Letter or Postcard – Letter
Sender – Ralph Peterson
Recipient – Phyllis Peterson
Postmark Place – St. Petersburg, Florida
Postmark Date – 24 March 1943
Letter Date – 23 March 1943
Text:
My dearest wife and baby,
Today was a real happy day for me as I got the letters you sent me right after our baby was born. When I got those two today I was so damn tickled that I just about hollered out. After I opened them up and found out all about our baby, I am telling you sweetheart I almost went crazy with happiness. You may be mad at me at the way I acted in those other letters but please forgive me, as I really was worried about you. Now that I have heard from you I won’t ever write to you like that again, but today, which was Tuesday, is exactly one week since I got your telegram, so I had some reason to be worried. Everything is all right now, isn’t it, sweetheart? I don’t know. You may not get some letters for a while as this will be the first one I am going to send to Spring Lake. Maybe they will forward them to you from the hospital. You should have about six or seven there for you. If you can, see if they will send them up to you. So our baby has brown hair, has she? Now I thought I was a better man than that. But you said she had blue eyes. There is one thing she takes after that I have got. I only hope she is the perfect picture of you, because I want our baby to be nice looking, and she wouldn’t be if she took after me. I saw that little hair lock before I opened up your letter and I knew right away what it was. I have got it in my billfold in the safest place I could find. I’m going to keep that on me as long as I am away from you and our little Bonny baby. That and your picture will be my most prized possessions. I know you think a lot of my picture. So you still got the idea that I don’t like Alvin. Well you are wrong there, as I think Alvin is one of the nicest guys I know. I haven’t known him very long, but what I have seen of him and what I know of him I really think he is tops, and that’s coming straight from the shoulder and it is all the truth. Talking about Alvin, I owe him a letter and I think I better send one right away. I got a letter from Avis today along with yours. That little snip. She really cheered me up. She said that you wasn’t very lonesome. Just a little bit. Just wait until I write her my answer. Boy will I razz her. This is about all I can think of right now, and besides, it is getting late and I am tired. Lots of love to my dearest wife and our little sweet Bonny girl from your soldier daddy Ralph.
PS – More tomorrow, and take good of yourself and our little baby. That’s all for now my dearest wife. RP
Notes: Alvin Grant was Mom’s older brother, Avis Grant her younger sister.