Letter or Postcard – Letter
Sender – Ralph Peterson
Recipient – Phyllis Peterson
Postmark Place – St. Petersburg, Florida
Postmark Date – 7 April 1943
Letter Date – 6 April 1943
Text:
My dearest wife and baby,
Got two letters from you today so I should have something to write about. About all I can do is answer your questions. Yesterday I got a pen and pencil set from my stepmother and a letter from one of my pals who is in Arizona. The pen and pencil set really came from my little half-brother. It is a real nice set. The letter was from one of my friends from Pine River just telling me about his idea of army life, which wasn’t very good the way he wrote. I finally got off quarantine for the measles tonight so I will start working tomorrow again. The first thing we are going to do is move to another hotel. There is only about 50 of us left so they are moving us in a hotel where there is another part of a squadron, but I think I will be shipped by Saturday. That is if I don’t get set in on account of some other sickness. This was sure one nice vacation for me. I got a nice suntan while I was staying in. I am sorry to hear that your mother got burned. I was afraid that it might happen. You tell her for me to be more careful after this. I hope she isn’t burned too bad. I hope that money helps you out. The way you talk about our baby makes me want to see her more every day, but she must be nice. Look at her mother. I think she is the nicest person in the world and I love her so much it hurts. I miss you so damn much that I don’t know what to do with myself. I think I will try and get a 50-year furlough. What the devil is the matter with that radio? I thought it was all right, but I guess I got screwed on that deal. Did the guy make it right with you about it? You asked if my hair was any whiter than it was when I left. I guess it is a little bit, but my face is so tanned that it makes it look more white. I guess you will recognize me when I come home. I am sorry that I didn’t say if I like baby’s name or not. I think it is real swell. I don’t believe you could have picked a nicer one. I was just fooling about you sending some stuff here. Of course when I get shipped out to a school and you have some time you can send some cookies or something. Homemade stuff really taste good to me down here. I can’t write anymore tonight as I have to pack up my clothes to move tomorrow. Until next time, all my love and kisses to my dearest wife and baby.
PS – I love you honey. Keep on writing.
Notes: I don’t now who the Arizona pal was. The pen and pencil set was a gift from little brother Florian Frederick Peterson, who as an adult changed his name to Scott Peterson, which is what I have always known him as. He would have been almost ten years old.