I long constantly for you, my darling

April 18, 1945 (Wednesday evening)

My darling husband Perry,

Here I am looking for more letters from you sweetheart--never satisfied, but always wanting one each day--each morning hoping I'll have another one from you. I live from one letter to the next. What must you do with a wife like me Perry? But I hope tomorrow will bring me a letter.

Perry, I'm sending you a special little surprise card for your birthday--will mail it when I mail this letter tomorrow morning. I'm hoping you will get it on or a little before your birthday next month, I hope sooner. But let me know if you get it, ok, darling, will you? Mother's Day comes on May 13th too so want to find a pretty card for my sweetheart's mother. I'll say, "With love from Perry and Gene," shall I? Will find a birthday card for your dad too.

Perry, I've been reading some of your back letters this evening and found the one you wrote me on March 6th. You had just received my letter telling you all my troubles with my job at Bullocks, etc. What a sweet letter! You are so understanding, my darling. After that letter, I kept repeating what you said (and I still do.) "Know that you (I) have a husband who loves you (me) very dearly." It thrills me to say it, Perry--I have a husband who loves me very dearly. Then you wrote that funny little joke at the end about "Don't Fence Me In"--that song. Do you ever hear it on the radio, Perry? It's quite cute. Well, I liked the joke too. Where did you get it?

We finished another batch of figurines today. Will start on more tomorrow. Must close now, sweetheart. We are working from 8 to 4 so am getting up earlier. I think I have lost weight again, Perry. Can you tell from my pictures whether I've lost much since Christmas? Mother says I have. Must get to bed at least by 10:00 pm I guess. Sometimes I don't you know. Goodnight Perry. I love you. Always yours, Gene

April 21, 1945 (Saturday evening)

Dearest sweetheart Perry,

I long so for a letter from you my darling. The two I received on Monday are all I've had in three weeks and, oh Perry, I am so anxious about you. I feel you are in that awful fighting area near Japan. I pray for your safety constantly. I want so to know that you are safe and well. How can I know unless I hear from you, sweetheart? But then I must have faith too and patience. Guess I don't sound very brave, do I? Here I am complaining cause I haven't heard form you recently when I know you have not had any of my letters for a month and maybe more. Oh I hope you have received some of my letters by this time, Perry. I love you, my darling, so very much. Surely the time for your return is not far off but very soon. I pray so for it.

I have not heard from your mother for some time. I expect she too is worried about you. Have you been able to write her recently, darling? I hope so. I have found such a beautiful Mother's Day card just for her. It says, "To the Mother of the one I love on Mother's Day." It's very pretty.

Viola and I have just finished painting some cute little bookends. I'm going to send a pair to Genevieve. They are a little Dutch couple--a boy and girl--each sitting on a book looking around at each other. Do you think she would like them?

Adams Ward put on a three-act-play last night. Mother and I went and it was wonderful. Quite a large crowd came out to see it too. I played "hooky" from my secretary job last Sunday and probably will tomorrow too. Dad's secretary from work has become quite interested it seems in Mormonism so came out to church last Sunday for the first time. So Dad introduced her to me. (She is the same age as me.) I took her to the missionary class. She is coming to church tomorrow and told Dad she wanted me to meet her there. She seems to like me. She's a beautiful girl with auburn hair. Her boyfriend is in the Navy in San Diego. Neither she nor he smoke or drink. Maybe I'll be a missionary too, Perry.

May 3rd is Emily and Dick's 2nd year wedding anniversary. He wrote Mother to see if she could wire Emily a dozen red roses for that day with his name on them. Isn't that wonderful, Perry. You know I'm really looking forward to our first year anniversary October 13. Do you want to know what I want? I want my husband to be there beside me to share the whole day in a special way--gosh, what will we do, Perry? Will we go out some place or will we stay home and celebrate? Do you s'pose you could make it here by that time, Perry? I pray for you constantly, my dearest, and for us both. God bless you. Your devoted wife, Gene

P.S. Received another $25 bond for you yesterday, Perry. It's the 2nd one I've gotten I think.

April 22, 1945

My Darling Wife,

I think I will be getting some mail soon (at last) now my sweetheart. Golly, it's been about a month since I heard from you. A lot can happen in that much time. I surely hope all that has been good. As for me, I am quite well and feeling fine--as much as can be expected. I long constantly for you, my darling, and am sure I can never be happy again until I can be with my love. This isn't pessimism, only realism.

As I said a lot could have happened in a month's time and I can hardly wait for your letters and hope they will tell me all about everything which will be all about you. You see it is you who is everything to me.

I promise I will start writing you again regularly, like I was before, when I can get your mail at least fairly regularly. What have you been doing all this while without any mail from me? I hope you haven't been too blue or worried. Maybe I'll have a chance to explain all of these things to you, I hope, not too far in the future.

My sweetheart, your husband loves you very dearly--more than my present knowledge of the English language will allow me to express. I mean that literally. During this time, I have been trying to write my thoughts of you, my daily thoughts, and thoughts that have been collecting in my mind and heart ever since I first met you. But, honestly Gene, I feel so incapable of expressing the way I actually feel that I am about ready to give up the venture. Never before did I feel my lack of adjectives and adverbs so inadequate.

Oh course I will never mail this as it is rather personal, but if you can succeed in sufficiently melting my heart sometime (which you are quite capable of doing at any time) then I may let you read it. If it pleases you, I will be satisfied, satisfied just to be your lover. I hope what I may have lost in my literary ability to express myself may have been made up in my honesty and sincerity, as I am sure that would please you the more. I never expect to be a Shelby or Keats anyway. If I don't stop writing my apology for my work, it will soon be longer than the work itself.

My thoughts ramble worse than Virginia's. Hope this letter finds you well and happy, my darling. I love you with every fiber of my soul. Eternally yours, Perry