Flea Market Love Letters

France

Dear Florence, 

I am writing a few lines, to let you know that I am feeling fine, and hoping you are feeling the same. 

I received two beautiful letters from you today that were dated Jan. 13 + Feb. 11, and I was very happy to hear from you. 

Everything is about the same over here, the only changes are the weather. It gets very cold at nights here. 

I didn’t receive any letters from Eddie for some time now, but I will write him a letter soon. 

I saw Vince for about two weeks, then I moved away from him, I don’t know where he is now.

My wife is still on the States, she is stationed in Texas, she is going to stay in the States. She is getting along just fine, but she is always worrying about me. 

Boy I sure would love to get back to see her. It’s been a long time since I saw her or the family. 

I never think of the holidays, we never have any up here where I am at, I will have all my holidays when I get back. Well I must close now. 

Hoping to hear from you soon. 

Your Cousin, 

France

Dear Florence, I am writing a few lines to let you know that I received your beautiful letter today. That was dated Feb. 1, and I was very happy to hear from you again. 

I am very sorry for not writing to you any sooner but we are pretty busy and I couldn’t find much time to write everybody, I got around to you letter and it just came to my mind that I haven’t answered your letter. I hope you will forgive me when you don’t receive a letter for a long time from me I am very glad to hear that everybody is feeling fine at home, because it finds me about me the same. 

When you write to Eddie, tell him I am sorry I could not write to him. 

The weather isn’t so very good, is very cold. I saw VInce the other day, he is sure funny, he’s about as busy as I am, I’ll be glad when this war is over, so we cann get back home to our families. 

May God Bless You All, 

Your Cousin, 

France 

Dear Florence: 

I am writing a few lines to let you know that I am feeling fine + hoping you are feeling the same. 

I received your package about a week ago but couldn’t answer telling you that I received it. Thanks a lot for the package, the cookies were good, they really hit the spot We were about on ration at the time + when your cookies came, they really help a lot. I hope you will forgive me for not writing sooner, I have so many things on my mind and I didn’t feel like writing. 

But now i feel a little better, I talked to Vince the other day + he asked me if I receive any letters from you lately + I told him no, the only thing I received was a package. 

Our mail isn’t coming to us regular now, it must be held up somewhere. But I sure hope it reaches us soon. 

The weather here is good even here, one moment it rains + the next moment it's snowing it sure is very cold. I must close now. 

Dear Florence, 

I am writing a few lines to let you know that I am feeling fine + hoping you are feeling the same. 

I received your beautiful card + was very glad to receive one from you, but I am sorry I couldn’t send you one, they were very hard to get at the time. 

I am also sorry I couldn’t write to you any sooner, I’ve been pretty busy and couldn’t write to you, I hope you forgive me for not writing sooner. 

Well the holidays are over now, I sure hope you had a nice time during the holidays as for myself I didn’t have a good time at all, it really didn’t seem like Christmas. I didn’t know it was Christmas all two days. So you can imagine what a time I had, I’ve been so funny I didn’t get time to write anyone. 

So I am trying to catch upon my letter writing today. 

I sure wish this letter finds you in the best of health + may God Bless You. 

I saw Vincent a couple of days ago, he is stationed close by.

Your Cousin, 

Somewhere in France 

Dear Florence, 

I received your letter yesterday and was very glad to hear from you, I am sorry I couldn’t answer you letter yesterday. 

Because I received bad news from home yesterday. My father is very sick + they don’t expect him to live very long. They are trying to get me an emergency furlough through the Red Cross. The Red Cross send a telegram over to me already but I haven’t received it yet, My father’s one desire is to see me before he dies. So I am hoping that emergency furlough comes through. So you can imagine how much it has upset me. Tell Eddie I am sorry I couldn’t write to him. BUt I will write as soon as I get a little more time. I didn’t see Vince for a long time now, I guess I will see him before long. 

Well I must close now, hoping this letter finds you in the best of health.

May God Bless You All, 

Your Cousin, 

North Africa

Dear Florence + Sonny, 

Have a little free time during the noon hour so I thought I’d drop you a line. Received a little mail yesterday my first in a little while. One of them was very welcomed cause it contained a picture that I’ve been waiting for quite awhile now. Pretty nice so now I can sit back and day dream.  I do a lot of that and that isn’t kidding. 

We were in town yesterday and had ourselves a nice time. Fooled around with several babes that spoke fairly good English. What a line they hand out. Had another stage show last night which I missed, btu it wasn’t to hot. 3rd one in the past two weeks which is unusual. We have a pretty good movie for tonight called Address Unknown so I will see it, probably.

I hear from Frankie yesterday. Seems he is really getting some of that old Navy life. That’s a new and big career joke that he is on so he should be having it pretty nice. In fact he did mention that it had every thing that Norfolk didn’t have. I wouldn’t mind being abroad one of those jokes for awhile. Not for to long cause it would probably get monotonous as it has here. I’ll be glad to get out of here before the cold and rain steps in. Once is enough in my way of looking at it. 

Still haven’t heard from Leonard and its been a little while now since I wrote. Have you had anything back either. I guess things are a little more difficult up there than we both imagine. I haven’t heard from Vicky either in quite a while. I’m always cautious where in what I write about so it may be that she has been transferred to some other base. She did mention that once if I remember correctly. 

Any thing new back home. Hope everything is fine at home and at work. How is Sonny making out in school. He should be rather well used to it now. Give him my regards  and wishes and also to everyone else. Best of every thing.

Love, 

North Africa 

Dear Florence & Sonny, 

Received a letter from you today and was glad to hear every things okay back with you. I also received a letter from Chris today. He seems to answer my letters pretty quickly and even states himself that he doesn’t mind writing letters. He had several days of M.P. duty when he got back from his leave but he still seemed to be in good spirits. Guess its a nice life in the Army but still nothing compared to civilian life. I for one will certainly be glad when this is all over. 

We have a hunting trip scheduled for two days after tomorrow so hope its a clear day. We were originally supposed to go to this last Saturday but something fell through. I think I will really enjoy myself cause the [unreadable] are plentiful so I hope my shooting eye is also. Will give ma  a little idea of what I’ll be missing come this November. 

Every thing else is still in the same grade. I did see a pretty funny show last night called  “Make Your Own Bed”. Really had us laughing up at times. 

Haven’t heard from Lon and [unreadable] yet in a little while now. I did hear from Josephine the other day and she said he was okay. She’s still having a nice time in Swaltons and is enjoying herself. But cause she [unreadable]. 

Glad to hear that your delayed raise may finally come through. So really came in handy with the coming winter and holidays. So Janet finally quit her job at the Darnleys. They all were a lot of free this but its not for me once i get back. College wouldn’t be a bad idea btu that will need a lot of consideration before I finally do decide. But the Navy as a career is most certainly out. 

How does Sonny like school. Tell him I was asking and sending him my best regards. Best of every thing and regards to everyone. 

Somewhere in France

Dear Florence, 

I am writing a few lines to let you know that I am very sorry I couldn't write to you before. I’ve been kept quite busy and couldn’t find the time to write you a letter. I received your beautiful letter yesterday and was very happy to hear from you. I sure wish I would go home this time before to write to you , I tried a couple of times before to write you a letter, but I never finished it, but I will make sure I get this one finished. 

I am getting along just fine, everything is about the same everywhere I go. So there isn’t much news I could tell you. I know I will never get a leave from here, to get home. I will have to wait till the war is over before I get a leave. 

Well I must close now, hoping this letter finds you in the best of health. 

Dear Florence, 

I received both cards and candy on the day before my birthday. I thought may be every one would forget my birthday this year seeing where I am so you can see how slapsided + glad I was to receive them. I wouldn’t bother with only any more candy because I can get it over here now. So it isn’t worth the trouble. I have been pretty busy lately so that is why I didn’t write oftener. 

Have you heard from Eddie yet. I heard from today that he was to be stationed at the Phila. Navy Yard so I was wondering if it is true. I don’t believe that I think he will be here soon. I wrote to Betty too. The Mail Service is very irregauly at times. 

Every thing is swell over here. The movies here are all new ones most of the time. I found out you can go horseback riding in town if you want too. I always wanted to go so now may be I’ll get a chance to. 

Camp England

Dear Florence, 

I received your letter yesterday and was very happy to hear from you. Everything is about the same over here. I am getting along just find, I am in the best of health + I am taking good care of myself. 

I am very happy to hear that everybody is feeling fine at home. 

I am sorry for not writing to you sooner. Boy how do I wish this war was all over already. I am waiting to get back home to my wife and everybody else. 

Boy I sure miss everybody from back home. My wife is getting along just fine now in the army. I hope this letter finds you all in the best of health.

May God Bless You All,

Your Cousin, 

Camp England 

Dear Florence, 

I am writing a few lines to let you know that I received your letter and was very happy to hear from you. Everything is about the same over here. The weather is very beautiful over here. I am glad to hear that everybody is feeling fine. Because I feel fine myself. I am glad to hear that Eddie like the Navy a lot. 

I know if I was in his place I would stay in the Navy after the war. Because it is good to be in the Navy -- you take many different countrys, you see quite a lot of the world. 

Like I am in the army, you don’t see very much, because you don’t travel from country tocountry, or town to town. You stay in one place most of the time. 

Well I guess I will close now. Hoping to hear from you soon.  

Camp England

Dear Florence, 

I received your letter today and was very happy to hear from you. I am feeling fine, everything is about the same over here. 

I am sorry to hear about your being sick I am glad you are feeling better now. We are having beautiful weather over here. My father is feeling pretty bad. He almost pass away on them a couple of weeks ago. His heart is pretty bad, they don’t expect him to live very long. 

I am worried a lot now about him, I would not want anything to happen to him. 

Did you hear about my wife being in the Wave’s. She been in them for about a month now. She likes it very much. I am very proud of her for trying to get this war over. I will always love her for joining the Wave’s. 

Well I guess I will have to close now. Hoping this letter finds you all in the best of health. Tell everybody that I said hello.

Your Cousin, 

Camp England

Dear Florence, 

Writing a few lines to let you know that I am feeling fine + hoping that you feel the same. I am very sorry for not writing to you. But I had so much on my mind lately that I forgot who I even wrote to. This is the first chance I got to catch up on my writing. I was very busy for the last six months that I had hardly any time to write. Everything is alright with me. I am in perfect health. I am taking good care of myself. 

You know there isn’t very much I can write about now You know we are only allowed to write certain things. I really don’t know what else to write about from my side over here.

I hope you are in the fit of health. How is everybody feeling at home? Well that’s all I can think of at the present. May God Bless you. 

I hope to hear from you soon.

Your Cousin, 

Dear Bess; 

This is not the first letter I have written saying that I expected to be with you soon but hope that this time we will not be disappointed as we have been here-to-fore. Just Now I have great hopes of leaving Germany about next Thursday Aug. 7th. Yes, I admit that it seems untrue but this time it is real. I feel sure that I will be out of the service by Sept. 1st. And will see you soon afterwards for I have made arrangements to be sent to Camp Dix N.J. anyway. I have a new job as I got attached to headquarters in order that I might be sent to Camp Dix. There is  lots of work to be done in preparation for an early return. 

Have not heard from you since my last letter. Received mail today which was only one letter from my big Bud. I hope to hear from you one more time before starting on that long journey towards home. If I do not I will not worry for I hope to give you an opportunity to tell me more than you ever write within a few weeks. Get ready to have a big time for  I am going to turn myself aloose when I once get free. Am not going to say just what you should expect but I know that I will be just like a bird out of a cage. I regret that I am not getting back in time to be with you on your vacation but we will continue your vacation between working hours. 

Well Bess, this has been a long time to be away from you but I have never been tempted to forget you. Am going to return expecting to find that our love has grown with the time of separation. All that I have to offer you is true love and am sure of the same in return. No doubts you will find many changes in me but trust that they all will not be for the worse. For some time I know that I am going to be somewhat restless and dissatisfied but hope to soon settle down. No one know but what it will take you to settle me and I feel sure that I would make no mistake were I to let you settle me. Now I won’t say just how big a mistake you would be making. 

With lots of love to all the folks, I remain, 

Sincerely yours,

Dear Bess, 

I have written most every body but you today so i feel that i might as well complete the days work. I spent Sun. and Monday with my friend who is in the Marine Corp. Went in the right time as he is to leave for the STates about the 16th. I surely envy him but guess that he deserves to go more than I as he wears twice as many service stripes as I. This leaves me to be the last of the home boys to return. And next to the first to leave as the Captain left a few weeks before I. 

Am going to quite writing about returning for it seems that I never will. I know that it must get old to hear me put it off a month longer in every letter but it isn’t half so old to you as it is to me. Really I know that it will be September before you see me. That is my best hope and very worse are when I am old and gray. 

Received good letters from Ima and mother. Had there been one from Bess it would have been complete. They were telling all about the memorial services at Sleepy Hollow. Now I guess it isn’t so sleepy after all eh! Ima is doing very well. She has a good at one hundred fifty per to go around and tell the old folks how to keep the boys down on the farm after seeing Paris. She is getting herself a roadster -- Fords are very popular with our family so it seems. Guess we will [unreadable] about all over the States when we go down on that -- honey moon won’t we? 

The folks are very anxious for my return and I get blue when I read their letters. I guess it is hard for them to understand why I am so long returning but there are lots about the army that you people fail to understand. Am just out-o-oluck is all I can say. I just work on and let it have its course and the times for me to start up the gangplank seem a long time coming. I fear that I will have trouble getting mustered out in the East but will do my best. Am going to try to arrange for such on this side. 

Well Bess, how are all you anyway? All these letters seem as tho they are to you alone but with each I intend to send my best regards and sweet rememberances to each of your. It was not you alone who used to make things so pleasnt for me every one of you did your part. Often I think of each of you. I wonder just what you are doing, how much you have changed, ec. Something tells me that I am not forgotten and that there is a welcome waiting for me. 

If you continue to win such a reputation with the folks at home you will have to go to Texas to live. 

They think you are the greatest girl I ever had. When they meet you I am sure they will not be disappointed for you are all and more than you pretend to be. Ima surely appreciated the graduation present which you girls sent her. They are also very pleased to receive your interesting and sweet letters. 

Here is lots of love to you and all the folks, 

Sincerely yours,

Dear Bess,

Just think here is on the afternoon of one of our greatest holidays and I am on the goo. Most every one has left the hospital grounds, patients and all, but some one has to stay so it fell my lot. THere is little work to do so I will celebrate by writing you. 

All of the forenoon I was very busy as we are getting ready to make another big shipment of patients tomorrow morning. It will surely be good when the time comes to evacuate the last one. It seems that such a thing will never come to pass. I am surely getting some experience handling me. Every day I have to answer two hundred and fifty questions asked by my two hundred and fifty patients. They are just like so many children. Some say that the army makes me but from my observations it makes kids of out of men. 

I took Smitz on surprise by writing him a letter yesterday. I hope that he and Ike have both visited you by now. It is surely hard to see those other boys go home and have them visit you while I remain a permanent fixture in Coblez. My time will come about next month so be patient. I have also written Ike. Haven’t heard from Earl in sometime. Hope to soon hear that he is home. 

My thoughts drift back to one year ago today. Do you remember where I was? I was in Paris with just two days between me and the front. It was a gay old time and I never expect to see an other Fourth of July Celebration that will equal that one. Those Parisians really know how to carry on festivities. I regret just a little that I failed to visit that old City again. I had the opportunity to go this month but didn’t. 

How do you like my stationary? I borrowed it from one of the nurses. Have become very stingy lately. Keep thinking that if I buy stationary I will go home before it was used. A man in the army gets in the habit of writing on anything there is convenient. The said place on head of stationary is where I go to get ice cream and listen to good music. So many of the soliders have departed for the U.S. that they have closed the largest places of amusements. In fact there is very little to do for passing time. By the way I have been working during the last few days I don’t have to bother about spending past time for I have none. I am going to try to get off a day tho and visit my friend in the Marines next week. 

Bess, I am worrying about what I shall bring you from over here. I could get you something much nicer in the States and still I know that you would appreciate a good souvenir from over here. If i do not bring you something from France or Germany do not be disappointed. I am still watching for something but very undecided as to what it shall be. I want to give you something, not that I feel obligated to do so, but you know there is a little pleasure in giving as well as receiving. It seems that I have always taken the advantage of you about such by being in the army. We use the old army dope for lots of excuses don’t we. 

Am raving to see you Bess. Do you think I ever will? Our meeting will be so strange that we will hardly know how to act. No doubt our actions will be more or less foolish. We will be excusable anyway. Shall I let you know when I land in Easton or shall I take you by surprise? Am a little afraid to try the later for I might  find you’ve gone on your vacation or at home all dolled up with another fellow -- 

How about it? Well I should worry for I do love to see you enjoy yourself. 

Perhaps you will be surprised at me new title. Don’t know what is the matter for I haven’t been going A.W.O.L. or anything lately. 

With love to all, I am sincerely yours 

Dear Bess, 

Last night (Sun) I wrote a letter addressed to Easton but not to Bess that time. I felt that Willimer might like to hear from me and I surely would love to hear from him. You know we fellows are anxious to hear from some of the boys who have returned from over here but they all forget to write us. 

Well all is as fine as frog hair with me. We have lots of beautiful spring weather and little work. I do nothing but eat and sleep, mostly eat for I am the same old owl as Harwood used to call me. 

Yesterday was one of the best Sundays I have spent in some time. I had a big chicken dinner and then went horseback riding. In the evening I went to the movies and saw Charlie Chaplain in “A Dog's Life”. I once thought that fool had seen his best days but his shows of last year are very popular with the A.E.F. Well the shows that we see are those shows in the States a year ago. Of course they are just new to use as they were to you. 

Yes, Miss Smith wrote me that you were going to celebrate the anniversary of our departure. I thought of you people on that day. You know that was when I was on my air trip. I thought, well in one years time I had reached Germany and earned a service stripe there and was back to visit France for the second time. With this I saw the greater part of the war. No doubts that in another year I will have visited old Pa. more than once. That is my intentions any way. 

The men are surely going home fast. Perhaps our orders will come some day. I wonder if they really will or will we remain over here the rest of our days. 

Bess, I am lonesome for you. There is never a day but what I think of you lots of times and never a night but what I remember you in my prayers. DOn’t bother about me for I am living fine and will see you within the next few months. This life wouldn’t be bad if I could only be with you more. It has been a long time since I said “good bye” but am sure that when we meet we will not feel like strangers. You must be having some great times at home now since so many of the fellows have returned. Show them that they are appreciated and overlook some of their faults, for they have been through hell. I am sorry to write such a poor letter but you know how I am. Sometimes my ink fails to flow so freely as it does at other times. My short letters mean just as much as my long ones.

With love to all,

Sincerely,