1944. From Bill to his sweetheart, Gloria (3rd letter)
In this honest and heartfelt 1944 wartime letter, Bill opens up about exhausting routines, uncertain futures, and the quiet ache of missing Gloria reminding us how love finds a way, even in the Mess Hall doorway.
Thursday
Dear Glo —
Today we start our work week and I’m going to be a door guard and in between times I have to inspect the dishes for cleanliness. Not a bad job, but I’m on my feet all day long.
I don’t know when I’ll have time to write letters but I’ll do the best I can. They’ll probably be short letters but that’s better than nothing. This is going to last a week, and then after this week is over, it’ll only be three or four weeks, and then we’ll break. It won’t be too soon, but the sooner that comes, the sooner I’ll have to leave you again to parts unknown. Personally I don’t think I’ll get to school, because of no college education. Then they like kids right out of high school because they know they’ll be in the navy a long time, and as for me I want to get out as soon as possible so that kills my chance of going to school. When I was in Boston I signed up to get out six months after the war is over. Then this condition and being married doesn’t offer the navy anything for they know I want to get out as soon as possible so why should they school me for nothing?
They want young squirts to go to school so they’ll have some years of service ahead of them. I hope I could end up in some navy repair machine shop. But after we’ll find out. We won’t know anything about us before leave.
Boy is it hot up here now. I can stand under an awning, right in the doorway of the mess hall, so I won’t suffer too much this next week.
Well, got to close now and remember I love you and miss you more and more. Don’t expect too many letters next week but you keep writing for it’s something to look forward to every afternoon at mail call.
Love,
Bill