The Pocket Watch

Posted in Vietnam Letters | 2 comments

Frank experienced so many emotions in his last four letters which were all written in a time span of eight days.  He was feeling rebellious, angry, humorous, and depressed.

In his letter from June 5, 1971, he was very down.  Frank was not feeling well and something else was really upsetting him but he had not shared with me what it was. After receiving his June 5th letter, I was totally confused but then I received his next letter written three days later.

June 8, 1971

Dear Nancy,

Hi Honey, how’s my life today?  I hope that you’re fine and happy because I want you to be happy.  I am.  Why you may ask yourself is my hubby happy.  Well, your hubby will just tell you. I got some mail yesterday and I love you. 

Maybe, I’ll explain it to you.  I’m sure you’re upset or a little P.O.ed about the last letter I wrote.  Well, one of the major reasons I was depressed was, I hadn’t gotten any mail in a while.  But having once been burnt, I wasn’t going to say anything.  So, I didn’t and jumping toads, I got two letters yesterday. See, it may take a while but I still learn. 

The thing I worry about when you don’t write is that maybe you’re sick or something happened and you don’t want me to know because you figure it’ll upset me.  I worry more when I don’t hear from you.  See?  I imagine that you would rather hear from me even if I’m bitching or depressed or crazy than to not hear at all.

I got a question for you.  What’s the kitchen?  You said that you worked in the kitchen.  You aren’t working at a drive-in or as a cook are you?  You’d better not be.  If you are, as fast as that V.W. will go, you had better go and quit.  I don’t want you working in a place like that.  You know that too.

Honey, I’m so glad that you and Mom can sit down and talk.  I think it does both of you a lot of good to have someone to share your thoughts with.  I know Mom is pleased because she’s had no one to share her problems with for a long time.  She needed someone to sit down and talk to.  Not just Dad.

A man has things to talk about with another man that only men can understand and work out and women need another woman to talk to because another person of the same sex can better understand the problems that bug a person of their sex.

I’m very glad that you two can share these things together.  I know how much this means to both of you.  See, I get letters from you and occasionally from Mother.  I know how both of you enjoy each other.  So you can understand how happy this makes me.

I see my mother thinks that we are going to be good parents and are ready to be parents.  Well hell, I know that.  The first sixteen we”ll be good parents to but the next sixteen, well I don’t know, I may be too tired.  HA!  HA!

I’m going to say something and I’d like your opinion of it.  Ok?  I feel that when we were at Devens and even in Okinawa that we were somewhat immature.  We wanted kids and we felt as though we were mature enough for them.  We couldn’t see any reason why we weren’t mature enough and why we shouldn’t have them.

Now, I look back on it and I really don’t feel we were quite mature enough.  No offense meant to either of us.  We were mature enough to take care of ourselves and our needs but were we mature enough to see to our kid’s needs?  I’m not sure.  I think we were but I’m not certain.

We used to have some fights and threw a few things and really yelled at each other.  I feel that this has to all be gotten out of a couples system and when it’s all out then this couple (if they remain together that long) will be happily married. 

Our love was strong enough to carry us through and now I am assured that it’s all out of our systems. I have no desire to make you mad or displease you in any way.  I guess I’ll still get mad at times but I don’t believe that I’ll ever get as mad as I have again. 

I’m not concerned any more in getting my way or proving whose boss or any other foolish ideas I may have had before.  All I want now is to make you happy and make you love me. As I said before, I’ve gotten all that other crap out of my system and I’ve seen how foolish it all was.  I feel much more mature.  Through your letters, I can see how much more mature you are also.

The only thing that we both want now is to be with each other again and to start our family. I think that now we will have our family and that we’re ready for it.  Now there will be no more separations.  I’ll get to see you pregnant.  That’s one of the most important things to me.  I’d miss being there when it is born.  When we have our children now we’ll both share in these things.

Maybe someone knew this and is making us wait.  I don’t know but whatever the reason, I’m glad.  As much as we both wanted a child, I’m glad that we haven’t had one.  I have no doubts that we’ll have one when all this is over.  Life will be beautiful and we’ll be so happy that children will become a part of it.

Honey, I guess I’ve rambled on enough.  I do want your opinion on what I’ve been discussing very much and I’m waiting anxiously for a reply.  Just tell me how you feel whether you agree with me or not.  I just want to know how you feel about it.  OK?  Thanks.

I see you finally got one over on my Dad.  I’m going to rib him about that.  I had to tell him so he could rib you but I never thought that you would turn the tables on him.  I’m proud of you.  You’re right about that no sleep business too.  HA! HA!  Hey, let’s have a marathon.  We could try for the World’s Record.  HA! HA!

What’s the deal?  You think you are worse off than me? HA! HA!  How dare you even suggest a thing like that?  You must be out of your mind.  I’ll have you to know that I can’t even get through a door without turning sideways.  In fact one day the Zips thought I was their Water Buffalo and mad me plow their rice paddies.  HA! HA!

Well, lover, I’d better close for now.  My God, I’ve already written almost four pages.  No wonder my arm hurts.  HA! HA! My Darling, I love you with every bit of my soul, heart, and everything else I got.  Be good and keep loving me as you always have.  God Bless you and I’ll be seeing you soon.

All my Love to my Love Machine,

Frank

P.S.  Larry (Wizard) said to say “Hi” to you.  Remember him?  He’s the one that said _ _ _ _ that night he was drunk at our house and you corrected him.  Yes, that one.  FTA

Finally, Frank opened up to me about what was bothering him.  He knew I was writing every day but when the mail got backed up in one place or another he would get worried and upset.  I am sure some of this worry still had to do with the “Dear John” letter his friend had received.  It would take a long time for Frank to know in his heart that I would never let him go.  I continued to stress that point and how much I loved him in every letter I wrote.

Frank asks about me working in the kitchen.  When I was working part-time for the Credit Union for a few weeks, I put in to substitute at the Van Vleck schools.  One day they called me and asked if I could help in the kitchen of the lunchroom.  I agreed to help and had the best time working with the women in the kitchen.  Of course, this was back in the time when all of the food was prepared fresh and it was totally awesome.

I had gotten very close to Frank’s Mom and we did lots of fun things together.  We had a lot in common but one of the biggest things we had in common was our love for Frank.  We worked in the same building in Bay City, so we would see each other on breaks or at lunch.  Frank’s Mom loved to sew and I did too, I would go visit them on the weekends to sew with her and just hang out.

Frank’s Dad was a jokester with a very dry sense of humor.  He loved to get one over on people and he loved to joke around and tease me.  When Frank was home, he and Frank would double team me.  Frank had asked me in a letter, “Where he was going to sleep”  because of the new pets I had acquired.  I had written him a letter back and given him my answer. Evidently, Frank thought it was really funny and wrote his Dad a letter about it.

Okay, long story short Frank’s Dad decided to tease me about it and see if I would get embarrassed in front of everyone.    He asked me point blank,  ” With all of those pets, where is Frank going to sleep when he comes home?”

I realized immediately Frank had written his Dad telling him what I had written him and they were trying to set me up, so  I asked him a question back, “What makes you think there will be any sleeping?”.

Frank’s Dad must have laughed for five minutes.  Finally, I had actually gotten one over on him.  Not sure if Frank’s Mom or Dad wrote to him about me finally getting one on his Dad but they were both laughing at my answer.

Finally, Frank’s Anniversary gift had arrived and he wrote me a letter about it.

June 11, 1971  

Dear Nancy,

First off, I’d like to wring your neck.  I got my Anniversary gift today.  Besides wanting to wring your neck, I’d like to hold you till you couldn’t stand it any longer.  I love you so much.

Why did you buy me something as beautiful as that?  I ought to spank your bottom.  I might just do that.  Thank you so much for the beautiful watch but gosh, I never expected something so expensive.  Honey, you shouldn’t have spent so much.  I don’t know how much it cost but it looks so expensive.

My son will have it on his third Wedding Anniversary.  You make me so very happy.  My words just can’t explain how much I love that watch.  I showed it to everyone that I know and they all think it’s just beautiful. Once again thanks for being so good to me.  I love you with all my heart and soul.

How about this red ink?  Cool, huh?  Well, it’s all I could find so it had best be cool.  HA! HA!  Guess what?  I got to go to work at 3:00 am and it’s already 10:30 pm, so why aren’t I sleeping?  Because I have to write my beautiful wife, that’s why!  

I sent you a tape about three days ago.  Have you got it yet?  It’s probably a dumb tape but it’s what I felt like saying at the time.

Honey, I got to go even if this is so short but I need to get some sleep.  I’ll try and get a long letter off to you tomorrow.  God watch over you for me.  I love you, my Darling. 

Your Loving Husband,

Frank

P.S.  I love you, my Love!!!!!

The watch was actually an ornate pocket watch that I purchased at Secrest Jewelers in Bay City, Texas.  I had the watch sent off to be inscribed with Frank’s initials LFH on the front but when the lid was opened inscribed inside the lid was:

5/08/1971

Frank

I Love You

Nancy

In this next letter, Frank is teasing me again about another surprise gift he is sending me.

June 14, 1971

Dear Nancy,

How’s my Darling wife today?  I hope she’s fine and looking forward to getting my love again.  Yep, today we have 215 days left.  Pretty soon we’ll be in the 100’s.  Believe it or not, we’re actually getting closer.

I’d like to apologize for not writing as much as I should these last two or three weeks.  This 12 & 12 is wearing me out but I still should be writing more.  I’m sorry, I’ll try harder.

Get a haircut!!! Bah humbug.  You’re right about me not being happy when I’m rebelling against them.  I know that they will always win out in the end.  Even before, I got your letter about it I’d gotten a haircut.  So, see there.  I’m just tired of being told what to do.  You know how I feel about it so there’s no use in my going on. 

You know me just about as much as I understand myself.  Maybe better. You wanted me to send you a tape, well Honey it’s on its way.  In fact, you should already have it.

So you want to know when I will kiss you in my dreams.  You have already been kissed 14,000 times already.  HA! HA!

We got about eight more nugs (new guys) yesterday.  The more that come in the better.

How do you call me the best soldier in the whole Army?  I’m not the best and I don’t want to be.  I’m one of the best at my job but that’s because I want to be the best.  So just watch who you call a good soldier!  HA! HA!

Hey, what’s the matter?  Your curiosity driving you nuts?  Good!  It’s about time you had to wait to get something.  You can’t cheat on this gift and look too soon like you do everything else.  I’m enjoying this.  HA! HA!  I’ll tell you what I’ll do.  I’ll give you some hints.  

  1.  It’s pretty big and heavy.  (a safe?) NO!
  2.  It’s insured so you’ll have to sign for it.  (a gold mine?) NO!  
  3. It’s being shipped Airmail.  (an airplane?) NO!
  4.  It’ll be there either the 1st or 2nd of July.  (a calendar?) NO!
  5.  It’s something you’ve been after me to send you.  (a baby?) NO!
  6. You’ll take good care of it because it’s fragile.  (a TV?) NO!

That’s all no more hints.  Now sweat it out.  HA! HA! Hey, have I told you lately that I love you?  Course I have.  I do love you, Nancy and my love for you is something that you’ll never have to worry about.  It’ll always be there and it will always be strong and lasting.  I’ll always want you and need you there with me.  You’re what makes my life.

You and I are very lucky to have a love such as we do.  I’m grateful and I’ll never abuse this gift you have given me.  I thank you for it and I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to give you as much as you’ve given me.  You’ve made me so very happy.  God bless you, my Darling and watch over you for me.

All My Love For You,

Frank

P.S. 215 DLITA    216 DLTHIO  ( DAYS LEFT TILL HEAVEN IS OURS)

Frank knew how much I loved to ask questions trying to figure out what he had bought me as a gift.  I always hoped he would somehow give the secret away in his answers but this time he was not being fair.  I was asking everyone if he had written to them about what my surprise gift was but no one was telling.  I was absolutely confused and my curiosity was killing me.

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2 Comments

  1. Another great post, Nancy. Frank sure was surprised with that pocket watch. Isn’t it fun when you can totally surprise someone with a gift they never expected. Makes you feel you have done the right thing.

    • Yes, it does and his Special Surprise for me is even better. I have no ideal how he kept it a secret so long. Lol
      Thank you for reading and commenting Diane. I think there are two more chapters up after this one. I hope you have time to read them.
      God Bless You,
      Love,
      Nancy

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