Letter or Postcard – Letter
Sender – Ralph Peterson
Recipient – Phyllis Peterson
Postmark Place – Red Bank, New Jersey
Postmark Date – 29 May 1943
Letter Date – 28 May 1943
Text:
Hello sweetheart,
Another day gone by and here I am writing to you. The best part of my day’s work. I mean the part I like the best. We just got done doing our weekly duty. That is every Friday night we have to scrub up our barracks nice and clean for the Saturday competition. Everything is supposed to be spick-and-span for inspection. It was nice and warm all day until tonight, when it started to rain and blow like the devil. But it has cleared off now and it looks like it might be a nice day tomorrow. Oh, by the way, I better tell you I got your letter today, and also a card from a guy in St. Pete – the one from Green Bay. He had his wife send him a telegram that she was awful sick and so he got an emergency furlough. When he came back from home he brought his wife along back with him. That is the reason he wrote to me. Him and I used to get along real good. He is only nineteen, too, and a real nice guy. Say, here is a poem that a guy told me when we was in school today. This is the way it goes…
Twinkle, twinkle little star
I stayed all night in his car
What I did I ain’t admittin’
What I’m knittin’ ain’t for Britain
Some poem, huh? I don’t know whether I should write it or not, but I felt like a little devil so I dood it. Don’t be mad at me, honey. Say, you haven’t heard from Marvin, have you? I haven’t got a letter from him only once since I have been in the army. That little devil better let me know how and where he is pretty soon. I wouldn’t doubt that he might be in the army by now. I wish I was home so we could go fishing together again, just like we used to. Remember that time down on the White River? The more you talk about things happening up there the more lonesome I get, but keep on telling me all about it. Gosh honey, I can’t think of anything else to write about tonight so guess I will have to close until tomorrow night. All my love and kisses to you my sweetest wife, and loads of love to Bonny girl from Daddy
PS – No shoes yet, but will let you know as quick as I get them. Night now. RP
Notes: I don’t know if little brother Marvin Peterson was in the Army yet at this point, but he eventually did enlist. Interesting that Dad included a vaguely suggestive poem here. I wasn’t sure what the reference was, but it seems there was a United States project started before our entry into the war to support England, something called “Bundles for Britain,” which was mostly American women knitting a variety of clothing items for British soldiers.