April 5, 1943
Dearest Mary,
Well little girl here goes again, I’ll try and answer both of your letters in one, I’ve been so busy around here lately it’s not funny.
Mary, about my going back to a job when this is over, well to tell the truth, I have several trades, one is welding, which don’t like, after this war they will be a dime a dozen, so that’s out. Another is a millman if you know what that is, when I worked for Kirmie I ran a machine in his mill, a trade which requires four years of training, I only completed one year of the training and quit and went to work for the Pacific Gas and Electric which was a very good job, but one has to work for them some time before they get a break. When I worked for Kirmie, Abe, that’s Kirmie’s oldest brother told me he was going to have me work a year in the mill, which I completed, a year driving trucks and one year working in the office, you know, so I could learn the business from the bottom, after that training was finished I was to be made an outside salesman, he told me I had it in me, and that I would do alright that job would be selling lumber from Northern California to Southern California which I really would have like, you know how a young punk is, when he gets an offer to make more money, he doesn’t know enough to think of the future, well Mary I think that is a job I could go back to, that if I know Kirmie.
Well Mary in reference to that other letter, gee Mary I really don’t know what to say I guess that really did sound funny as to what I said. I mean, after being engaged, and breaking up, and not seeing you over a year, I guess I can’t blame you for saying it’s a funny setup; cause it really is. Mary I wish I could express what is in my heart but I can’t seem to put it on paper, gee Mary if I could only see you, I think I could explain a lot of things. Mary you can believe this or not but I want you to know that you were really my first girl. I know I had a funny of expressing it, I mean about writing and things, but that’s the way I am, it’s something called an inferiority complex. I guess. I’ll always be that way. I hope you’re not thinking I’m a wolf or anything Mary, but that’s still the way I feel I mean about you.
Guess what Mary, you can’t call me private anymore, I got my corporal stripes last Friday and was I thrilled when they read my name off, I was picked out of a hundred and sixteen men, ten of them got their P.F.C. ratings, that’s what I was working for, but I got surprise, so my next jump is sergeant, so little girl wish me luck.
Give your folks my best regards and do write soon.
Love,
Bob
P.S. If there are any words misspelled Mary please don’t mind it, cause I really have a lot on my mind.
