Thursday, October 14, 1943

Surprisingly, my Grandmother receives leave form her duties from December 20, 1943 - January 6, 1944.  I'm floored that they even gave her that much leave.

"If everything pans out the way I want it to I will leave here the 20th of December and be home until the 3rd of January. ... I certainly hope now that everything turns out all right.  I won't know until the first of December for sure.  Let's just hope and pray."

I hope she gets leave to go see her family over the holidays.  She hasn't seen her family since that first letter from boot camp in January.  Can you imagine seeing someone every day of your life then poof! you don't see them for a year.  You receive a weekly letter and you are allotted an occasional phone call.  That does not always go through! It must be exceedingly lonely.

It seems she runs from her loneliness and fills it with dates and outings with sailors and Ensigns.  

"Marvel and I went out with a couple of sailors friends of ours the other night.  We went dancing and had a good time.  Tonight they are renting a car and taking us to dinner and dancing.  I hope we have a good time but the one that I have to go with bores me to no end."

She probably wanted to tear her hair out by the end of the evening!  I cannot wait until she meets my Grandfather.  She probably crucifies him and then finds he's up to the crucification.  They're a WWII Beatrice and Benedict love story.

Grandma still doesn't know about her Officer's commission.  It makes me antsy.  She's anxious as well, but she also wants to see her family.  

"I haven't heard about my commission but if that goes thru I don't know when I'll be able to come home."

She avoids talking about her commission in her letter, but I know she wants to continue on so badly.  I already know how this ends, and I'm still cheering for her.  Grandma's time in the WAVES is a huge part of my family's legend.  I know the facts and what's going to happen.  I know when she meets my Grandfather and how their lives were together.  She passes in June of 2001, months before 9/11.  9/11 would have broken her heart.  It's shocking to know how her entire life changes ten years from these letters.  This is a woman I never knew.  It's beautiful and devastating to witness her contagious hope.

They looked Thrilled

On this day in WWII history