Monday, September 5, 2011

Oh, Perry, I Shall Never Forget Our Christmas

Gene with her cousin Virginia
December 27, 1944

My dearest husband,

Today I received another sweet letter from you dated December 23. It was such a sweet letter Perry. I have the sweetest most wonderful husband in the whole world.

Virginia and I got a bus at 2:00 pm yesterday. We tried for a long time to get a bus at the Greyhound station, but it was impossible. There just wasn't any room--too many service men. So finally we went to another station--the Santa Fe and got on a bus right away. It's funny but that bus wasn't crowded at all. I can't understand. Our tickets were $2.14. We arrived in L.A. at 6:00 pm yesterday.

We (you and I) had received several more Christmas cards and two lovely letters from your folks. I'm sending them to you right away. They wanted to know if we had Christmas together. I have written them a letter and told them of our wonderful little honeymoon and Christmas. We also had a nice letter from Emily. She said she had gotten a nice letter from you and liked it so much. You may hear from her too. She has heard again from Dick. It seems he is still traveling to some destination.

Oh, Perry, I shall never forget our Christmas. I too was the very happiest I have ever been in my life. I feel closer to you now and love you more than ever before. I feel that I know you better now. (Is it possible?) You mean everything to me Perry. I love you so much. Perry, I live only for that day when we will be together for always. I hope it comes soon.

The chorus sang at the canteen Christmas day, but mother said it was so warm and stuffy in the place that no one could do their best. All in all I guess it was kind of a disappointment. They weren't given much time. There were so many others on the program. Virginia wants to go to the dance at the Wilshire Ward on New Years. Maybe she will get a date with that blond fellow. I hope so.

Oh Perry, I keep thinking about our holiday together. What a perfect time we had. I have written it all in my diary. I was so proud of you--especially at Martie and Lee's house. They liked you so much. Lee so enjoyed visiting with you. And it was such fun getting breakfast and doing the dishes. Even seeing you asleep on the couch was so wonderful. I wish we could have stayed there forever. That's how happy I was.

Did you get a breakfast Tuesday morning Perry? I wish you could have gone back to Marie's with me. I slept again till about 8 or 9 o'clock and Aunt Rena had a wonderful breakfast for us. I hope you got to sleep more too. Write me when you can dearest and let me know that you are well. Tell me you love me, even tho I know you do. All my love, your wife, Gene

Virginia, Rene Belle (Virginia's mother) & Gene

December 29, 1944

Hello My Darling,

I guess by the time you get this letter you will really be "hungry" for one. Anyway, you well know it got to you as soon as possile. Probably there will be longer times than this. Gene, it seems that things really worked out perfect about us being together before Christmas and before I left. We had such a wonderful time. At least we will have some pleasant memories to last us until my return. Even so, it will take a little bit of effort to keep our spirits up, won't it, but I guess we will have to do our best, won't we.

When I got back on board after leaving you, I found two very sweet letters waiting for me from you. Since I had just seen you, I thought I would wait and open them later when I needed them worse, but I broke down after about an hour and read them. They were surely sweet and it only made me realize more and more how lucky I am to have such a sweet wife.

Jeepers, I got a new pen and it isn't working very good. That combined with the position I am sitting in accounts for the penmanship. Guess I'll have to admit that I got a little bit seasick yesterday, but anyway I had plenty of company. Guess I've got to expect to get seasick at least once if I'm gong to be a sailor. The reason is we hit some pretty rough water.

Gene, I hope you made it back to L.A. safe and sound. I'm glad though that you had Virginia to go back with. Write and let me know just how everything went. About transportation, etc. You see I'm very concerned about my wife. Hope your father and mother weren't too lonesome being alone over Christmas. I hope you can appreciate the fact that it is rather difficult for me to write, being unable to tell you anything. [All letters were read, censored, and destroyed if there was anything written regarding the location of the ship or any other information that might be considered sensitive.] I can always tell you I love you though and hope you will never tire of that.

I feel like this hasn't been a very good letter, but I imagine you will be glad to get anything from me after such a long wait. I'll write you tomorrow. I enclose all my love, Sweetheart. Affectionately Yours, Perry


December 30, 1944

My Darling Wife,

True to my promise I sit down once more and endeavor to write you, hoping I can write something that might increase your faith, hope and love as well as my own. Darling it always inspires me when I can sit and write you and think of you. My only difficulty is that I so often feel my expression in words so inadequate for my real feelings.

Even in these conditions there can be something so very peaceful--a feeling of happiness and joy in the knowledge of the fact that I have someone so sweet and pure waiting for my return. I often let my thoughts wander, especially at night after I have had my talk with my Father in Heaven, and just will myself away into slumber thinking of some of the first things we are going to do after I get out of the Navy. Then after we are settled down and have our home (and children) how I would like to invite some of the people who have been so nice to us to stay with us for a while and show them some real hospitality.

It isn't good to let your mind wanter too far--that is to the extent of losing sight of reality--but it is good to think enough about it to maintain and increase your hope, faith and consequently our love for each other. I hope this doesn't sound like I am talking in circles or vaguely. (Let me know if it is.) But a lot of these thoughts run through my head a lot, and since there is no one around here I can express my thoughts to, I turn to my wife, and I hope I always will want to.

Darling, I often think you had quite a lot of faith and courage to marry me under these conditions and if you can just keep having faith in me, oh, I pray every day that I will be able to prove to be all that you think I am and expect of me. Well, it's getting pretty noisy down here now and it's disturbing my line of thought so I'll close writing for now, but I'll continue thinking of you just the same. I love you, darling. Your husband, Perry

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.