Letter or Postcard – Letter
Sender – Ralph Peterson
Recipient – Phyllis Peterson
Postmark Place – Red Bank, New Jersey
Postmark Date – 10 May 1943
Letter Date – 9 May 1943
Text:
My dearest wife and baby,
Well, this is my second letter to you. I couldn’t write one yesterday as that same fire that I had to help fight yesterday started up again, and I was out fighting that for about twenty hours straight. When I came back I was so darn tired that I slept for about fifteen hours without waking up. I hope you forgive me, sweetheart, because I didn’t write, but I will make up for it now and later. Gosh, honey, I sure miss you more than ever now. I am not so far away, but I am missing you more each day. The minute I ain’t doing nothing I almost go nuts thinking about you. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I see you again, but if I do something wrong just forgive me, but listen, baby, I want another picture of you and Bonny. That one I got was one thing that sure made me feel swell, but I would like to get a big picture of you and the baby. One that I can see more of Bonny on and one in which you look towards the camera. I want to see your face and I want you to write me lots of long letters. Please do that, won’t you honey? And tell your mother to send me the Argus as well. Well, I will tell you something about this camp. I am living in wooden barracks. We wake up every morning by the bugle. Then have breakfast. The one thing about this place is you can get all you want to eat and it is darn good chow. We are only about 50 miles from New York and about six miles from the Atlantic coast. A big bunch of guys went to New York for the weekend, but that is one thing I am not going to do, as I am saving all the money I can. And I am doing pretty good, too. The officers and men are awfully nice here, so in all it is a pretty swell camp. Lots better than St. Pete. Now about the school I am going to, it isn’t just talking over a radio. The first thing we have to do is learn the Morse Code. Then we have to be able to send and receive thirteen words in a minute. That don’t sound so easy, but you can bet your last nickel that your little husband is going to make it or die trying. I know you will back me up on that. Then after all that, if you are extra good you will be sent to another radio school for advanced training. And if a guy is just normally good he will be sent to some air base. That’s about all there is to it. It sounds simple, but it isn’t. This is about all for now, as I have to go to bed and get a little sleep tonight, as tomorrow will be my first day of school. Just like starting my life over again, but now I have a lot more to fight for – my dearest wife and our little baby daughter. And all my own. Nothing much more tonight, sweetheart, so guess I will close. All my love and kisses to my sweetest wife and baby from Pappy
PS – Excuse all the mistakes and scribbly writing, as I am racing to get done before the lights go out.
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