Letter or Postcard – Letter
Sender – Ralph Peterson
Recipient – Phyllis Peterson
Postmark Place – St. Petersburg, Florida
Postmark Date – 15 March 1943
Letter Date – 14 March 1943
Text:
My dearest wife,
Here is your little blonde boy sitting down and writing to you again. The time I am writing this is about 2:30 Sunday afternoon. There is nothing to do today so I am sleeping and taking it easy. I am sorry. I guess I told you a lie when I was not doing something. This forenoon I played ball with some of our squadron. Then about eleven Johnny Premo from Coloma and I went down to get our pictures taken. You might get them before you get this letter. They aren’t so hot of me, but then I ain’t so good to look at anyway. But they will give you some idea of what I look like now. I guess there isn’t much difference, is there? The thing wrong with these pictures is that the sun is too bright and I am scowling. These pictures were taken on a pier right out in the Gulf of Mexico. Of course the boat and the jeep are only made of cardboard, but they look real, don’t they? I guess I am the only thing that don’t look real on them. Say, I wonder what’s wrong with Alvin. I wrote to him about two weeks ago but I haven’t no answer yet. Maybe he forgot all about me. God, I hope he didn’t, as I think he is one hell of a nice guy. You had better tell him when you write to him to write to me. I’m only a buck private yet, but I hope to get a few kind words from the old Sarge. This is going to be the shortest letter I ever wrote to you as there isn’t much to write about. By the way, I had a big meal today – chicken and gravy and all the trimmings. This is all for now, so will close with all my love and kisses to the sweetest wife in the world. Ralph
PS – Be sure to tell me when our little baby is born. Send a telegram, won’t you, honey? RP
Note: Little did Dad know that he became a father that day [14 March 1943] when my oldest sister Bonny was born. He was 19 and my Mom was 17. He addressed this letter to Mom on Rural Route 1, Neshkoro, Wisconsin, but someone has scratched that out and written in “Hospital” and “Berlin.” Although short, this is also one of the most informative letters so far. I have two of the photographs Dad refers to. I now know they were taken the day my sister was born, and I now know the guy with Dad is his wartime friend Johnny Premo of Coloma, Wisconsin.