Letter or Postcard – Letter
Sender – Ralph Peterson
Recipient – Phyllis Peterson
Postmark Place – St. Petersburg, Florida
Postmark Date – 9 April 1943
Letter Date – 8 April 1943
Text:
My dearest Phyllis and Bonny,
No letter from you today, honey, but the mail is still screwed around so I might get a couple tomorrow. I hope so anyway. Your letters make me feel an awful lot better and they make the time pass a lot faster. If you would quit writing I don’t know what I would do. I think I would go crazy. Please don’t fail me, and write as often as you can. I just got back from KP about an hour ago. I washed up, took a shower, and started to write to you. Got up this morning at three and got done tonight at seven. Quite a long day, but I had about four or five hours off in the forenoon and afternoon. All I did was help serve out the meal to the men. That lasted about two hours to each meal, then I would have the rest of the time off. I guess we can’t go out anymore at night here in this hotel. It don’t bother me because I would rather sit here in my room and write and think about you and the good times we had before I had to go to this damn army. How we used to go to the show then come back and eat some hot biscuits and smoked liver sausage that you always seem to have when I came down there. Then the time we had after we were first married, how we were so happy and loved each other. Remember the way you used to tease me when we were alone, and the threats that I used to make but never carry them out? I can just sit here and think about those things and feel so damn blue that I’m telling you I about bawl. I put your picture in front of me whenever I can. You might think I am crazy but I actually took it along to bed with me one night, and when I woke up I still had it in my hand. It was still dark so I lay awake and made believe that you were right there. I kissed it so many times that I almost wore the glass in two. That’s just the way I feel about you, darling. It really isn’t much news to write about tonight as I haven’t done anything to write about, and the lights are going out in 15 minutes so I will have to make this about enough for now. Keep on telling me how you and Bonny girl are getting along. That’s one thing that I want to hear about. Until tomorrow night when I have more time, all my love and kisses to my wife and baby from Daddy
PS – Pray that I will be shipped up north. Love, Ralph
Notes: No sure if it was the same product, but growing up Oscar Mayer Braunschweiger was a staple at our house. As kids we would have sandwiches with mayonnaise and mustard, but as I grew up I noticed that my Mom would have hers with Tabasco Sauce and maybe a slice of tomato. I tried it and liked it, and that continues to be the way I eat it. It is a nostalgia food for me. Whenever I buy it I think of my Mom.