August 7, 1945
August 7, 1945
Sweetheart,
You must have been thinking my thoughts when you picked out my ring. You sure picked out the right one. I like it loads, and I believe it looks very handsome on me. The inscription inside is swell, thank you, Darling. I love your taste and I love you.
I would have written yesterday but we were flying from 0200 to 1800 and the old fatigue was king size. We made six Radar Bomb runs in Phoenix. I'll let you know how many hits I got when the pictures come back.
Hardy just came in and saw the ring. Quote Hardy, " Hmmm Roger" accent on th er. Six other guys piled in. Gee whiz they all like it. My chest is well puffed up. I'm quite the bejeweled one, ain't I?
Eddie's letter came along with yours. I burst out laughing at his P.S. Ain't my spelling atrocious. He's quite a guy. He discussed the weather, the Air Corps., gave me hell for not writing, said that you were listening to Claire de Lune, (slightly mispelled and signed it very formally with "Edward". His P.S. on the ring was "what a sparkler." I expect kid stuff from him and he always confuses me by writing serious and grown up letters.
Read all about the Atomic Bomb last night. It scares the pants off me. In this war it may not mean much but if there were ever another, human life wouldn't be worth two cents. I'd much rather go forth to meet the foe bare handed or with equal sized clubs. Sometimes I think that the world with someday destroy itself. Nothing seems to be fantastic anymore - except my ring size. At any rate, it's a good thing we've got the bomb. It wouldn't take many of them to wipe out New York or Chicago. It may be a wonderful thing, but I still don't like it.
You asked me before why everyone blamed that Empire state building crash on the pilot. Major Bong being killed was the answer. They both made mistakes. Maybe they were very slight mistakes, a matter of fact or seconds, but it was a mistake. In flying, a mistake usually costs lives. No one actually blames them for mistakes because there's no way to prevent them. Bong was one of the heroes of this war, he flew missions in both theaters and had to get killed in a routine flight at home. He overshot the field and cracked up. What could be more unfair or terrible? He also was killed because of advancement of scientific warfare. I've seen those P - 80's. Their landing and take off speed is probably as great as a B29's maximum speed. All in all it adds up to faster and more violent ways of killing or being killed. What the hell????
Bills letter described the incident at the Silner Palm. If you two had knocked over a couple of tables coming out, I could have understood it, but going in ---my, my, you must have been thirsty. He also made a few comments on stuff in general. I wrote b ack to him, but I disguised the letter so you won't know who it's from. Clever of me, what??
Here I sit, very much in love with you, and yet I am able to say Quote, " Darling you are all wet!" Unquote. Me get tired of traveling?? Sure, when we've spent a couple of weeks in Detroit, Philidelphia, New York, Canada, Boston, Maine, Washington, Northern Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Little Rock, New Orleans, St. Louis, Kansas City, Omaha, Denver, Santa Fe, Dallas, El Paso, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Cheyenne, Butte, Sun Valley, Las Vegas, Reno, Salt lake City, Yellowstone Park, Seattle, Portland, San Franscisco, Los Angeles, Monterrey, Mexico City, Panama, Buenoes Aires, Rio De Janeiro, London, Paris, Havanna, Trinidad, Puerto Rico and six trips to Palm Beach. Then I may be tire of it but I think instead I'd like to start all over again. It isn't a matter of liking with me, travel is in my blood. This is some more of my planning, but, I would like to spend our honeymoon at Palm Beach, Havannah, New Orleans, Mexico, and Southern California. I'd like to drive our own car. The whole thing would last about six months. That's my dream and I'm going to make it come true. I don't quite know how, but you wait and see. If we never have anything else ever, wer'e going to have that. Of course, you have everything to say about it, but I'm hoping that you feel that way too.
I think that you'll Like Mackinac Islands. Lots of pine trees, lakes, swimming, and horse back riding. Might as well make some more confessions. I've been trying to figure out every way you and Lu can spend your vacations out in Arizona. The Arizona Inn is a resort hotel with swimming pool, dance hall, tennis courts, stables, and looks like Spanish Mission. You'd be 60 miles from Mexico and could go there for a week. It would be wonderful to my thinking. But there just ain't no dough in the corporation. I tried every angle, even beat out my brains writing some junk for Reader's Digest hoping to get the 300$ they pay for contributors. I guess I ain't very good!! I can't figure any way out so I guess I'm licked this time. You'll like Mackinac though, and I think it's the best place considering travel and all stuff like that there. After these two weeks you'll probably need a pre-vacation to gather up strength for your vacation.
Honey, so help me, you ending up in the kitchen was unavoidable. I wouldn't say bedroom on account of that would be behind a curtain on the wall, and the dining room is the southermost half of the living room. That leaves only one room that we could possibly have. Well, after all of that!!! doesn't the kitchen sound better than that? ? I knew you'd make comment on this kitchen affair. Leave us be for having an agreement. I shall continue to love you forever even if you never again set foot in a kitchen. This, strangely enough, I mean. O.K. Toots, you're out of the kitchen now.
Your letter gave me quite an inspiration for ACT III but it will take me quite a while to write it out. The general idea is the bestest yet. It shall be my masterpiece.
Say, I've seen other cartoons about that same dog. They sure do give me bang.
Whoops, gotta run.
All my love and a kiss too
Ray
P.S. I'll write to eddie tonight.