Letter or Postcard – Letter
Sender – Ralph Peterson
Recipient – Phyllis Peterson
Postmark Place – St. Petersburg, Florida
Postmark Date – 29 April 1943
Letter Date – 28 April 1943
Text:
My dearest wife and baby,
Hi, girls. How are my two darlings tonight? It will be daytime when you get this, but it is night as I am writing this. Right now it is exactly ten minutes to eleven, so it is getting late, but I won’t get to sleep until four in the morning as I go on duty with my shift at midnight. I got up at five this morning so I will be up 23 hours without any sleep, but I will make up for it tomorrow, as it is my day off. Nothing much happened today. I didn’t get even one letter from nobody. That’s the first time it has happened for a long time, but I am hoping for some tomorrow. There isn’t much left of our squadron now, as a few more shipped out today. I think all there is now is ten or twelve. I haven’t been shipped yet but I am hoping each day that I will be. I want to get out and get something to work at, not just this laying around doing nothing and getting nowhere. A big flight of men just came in today. They are all from Wisconsin and Michigan but I don’t know any of them, as they are from the bigger cities. Still it is kind of nice to have somebody from the home state. Friday night the eagle flies again, or I should say it is payday. Then I suppose you will be getting your check pretty soon. I bet it will come in handy for you as I know it will help me out a hell of a lot. I have to get my uniform washed and pressed, and that costs money. I suppose by the next month you will be getting more money. I mean if the baby’s certificate gets here in time. And twelve bucks is twelve bucks nowadays. Say, isn’t it about time for the Argus to come again? I really like to get that little paper. It is small but it helps cheer a guy up. Well, I have a half an hour left before I go to work so I guess I had better close pretty quick. There isn’t much news anyway so I think I will close now, honey. All my love and kisses to my dearest wife and baby from Daddy
PS – I love you two Girls, and be sure you love me. I will love you the rest of my life. Night now, honey. Ralph
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