June 3, 1945
June 3, 1945
My Darling,
I'm afraid we are just about stuck out. There are many odds against us and a couple of them can't be licked. I remember once when I was in fourth grade. The teacher was getting married and quitting her job so they threw a small party for us. She ordered ice cream for the class and it was to be delivered. When it was delivered there wasn't quite enough so two kids had to wait. I was one of the kids. When more ice cream finally came it was not only more ice cream but it had chocolate syrup too. I'm going to believe that that's how it's going to be with us. No matter where I go from here I'm going to see you again before I go over seas. I'm sure of that.
I've been doing some more checking here. It would be impossible to get a plane out of here Sunday night. There are defense plants, an arsenal and a B29 plant here and you'd have to get a high priority to fly. You have to have reservations at least a couple of weeks in advance to get on the afternoon zephyr so that would leave only the morning trains Sunday if you wanted to be at work Monday. If you couldn't leave Chicago till Saturday we wouldn't even have 24 hours together. Aside from all that they have started to ship B29 crews today and there's a very slim chance I'd still be here Saturday. You'd be worrying about your mother and I would too. I would have to check the field every couple hours to see if I was alerted and we just wouldn't be free. If this is to be our last time together I think we should be free from all worries and just have it you and me.
It would have been swell in Omaha if we had had a couple of days. Maybe the next field will be just as swell and maybe we can have more than a couple of days.
I'll most likely be sent further west from here - possibly Arizona or New Mexico. If I'm there long enough maybe you can spend your vacation somewhere close to the field. You might be able to get Margie or Lu to go with you. I know you wanted to go to Mexico this year and it's not good to put things off but If you're willing to come to wherever I am I'll make sure you get to Mexico someday. There are a lot of things to be figured out if you did come but we could manage them. We can't do much planning now but you let me know if you want to and when your vacation is, and when I find out where I'm going and how long it will be for and what kind of a place it is we'll arrange something. If that won't work out we'll rent a private plane if we have to and fly anywhere in the country. I've got to see you again.
Ya know, I'm a screwball ! I stayed in today because I knew your letter would come. As soon as the mail room opened up I got it. Then I hooked a ride into town on an ice cream truck and rented a room at the Y.M.C. A. for 75 cents. I don't want to stay all night but I just had to be alone when I wrote to you. I felt I couldn't write to you with the radios blasting and a thousand guys running around. I feel closer to you when I'm alone.
My room is quite elegant. It's about as big as the downstairs bathroom at your father's house. The walls are a dull pink with polka dotted finger prints all over. The table I'm writing on is chipped brown and it shakes. The floor is two toned grey blocked linoleum and slightly on the dusty side. The bed is sort of sagging in the middle and it has a faded blue cover on it. The chair is a chipped green and on the unstable side. There's a rusty waste basket with a hundred dents in it next to the dresser. I think the dresser is maple and I think it's either hand carved or evenly scratched up. The mirror of course doesn't match it but it has a very handsome blue cord so that makes up for it. Throw them all together and you have my mansion. Whoops, forgot something. There a last years calendar from Northwestern Railroad and a cutout from esquire of a pretty girl. See, I got etchings too!
I wonder what the clerk will think when I check out a couple of hours after I checked in. I'll act mysterious when I leave and confuse him.
That was doggone nice of Bill to go through all that trouble. You have my permission to pat him on the left cheek gently.
Snow is expected any day now around these parts. I wish I had my red flannels along. I tried to build a fire yesterday but the captain said I shouldn't do it again on account of it's against regulations to use barrack doors for kindling wood. He sure is a fussy guy.
Sure wish there was a thermos bottle full of coffee on the dresser. Sure wish you were gonna pour the coffee. Golly I miss you right now. I always miss you but sometimes I feel that you're very close but I can't quite reach far enough. One good thing though - It's a lot better missing you than it would be never even knowing you.
I was hoping awfully hard that everything would work out for next weekend but that old inside feeling wasn't so sure.
We'll swing some kind of a deal though. In the meantime I'll be remembering and dreaming. We sure have some wild times in my dreams.
Gee, I've been alone with you for three hours. It was swell. I love you so very much in so very many ways.
Your guy
Ray