59) Lonely and sad noise of rain beating down on the palm branches. ---Dec. 1st, 1944

Tacloban, Cancaboto Bay, Leyte, Philippines
APO 72 Leyte, Philippines

Dec. 1st 44
9:30 PM
My darling,

I really have been neglecting to write to you. Sometimes it is almost impossible to write regularly. I’ve often said to myself, I’ll write every other day. It seems to work out for a while then something will keep me from writing then maybe I can’t write for several days. So you see any system like that simply doesn’t work over any period of time longer than just a few days. I believe that now that you are a little bit busy yourself, you can realize just how hard it is to carry on a regular correspondence. You must admit that I do write more regularly to you than I do to anyone else. Maybe the fact that I’m in love makes some difference.

We really had a feast in the tent tonite. Fried chicken again. One of the fellows from the kitchen fried them. They weren’t as good as when Ralph & I fried them but chicken is chicken I always say. We ate it down to the dry bones and could have eaten lots more. While you are doing that cooking around home you might as well get to know how to fry chicken. I will probably be getting you to fix me some.

Darling I am so glad you got in the sorority that you wanted. Sure will make it a lot more fun to go to school. I know that you won’t have any trouble keeping good grades for the whole semester. I really don’t see how you can write letters to me from the classroom though. However, I shouldn’t say anything as long as I am getting your swell letters. After all it’s those letters that keep me going.

Anytime I get disgusted and blue or feel lonely I get out some of your letters and look through the pictures I have and honestly it really helps me somehow.

Just knowing that your back there waiting and hoping. Maybe someday I can explain it better to you. Might sound a little crazy but its true.

I got the last copy of the Courier Journal today along with it a letter from you dated Nov. 16th.

You will have to excuse the writing if it is a little worse than usual tonite. The fellows in the tent all went to bed and when the last one went to bed he turned out the light so I am writing this from inside the insect bar. It is raining out now and the rain beating down on the palm branches and the tent really makes a lonely and sad noise. I have the flashlight on and I am laying here just thinking how nice it would be to be where I could see you and visit you once in a while.

Right now I am getting so tired I can hardly hold my head up. Maybe I ate too much chicken.

Anyway I can’t mail this till tomorrow so I’ll finish this then. I will close this now and get it in the mail. Remember I love you with all my heart.

Yours, 

 Jack

My best to Anne & your Mom