Letter or Postcard – Letter
Sender – Ralph Peterson
Recipient – Phyllis Peterson
Postmark Place – St. Petersburg, Florida
Postmark Date – 11 April 1943
Letter Date – 10 April 1943
Text:
My dearest wife and baby,
How are my two little girls today? I hope you are fine. Take good care of yourself and the baby. That’s the only thing in the world I ever worry about. Had an easy day of it today. All I did was march in the big parade in the forenoon. Got done with that about eleven, had chow, and got the rest of the day off. We marched in review in front of the Colonel of St Pete Air Corps. He is leaving here this week for New Jersey, so we had to give him a farewell parade. I am sending you one of the papers of town up to you. You won’t be able to see me, but I will make a mark about where I am. We are standing at rest when this picture was taken. I was one of the rifle (?). The band is about 80 pieces. Quite a large one. Got two letters today. One from Alvin and one from Harold. There is still a mail call yet tonight, so I hope to get one from you. Alvin kind of gave me hell for writing to you the way I did. I guess I had it coming. Anyway, he said that Bonny girl was awfully damn cute. Gosh, it seems as if everybody has seen her except me. They all say she is a cute little doll, but if she looks like me how can she? If it was you she looks like I would know she was cute. I still think she does look like you. My brother-in-law is a Corporal now. He’s pretty proud of it, too. I guess I told you that he got married again, or didn’t I? Tomorrow is Sunday and I have some work to do. I have to wash clothes in the morning and then I’m going to church. That may sound funny, but I have been going pretty regular since I came in the army and when I come home I’m going to make you go, too. How does that sound to you? I can’t think of any more to write now, so I will wait until mail call and see if I got a letter from you. That will be about two hours from now. Just got back from chow and mail call and no mail from you, but that long letter I got yesterday will last me until tomorrow. I have to write to Alvin and Avis also, or else they will be giving me the devil. That’s about all I can think of now, so will close all my love and kisses to my dearest wife and baby from Daddy.
PS – Tell me you love me in each letter you send. RP
Notes: This letter kind of speaks to the church going habits of my parents, as referenced elsewhere. I checked the online database at Google for the historic St. Petersburg Times covering about a week before this was written but found no picture such as Dad describes. Possibly it was a post newspaper.