September 28, 1942
Hello Sweetheart,
Well here I am again well and – well I’m well. How are you? Me too (lonesome I mean) –Honey, there simply isn’t any news at all and what am I to write about? I received another letter from Neal requesting my presence at a dinner party and theater but nuts, I have that no desire to grant his request. By the way Sweets, have you seen any girls who interest you?
Harlan the next time you are near the jukebox play the piece “Just as Though You Were Here” (1942 HITS ARCHIVE: I Remember You – Jimmy Dorsey (Bob Eberly, vocal)) it fits my actions to a team. Gee Harlan, I wish I was there too, to sew on your buttons and patch your holes.
I just arrived home from town with the girls. We met Pat Sherman and two other fellows and had a Coke with them and that my dear is the first time I have ever sat next to a fellow since you left.
Please excuse the writing as I cut my hand at work today and had to go to First Aid. They must have a surplus of bandages as they sure were generous with them on me, so it’s kind of hard to write. It seems if you’re not hurt, either I don’t feel good or I’m hurt.
Honey, I put out 26,000 cases yesterday, which is 500 short of the record set in the wing, so I feel pretty good. I’m sure glad you liked the pictures. Momie is going to take more next week and I’ll send them.
I sent your ring today or rather tonight, so it will probably arrive about Friday or Saturday. I hope you like it. The pin you sent was or is darling, I wear it on my suit coat lapel.
Well Honey, I better go, this letter is a mess. Tomorrow I’m going to have them take some of these bandages off my hand and will be able to write better tomorrow night
All my love and xxxxxxxxxx’s “Your” Darlin’ Janie
PS Right now I would give almost anything for one of those kisses you like. I love you Honey
Tuesday 5:00 PM September 29, 1942
Hi Honey:
I just arrived home from work and found two letters waiting for me. Gee that was sure swell and both of them so long. One was written Sunday at 12 PM and the other Monday at 9 AM. I can’t understand about the letters last week because Honey, I wrote a letter every day except last Sunday, September 20 the date you called. You see, I write any time between 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM at night and if I write early enough, I run up to Forest with it and it goes out on the 11:00 PM plane. Otherwise it doesn’t go out until the 5:00 PM plane the next day. But I write every night and I always have and as long as our love lasts, I will no matter what.
My hand is somewhat better tonight. They took three quarters of the bandages off, so my writing is considerably better.
How are you? I hope fine.
It’s funny about your dreaming about me coming and surprising you because many a night I have laid in bed and thought how swell it would be to have the money to go and get on a plane (the 11:30 AM) and be waiting in your room at night when you come home from work, but Honey fall is here and next comes the snow and cold weather and then before you know it Christmas and I’ll be driving (if there is enough gas in the car) out to the airport to meet the man I love and you will step out of the plane and I’ll be standing at the gate for you to come and lock me in your arms. I haven’t had a fellow’s arms around me since you left and I am patiently waiting for the wonderful embrace after our separation of too many months. I miss you more than I can say and every night I kiss your picture good night and say to myself one more day gone and each day brings me closer to you Harlan.
I just talk to your Mom and she said Max’s Mother thinks that Max and Opal were married when he was out there so she, your Mom, wrote Opal telling her what Marvel said and Opal wrote back that she wasn’t and that when she did get married it would be with the whole family there and that if there were married they certainly wouldn’t be living apart. It’s plain to see that Opal plans to go through with her plan to have the baby, put it in a home and adopt it later. But Honey, that should convince you that there is nothing you can do about it because this was Opal’s chance to tell her Mom that she was married. So you better leave well enough alone. Are you sure about Opal being pregnant ?
Well Sweets, we’re going on to Dick’s for dinner, so I better go. I will write again tomorrow.
All my love and xxxxxxxxxx’s
“Your” Darlin’ Janie
PS Johnny says “Hi”
9 AM Wednesday, September 29, 1942
Hello Darlin’: Well here I am again. I hope you are fine and also miss me as much as I miss you. I saw the big dipper last night and the moon was out too. I wish you were here to see them with me instead of just thoughts and memories.
But they are the most wonderful thoughts and memories in the world there. There isn’t any news except that I didn’t get a letter yesterday or this morning.
I was kind of sick last night. I worked in the double bottom and I guess I got some galvanized down my throat and lungs. I took a steam bath and a hot shower before I went to bed. I feel pretty good now. Today is a cloudy one today so far. Yesterday it was swell but quite windy. I was out to the beach when I wrote the last letter. I am getting a nice even slow tan. By the way, you told me you would tell me your bowling score and then you backed out. I’ll tell you whether they are bad or worse. I’m going bowling tonight, I think. This morning I’m going down to see “Wake Island”. I wish you would go with me so I could clasp your hand in mine. After the show if you go with me, I won’t go to work. We will have dinner and then dance a while. After we dance, we will drive up to our hill and talk a little and xoooxoxxooxooxoxoxxooxxooxxoo. Do you get what it means?
Sometimes I realize I know for sure that I can’t stand this much longer. At least until Christmas I will try to hold out. I love you and miss you so much, I am sorry to make this so short.
PS Write soon
Love and xxxxxxxx’s Harlan
Thursday 1:30 AM September 30, 1942
Hello Darlin’:
Well here I am again. Where are you? I didn’t get a letter Tuesday or Wednesday. The one I got Monday. Were all sent out last week? I hope I get one in the morning and I also hope nothing is wrong. If there is, please let me know. I’m going up to Sacramento on Sunday. I’m going to take the bus. It only cost me $3.75 round-trip. The following Sunday or the one after that I will see if Opal will take the bus here to see me.
Darlin’, it is awfully hard for me when I don’t get any letters from you. You know how it was when I was giving settled here and I had a hard time writing. I would rather have one letter a day than six letters one day and none for a couple of days. There’s must be some explanation because I know you wouldn’t do it on purpose.
Have my letters been reaching you all right? Please let me know. I love you very much Janie, more than anything on earth. The main reason I’m out here is to earn some money so that we can be married, and I can afford to give you the kind of life you deserve. I’ve been true and as faithful as anyone could possibly be. A lot of fellows here at the boarding house have been fired because they laid off work too many days. They would go out on an all-night drunk and then sleep most the day. They have asked me to go out with them a great many times, but I refused as I know I should. I am kind of tired, so I think I had better close. I will finish in the morning. I love you.
Good night Darlin’, Love and xxxxxxxxxx’s Harlan
I will answer the letter I get in the morning too. (I hope!)
Good morning Darlin’. Well here I am again. I have no news that I didn’t say last night except that I can’t answer the that letter I was supposed to get this morning, because I didn’t get one. It isn’t human, that’s what it isn’t. I hope I get one when I get home from work. Someday I’m liable to get mad and go up and send you some train tickets or money and just tell you to come out. If I had a little more gumption. I probably would.
The sun is out again today so I think I will go out to the beach and lay in the sun again. I went to a show yesterday morning I saw “Wake Island” and “Priorities on Parade. ” They were both very good.
Well I better close for I am running out of words. I love you very much.
Love and xxxxxxxxxx’s Harlan
Johnny & Jane 