Letter or Postcard – Letter
Sender – Ralph Peterson
Recipient – Phyllis Peterson
Postmark Place – St. Petersburg, Florida
Postmark Date – 1 April 1943
Letter Date – 31 March 1943
Text:
My dearest wife and baby,
Hi, sweetheart. How are you today? I hope you are better then you have been lately. I haven’t got the measles yet but I’m still quarantined in. It will last from three to seven days I hope it is only three, as it is doggone tiresome laying around with nothing to do. The shipment I was supposed to be on left at 12:30 this noon. There was only one guy from Waushara County that left with them, so I still have three boys from up there to keep me company. Marvin Roeske from Wautoma is still down here. This was one morning that I didn’t have to get up when the bugle blew. I went to bed last night at nine and didn’t get up this morning until seven. Did that ever feel good, when a guy could wake up when the bugle blew and then drop off to sleep for a couple more hours. It’s a real nice day down here today. The sun is nice and bright and a nice cool wind is blowing. We’re supposed to stay in our room, but we go out and sit on the porch and we even go down to chow. Today is the last day of the month, so I will get paid either today or tomorrow. You will get your payment the first of the month. I suppose that will come in pretty handy for you. Let me know as quick as you get it, will you, and also how much you get. As quick as I get to a permanent station I will have you send me Bonny’s birth certificate so you can get some money for her. Out of our Squadron of 200 men we only have about 75 or 80. I have to close now as I am called out to get paid. Here I am back again. It is about five hours since I started the first part. I got the whole amount of $20.17. That will keep me going for the next month. I don’t need nothing except soap and stuff like that. I hope you get your allotment soon. This is the longest day I have had since I have been down here. Another shipment just is going out as I am writing this letter. A kid from Redgranite is going them. His name is Rex Carey. Now all who are left from Waushara County are Marvin Roeske from Wautoma, Harold Sullivan from Hancock, and myself. I only hope that I can get to go with one of them. This is about all I can think of now, honey, so have to close. All my love and kisses to my honey and baby, from Daddy.
PS – No letter from you today, but I bet I get one tomorrow.
Notes: Dad mentioned Marvin Roeske and Rex Carey several times in this first part of his military training. I haven’t been able to find much on them after perfunctory searches. I did find Harold Sullivan’s obituary.