Haymes Has Sinatra Way Outclassed

Thurs. 26 October 1944

5:55 p.m.

 

Dear folks,

Well I’m C.Q. again. It seems to come around fast yet I guess it’s over two weeks since I last had it. Only the 5^th & 4^th grades pull it and since they’ve promoted some of the sgts it means fewer men on the roster and we get it oftener. Last night after I finished your letter I went over to the P.X. and got my cleaning and brought it back. By then it was about 8:30 so I decided to go to the show. It was “Irish Eyes Are Smiling” with June Haver & Dick Haymes and was pretty good. It was in color and some of the music was very good. This boy Haymes has Sinatra way outclassed when it comes to singing in my opinion. I got back at about 10:45 and got to bed. I was up as usual and through the same old routine this morning. For breakfast – cakes, syrup, butter, milk, and an apple. After I got things cleaned up I shaved and then went to work. I had a little trouble with my morning report and didn’t get it out until nearly 9:00. Then I worked on allotments & stuff most of the rest of the forenoon. At the last minute one of the orders was rescinded so as a result I had to prepare a new morning report. They change their minds so often now it’s hard to keep up with it all. I quit at 12:00 for dinner – potatoes, peas & carrots, bread, butter & ice cream. After dinner we had a physical. My feet are all healed up O.K. since I quit scratching them so I had no trouble. I got back to work at about 1:20 and we worked on allotments & interviews all afternoon. I quit at about 4:30 and went back to eat – spuds, spinach, relish, bread & cookies. I came over here at 5:30 and except for a couple calls I’ve been writing. Back at 5 to 7:00. I had a couple calls and some telegrams to take care of. Today I got your Mon. Oct 23 letter and Gram’s letter. I guess it’s about time I did a little answering. First – Wed. Oct. 18 – I saw the car as the train pulled by but I was sitting on the opposite side of the train. Another phone call. I wish Babe could have found me someplace ‘cause I didn’t want to leave. My feet look O.K. now. Well I guess me and my big mouth did it again. Now look hear just a minute. I said you had an inferiority complex. By that I didn’t mean maybe what Webster does. I used it in my own sense of the word. He and I may not agree C. I certainly didn’t think of it by the definition you used. I mean you always try to make people think you hold yourself back from this or that. You have always talked & said you didn’t feel people liked you and similar remarks. I merely said that you had an inferiority complex. In other words you are just a little hesitant about shoving yourself forward. I certainly didn’t mean it the way you seem to have taken it. And anyway there’s nothing there. I’ve said the same thing a good many times about myself. I always fade back instead of stepping out in front and making myself look important. I never carry on a good conversation unless the other person keeps on talking. I don’t make friends very easily. Yet I’m not particularly worried about it. Now I wasn’t criticizing you and I don’t see where you got the idea. A lot of things I said I meant to try to snap you out of it a little. I know you pretty doggone well whether you’ll agree or not and you are worrying too much about things. Yeh, I know I can talk but still it’s the truth. You’ve always held yourself back lots of times. If I was wrong in saying what I did I am really sorry but you’ve said practically the same thing about yourself a good many times. Why don’t you mention these things when I’m home where I can get really at them. When I write it’s often easy to be misunderstood. If you don’t agree with me say so. I never approved of anybody stealing anything but I merely said it ought to be excusable if it was the only way to get anything over there. They’re taking us for everything we’ve got and more besides. I know I blew off a couple times when I shouldn’t have but I’m not too collected either. I’ve been pretty cranky I guess & grouchy for quite awhile. I’ll probably get worse. I never did have too pleasant a disposition and it isn’t improving. You take what I say too literally or something. I didn’t [say] anything was wrong with you. Buchman was the kid I said had an inf. comp. There are lots of people probably half of us who do. So what? I never meant it to be taken that way. I’ve told you plenty of times to get rid of that idea other people were better than you. Now maybe inside you really don’t feel that way, but you’ve always talked as if you did. My feelings toward you aren’t changed and you ought to know that. That’s all I can say. Whether or not you want to believe it I guess is up to you. I said if you were my wife you wouldn’t handle the pay check. I didn’t mean that I didn’t want you to do it. I meant no woman would ever handle it. I wasn’t thinking the way you took it. So far as you’re concerned you can have it all but what little I need. I see through what you said in…… [The remainder of this letter is missing. Ed.]