Letter or Postcard – Letter
Sender – Ralph Peterson
Recipient – Phyllis Peterson
Postmark Place – St. Petersburg, Florida
Postmark Date – 19 April 1943
Letter Date – 18 April 1943
Text:
My dearest wife and baby,
How are my two little girls today? I got your letter and mother’s card yesterday, and was sure glad to get them. Believe it or not I got a letter from Don and Marian, also. I was sure surprised to get one from them. You must know where they live. It is just a block past Bernard’s and Ida’s. It is quite a ways out of town. Marian said she didn’t quite like it of course, but I suppose it will be all right after they get settled. I think the only thing that is wrong is she thinks they are living too close to Bernard. You know how Ida and Marian get along. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them back on the farm before long. She was telling me how big Wayne was, and he could even talk a little now. He must be quite old now, about nine months or so. I also got a card from my little half-brother. He is only about eleven and he wrote me two whole pages. I am writing with the pen he sent me. Boy, is it ever cloudy this forenoon, and I want to wash out some clothes and they won’t dry if the sun don’t shine. That’s the way it always happens. All week it will be good weather then when Sunday comes it clouds up and rains. I am glad to hear that Gilbert got his P.F.C. And about those two stripes that you said I’m going to have. I won’t get them down here, but boy I am going to get them when I am sent to school. You just wait and see. Then you can have something to brag about. I think you would still love me just as much if I was only a private, wouldn’t you? You see a lot of guys that have stripes when they shouldn’t and a lot of them who have not got them and they should have. That’s just the old army game. Either you do or you don’t. I went to the fights last night. A bunch of our boys were fighting, then after the fight three champions of the world gave us a talk. That’s the only thing I go out for, that and the ball games. If I would go downtown I would feel lost without you beside me, so I don’t go. Damn it all, honey, I am getting more lonesome for you every day. I miss you more each day. I found a little poem in the paper down here so I thought I would send it home. It’s more or less for Bonny girl. You can give it to her. She probably can’t read it but you can let her chew it up. I thought it was kind of cute. I can’t think of anything so I think I will close for today. I will send your Mother and Dad’s along with yours. All my love and kisses to the sweetest wife and baby from Daddy.
PS – I hope you get well real soon. Bye now. Ralph
Notes: Of course Don and Marian are Mom’s sister and her husband. I’m not sure who Bernard and Ida were, but Wayne is Don and Marian’s third child and oldest son. He was about nine months old at the time. Dad’s little half brother was Florian (later Scott). Gilbert is probably Gilbert Rohde, who was with Dad earlier in Fort Sheridan.