"Right now time is getting awfully important" - April 24, 1943

Sgt. L.A. Winsauer, 36212741
Div. Hq. Co., APO 253
Indiantown Gap, Pa.

Miss Jean Johnson
Sheboygan, Wisconsin

IGMR, Pa.

April 24, 1943

Saturday

Dearest Darling,

I just came back over to the dispensary from the barracks and the place seems pretty peaceful now that the day's rush is over. The C.Q. is also typing a letter now in the other room (he types by the hunt and hit method and every now and then I can hear him find a key). Only one of the other boys is here—Sgt. Trimberger, from Plymouth—and he's reading a magazine. I've got the radio here on the desk and there's a sort of smooth band on. Don't know who it is but I've got it turned down and it's nice and soft for a change—usually it's blasting so you can hear the darn thing a block away.

My trip from Chicago to here last Tuesday was just as rugged as I had expected, though it was uneventful. Bobby was right when he said I'd have a hard time making my train in Chicago—it was close, but I did make it. We arrived at the Union Station there at ab out 11:29 1/2 and I jumped off the train the second it stopped and tore on through the depot to the Pennsylvania Road tracks. The train was already packed and all set to go. They were turning away passengers, telling them "standing room only" but seeing as how it was the last train that would get me back in time I had to take it so I jumped on just as it was pulling out. They weren't kidding either about that "standing room only". There must have been at least fifty soldiers and sailors who didn't have seats and were sitting in the aisles and in the vestibules between the cars.

I plunked my suitcase down in one of these vestibules along with three sailors and another soldier, hung up my coat on some sort of a lever, and proceeded to make myself at home. Was pretty tired so sat down on my suitcase after a few miles and tried to sleep but wasn't very successful 'cause of the bouncing around so just sat around chewing the fat with the sailors. They were all young kids who had only been in for six weeks and had just finished what they called their "boot" training up at Great Lakes. They were going home on their first leaves and were pretty happy about the whole thing — vestibule and all.

At about two in the afternoon I got a break and got a seat in the car. I just happened to be standing next to a sailor who had a seat in one of the cars and some of his buddies from another car came back and told him there was room for him with them way up in one of the front cars so the minute he got up I plopped myself down and it would have taken General Marshall himself to make me get up. Still didn't get much sleep that night—guess my darn legs are just too long. I'd have to kick out at least the two seats in front of me to really have room to stretch out on a train— and then I'd probably be kicking off some woman's hat in the 3rd seat up.

'Got into Harrisburg at about 5:00 Wednesday morning and had a quick cup of coffee and some doughnuts there, then took the 5:30 bus out washed and shaved and got over here to the dispensary and to work by about 7:30. Capt. Cawley didn't mind—just asked me how much fun I had, etc. Boy but was Wednesday a busy day! After sick-call we gave two whole companies Tetanus shots, and that means about 500 men. I gave approximately half of them and Cpl. Christianson gave the other half. We both shot at the same time and that speeded things up a little.

Boy, in the afternoon I was so tired and with my mind still up in Wisconsin I'm surprised I didn't break off a couple of needles or pin somebody's arm to their side. Wednesday nite right after chow I lay down on my bunk and fell asleep immediately. Someone woke me just when they were turning the lights out in the barracks so I crawled out of my clothes and into bed. Really slept that night and felt a lot better on Thursday. Gave our other three companies their shots Thursday and so that was another busy day. Yesterday we started recording all these immunizations and are still at it. The darn things have to go on about a half a dozen different records.

This evening after chow I went to Confession—it was really about time—and will go to Communion at the 11:00 o'clock Mass tomorrow. There is going to be an outdoor Easter service here on the Post at 7:00 tomorrow morning and I want to try and get to that too—they're always pretty impressive. It's not a denominational service but is conducted by the Division Chaplain for the whole division.

Darling I'm awfully sorry about your parents. Darn it, it was all my fault too and you're having to take the beating for it. You know I knew we should have talked things over with them but the time went so darn fast and by Monday night I had spent so darn little time at home with my parents that I thought I should be at home for at least a little while that night. Then you know how late it got, and by the time we got to Sheboygan they were probably already in bed. Boy I could kick myself around the block every time I think of it. We really couldn't have told them anything they don't already know, but even so we should have talked with them. Looking back on it I don't see how in the heck I let it slip, but slip I did and now all I can do is be sorry for it—which doesn't help you much there at home. I'll write them a letter this weekend and try and apologize. Maybe that'll help a little.

How about these spots? It wasn't measles was it? We've had a couple of cases down here lately—in fact we sent a man in to the hospital today with it. No, I don't have them, at least not that I know of, and here's hoping you don't. Measles aren't at all serious but even so I'd hate to have figured something like that out—we both should have gotten something like measles and been quarantined together for a couple of weeks— I could have written for some kind of an emergency furlough and look a the time we could have had. Oh, baby!

I still don't know a thing more about what the Division's going to do than I did when I was home. There are rumors by the dozen as usual but none of them mean a thing as yet. However, darling, I'm getting worried as to whether or not we'll still be here in the middle of June. Gosh wouldn't that be terrible if we should move out before then! That's all I think of now. Let's move that date up a week and make it on the 5th. It'll give us a week more anyway. Is that O.K. with you? If we had money—you know, 'were filthy rich—we'd be married by next week but the way things stand we just can't. However, after that June payday I'll have about $180.00 and that'll do it. Don't worry about your bills darling, we'll worry about them together when the time comes — and not before.

[Handwritten]

Trimberger had his wife down here for a couple of months and he said it cost him a little less than $100.00 a month. He said he had a really nice place to live — 'course it was just a room and a study — for which he paid $7.00 a week. With rations and quarters after we're married, I'll be drawing around $150.00 a month, so we'll be doing O.K. figuring on what it cost Trimberger. The only darn thing I'm worried about is how long this darn division is going to be here after June. I'm praying it'll be here for a couple of months anyway.

Darling you'll never know how much those couple of days with you meant to me. I was so damn down in the dumps missing you, and then finding out about their freezing O.C.S. I didn't know what to do. Just seeing you again snapped me out of it in a hurry and now I can at least plan on being with you again in about a month — which won't be too long — and if we don't move, How about June 5th darling? That'll cut a week off our waiting and give us an extra week together. Right now time is getting awfully important and the longer we can be together the better I'll like it.

I'm awfully sorry about your parents sweetheart — I can imagine how tough it must be on you — but everything'll be O.K. shortly — I know it will. Goodnight dear, I love you,

Louis.