immediate access and I did so. What's the matter, aren't you content with buying at least one measly bond a month? Since I am able to save anywhere from $40 to $50 monthly in cash, I see no reason why we should not have at least one $25 bond. Ten years from now we'll have a sort of income from the bonds and I wanted, very much, to have one for each month, so that would be the case when they matured. Since I started to work and was able to save on my own, it meant a lot to me to know that we are each doing our bit toward providing security for all of us, but the fact that you cut the allotment without so much as asking me, cuts deep. I have never done anything without first asking you, regardless of what it is and whether we agreed, but I always asked. It's not like you and it bothers me.

There is one other thing - do you think, for one moment, that I would accept an anniversary or Mother's Day gift knowing that you stopped that allotment, which was a source of peace of mind to me, just to buy me a gift. I can assure you that neither Mom would feel right about it either. I will not accept any gifts from you if that's how you have to send them. Phil, it might interest you to know that Adele and I live on $30 each month - just for the two of us. You don't think I'd ask you to do the same if we couldn't. What's more, you at least can go wherever you want at a reduced rate, but everything here costs us double. Do you think that I could save anything if I did not budget myself. If I can't have a particular something during a particular month, I simply wait until I can, providing it isn't a bare necessity. I don't scrimp either. I simply budget myself.

You asked me if I had a spare few dollars to send you a package. It might interest you to know that the packages I put up cost me $8, which, to my way of thinking, is quite a bit - don't you think so? Two cans of tuna cost me exactly a dollar. That ought to give you an idea of how hard it is to get along on a few dollars these days. I didn't take that money out of our savings to do it either. I shall still save my $50.

I know you cannot manage as I can, but this much I know. You may save "whenever you have a few extra bucks" in the soldier's deposits, but I am going to put every single penny I can save into bonds and what's more we aren't going to cash in the bonds. If you'd prefer it as previous, okay, but that's up to you. If you had said you would save $20 each month in the soldier's deposit, I wouldn't have spent all this time and space talking. I think you will agree that you haven't heard anything out of me as concerns finances with the other arrangement, so you know how satisfied I was with it. Don't you think we're saving enough at present to be able to buy at least one bond each month? Next month, incidentally, Adele's insurance comes due so it will cut into our cash reserve. We received $3.40 interest on our bank account and the total amount on hand at the moment is $320.10. I am going to deposit the balance of my check to the account so that I'll have more cash when I pay the insurance. We have $1250 in bonds and I was trying to get it up to $1350 so that we'd have exactly $1000 invested in bonds. Guess I'll have to do it myself.

I've said much more than I intended, so we'll just drop the whole thing and let it go at that. It bothered me at first, but I'm sure that it will bother me no more. I'll certainly be happy when we can live together and not have to do things on our own. At least we'll be able to discuss what we want to do. I'm so terribly disgusted of late. I feel just as you do. The springy weather makes me blue and I find myself bitter about things I shouldn't feel bitter about. I know we're fortunate and the realization is constantly with me, but I'm dejected just the same. There'll come a day -

The family made a contribution of $5 to the Red Cross today. I know the Red Cross is a good organization and they certainly did enough for us, but I have been hearing funny stories from various sources that many of the enlisted men do not feel as such. Do you know anything of this? Most everyone seems to feel that the Salvation Army is doing much more. I couldn't help wondering about it.

It's sunny and nice out and I'm going to take Adele out when she gets up, I had a good night's rest and feel good, but I have that blue feeling. Adele and I walked over to Sarah's this morning to show her the pictures.

Sarah and Petey didn't care too much for the pictures, but the poses are cute and they do look like Adele. Adele always asks me for a pencil and paper to write to daddy, dear, I yove you, tome home". Adele and I also visited the Feldman's and Adele said to Natalie, "My mommy is home today." It is most surprising to hear some of the things Adele comes out with. She's positively eatable with her cute actions. I wish so much that you could see her -

I have some ironing to do (if I'm to have any blouses to wear to work next week) and I may try to catch in a movie tonight, if Adele will go to sleep like a good girl. She's napping unusually long this afternoon and I have an opportunity to get finished with whatever I want to do early.

Phil, please don't be angry with me for writing what I have. It wasn't meant to hurt you in any way. I realize that you may not have been aware of what it did mean to me or that you did not wish to hurt me in any way. Regardless of what may be or whether we agree upon a subject or not, I know that I love you so deeply I could die with the hurt of being separated from you. Phil, this waiting, waiting, waiting gets me down sometimes, much as I hate to admit it. I miss you so much and want so much to be with you!

If, perchance this should reach you on our anniversary, as it might, know that I shall be "with" you every single second of it, wishing, as you, that we could be together. It is just about three years since I conceived and it seems even longer since I knew the sweetness of what it is to have you "home." Darling, it is impossible for me to write further. The only thing that could do me any good now is "you" - but completely. - I love you, Phil -

Your Evvie

3 March 1945

Ev, Dearest,

Your V-mail of 21st Feb., arrived this afternoon, informs me that V-mail is getting thru to you more quickly than Air-Mail, so I'll be using it for the next few days. At that, I hardly have the time to write a “real” letter these days. I'm trying hard to catch up with my work, but somehow, no matter how steadily I keep at it, there's always more to be done at day’s end than when I started in the morning. Today, I got a real kick out of something connected with my work. Remember that letter you sent to the War Bond Office? Well, they forwarded it along to us (with your inquiry attached) asking for information. I, myself, put the endorsement on the letter telling them that the bonds had finally arrived (I’ll bet they’ll wonder how I knew that) and mailed it back to them. I’ll bet too, that it never occurred to you when you sent that letter that it would wind up in my hands.

I was very glad to read in your V-mail that you were planning to take Adele to the photographer to have her picture made. Hope nothing happens to prevent it ’cause I’m certainly most anxious to see what my punkin looks like now.

Sorry to hear the bad news about Blake. He was a nice guy, and we had some good times together.

Stop asking me what I referred to in connection with the Sgt. I’ll tell you if and when anything happens—and I had completely forgotten about that Coronet contest ’til you mentioned it. Evidently nothing will come of it.

Sorry about the “gee-gaw,” Sweet, but I sent it in to Bert to have it wrapped for mailing about two weeks ago—and have still to get the opportunity to go into town after it. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Bert and Evelyn in over two months now. But don’t you fret about your “gee-gaw,” baby, ’cause there will be a few things to cheer you up in the meantime. No—don’t coax me—I ain’t gonna tell you any more! G’night, now, sweetheart—Here’s a kiss for you, and another for Adele. I love you both so very, very much—

Love to all from

Your Phil