Hello sweet,
Gee I wish that I could only get a letter from you. I don’t think I’ll hear from you much before Tuesday. You can’t imagine how I miss not receiving your dear letters.
I’ve been laying outside on my blanket all afternoon, with only my shorts on. All of us I guess were out there. The sun really burns down here. The only trouble with the south is it make a person lazy. I’ll be glad to start school this coming Monday. All day long until we start all we do is lay around in the sun and go swimming. I know why the southern people are so slow in their talk and movements. The heat does it. RIght now its just like a vacation to us but honest hon if I don’t start school soon I will go crazy because all I think about when I’m laying around is you.
I’m oh so awfully lonesome for you! Darling it seems a million miles away from you. All I think of all day is how long will it take before I’ll be able to be married to you.
You would enjoy seeing all the planes overhead every second. They certainly are a beautiful sight, their chrome bodies glistening against the blue sky. They are colored with red noses and bands around their wings. Each squadron have different colors. I’ve never in all my life seen so many planes overhead constantly. Darling, all I say is “Gee hurry up those five months so I to can be behind those controls.” Honest hon, my hands itch at each throb of their motors. One of the planes from the base here is on the cover the of the “March Illustrated” magazine.
Did you see this week’s Liberty? The marine and his girl-friend? It reminded me of you and I walking along together when I was home. Only you were a way prettier girl than the one on the cover. I always have said your beauty is unsurpassed.
It’s comical, I’m as broke as a marine could be. But all of us are the same. We don’t know when we will get paid as you have to sign the pay list a week in advance before pay day, and the regular pay day is this Sat., but we didn’t or rather weren’t allowed to sign in Quanitco because of the fact we were leaving. If I have to wait until two more weeks I don’t know what I will do. Right now I’m finding out how little things such as soap, hair tonic and so forth mount up. When you have money you always can get them but we all are what you might call sunk! Everybody is even banning writing paper. So far I’ve been lucky on that matter. I’m down to about 10 stamps but from today on the mail will go free for us fellows. Hurrah! (Ouch my sun burn!)
Hey Kiddo – My pal Montgomery just came down and told me that the Capt. is coming around with the pay list, so we most likely will get paid Sat. I hope!
They are very strict around these barracks. No smoking or chewing of gum, or candy inside. We have to wear a certain uniform to go outside at all and that’s our suntans. There is a two way sound system in each room to the majors office. That’s so there will be no swearing or foul language amongst us. Gee they really keep us all in a straight line here. It’s a good thing. I like it and find it easy because its more the way I like it. It’s nicer not to hear swearing and be swearing all the time. I’ve broken off from it already the whole lot. You see darling most of the fellows going to school are the intelligent type of the Corps so that accounts for the refinement.
“Dit happy” or what I will be in a few weeks, so say some of the former students. That means you get crazy from the radio key. Huh, something new every day!
I did a lot of washing today also. I bleached my belt to make it white. You know, “salty dog” like? I’m going to have some pictures taken at the photographer for you, sometime this month. It takes time because they are even rushed. (All you do in the Marine Corps it seems, is wait in line for something or other.)
Gee do the navy guys have to wait on us down here. They do the police work around our barracks and have mess duty and all the dirty work. Those sailors are a sloppy looking bunch. It seems they have no discipline at all. They all have hair that grows over their ears and their uniforms are as messy as the mess they work at. I still say the marines certainly are the most disciplined and neatest service.
We are right in with fellows from San Diego. Lots of them were telling us about being there when the picture “Shore of Tripoli” was being filmed. Really interesting. They have to come to Jacksonville too because of all the tech and mechanical schools for the Marine Corps and Navy are here.
I bet all you poor northerners are shivering away in the cold and here we are basking in the warm sun. Or the old joke about Florida goes “– Having wonderful time, wish you were here.”
Hon, when graduation comes and I make the grade for pilot I’m going to put in for the fighter or dive bomber pilot. It pays the best. Even the rear gunner draw flight pay even if they don’t get to be pilots. They draw pay and a half if they get a job as radio man or gunner.
All I did was lay out in that sun and look up at those flying leathernecks way up in the sky doing all sorts of acrobatics. What a thrill it gave me.
I wonder if the mail will be as prompt seeing we don’t have to put stamps on our mail? Let me know hon how it gets along? Thanks.
I’ll be thinking of you this coming Easter Sunday dearest. I would give anything for be going to church with you that morning. I would just love to go to N.Y. and show you off to all those people who walk up and down 5th ave. You would make them look silly compared to the way you would be dressed and all. Your beautiful darling. I only wish I could see you Easter Sunday. Maybe Darling we will be together next year is God is good to us. Maybe we might even be married that would certainly be heaven itself.
When I get paid I am going to try to buy my camera back again because I would like to take a lot of pictures of here and send them to you. You know I really haven’t sent you only one or two and that is unusual considering the places I’ve been.
Dimples, now I’m going to field strip my rifle and oil it and and all so as it will be raedy for parade Sat. So we will bring this encyclopedia to a close.
I love you always my dearest and please believe me when I say that all I ever have on my mind is just beautiful dear you.
With all my love, always,
Your,
Jack
XXXXXOOOOOO
P.S. I don’t trust this new idea about free mail yet so I’m putting on a stamp. *How’s our little dinner coming?)