October 2, 1944
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310.15.1-3.2016 Transcription
2 Oct 44
My very dearest,
Where are you going to be
the first 3 hours of your Birth-DAY—
in other words from 12:01 AM to
say 3:00 AM on October 7th? It seems
the Lord is c̅[1] me on being able to
speak to you on your Birth-DAY by [Columbia][2]
long distance, but I imagine silence
will start around 7AM on your
Birthday. The reason I feel reasonably
hopeful of saying Happy-Birthday to
you is that Friday night Oct 6th
there is going to be a big “whing-ding”
officers party starting as a steak
supper. This party will probably
roar & weave (minus Wilitzski[3]) I imagine
until 1AM, 2AM, 3AM on Oct 7th.
I think you can put 2+2 together
regarding the occasion for said
party. Well, I so hope I can get
phone wires circuited so as to
land where ever you are shortly
[2]
after 12:01 AM Oct 7th, but I don’t
feel that I dare wait until later
in the DAY of your Birthday. (Gee, gosh,
I hope you wont be enroute during those hours
I mentioned!) Frankly, my rushed &
“heated” mind can’t quite remember
exactly when your train leaves
Minneapolis — I think Oct 5th
but I may be all wrong. Also I
do not know if you will leave
Rochester earlier than planned after
that discussion c̅ Dr Keith (MAYBE,
a letter is enroute this minute to say
that you are leaving Rochester early — however,
all I can do is think / plan from what I
know as of the moment.) Just to be as
sure & as safe about your where-
abouts as possible — I ask
you to telegraph me as soon as
you receive this as to where you
will be those early morning hours
of your Birth-DAY — If I do
not hear back from you by Thursday
night or Friday I will call Dad
to learn your whereabouts & thus
I would also know this letter had
[3]
gone “astray.” Lastly, (I hate to write this)
keep your heart just a little
bit reefed–in just incase this
call fails for some absoloutely
unforeseeable reason — thus
you won’t be 100%-“knocked” if
your Birthday-call fails to land.
Em, I love you so that it would
slay me to see you 100%-“knocked.”
War is War & it doesn’t seem to
care whom it “Knocks.”
No Letter came today & I
guess it is just as well as I
have little more that time to
write this phone-call-planning.
Here’s hoping this letter catches
you soon in either Rochester or Bismarck
All of my Love,
Dave
P.S. You might have missed reading the back of
that 15 page Sunday-letter’s envelope where
I told about stalling no longer in trying
to get by s̅[4] $25 to $100. Have Dad get it
here (by any means) by Saturday at the
[4]
latest
P.S. #2 This may be a hard request but
please write me either fragmentary words
or general gist statements about what
that was that Dr. Keith said about me,
which you were unable to (QUOTE) “register”
- I am dying c̅ curiosity & maybe I
know exactly what he means, where as
it is unfathomable to you.
LAST P.S. – Even if you are enroute, dearest,
at the phoning hours mentioned don’t
let it “throw” you or change your plans.
It will would be just another
one of our little “breaks” which
someday will total up to a big
fortunate -“break.” So there! — my dearest.
P.S. #23,879,426 4/15 (oh, me!)! Anyhoooo, I take
the liberty of breaking your request
that I send only air mails (no air-spec).
This letter contains no data that
will “get-out-of-sequence,” & that
is why I dont feel too badly about
breaking your request.
[1] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”
[2] Bracketed text written up the right margin of the page.
[3] His nickname for himself.
[4] Medical abbreviation meaning “without.”