Monday, August 9, 1943: A Letter to the Folks

My Grandmother starts this letter off with some attitude.  Her personality comes through these letters more and more as we make our way through them.  She explains to my Great-Grandmother that she needs her Montana driver's license so she won't have to retake the driving test.  Also, she wants it so that she can rent a private car for the day and not have to wear her Navy uniform to the beach.  She would just go in her bathing suit or a cover up. I still have her Navy issue trench coat and I cannot imagine going to the stifling beach in fabric like that!  She assures her mother that she is following the rules, but she is totally giving her mom guff.  "I stick to rules and regulations even though it is hard to sometimes and gets boring.  The only reason I want the driver's license from home is that I won't have to take a driver's text.  Now please get it and don't ask them any more questions about it."  My Mom says I sound like Grandma Robinson all the time!

She also asks Aunt Peg or her mother to run to the University of Montana in Missoula, to get her transcript so she can apply for Yeoman 2nd Class.  Grandma is so nervous that she is requesting her family not say anything about it until she is accepted.  She keeps preparing everyone for the worst. That is also a family trait.  My Grandma Robinson passed when I was 14 so, I really didn't get to know her as an adult.  I'm starting to believe that my anxiety comes form both sides of my family and not just my father's side.  Grandma is talking out every aspect of the situation and it makes her feel better just as it does for me.  She lightens the mood by teasing her sister.  "I know Peggy has a hard time to keep her mouth shut, but this time she must.  (Ha Ha)  Don't get mad at me Peggy, but I know that I have 3,142 miles between us so you can't take a slug at me."

She making me nervous for her!  I can't stand it and I want to read ahead to see if she made it!  Her bunkmate Marvel is a shoe in apparently, and I am wondering what is the major difference between my Grandmother and her.  Is my Grandmother's transcript bad or is she just not ready for this change in responsibility?  Well, all we can do is send her the well wishes she requests.  "Well wish me luck anyway and pray for me or something."  Do well wishes work retroactively in time? I guess I will leave that up to the Doctor.

On this day in WWII history