Posts

Nov. 9, 1942

Image
  Nov. 9, 1942 Dear Shirley Darling Shirley Dearest Darling Shirley Haya Babe, Hey You!       Well don’t just stand there, take your choice.      Last week I had one of my annual moods.   Being in the hospital made it worse, so disregard my last letter.   I wasn’t me, I was the guy in the next ward.   He’s batty.   I snapped out of it yesterday morning and am once again my charming self.   I answered Bills letter and told him I would be back to Lansing when the war’s over ——— on an occasional weekend.   I also advised him to come to Chicago.   If his wife ever sees my letter she’ll   send me a time bomb for Christmas.         I wrote you three letters before this one, but didn’t mail them.   I looked them over and never read such tripe in my life.   Today, however, I am back on the beam, and am at present writing to you.   That is, while I am writing, I am writing to you, when y...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sept. 19, 1946 The Final Letter from Ray Chronologically

Image
  Sept. 19, 1946       My Darling,       The years are passing slowly and next Sunday still seems a long way off.   I don’t mind your being away tonight so much, but you had better be around months from tonight.         Wanta know something ironic?   I haven’t worked overtime one night since you left.   Business is slow.   I suppose when you get back it’ll pick up.         Beautiful fog over the city this morning.   I drove through Humboldt park and it reminded me of the moors in Wuthering Heights.           I called your mom and she didn’t say anything about coming to meet you so I told her how we would have breakfast together and be home later.   She said O.K.          When I talked to your Pop on Monday I told him that I had called you up and he wanted to know the number there.   Did he call too?   My what a popular gal. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sept. 17, 1946

Image
  Sept. 17, 1946       My Darling,        Gee Whiz, a letter and a post card all at once.   Oh Goody.   It’s swell.          I’m glad I caught you in Sunday.   Did me good talking to you.   Was getting a bit restless.          Sounds like the Carmichaels are treating you nice.   What with these dates with strange men and all.   Ya say Waldo is a great tease.   Well you ought to feel right at home.   Is he more efficient at it than Bill and I?   Could this be possible?       Wanta hear about our date Saturday?   Be calm Darling, remember your bloodless pressure.   Waaeeeeeelllll we met at two and drove over to Isbell’s.   That skinny old boss of yours sure can eat.   First we had a few pleasant refreshments.   Then we flirted with the waitress.   Then a few pleasant refreshments.   Time for food so we had ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sept. 15, 1946

Image
  Sept. 15, 1946      Dearest Darling,      It seems like you’ve been gone for ages.   I wish tomorrow morning that I could meet you at the airport.   I miss you so.   Those days next week are going to be long.        Got your card yesterday.   Glad you got to the beach.   Haven’t been to any beach yet but I did take a bath one day.   Sure felt good.      Your pop called like he said but he didn’t have anything definite so he’s going to call again Monday.   I talked to your mother Thursday.   She misses you and tried to comfort me on my loneliness.   We ought to get together and cry in our beer.         Went to Lee’s Thursday night.   Nuff said!      Holy Catfish!   What my fender!   Tch Tch, Hell it’ll cost 25 or 35 cents to fix it.         Al and I went to a show and dinner last night.   A couple o...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sept. 12, 1946

Image
  Sept. 12, 1946      My Darling,      Gee it doesn’t sound like such a pretty picture down there now.   To me, no place would be very nice without you.         I was very happy to get a swell, long letter.   It made me feel good. (In a bad way).         Tom Alexander pulled his greatest trick on me so far.   Yesterday he comes up to me and says, “ Ray, I’m being dispossessed!   I’m too old for such things.   Ray, for God’s sake find me a place to live.”   I looked at him as if he were completely insane.   This was too much for little old me to handle so I seemed the advice of the smartest man in the world.   I told him what I wanted and he moaned, “Oh Jesus”.   Then he thunk a bit and asked if a suite at the Palmer House would be O.K.   I asked him if he thought he could do it and he said, “ God Damn it, If anyone can, I can.”   So he’s gonna call me tomorro...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sept. 11, 1946

Image
  Sept. 11, 1946       My Darling,       These last two days have seemed awfully long.   I miss you an awful lot.         Called everybody after your telegram came yesterday.   Bill said he was lonesome already.   He sounded convincing.   Your Pop wanted to know all about the ship you flew in and why it didn’t have four engines.   I naturally had to straighten him out.   He also said that he was watching the moon and thinking of you Sunday night.        Mom isn’t mad at you.   She figured you didn’t have enough time as it was.   You know she would really have liked to have gone with you.        There are a million questions I’d like to ask but I’ll wait till you get home to ask them.   No sense in your spending all of your time writing letters.          It’s one of those fresh cool nights with a breeze.   T’wouldn’t tak...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nov. 27 10 AM 1945

Image
  Nov 27 10 am 1945       Dear Shirl,      Been trying for three days to think of what appropriate answers to write.   Not much success.        As you said, things are tough all over.   It’s my problem from now on I’ll keep it to myself. As to the rest of it, I won’t make any more promises and I’ll stop my dreaming.          My name is fourth from the top on the discharge list.   It may happen before February.   So far I’m still in the Bomb Group.   Should be transferred out this week.      What about Christmas cards to your grandparents and Mabel?   I don’t know their complete names or addresses.   It would be proper to send them wouldn’t it?        There isn’t much doing around here lately.   We’re scheduled for two one hour classes next week.   We’ve all been tinkering with woodcarving etc.   I made a jewelry box.   ...
Post a Comment
Read more