July 21, 1943

Desert Training Center, California

July 21, 1943

Wed.    8:00 P.M.

Darling Mark,

         Hello Sweetheart!!!

No letter today – but I’d better write a short one.

         I’ve just finished shaving & a shower & washing my fatigues. The co. went on an overnite hike – 6 miles. I got out of it. We’re trading our Scout cars for half-tracks. This desert is too rough for the Scout cars. We have to get up at 4:30 tomorrow morning & be ready to leave at 5:30. We have to drive 150 miles to another camp – I forgot the name of it. They figure on 14 hours of driving & we haven’t any assistant relief driver. We’ll probably start back Fri. morning & get back in camp late Fri. nite, so you see honey – I probably won’t have a chance to write again till Sat.

         This morning we had gas-drill & vehicle decontamination & map-reading & navigation. This afternoon we had maintenance & got the Scout cars ready to roll for tomorrow morning.

         I was planning on going to L.A. this week-end but got restricted – over just some trivial thing. This Army is driving me bats.

         Well honey I’d better close & get some rest. It’s getting dark anyway.

         Bye now.   Write soon.

    X      X      X      X

                 All My Love                 Johnny     XOX

    X  X  X  X  X  X  X      X      X

July 19, 1943

Desert Training Center, California

July 19, 1943

Mon. Eve.

Darling Mark,

         Hello Sweetheart!!!

Got your card today. It helped me out a little. Boy – was I disgusted today. Blue Monday I guess. This morning we were out for driving instruction. This afternoon we had maintenance. Most of the time I sat inside a Scout car reading Liberty. Time out honey a guy just brought me a cake.

         I’m going to have to finish this – but fast. We had to stand Retreat tonite & by the time that was over & ate chow & finished shaving & taking my “Lux” shower it is now getting quite dark. I guess by now you’re trying to figure the pictures out. One is of the desert as you can see, That mountain is about 15 miles from where I took the picture. Nice country?

         The other two are me – which you can’t so plainly see. I guess you can figure out which is the Scout car & which the tank. The tank is the M8 assault gun which I used to be in. Glad I’m out of it now. It gets pretty hot inside there out here.

         Well, honey I’d better close now. I’m going to the show tonite. I’ve probably already seen it – but!

         Goodnite Honey

         Write Soon                                  X X X X

XOX  All My Love        Johnny     XOX

July 12, 1943

Desert Training Center, California
July 12, 1943
Mon. Eve.

Darling Mark,

Hello Sweetheart!!!

I got your air-mail today. I hadn’t quite give up hopes of hearing from you honey. I got a letter from Lucy today.

So you want a nice long letter huh? I don’t know whether I can or not. I’d have to keep repeating how much I miss you & think of you.

All day yesterday, there was a poker game going on in my tent. Was this place a mess this morning. I couldn’t keep out of the damn game. Win & lose & lose & win. I ended up 50 c winner all day. That’s not saying what I lost Sat. I’m not talking about that.

This morning I had about an hour class on navigation & finally made my map course of last Wed. problem. The rest of the morning I helped put up a camouflauge net & tables for a mess tent. Most of the time I was having fun, listening to the Sarge trying to get us to work. He finally let us off an hour early. This afternoon we went out in Scout cars for a little drive. I operated a radio set. I thought of you making the crystals back in K.C.

I just finished making a couple of record sheets for the Sargent.

Well honey I’m starting on the third page honey. A buddy just called from his tent next to mine if I was going to the show tonite. I guess I will, but I hate to miss out on any of this wonderful sleep I get. Oh – how I hate to get up in the morning. He just told me he got a 7 page from his girl friend. You going to let her beat you by 2 pages honey?

I haven’t heard from Cec for 2 weeks now. Lucy says he’s on maneuvers. The 25^th of this month we go on a 10 day problem. We were supposed to go out tonite but it was called off. I’m not a bit sorry. Our beer party has been postponed till Friday nite.

Thursday our Div. will be one-year old. I suppose we’ll have to parade or something. I wouldn’t put it pass this outfit.

Well honey it’s getting dark – (always a good excuse) & I have to answer Lu’s letter yet.

You never have said anything about that picture I asked for in your bathing suit. How about it?

Bye again honey, I miss you an awful lot. Someday I’ll write another 10 page letter. On smaller sheets than this tho.

Answer soon, honey.

All My Love XOX

X O X Johnny X O X

X X X X X X

December 27, 1942

Fort Riley, Kansas

Dec. 27, 1942

Hi Honey!!

Happy New Year!!

I’m sorry I was tight when I saw you Xmas. I had planned a different way of spending my time, or hours with you. Next time I’ll be sober.

My train didn’t pull out till 1:30. We got in camp about 2:30. I got 1-1/2 hours sleep. Sat. we went out in the Scout cars again. It’s the first time I drove one on a smooth highway. It was raining like everything. I had about a mile of mud road driving. It was tense driving – a ditch on both sides of the road. About half of the guys got stuck & we had to wait an hour before they got out. Some reason the rain was wet & cold. We about froze sitting waiting. Those are the times I’d give all I own to have you here.

We got some bad news yesterday. Only 10 per cent of us get passes on week ends. It seems down to a pass every 9 weeks. I’m requested! Today it’s snowing & blowing like a blizzard!

I’d like to go to a show but I don’t like to walk in this kind of weather. The show is one place where you can forget you’re in the Army. You forget all about Army routine till they turn on the lights & you see all them brass buttons shining, then you start cussing again. Next week we’re supposed to graduate from driving school.

The first chance I get to Junction City, I’ll have a picture taken & send it that’s a promise. I’ll send some snapshots too.

Hope you can read this scratching. Some day maybe I’ll learn to write.

Sweetheart, I’ll have to close now, it’s about chow time.

Write soon Honey.

XoXXOX

Love,

Johnny