My darling, will you be the same when I come back?

March 21, 1945

My Darling Sweetheart & Wife,

I received three of your very sweet letters yesterday so I had better write now while I have the inspiration. It is only after I receive your letters that I feel like I could write good letters. My darling, you are so indispensable to me and my happiness. I love you with all the power I possess.

Darling, that was so sweet of you, about the ring. I'm sure I will like it very much, and I will be so happy for the day when I can come back to you and wear it all the time. I think it would be better that you keep if there for me, don't you? I don't want to take any chances in having it lost in the mail. Yes, it should be just about the right fit because my left knuckle is a little larger than my right. Thank you so very much, my darling.

I think it surely would be nice if your parents could find a place. Then you and Emily could live there together. But I know what enormous prices people are asking now days. My sister, Genevieve, and family have finally been able to buy a place with five acres of land. That will surely be good for them with their four boys.

Yes, sweetheart, you will still get your little necklace even if I don't get the glue and chains. It can always keep until I get back and then I will make it for you. What made you think it was going to be a necklace? Maybe it could be a bracelet or something else, you little "monkey". (I will never forget the time you called me a little monkey. Do you remember?)

I'll write about the film in a following letter. I hope it will work. It would surely help my morale out a lot more if my wife had some film so she could send me some pictures of her. I'm sorry, I forgot to mention about whether I had had my tooth pulled. I didn't mean to. The doctor decided to leave it in and see if it wouldn't come on in ok, which suited me fine. I hope it doesn't give me any more trouble though.

It's getting about time for me to stop now, my sweetheart. I love you so much, my darling, more than my power of expression enables me to tell you. I only long and dream of the sweetest wife in the world and of that day when I can be with her again and we can renew our happiness and do all of those things which we long to do together. Eternally yours, Perry

March 22, 1945

Hello my sweet wife,

No letters yesterday, but I am sure a hopin' for tonight. I got the three I received from you last and read them all over again to see if I couldn't glean some more from them. I was very complimented when you said my letters thrilled you and I wondered if they thrill you as much as yours do me. They make me want to say, "Ooh, ooh!" like you did that time, do you remember? I got a big kick out of that. I kept trying to say it the way you did but could never quite imitate you. All of those wonderful days stand out so vividly in my mind and it still thrills me to think of them. My darling, will you be the same when I come back?

Perry, age 16, standing between his parents with
sister, Venice, in car and husband standing behind car.
Taken during a trip to Portland, Oregon

Yes, sweetheart, I would like a piano too, very much. Only somebody ought to learn to play it. They are quite expensive furniture you know. As bad as I wanted to, I never did learn to play, which to this day and always will be a regret to me. My folks write me that they have the car fixed up and some new tires and told me to hurry and come home and use it. My mother said she had already been unconsciously thinking of things we could do. How I wished I could take wings and fly back there with you. Couldn't we have some wonderful times? Then we wouldn't have to depend on street cars and busses. Guess I hadn't better let my mind carry me too far away from the realistic now though. (PS, I hate street cars and busses though, don't you?)

I do do a lot of dreaming though. since I don't get much pleasure out of living in the present here, I am forever living in the future. And no matter what it is I am dreaming about, there you are right there with me, right along by my side. Do you remember the one time you said you always wanted to be by my side? Well, you are, even in all of my thoughts and dreams. Will close now, my darling, so I can write my folks and sisters. Always your affectionate husband, Perry

March 23, 1945 (Friday, 2:30 pm)

My dear sweet wife,

Today I received some more back letters from you. They were posted Feb. 14th, March 2nd and March 5th. My darling, you do write such sweet letters, but then that is because they are just like you--so how could they be different. I loved the one where you poured your heart out to me. I know what you feel and what you mean. I feel exactly the same way too, but I like to have you express yourself to me that way.

Portland, Oregon trip and Perry's first chance
to see the Pacific Ocean, something he sees
everyday during the war and longs for dry land.

It's good to hear that Dick expects to be coming back before too long. Grant says he expects to be home by Christmas too. Sounds like they are getting rather optimistic on that side of the world. The war news sounds better all the time so maybe they have a reason to. I hope we don't have another relapse.

Sweetheart, I have the same longings and yearnings that you do. It hurts sometimes when the things we want so badly seem so far away, but I guess we must have faith and patience to wait. Perhaps our prayers may be filled sooner than we now expect, but whenever it will be, I know they will be fulfilled abundantly. Yes, I do love Sunday afternoon naps too, but I think when I come back, you won't get to take very many. It will be like when you used to try to comb your hair. I will be teasing you or tormenting you, after I have had my nap of course--ha, ha! Do you think we will be happy in our "little crooked house"?--huh?

Please tell me all about the Gold & Green Ball and if you had a good time, won't you? I love you, my sweetheart. Always yours, Perry