Letter or Postcard – Letter
Sender – Ralph Peterson
Recipient – Phyllis Peterson
Postmark Place – St. Petersburg, Florida
Postmark Date – 8 March 1943
Letter Date – 7 March 1943
Text:
My dearest darling,
Well how are you today, sweetheart? This is Sunday when I’m writing this so I have nothing to do. I can’t go outside because it is still raining from yesterday, and when it rains down here it really rains – about two or three days in a stretch. It is sort of nice to lay around with nothing to do, but tomorrow morning I will have to get up at three as the whole 400S Squadron is on KP for one day. I guess we only work about 18 hours on that job. Sort of a short day isn’t it? When I got up this morning I went out and stood reveille, then I came back in and went to bed for about three more hours. I didn’t even go down and eat breakfast, and that sounds kind of funny for me to do that. I made up for it at dinner time. We had pork chops, potatoes, and ice cream. Well, this week is my first week with guns. I guess we will have gun drills and a marksmanship test just to see how steady our aim is, or I should say our nerves. Then after that we will have our first gas mask drill. Last night I sat down and wrote a whole bunch of cards – one to Avis and Virginia, and the rest to my aunts and uncles. I even wrote one to my uncle Charlie. I must be getting soft. I bought something for you and I think it will get there about the same time as this letter does. At least I’m going to send them together. It was something I thought you would like. Sort of a remembrance of St. Petersburg. Let me know when you get it and if you like it. I will send something better after I get settled down a little more. The mail hasn’t come in yet so I will not write any more in this letter. If I get one from you I will write another one to you. That’s about all for now, so will close with loads of love and kisses from your soldier husband Ralph.
PS – Keep the Argus coming, as I sure do like to read the home news.
Notes: Avis and Virginia were two of Mom’s sisters, Avis Grant and Virginia Grant. Uncle Charlie was Charlie Hansen, Dad’s maternal Uncle. Charlie owned and operated the bakery in Wautoma where my Dad worked before and after the war. By all accounts he was a crusty character and was kind of proud that he was.