Wife of a Shorty

Dearest Nancy,

I love you!  You had better get your stuff together woman.  Big daddy will be there most rickety tick!  That’s right.  That letter you got yesterday was no lie.  We have 32 days left in this _ _ _ _ _ _ _  army.  Not 82 but 32.

I got a note at work yesterday from personnel and it said for me to go by there.  So, I went and by God, they asked me if I wanted a drop.  Stupid, huh!  “Hell yes”, I want a drop.  So, presto you’ll have your big old teddy bear home 50 days earlier.  Decent!!  Boy, this army is alright!!!

Go ahead and tell anyone you want about it.  I’m going to write my folks and tell them that you are going to meet me in Houston and we’re taking a second Honeymoon instead of meeting in California.  That way we’ll be honest and truthful.  So, tell anyone but don’t tell anyone where we are going.  

I’m so happy, Nancy!!  I love you so much and the thought that I’ll be seeing you in one month is terrific.  I’m so excited, Darling!!!

I got a tape from you today but haven’t had the chance to listen to it yet.  I just don’t know what to say.  I’m so damned happy about everything.  I even went and got a haircut today!!   To think that by the time you get this letter and write me back about it, we’ll only have 22 DLITA is too much.  I must be dreaming. 

No more loneliness, no more sleepless nights, and no more depressions.  Everything is going to be just great!!!  I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Honey, I have to close for now because I’m too excited to write any more. 

God, please take care of you for me because I’m not there to watch after you and take care of you myself.  But I’ll be there soon.  Please take care of yourself because we’ve come too far for anything to happen now.

All my Love to my Darling,

Frank

P.S.  Think “short”!

Dear Nancy,

Well, how does it feel to be the wife of a shorty?  Feel good, huh?  Well, it feels good to be the husband of a shorty!  In fact, it feels wonderful to be getting really short.  I can hardly stand it!

I even went out yesterday and got a haircut!  Of course, it was flipping up over my collar but I did it on my own.  Amazing, huh?  Well, I only got a tiny bit cut off but still! I’m on the last letter of my short sheet.  I colored in the 31 on the M which was the last one on that letter.  Now it’s only the Big E with 30 days left.

I’m once again listening to the Carpenters.  It’s nice.  It’s raining like all get out outside and it’s pouring in our room faster than we can bail it out but you know what?  I don’t even care.  Because in 30 days, I’ll be at home and looking at you and I’ll never again have that empty feeling inside.  No more long nights.  Just happiness. I’ve waited a long time for this and I know that you have waited the same amount of time. 

Honey, we are finally going to have each other as we both have dreamed and waited patiently for.  I can’t even get mad at anything anymore.  Not the zips, the rain, the beggars, or the frustrations of my job. I laugh them off and say to myself, “to hell with it, in 30 days I’ll be holding you and then all this war and Army will be forgotten”.  It’s a good feeling to let everything slide off after fighting it for so long.

I don’t know exactly what day I’ll be home but stay by our phone the 26th and 27th of November, if possible.  I have to go to Da Nang for four days then to Oakland.  I don’t know how long I’ll be at Oakland but I’ve heard at least one day. So, I can’t tell you when exactly I’ll be there, but it shouldn’t be later than November 27th or early the 28th.

Will, that give you enough time?  If not, tough stuff! HA! HA!

I got two letters yesterday and the first one I felt really bad about.  It was about the letter I wrote when I was really depressed and said things that I didn’t mean and shouldn’t have said.  You thought I didn’t love you anymore.  I’m sorry if that’s the impression you got because we both know better but once again my dumbness brought you unhappiness that you shouldn’t have felt.

The next letter i got you had understood and it made me feel a little better.  You said you had had a test run and your tubes aren’t blocked.  I’m glad.  You seemed to be relieved and that makes me happy too.  Tell that doc to hurry up.  HA!  HA!

I haven’t shaved in three days and until we get some water, I’m not going to.  Oh well!  I just thought I’d say that for lack of something better to say.  I should close but I feel like talking to you, so I’ll ramble on about anything if you don’t mind.

I’ve put on about ten more pounds since I got back.  I hope you don’t mind.  I was going to lose it my last 90 days but now I don’t know if I have enough time.  If you think it’s too much I’ll lose it and fast.  I don’t want you to be disappointed in me in any way.  So, say the word.

My suntan is almost gone.  This rain doesn’t give me much chance for some sun. Honey, it seems I keep coming back to the same subject, but I can’t help it.  We’ll be together in only 30 days.  I can’t believe it.  I’m so happy, Darling.  I love you so much!

Well, now I have to close.  Please take care of yourself and keep me in your thoughts.  God bless you my love and take care of you for me.  I love you, Nancy.

All my love is yours, my Darling,

Frank

P.S. THINK “short”

Dear Nancy,

How does this day find you?  Shocked?  Three letters in a row?  What’s come over this nut, huh?

Well, I listened to your tape today and I feel like such an ass.  I want to tell you one more time just how sorry I am and to try and reassure you that I could never stop loving you or ever, ever doubt your love, you know these things, I hope, but I feel so bad about the tape.

God, woman don’t you know how much you mean to me.  I know you do but I hope that in some way this will help reassure you and make you feel secure until I can be by your side then there will be no doubts or fears.  This, I promise you.

Come on now and smile for me.  After all, what do we have to be sad about now?  We got it almost licked and nothing can stop us now.  

In your tape, you said you had a feeling, I would be home by Christmas and maybe Thanksgiving.  Well, you smarty you.  I can’t wait to get your first letter back after you find out about our drop.  I was so happy and I just know you will be too.

I’d best close and get some sleep.  For some reason, I have trouble sleeping at night.  I wonder why?  HA! God bless you my love and keep you safe.

All my love for an eternity,

Frank

Dearest Nancy, 

Good Morning my wife.  How do you feel on such a wonderful day?  I hope you are in as good of spirits as I am.  We’re going to be together very soon.  That’s enough to make me happy.

I haven’t written to you in about three days, as I guess you realize.  The reason?  Well, even though I am getting short the army still thinks I should work my rear end off, so there it is.  They have me running here and there for dumb things but I don’t really care and I know you won’t, because they can’t do it to me much longer.

I’m on break today.  Can you believe it?  My last one.  It stopped raining last night.  The first time I have gone outside and not gotten wet in two weeks.  The sun is even out this morning.  Amazing.

Hey, I go three letters yesterday and one today from you.  I hadn’t heard from you in five days and then presto! I really enjoy your letters.  I am waiting impatiently for the first one from you that tells me you’ve heard about the drop.  I can’t wait to see how happy it’ll make you.  I hope it’ll make you very happy.  I’m so happy right now.

Honey, I want you to stop writing on the 17th.  Don’t write me anymore after the 17th.  I’ll be leaving Phu Bai on the 23rd for Da Nang.  I’ll spend four days down there.  I don’t know why four days but I do know I’ll have to take the Pee Test and that takes a couple of days to come back then I’ll leave for Ft. Lewis, Washington.

It’s good that we decided not to meet in California because I have to ETS out of Ft. Lewis.  I should be out by the 27th.  So, if your last letter is mailed on the 17th it should get here by the 22nd or 23rd.  Otherwise, I’ll miss it and I don’t want to miss any of your letters.

You got everything about ready?  I hope so.  You ‘re probably going to be as busy as I am or more so, but it’s a good kind of busy, isn’t it?  It also makes the time go by so fast.  That’s what counts, isn’t it?  You bet it is.

You know what, I woke up to this morning? “You make me so Very Happy”.  I just had to smile, because you do make me so very happy.  God, I love you, Nancy!

I’m going to close for now.  Keep smiling, it isn’t long now.  God bless you my love and I ask him to please watch over you.

All My Love,

Frank

P.S. Being short makes it.  I love you, “Shorty”.