1:00 PM Jan 4, 1943
Hello Sweetheart:
My but I am a sad and lonely little girl. I got up this morning and started into your room to get you up when suddenly I realize you were gone, and I felt very empty and hollow.
I just arrived home from getting my pass and badge and am almost ready to leave for work.
After your train pulled out, your folks and I went back to Mable’s, where they had another lunch while I read – or tried to read the comic magazine with Dickie. Then we left for home. I don’t know whether you noticed or not, but the stars were very bright when you left. The reason your Mom wasn’t with us as you were walking back to the car you were riding in, was because her feet were too cold – Gosh that train was long. I thought we would never find you. Gee Honey, I sure did hate to see you go, but I’m not going to worry too much about you because I know you are working for the same thing I am. And I shall work very hard and save every penny I can and may be in August – – – –
I had a glorious time while you were here and will never be able to thank you for all the gifts, especially the chest. A nicer gift I’ve never had. Old jeepers, it’s hard to write after being able to see and talk to you again.
Please excuse me as I have run the bank for Daddy. By now – xxxxxxxxxx’s.
Hi, I’m back, Gee is it ever slippery, You bet!
Well Sweets, I guess I better close now and go eat. Goodbye for now. I will write again when I get home from work tonight and will be thinking of you every moment. I love you very much. Be careful and take care of yourself. Love and All my xxxxxxxxxx’s
Always “Your” Darlin’ Janie
Please don’t forget to wire. I love you more than very much.
Fun Fact: Acronyms or Initialism: Both terms refer to abbreviations made up of a set of capitalized letters (rather than a shortened word, e.g., Mrs.) The major difference between acronyms and initialisms is that an acronym can be (and is) pronounced as a single word, while an initialism is pronounced as a series of letters.
Tuesday Morning 1:15 AM, January 5, 1943
Hi Honey: Well I just arrived home from work had a hot cup of chocolate and am now writing to my Honey. The radio is on and is playing “There Will Never Be Another You” (There Will Never Be Another You ~Gordon-Warren, Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye, vocal by Nancy Norman ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdWa093Rwm0 – How true.
How are you? I hope this finds you well, happy, and not as lonesome as I am. You should be home and definitely back to work by the time you get this. When I went to work, I only told one girl, Waneta, about my ring and made her promise not to tell anyone because I wanted to see if the other kids would notice it (excuse me Honey, they’re playing “I’m Getting Tired So I can Sleep” I’m Getting Tired So I Can Sleep (1943) – Dinah Shore ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-qeNS_p2DM– How True).
Well to get back, we walked into the wing, everyone greeted me with all the usual gladness, then one of the inspectors spotted my ring. Four of the girls looked at it, congratulated me, and admired it immensely, then it was time to go back to our machines, and from then on, not an hour went by but what someone came over to look at and admire my ring. By 8 o’clock, everyone knew I was engaged and oh my, the excitement there was, for they all think I got secretly married. But everyone simply ranted over the ring. They all said what a good choice you (I mean you Honey) had in picking out a dainty one for my small hands. I was very happy and proud. Not one minute went by but what I thought of you, looking back on all the things we did in our 10 days and looking forward to working hard and saving my money and coming out and seeing you again in August, It seems so funny to be sitting here alone, writing a letter, instead of being with you and talking. I love you very much Harlan.
Rose called tonight and said she received a five-page letter from Dick saying he had been to China Town and up in the mountains and is just waiting for you to get back so’s you could get together.
In case he fails to reach you, his address is R. Hare S 2/C – Commissary Dept – A.N.T.S. – Barrack K. Treasure Island, CA.
Well my Sweets, I had better close as I am out of paper. I miss you more than ever and love you more yet.
Goodbye for now.
All my Love and xxxxxxxxxx’s Always “Your” Darlin’ Janie
Good Night Honey
Hurry and get those letters started – Please
Wednesday morning 1:15 AM January 6, 1943
Hi Honey:
Well I just arrived home from my second nights work. You should be very close to Frisco at this time.
How are you? I hope this finds you both well and happy. I miss you terribly. The radio is on and they are playing “Waiting All For You” or I guess its “Just Longing for you” – How true.
Well Honey, I have a different job. Two of the primer girls quit now or rather yesterday and they asked me to be one of the new ones and as it is a harder job and more dangerous and exciting I decided to take it. And it doesn’t give me so much time to think because I must keep my mind on the work constantly. That’s the job I told you about where the girls carry those primer trays full of primers and then put them or rather place them directly in the machine. So I feel a lot better as I almost went nuts on the machine last night and tonight. The things I thought about jeepers – they were beautiful thoughts but plain torture.
Come on Honey, get those letters started. It seems like ages since I’ve seen or heard from you.
How are all the boys at the yard? I sure hope everything was O.K. when you returned.
Oh I forgot to tell you, on this new job I have to where an asbestos suit, Safety shoes and safety glasses, helmet and under the helmet a bandanna. Boy what a mess. You bet!
Gee Darling, I sure do miss you. I come home at night and it’s so empty here.
Everyone admired my ring again tonight. They sure do like it and I love it. l think I’m the luckiest girl in the world to be engaged to a fellow like you. To know that you love me and I’m in love with you. In fact, I know I’m the luckiest girl in the world.
Well Sweets, I better close now as I’m very tired and I want to go to bed so I can see you in my dreams. I dreamt of you every night since you left. I love you very much.
Goodbye for now.
All my love and xxxxxxxxxx’s
Always “Your” Darlin’ Janie
PS Be careful
Thursday 3:00 PM January 6, 1943
Hi Honey:
Well, here I am again. This is my day off, so I am writing this afternoon instead of tonight. How are you? I hope O.K.
I didn’t get a letter yet, so I don’t have anything to answer or comment on, so I don’t know what I’m going to write about. I just washed my clothes and my hair and while fixing the shampoo thought about just a few days ago I was scrubbing your head.
I’m going to meet the girls tonight up at Boyce’s and have at Coke and tell them all about you and what we did and be happy because you were here, yet sad because it’s all over.
I wrote to Nana and Aunt Jenny and told them about our engagement.
Will you excuse me Honey while I run over to Toots for a while or rather a minute. Thanks a lot Harlan, I’ll be right back
( 15 min. later)
Hi, back again. Miss me? I miss you. I miss you terribly. I sure hope I get a letter tomorrow.
It’s stopped snowing and the ground is all white and clean like it probably looks up in the mountains.
I don’t know what I’m going to do about your Specials. I can’t get it up to the mailbox on Friday afternoon as I have to work and as we have no afternoon pickup, I’m at a loss to know what to do. But I’ll see what I can do. However you should get your Special Saturday night or shouldn’t get it until Monday morning, please try to understand. O.K? O.K! One will come sometime.
Well Sweets I guess I don’t have anything to write about so I will close. I love you very much and like you too.
Will write again tomorrow.
All my love and kisses
Always ‘Your” Darlin Janie
PS How does it feel to be back to work?
Thursday 1:15 AM January 7, 1943
Hi Fiancé: When you referred to me, you spell it fiancé – but you pronounce it the same.
How’s my Honey tonight? I hope this finds you well, happy and not as tired as I am. This new job is really a Lu-lu. I’m really quite willing to go to bed when I get home. It’s snowing very hard and is about 10 above zero.
Jeepers, I sure wish you were here Harlan. Do you still think of me at 8 o’clock like you used to? I think of you all the time, but I always send a message to you at 10 o’clock my time.
There isn’t a bit of news. Oh yes, your wire came through 7 AM this morning. Thanks a lot for remembering.
I called your Mom about 10:00 but as she wasn’t home. I told Marilyn; she was over there. Honey, did you make it plain to Opal that we told your Mom I didn’t know you were coming home?
I wrote to Von and Bud today and told them that we were engaged. Every time I look at my ring or think of myself being engaged to you I feel tingly inside, nice and warm and cozy. It sure is a nice feeling.
Honestly, I don’t have a thing to write about. I’ll try and get to the drugstore to get some film and take some pictures of the snow for you.
I miss you terribly. There is a big lump in my chest I can’t seem to get rid of and it’s because I miss you so. When I go to bed, I go over all the things we did, then I go over them again to see it I missed any small detail. I had a glorious time. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for coming home. The radio is on and they are playing “Head Over Heels in Love”, That’s me! (1930’s song by Webster Moore & His High Hatters ~ So Beat My For You (I’m Head Over Heels In Love”)
I keep wanting something and no matter what I eat drink or smoke I can’t control my desire because it’s your arms I want. I’m sorry Honey, it’s torture isn’t it? But jeepers, how can I wait until August? I don’t know but it looks like I’ll have to.
Your jacket is upstairs, and I’ll send it to the cleaners next week and will send it on to you O.K? O.K!
Well Sweets, I guess I better close and go to bed. I hate to but I’m very tired. I will write again tomorrow. Maybe I’ll get a letter from you tomorrow, I hope so.
Good buy for now, I love you very much and like you too.
All my Love and xxxxxxxxxxxxxx’s
Always “Your” Darlin Janie
Good Night Honey
PS Be careful
1:30 AM Thursday, January 7, 1943
Hello Darlin’:
Well here I am again. I just got off work and am writing to my one and only. This is the last page of the book so I will write on both sites.
The minute that I stepped on the train I started to miss you. When the train pulled out I just about died. I had a feeling I never want to have again.
It sure seemed funny welding tonight. About every fellow on the crew wanted to know how I like married life. I said that we didn’t get married. Frank, the helper wanted to know if we were going to get married on Easter now. I told him you were coming out in August and he said, “ Then you’ll get married.”
I’m sorry I didn’t write this morning, but I was really busy. As yet, I don’t know if I’m going to stay here or not so you can keep writing me at this address until I let you know.
Darling, I sure wish we had gotten married when I was home. I miss you so very much. Well, I seem to be running out of paper, so I had better close. I will get some more paper in the morning and write you a nice long letter when I get off work. I love you more than very much.
Love and XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Harlan
Thursday 10:15 PM January 7, 1943
Hi Honey:
Well here I am again. Are you getting tired of so many letters? I hope not because all I can think about is writing you.
I just arrived back from Boyce’s, notice the time? I heard two awfully cute jokes. Want to hear them O.K? I thought so anyway. O.K!
A moron went to see his girl and she didn’t have hardly any clothing on, and he didn’t like it, so he laughed and didn’t go back for many months and when he did she had a little more on. Get it. More on, Moran. Oh, you don’t think it’s funny, huh!
Well how’s this one? A moron got married and that night his wife said she had something she thought she wanted to tell him about her past life, but he said he loved her and trusted her very much and what was done in the past was done, but She said she would feel much better if she told him, so he said O.K. So she said, “Before you met me I was a prostitute.” He said that’s O.K. Honey, you go to your church and all go to mine.” – Well?
I’m sorry Honey if you didn’t like them, I just thought they were kind of cute.
There isn’t any news as usual. Twinkie had a lot to say about Jack and all his adventures and I told them all about you and Frisco, so between the two of us we kind of had the floor.
Well Sweets, this will be your Special, so I will close for tonight and finish it when I get up O.K? O.K! I love you very much and miss you terribly and think of you every minute.
Good Night Honey
Jeepers, I wish they were real, All my Love Janie
1:30 AM January 8, 1943
Hello Darlin’:
Well here it is another day closer to August and you “ forevermore” (I hope). When I got home tonight I received two letters from you. One Special that came right after I left for work and a regular letter. They were both perfect. I do wish though that you would have crawled in one of them, you could’ve come with it.
I’m glad everyone at plant like your ring. It sure means a lot to me.
Thanks for sending Dick’s address to me, I was going to ask you to send it. I will write him soon and see how soon he can get out so we could see each other. Syd is stationed at Treasure Island too. I got a letter from him and he says he’s going to try to get a pass for me so I could go out and visit him.
Please let me know if you got my wire or not. I sent it as a night letter, a little more in it than a wire. (the radio just started playing “I’m Getting Tired So I Can Dream” now they are playing “My Devotion” (Anne Shelton My Devotion ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdV7UbrQy5c). They’re not kidding.
I have to be at work early in the afternoon as they are showing some moving pictures on welding.
I have been fixing my own meals. It is kind of fun, but it gets tiresome. I will be glad you come out in August so we can –—– maybe. (I hope)
Another program just came on. they are playing “I am getting tired so I can’t sleep.” That song sure must be popular. It is with me anyhow.
Darling, I seem to be running out of words. In what I have written, I haven’t said anything.
I love you and miss you very much and love you more than ever. I hope you will forgive me for closing. I will try to write a longer one tomorrow after work.
I’m going to write to Dick then too.
Good night sweetheart. I love you very much. I miss you very much. I –?–– very much.
Love and XXXXXXXXX’s Harlan
Friday Morning 10 AM January 8 43
Good morning Honey. Jeepers, Momie and I both just woke up. We sure are lazy since you left, but – it took me three nights sleep to catch up on what I lost while you were here.
There isn’t any more news this morning than last night. I sure hope I get a letter this morning, which I should if you wrote Tuesday night.
I miss you terribly but then maybe you are getting tired of hearing that. No matter what I do it seems like I’ve been writing to a mirror all this week because of receiving no letters from you. Why didn’t you write on the train?
Well Sweets, the mailman is coming, and I want him to take this.
I love you very much and like you too.
All my Love and xxxxxxxxxx’s
“Your Darlin’ Janie
Johnny & Jane 