Friday, July 20, 2012

I'm surely glad you like to take walks

Perry, graduate with BA degree at University of Utah
in elementary education, 1950
July 14, 1945

My Darling Wife Gene,

Sweetheart, today I was very happy to receive four of your letters. I have been looking forward to them ever since I left the other place we were at. My darling, of course I understand what you mean when you say how you wish you or we had some place we could settle down permanently, and I thought you expressed yourself very well. Those are the things I want and think of constantly. It's pretty disconcerting to want something so badly and not be able to do anything about it but wait. I always like to think about what someone has said that often we are nearer to realizing our hopes than we sometimes think. I will surely pray for this.

If I should be able to come back again, would there be someplace for me (or us) to stay at your new place? Do you have a telephone? If so, what is the number? Of course next time I come back, I would like to have a leave so we could go back to Utah and really have a good "honeymoon," but I rather doubt, now, if that will be very soon.

I was rather disappointed to receive a letter that the institute is out of the course for Radio Broadcasting. Guess I'll have to wait for that, but I guess I can take something else that will be useful.

Yes, Sweetheart, next time I come in, I would really like to take you to a dance, something formal, like the Gold and Green, Sweethearts, or Harvest Balls, maybe at Wilshire. Or if we were able to go home, maybe something even better. That's why I would like to buy you that white formal. I would want to make it a very special occasion, especially if it were somewhere around our anniversary.

I surely do hope Pierce can come home before he goes to the Pacific. Does Rick expect to be able to come home first too?

Well, it was just eleven months ago tonight when--well, it was one night I will never forget. I will always remember how you said, "Why don't you guys do something?" You were pretty cute, you little rascal. Do you remember how many questions I was asking while I was dancing with you? Bet you didn't realize what all those questions were going to ultimately lead to, did you? I love you very, very much, my darling.

Yes, I would really like to go to the beach with you. I'm trying to get a tan just in case I might be able to sometime. I surely wouldn't want you to be more tan than I. Our time together has been so terribly short that we absolutely must do lots of things to try and make up for it when the war is over. Let's make that promise to each other, huh? Of course we won't have to be partying and on the go all the time to make it up. One of the most enjoyable things I can think of is when we would stay home and listen to pretty music while I held you in my arms.

What I mean is we will do a lot of the best of everything. We have even had an awful lot of fun just taking walks, haven't we? I'm surely glad you like to take walks. But above all, we must never let anything, which we can possibly help, mar one moment of our happiness. This separation should have taught us that if nothing else.

Well, my dear wife, I will have to close now but my hopes, thoughts, and prayers for, of, and about you will go on unceasingly.  Always Yours, Perry

PS. Gene, if I should send you to the Manx, I don't think it will be before September.

July 15, 1945

My Darling Wife Gene,

Gene at the beach
Today I received your letter with the pictures in it. The pictures were very good, especially the one of you in the water. It's really good, sorta made me drool. (ahem) What's the matter, sweetheart, that you don't feel so good anymore? Don't my letters help to cheer you up anymore? Of course I think I can understand how you feel. Please don't worry about not finding a job because you will probably find one soon, and in the meanwhile you can just sorta take it easy--sort of a vacation. Above all, don't worry about it.

Well darling, I will surely try and get those things you want. We'll probably have to get them one at a time, but I hope to be able to have them in time, especially the piano. The other two, I consider as necessities. Of course, as you say, the civilian clothes come first. I think that will be by far the happiest day of my life when I can don them again. Just read the news today about the 3rd fleet shelling the coast of Japan, so I hope that day (the civilian clothes) won't be too long now. It shouldn't be if the Japanese would only face the inevitable.

Today is Sunday and this afternoon it was quite nice and warm and reminded me of some of those Sundays back in LA. I was on watch but wasn't very busy so I just reminisced of those Sundays with you. As I look back on it now, I realize they were the happiest days of my life. I love you so very much, my darling, and can think only of you.

Thanks a lot for sending me the pictures, sweetheart. You know how I like to have pictures of you, you little "glamour girl." I know it's hard for you to get film. Do you still want me to write requesting for some? If so, just let me know and how you want me to put it. Do you think it will work?

I see you still have some of that stationery "Snow fun to be alone." It's pretty cute--just like you. My darling, I surely do hope you will get to feeling better soon. My prayers will be constantly for you. I love you, Perry

July 17, 1945

My Darling Sweetheart,

Received another sweet letter of your again last night. I have it here now and have just reread it several times. It is so very sweet--just like you. I surely do hope you get that job if that is what you want. The hours are kinda bad, but I suppose you can get used to that. I'm sure all will come out for the best. If you don't get that, you will probably get one better.

Sweetheart, I'm glad you enjoy my letters so much. That is my purpose in writing and that's the way I'll always try to make them, but it doesn't seem to me like they are as good as they used to be. What do you think? Please tell me the truth. I don't know what is the matter unless it's because I've found it such a poor substitute for actually being with you, holding you in my arms and talking with you, especially since I was with you last. That is all I want is just to be with you forever and realize all of our hopes and dreams which we have talked about. I do love you very much, my dear, sweet wife.

Darling, there was something you wanted me to buy you if I ever went to Hawaii again. I don't know if I will, and I'm not even hinting that I might, but just in case I should some time, I would like to buy you what it was you wanted. Sweetheart, there are a lot more and bigger things I want to buy for you, but that will have to wait until I come back. Must leave you now. I love you, my darling. Always, Perry

July 17, 1945 (Tues. evening)

My dearest husband Perry,

Nothing in the mail for me today. I do hope my darling is safe and all right. Surely there will be a letter tomorrow. Oh, Perry, I don't know what I would do without your dear letters. I wrote you this morning before I left the house, but tonight I wanted to write you again. I'm afraid my letters aren't much good anymore--not in very happy moods since being out of a job reflects in everything I do it seems. But I have been praying about it, Perry, so I know everything will come out right soon.

I have decided to try the telephone company. They are always advertising for girls--for operators--as well as office work. Tomorrow morning early I shall go and see them. I don't know what they pay but think it would be better than what I made at Bullocks. Their hours are pretty good too.

Today Viola and I went to several department stores in town to see about office work. But they told us frankly they couldn't pay us what we had been getting on our other jobs, so we gave up the idea of working in department stores. (Bullocks is the best paying store in LA.)

I stopped off at Mother's on the way home. She had not received any mail all day. I guess she was as disappointed as I was. Little Ricky surely is growing. He is walking all around the house now. He likes to hang on to Mother's dress and follow her from room to room. Such a cute little boy. I do believe he loves Mom best of all now.

Guess Emily plans on working till Dick comes home, but of course after that she will be a wife and a mother again. That's what I want to be too, more than anything else in this world, dear husband. I want to truly be your wife and be a mother. My heart fairly aches for this.

Viola and I are both writing letters tonight. We had a lovely dinner. Viola made a meatloaf with vegetables and gravy. We had the radio on all evening and heard so many lovely music programs, one right after another. Do you hear radio programs often, darling?

I'm wondering if your ship is still carrying that crowd of passengers. It seems they have been aboard a long time. Where are you taking them? Oh, what a silly question--how can you tell me that. What I really want to know is when will I be seeing my darling? Will it be more than five months this time? Surely not longer than that. I shall write again tomorrow, Sweetheart. I love you, Perry. Your devoted wife, Gene

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