"Remember Tony the Italian?" - May 25 & 27, 1942

Miss Jean Johnson
Sheboygan, Wis.

Tech. L. Winsauer
Co. A. 45th Med. Bn.
3rd Armd. Div.
Polk, La.

Dearest Jean -

I've three free hours now 'till we're due to pull out on another division problem which is going to be just some rugged. It's now 9:00 pm and we leave at 12:15 tonight so I think I'll stay up 'till then. We'll probably drive for three or four hrs. — without lights — and then set up camp somewhere out in the woods, grab a couple hours sleep if we're lucky, and then take off again.

I saw Sammy again last Friday and he says "hi" again. He left for Fort Knox today so the next time I see him it'll probably be out in California. It's pretty definitely settled now that we're going to California before the 15th of July. Not much chance of my getting home again before then 'cause they're giving out furloughs now to the boys who haven't been home for five months or longer and that sorta lets me out. Not that it doesn't seem like six months since I been with you but how am I going to make the captain feel the same way?

May 27th

Hi again Darling — Last Monday nite Tony came over from B company (Remember Tony the Italian?). Well he stayed around just talking 'till it was time to get ready for the problem — so no letter-writing for this G.I.

Boy that problem really was rugged! We left camp at about 12:30, drove 'till 2:00, stopped for ten minutes then took off again. At 3:00 we had another stop. I was sitting up in front of a 2 1/2 ton truck with the driver and we were both pretty sleepy, so when we stopped both of us closed our eyes to rest a second before starting again. When we woke up 15-20 minutes later there were no trucks in front of us! The convoy had taken off, and there we were sitting. There were three more 2 1/2 ton trucks behind us and also a jeep which had been waiting for us to move and didn't know the rest of the convoy had pulled off and left us. We decided to drive like hell and try to catch up, but after driving for nearly two hours and seeing no sign of our outfit we turned around and started checking all the side roads. I got in the jeep and every side road we came to we'd tear down for a mile or so and then turn back to the trucks which were waiting on the highway — It was really fun while it lasted, but about 7:00 in the morning we bumped into a captain who told us where our battalion was camped and we got there in short order. Our captain was swell about it — didn't give us hell at all — just asked what had happened and said he'd had two peeps out all night trying to locate us — but with no success. I grabbed a couple of sandwiches, jumped in back of one of the trucks, had breakfast and then spread out over the equipment for a little nap. Had no more than closed my eyes (actually it was 2 hrs. later) than we had to take off again. We drove most of the day and got back to camp at 6:00 last night. I guess you know right after chow I hit that old bunk with a bang and slept like a log till revielle this morning. Had a pretty easy time of it today though, just listened to a couple lectures and saw a training film and that's about all.

I wrote my brother Hank tonight and asked him to meet me in Houston, Texas, weekend after next. He's at San Antonio, and Houston is about half way between Polk and there, so each of us would only have to travel about 200 miles. I got a letter from him the other day and he's really "hurting." He doesn't know whether to get married or not. I'd like to see him one time and talk it over with him. Well he's not the only one that's hurting —

When can you get your vacation and truck on down to Louisiana or over to California so we can get married? Darling wish I could get you a diamond, but right now I couldn't afford a ten-cent store imitation, let alone a half-way decent ring that still couldn't do you justice. Someday darling I hope to make up for all the things I can't do for you now and so want to. Wait'll we make our first million — watch us do just some splurging. 'Course it may take a year (?) or so but —— !

Look hon' we still want to get married don't we? Well I don't know why we should keep it a secret — don't know why I wanted it that way in the first place. I know I'm in love with you — so desperately in love that you're all I can think of from Revielle in the morning till long after taps at night — and darling you've just got to feel the same way or I'll just about go crazy! So we want to get married — Should we tell our folks about it then? It's up to you darling — if you say the word I'll write to my Mother and tell her about us — if you want to wait, O.K. we'll wait. I could kick myself around the block and back for not talking things over with you while I was at home and telling our parents then, that we wanted to get married. If you don't want to do it now I swear we're going to the next time I come home, be it one month or two years.

Well sweet, write and let me know just how you feel about it — wish I could talk to you — but haven't the price of the telephone call and won't presume upon your folks again. Pay day's this coming Monday so I'll call you sometime after then.

Good night for now,

As ever yours

Louis