74) Thinking of a life ahead with Betty keeps Jack going---Jan. 31, 1945

APO 321 Mindoro, Philippines

Somewhere in the Philippines
Jan. 31st, 45

My darling,

I really am mad at myself for not writing you when I recieved your 2 letters day before yesterday. I kept telling myself, “I’ll write tonite” and here it is 2 days later and I’m just writing. Your letters were dated Dec. 29th & Jan. 11.

I went to the show the nite I got them and was so sleepy when I got home (the tent) that I went straight to the sack. Last night I simply wasn’t in a very good mood so I thought I had better wait another nite.

Tonite is really a beautiful nite. The moon is out and almost full. You can see the mountains in the distance about 18 or 29 miles from here. There is some kind of fire burning over in the hills somewhere. The whole side of a hill is covered with flame bright orange. It is so bright from the moonlight that you can read a book with ease.

We have some really pretty scenery all around camp. The nights are cold & clear, the mornings are cloudy & the afternoons scorching hot. It rains maybe once a week and some days the wind it terrific. One day last week our supply tent blew down. We had to set it up and really anchor it this time.

I really don’t see anything really funny in falling down those steps. Please dear be careful in that ice & snow. Better to miss one of those teas or parties than to get a “broke” leg. I really don’t want anything to happen to you. I’ll sure need someone to look after me after I get back.

You asked me what I wanted to do after the war. Darling can’t you see after all this time that there is just one thing that I want and that is to share everything with you. We will have plenty of time to make plans when we see each other next.

Dear, keep one thing in mind and that is that no matter what I do or where I go you are the one who is dearest to my heart.

I hope that we won’t have to have many more of the best months of our lives ruined & wasted by this damn war.

Maybe it is better this way it could probably have been worse if the war had started 5 years late. Oh well we have a long wonderful life ahead of us. Somehow looking forward to those days is what keeps me going.

Please keep the letters coming. Reading your letters has to take the place of talking to you & being with you. Damn poor substitute too.

Yours,
Jack

My best to your Mom & Anne.

NOTES:

1. Falling down the stairs story--- Even though I don't have Betty's letter to Jack that tells this story, referred to in this letter, I heard the story many times when I was growing up.  There were three concrete steps down to ground level from the house where Betty lived and one icy day she hurried down them to a cab that was waiting to take her to a social event downtown.  Her feet slipped out from under her and she hit the ground.  As she struggled to get up the cabbie, rushed to her and instead of initially asking if she was OK, asked if her "nylons" were OK.  I can't quite remember if perhaps the cabbie was maybe a woman.  
2. Shortages of Stockings in WWII---Many women wore silk stockings before the war but Japan was the primary source of the U.S. silk supply which was cut off  in 1941 when the U.S. entered the war.  Nylon was invented in 1938 and nylon stockings came on the market in 1940, but supply of nylon was limited during the war because stock was needed for rope, parachutes and other wartime needs.  This required women to treat their remaining stockings with special care and often they only used them for special occasions.