Sunday noon – 1 PM February 7, 1943
Hi Honey:
Jeepers I just got up, that shows how tired I was last night. I didn’t write last night either Honey, please I’m sorry.
I forgot tell you, I have a wedding cigar for you, Leslie gave it to me. I just heard a special broadcast. No more shoes bought, only three pairs to a person a year and it goes into effect at 3 PM today.
Well, I am imagine you and Dick are right in the thick of it by this time. Sure hope you have fun.
Your Special came about 10:00 this morning but Momie didn’t call me, so I just read it. That’s a dirty shame about your welding. I hope you get your pay. That just goes to show you, you’re too fast for them Honey. I wrote you Sunday night after work telling you about the phone call. Telling you how much I enjoyed it and telling you thanks 1 million for the call. How good it was to hear your voice and also telling you how sorry I was that we talked so long that you had to pay so much – as did I?
Momie’s’ Special came at 10:00 too and also a Special from Dick. Aren’t we the popular ones though? To get back, honestly Harlan, Momie was so thrilled over your letter, she was all excited to think you had written her. She is very fond of you Honey, more than you know, thanks a million. It made her very happy and me too.
In Dick’s letter to Chuck yesterday he said some pretty swell things about you Honey, but I don’t think I’ll tell you because you might get the bighead. I doubt it though.
Well Sweets, it’s getting late and I still have eat and get ready. I love you so very much and miss you terribly.
Love and xxxxxxxxxxxxxx’s “Your” Darlin’ Janie
11:30 PM Sunday, February 7, 1943
Hello Darlin’:
Well here it is, another day closer to August and the sweetest girl in the world. I’m sorry I didn’t write last night but I was just dead tired. Dick was coming in early this morning we could go out and play golf. I woke up at 8:30 and it was just pouring down, so I rolled over and went back to sleep. About 11:00, Dick phoned and said for me to meet him at the post office at 1:00, I had to grab a bite of breakfast, take a shower, and get dressed. I got down there right on the dot. It had stopped raining out, but it was cold, windy, and still cloudy. We went into a restaurant and had dinner and then we went up and shot some pool. We then went to see a show called ‘Casablanca’ with Humphrey Bogart in it. Don’t see it if it should come there as it is no good.
We bought some popcorn and fed most of it to the seagulls and the pigeons at the courthouse. Dick thought he had better get back to that island, so he left about 8:30. I didn’t want to come out here and be by myself, so I walked up Market to Dempsey’s and talked with Junior and Mrs. Dempsey. Then Junior and I went up and bowled two games and then I came home. Your Special was here waiting for me when I got here. It was an awful nice one. Especially the part that said “maybe in August we can make it” I always think that same thing as you do – why can’t she be out here with me now just as well as a year from now, and I wonder if we’ll be better off if we wait or if you come out. Everything is or seems so mixed up when we are apart. I believe Christmas time was the first time since I left that I have really been content.
Well Darling, I guess I had better close for right now as I have to be at the dentist in the morning. I will continue when I get up or when I get back from the dentist. I love you very much Darling and I want you to know that I am living and hoping and praying for the day when I see you again.
Good night Sweetheart. Love & xxxxxxxxxxxxxx’s Harlan
Good morning Darling, well how is my little darling this morning? The way I feel, it is that for two cents, I’d come on home. I guess I had better close now as I might say something I shouldn’t, anyway I only have a half an hour to get down to the dentist. I love you very much.
Love & xxxxxxxxxxxxxx’s Harlan
Tuesday morning, 1:00 AM Feb. 9, 1943
Hi Honey:
Well here I am again. Glad? I hope so. I’m kind of all alone and lonely tonight, Momie is mad at me. Right off the bat, I want to apologize for that letter last night. I guess I was feeling kind of sorry for myself yesterday, thinking of you all day having all that fun and when I got off work I was so tired that when the fellows said they would like to stop for a minute I said O.K. Well, I forgot all Momie and when I arrived home she had called Tom’s wife and it made me mad and she was mad at me for stopping and we kind of got in to it and I told her that I was old enough to make my out on my living and work and I was old enough to stop for a minute after work. And then I guess I had a guilty conscious for stopping because I knew you wouldn’t like it.
Well anyway, Momie said if I felt that way about it I was old enough to do other things for myself so tonight she didn’t get up as she usually does when I come home from work. But that’s enough of this sad stuff.
How are you? I hope fine. I received two letters today, both of them were swell. I also got one of my letters back, one of mine to you I mean. It was addressed wrong, it was written Sunday night, the one in which I told you about the phone call. I’m awfully sorry because those two misaddressed letters caused you to go two days without mail, so I will send this one Special, maybe that will make up for it in a small way.
I still haven’t talk to your Mom.
The stars are very bright night again and there is a new moon, about 8:00 o’clock it was beautiful, and I looked out West and then the sun was just almost down and just above all of that red was the new moon. Jeepers, I wondered just exactly what you were doing. I miss you so much Harlan and when I’m tired and I’m and alone it’s so much worse and I guess tonight is one of those times. You write me when you’re blue so can’t I write you too? Because I guess that it, I’m blue and lonely for you. If only we were together. Harlan, I will tell you now instead of waiting for you to hear about your deferment. Would you like to be married in November instead of January? I could come out in August as planned then come back and work until 1 November and then you come get me about the 20th. That would give me three months for us to really get ready and then we would be together Christmas time. If we wait until January we will be apart at Christmas time. Now Harlan, don’t just write (excuse me please, but Harry James is playing “I Had The Craziest Dream” His Orchestra, Helen Forrest vocal ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKjpoMqJrPw) and say that a swell idea if you like it. I want your ideas too. Now what do you think?
Well Sweets, its 1:30 so I better get to bed, so maybe I’ll be lucky enough to dream of you. I love you.
Love and xxxxxxxxxxxxxx’s “Your” Darlin’ Janie
Now they are playing “Precious Dreams Sweetheart”
Good night Honey
1:00 AM February 9, 1943 Tuesday
Hello Darling:
Well here it is another day closer to August and you. I received your letter with the cake. Yes, I will sleep on it (excuse me the radio is playing Harry James “I Dad The Craziest Dream”.
(Note the date/time stamp on Jane’s letter above ~ Tuesday morning 1:00 AM Feb 9., 1943)
Boy that lipstick and perfume sure smells good. I wish it didn’t come from so far away. I’m sorry my letters seemed perfectly terrible to you, but I can’t help the way I feel. For the past week or so I can’t seem to get you off of my mind. Almost every place I go, everything I do, everything I say, or hear reminds me of you in some sort of way. The radio is always playing songs that remind me of you and of things we used to do. All the time at work, I keep thinking to myself how nice it is going to be when we get married. I’ll never have to go home and be alone again. You will always be there to meet me. We can have a midnight lunch and I can sit with you on the davenport and look at you all night I want to. I’ll never be alone on my Sundays off again. To be able to see children, I won’t have to go to someone else’s home and because I’ll have some of my own. You see Darling, that is why I can’t help the way my letters sound, I write just what I feel.
I was down to the dentist before work today. My teeth are all fixed now except for the cleaning and one filling has to be ground down a little bit.
I also bought you something downtown. I hope you get it before Sunday. If you do get it before Sunday, I don’t want you to open it until Sunday morning. When you see it, you will see how much or rather imagine how much fun I had buying it. It is quite a bit different than anything I have ever bought for you. In fact I have never gotten you anything like it before, it isn’t much, but I think you will like it. Please let me know what you think about it and how much fun I had buying it. Will you?
The stars and moon are out tonight. It is the first time for about a week. The Big Dipper is out towards the East. It looks like it should be about right over your house.
I’m sorry about not being able to take any pictures Sunday, but there will be more Sundays.
Well Darling, I guess I better close. I will tell you what I dreamt in the morning.
I love you so very, very much.
Love & xxxxxxxxxxxxxx’s Harlan
Good morning Darling, Well the sun is out, and it is a beautiful day out, it is still cold, but it will probably be warm up quite a bit, I hope. There isn’t any news, so I don’t know what else I’m going to write about, so I guess I’d better close. I love you very much and miss you something terrific. I’m living for you and you alone.
Love & xxxxxxxxxxxxxx’s Harlan
Wednesday morning 1:30 AM February 10, 1943
Hi Honey:
I just arrived home from work. Kind of late but this was Don’s day off and had to ride with someone else. He’s is a superintendent and has to stay later than we do, so we had to wait.
How are you? I hope you are you just fine. The radio is on and “Somewhere Sometime” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_hYDZiewmU) is being played by Kay Kaiser. I didn’t get a letter today, darn that mail. Hope nothing’s wrong. Work went on as usual. Just think a year from now, I’ll be sitting home waiting for you to get off of work so I can go down to meet you. Maybe I’ll be writing to Momie and Daddy instead of you. Jeepers, what a change, but what a life it will be with you for ever and ever, a dream come true, our dream.
There isn’t any news and no questions to answer, so here I am at lost to know what to say. I miss you more and more every day. It doesn’t seem possible, but it is. Every night I say one more day gone, one more closer to Harlan, to my Harlan. What I feel for you is something that’s hard to put into words. All I can say is I love you. This is getting kind of mushy, but I do.
The weather has been perfect. Nice and sunny sun shining. Sunday I go on days and I’ll be glad because I’ll have the evening, yet not so glad because I won’t be on the same shift issue as you. I get off of work at 12:00k Saturday night and have to be back at 8:00 Sunday morning, so if I don’t write Saturday please try to understand.
Dinah Shore is singing “Miss You” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q55Am5RTtkg). Remember that week you were out of town all week for Herman M Brown and that Saturday night we went to Babe’s and you played ‘Miss You’ on the Nickelodeon and I let you kiss me right there – Harlan, we have had so much fun together. I’ll never forget that.
Well Harlan, I better go now. I’ll write you again tomorrow.
Love and xxxxxxxxxxxxxx’s “Your” Darlin’ Janie
1:30 AM February 10, 1943 Wednesday
Hello Darling:
Well here it is another letter and another day closer to August and you.
I forgot to tell you that I slept on the cake, and that was the first time I haven’t so much as dreamed a dream for some time. I’m going to try it again tonight.
There was a package here waiting for me when I came home. Darn you, why did you have to send me it’s so soon? Now I have to sit and look at it for four days before I’ll know what’s in it. I was just kidding about the darn you, I’ll let you know how I like it in my letter Sunday or Saturday night after work. I do think it will be Sunday morning when I get home from work, so I think I will open it then.
There were three letters that came just before I left for work. They were really two letters with one inside of one, that letter sure did some traveling. I will answer your questions in them.
January 31 – Darling, I’ve only missed a half day since I started, not counting Christmas. That half a day I missed was when I forgot my badge and they wouldn’t let me in. I had to go clear back to my room and then come back at 7:00, that is dinnertime. Yes, it will be a very, very happy day when we can say “So and So, I want you to meet my husband or wife.” But Darling, I was at work the night you went out and looked at the stars and tried to picture me standing on the deck. (Excuse me the radio is playing “I’m Getting Tired So I Can Sleep”.) Most of the fellows, here at the house, work days and who ever answered the phone probably thought I was working days also. So when they couldn’t find me at home, they just said “he isn’t home.” So much for that letter.
Feb 6 – Yes, I like the “Ink Spots” very well. I saw them at the Golden Gate Theatre some time ago. They are very good. Yes, I forgive you for not writing some nights when you come home. I know exactly how you feel sometimes. I have felt the same way a lot of times, (every night about this time). I’ll let you know as soon as I opened the package how I like it. But you are going to have to wait about 7 days before you find out how I like it. I only have to wait 4 days.
Now, now here we go again. Why can’t you tell me what this other plan is? I was in to see the selective service> They told me to come back about the week of the 22nd. Can’t you tell me before then? Please! Yes, Herman is still holding out for us. He will be here in August when you get here. I haven’t driven him since the first day Dick came in to see me. That was over 2 weeks ago. Well. so much for that letter.
February 7, Darling I didn’t get that letter you wrote last week after our telephone conversation. I received three letters last week. This is the way they came; Sunday no letter, Monday 1 Special, Tuesday no letter, Wednesday no letter, Thursday 1 letter, Friday 1 letter, Saturday no letter. I don’t know what could happen to them. I’m awfully glad your Mother liked the Special. Well Darling, I guess that is care of it. I love you very much and miss you terribly. I will finish in the morning and let you know if I dream over the wedding cake.
Good night Sweetheart Love and xxxxxxxxxx’s Harlan
Good morning you lovely creature, Wow! What a dream! Remind me to tell you sometime (after we’re married). There isn’t any news, so I don’t know what else to write about. The sun is out, and it is a beautiful day. It should warm up quite a bit. The golf course should be dry pretty soon. I may go out tomorrow morning before work.
Well Darling, before I close I will say I love you very much. I wish you were here with me now because I miss you so much.
Love & xxxxxxxxxxxxxx’s Harlan
Thursday morning 1:15 AM February 10, 1943
Hi there you!
Well to start with, no letter today again, this is getting to be a habit, a bad one. There is one of three reasons; the mail is off, you were too busy Saturday and Sunday night or – you are sick, now which is it? If I don’t get one tomorrow, I will really start worrying. Or are you mad at me? I can’t help it Harlan, every time I don’t hear from you, I think of those men you told me about who suffocated in the bottom of the ship. So if you’re too busy one night at least try and get a line off the next one O.K? O.K!
The radio is on and they are broadcasting from somewhere near the Golden Gate Bridge in Frisco, I’ll see if I can catch the name of the place.
How are you? I wouldn’t know. Boy, there I go again.
We had fun at work tonight, they sent a notice around (excuse but they are broadcasting from the Palace Hotel. Do you know where it is? You should.) saying that we had to have every strand of hair under our hair nets, so Marianne and I took our nets and put it over our heads like a helmet and then put our helmets on. We even put it over our faces, well everyone else got a kick out of it, and my boss just about had a fit. Laughing I mean. Am I boring you?
Still haven’t talk to your Mom. I’m going out with the girls tomorrow, it’s the first time I’ve seen them for three weeks. We are going to see a show, I guess, anyway they’re taking me because I’m broke.
Well Sweets, three pages and nothing said so I’d better close. Hope I hear from you tomorrow. If I don’t, I just don’t know whether to come out and see what’s wrong or simply send a wire.
Good night for now.
Love and xxxxxxxxxxxxxx’s “Your” Darlin’ Janie
PS Sometimes I love you, sometimes I hate you, but when I hate you it’s because I love you – Write!
Friday morning 1:15 AM February 12, 1943
Hi Honey:
Well, here I am again. I received two letters today, so I feel a lot better about the situation, the one told me of the same thing you bought me and I’m all excited. I can hardly wait until it gets here. I’ll let you know as soon as it comes. I also got a letter from Dick today telling me of Sunday. I’m awfully sorry it didn’t turn out the way you planned, but I’m sure you will get a big kick out of going to the island Sunday. On the back of Dick’s letter was a S. W. A. K., now I wonder where he got that? You didn’t let him read any of my letters did you? If he tries, tell him I said no. Those are your personal property. (The radio is on “You Are To Me Everything”) I went to see Star-Spangled Rhythm tonight.
If it comes out there you must go Harlan, it’s very good and funny. I was going to see Casablanca but followed your advice and didn’t.
Harlan, you didn’t tell me you what you dreamt when you slept on the cake. Harlan, please don’t misunderstand me, if you feel blue and lonely and meant to write to me the way you feel, please do, because I like it, honestly I do. It gives me the feeling we should have of sharing not only our happiness but also our troubles. I know when I’m blue, I write to the affect and sometimes it helps, a lot.
I like being called Little Darling. Yes Honey, you will never have to be alone again after we’re married, I will always be there to do what I can. And we will be so happy. Just think, always together, two beautiful words which mean almost everything to us. I miss you so much and when I think of you, I get a big lump in my throat, so I have a lump there most of the time.
This is if February 12th, three and a half years ago tonight, I met you. I still say 12 is my lucky number. The half way mark on our fourth year, six months from tonight we will be together on our fourth anniversary of happiness, a half a year, well that isn’t too long. By the way, have you inquired about your deferment and what about income tax? Please answer.
Well Sweets, I’m getting sleepy, so I guess I better go now. I love you so much Harlan. I wish I was a poet so I could write a long poem for you or a writer so I could write a love song expressing how I feel.
Good night Honey.
Love and xxxxxxxxxxxxxx’s “Your” Darlin’ Janie
PS If what I sent you doesn’t fit please send it back and I can get a larger size, now please. You know your fitting; I’ll be awfully disappointed if I get out there and it’s too small.
Love Janie
1:30 AM February 12, 1943 Friday
Hello Darlin’:
Well here it is another day closer to August and you. I’m sorry for not writing after work last night but I didn’t feel so good, I guess I breathed a little too much galvanized. The weather here is absolutely perfect. Just like summer, only warm instead of hot. I had to stop in at the hospital tonight to have my eyes treated. I got some dust and slag in them today. They washed them. I didn’t get a letter today, but I got a Special yesterday. I had better answer your questions before I fall asleep. I’m sorry about you and your Mom getting into it. I feel pretty good now except that I’m about half asleep. I made out tonight. I ran about 117 feet. I should make out pretty good on it. I know just how you feel when you are tired and alone. There is a cute little cottage and by the out by the Golden gate Bridge for rent. If you were, here I think we would rent it. I think your idea is swell about getting married, but I think it will make an awfully lot of unnecessary traveling. We might be able to use some of the money we would’ve spent for transportation, to a big advantage someday soon. The time and money we would spend would be over $300. There must be a little less expensive way to do it. I don’t want to throw a damper or anything but I’m going to tell you something now then you won’t be so disappointed later if it should happen. There’s a big chance that I may not get another deferment. There is a lot of write ups in the paper about how many men the Army needs, and I may have to go. If I don’t get a deferment, we may not be able to be married until after the war is over (I hope not).
Well Darling, I guess I had better close for the night. I will finish in the morning. Ho Humm, I am almost asleep now. I love you very much.
Good night Sweetheart
Love & xxxxxxxxxxxxxx’s Harlan
Good morning Darling:
Well here it is another beautiful day – without you. I have to go down to the dentist today for the last time.
It was too bad the weather had to be like it was Sunday. I’m very sorry I couldn’t show Dick a better time. Well Darling, I guess I’d better get down to the dentist. I will finish this letter when I get back.
I love you so very much.
Well I’m back and everything is all over now and I am ever glad. There isn’t any news, so I don’t know what else to I’m going to write about.
If the weather is like it is now Sunday, it will be a swell day for golf. Will you excuse me for a couple of minutes I will see if there is any mail today. Then I can answer your questions in this letter. Okay? Okay! Now don’t go away.
Yes, there were two letters, one from you and one from the folks. You don’t seem to have many questions. Yes, I remember the week I was gone for a whole week, while working for Brown’s. I also remember a good many other things. The fun we used to have when ever we were together. Our trips in Herman.
I’m sorry but I’m going to have to close and get to work. It is 1:35 and I have to leave about 2:00.
Love & xxxxxxxxxxxxxx’s Harlan
Saturday morning 1:15 AM February 13, 1943
Hi Honey:
Well here I am again, and on Sunday morning. I hope, but then I don’t suppose you will get it until you come home from the island. Did you have a good time? Write and tell me all about it, will you? O.K!
Well today was payday and this week $10 goes in the bank or I will know the reason why! How is your account coming along?
Darling, Peck is married, she was married in Texas last week and is back now. It was in the paper tonight.
How are you? I didn’t get him letter again today. I sure wish they wouldn’t get the mail situation straightened out. By the way, how are my letters coming through?
Work went along as usual tonight. Worked good and hard, so I am good and tired. Tomorrow night, or rather tonight as this really early Saturday morning, I get off at 12:00 and have to be back at 8:00 AM Sunday morning. I’ll try to write at least a line however.
I should get my package in the morning, I sure hope so. I can hardly wait. I’ve been trying to think all day what it could be, and I can’t imagine what it can be but ever it is, I know it will be swell coming from you.
Gosh, there isn’t any news and I would like to make this a long letter as it is a Special.
Well let me see, I could tell you how much I love you, but I know I love you with all of my heart. I could tell you how much I miss you, how terribly lonely I get sometimes and how much I am looking forward and living for next August and then again I could tell you how swell you are, how much I like your nice blue eyes and blond hair and your nice laugh, how kind you are and how lucky I am to have a perfect perfectly swell fellow like you in love with me, but then I would only be telling you something you already know, so I guess I’ll just have to close.
Happy Valentine’s Day Honey, and I hope you have a swell time. I’ll be thinking of you every minute. Goodbye for now
Love & xxxxxxxxxx’s Always “Your” Darlin’ Janie
1:45 AM Saturday, February 13, 1943
It is the day before Valentine’s and also one more night until I can open a present from my sweetheart.
Hello Darlin’:
Well here it is another day closer to August and the most wonderful girl in the world. I’d better tell you of a mistake I made in the last letter I wrote you. I addressed it a little different. I was thinking to myself how nice Mrs. J Harlan Berhow was going to sound. I unconsciously wrote it down and I didn’t notice it until I put it in the mailbox. Then it was too late to do anything about it. Well heck, I guess I didn’t want to, even if I could.
The day has been another beautiful day. The night is nice and warm out and the stars look like big silver dollars. It seems as though you could reach write up and pick them out of the sky. The Big Dipper is up there and is as big, bright, and proud as can be. Our Soldier of Stars is right across the heavens from the Big Dipper. The moon is bright, and it will probably be up another perfect day. And you, are 2100 miles away. Right now I feel as though I would like to take you, and Herman and drive out Golden Gate Park and park. Wonderful days we used to have. I’ll never forget how hard I tried to teach you to swim and dive. You would almost always take a good belly flop. One good thing about you is that there aren’t very many things you won’t try. I love you very much just for that one thing. Then there are thousands of other reasons that I love you so much. I would tell them to you, but I haven’t very much paper left.
I sure wish that you were out here now, what a time we could have. The day after today is another Sunday closer to you. The time seems to be going awfully fast doesn’t it? It wouldn’t hurt my feelings any if it would hurry a little faster though. I sure wish I knew whether or not I could get another deferment or not. It would sure help matters a lot if I knew.
There isn’t any news, so I don’t know what else to write about. I guess I had better close and finish in the morning. I love you more than you’ll ever know.
Good night Darlin’
Love & xxxxxxxxxxxxxx’s Harlan
(Soldier of Stars may be ‘Orion’ The Hunter. Orion was a Greek Hero and Army God, which created officers and soldiers; huge, terrible, and powerful, marching through many lands, subduing barbarian nations)
Good morning Darlin’:
As I said last night, it is a beautiful day. Since last night I don’t have any news, so I don’t know what else to write about.
I wish I knew how to write a letter Special for my little girl, but I guess I just don’t have it in me.
Tonight when I get home I’m going to open the package I got. I can’t figure out what is it is, and it really has me guessing.
Darn it, I sure wish I could write a good letter. I can’t seem to put in the right words how I feel and what I want and how much I love you. I sure will be glad we get married. I wish it were tomorrow.
Well my sweet, I guess I had better close and get this in the mail. I love you so much it hurts me inside Love & xxxxxxxxxxxxxx’s Harlan
Johnny & Jane 