Dart was very impressed with Dot’s moment-by-moment account of the graduation weekend, and he took several pages to express his delight in her letter.

He regretted that she stayed home on prom night instead of joining the festivities. In his opinion, prom is an experience not to be missed in the life of an American teenager. He hinted that there was a long story involving his senior prom that he would certainly tell her someday. Hmmm…I hope he includes the story in a future letter so we can share it too.

There have been a number of minor references in the letters between these two indicating that neither of them is a big Sinatra fan. I thought everyone of that generation loved Sinatra – especially music lovers like Dot and Dart. Well, it seems that Dart is more impressed by Old Blue Eyes’ acting than by his singing, having heard good things about his role in “Higher and Higher.”  While on the subject of celebrities, Dart professed to be jealous when he read about Dot’s adoration of the aging star, Ronald Coleman.

He remarked that he truly enjoyed reading about her good times that weekend. It makes him miss his own good times a little less to read about hers.

Dart twice expressed the hope that when Dot is in Cleveland next weekend she will drop in on his parents. He very much likes the idea of all of his favorite people getting to know each other better.

News from his world included the fact that he is growing a beard. It looks like heck – scruffy and a weird mix of brown, red and orange, but he’s planning on sticking with it as long as the Navy lets him.

He was allowed to get out of bed for a few minutes this morning as the corpsman made the bed. The effort left him dizzy, weak and coughing hard. He really can’t handle a relapse!

After Dot expressed her anger at the Navy for the mess Dart finds himself in, he writes “Don’t lose your faith in the Navy. Even though I struck pay dirt, I still have my faith in the Navy. I just get a little ‘down’ once in awhile.” He scolds her for suggesting that she might be a jinx for him, considering his track record since meeting her. On the contrary – he believes she’s one of the nicest things that’s ever happened to him. The best thing she can do is continue to write her wonderful letters several times a week. “I love them, Dot, and I love you the more for them.”

Finally, he accepts her invitation the the prom on April 28, having no previous engagements. It’s good for both of them to have something to look forward to.

Dot begins her letter with an admission that she gets the same thrill when she sees his letters now as she got when she opened his first letter to her. His most recent one put her in such a beautiful state of mind for glee club practice that she sounded like Lily Pons’s dog. (I have no idea what that reference means. Mom, can you clear it up for me?)

She is excited to hear that he may not need an operation after all.

She ends her brief note with a story about two of her roommates who are now on cook duty. They decided to make a batch of cookies for the house. When the housemother saw the mass of batter they’d created, she explained the the recipe they’d used was for the cafeteria when they were cooking for the whole school! Dot is looking forward to cookies served at breakfast, lunch and dinner for days to come.

She signed off with a cryptic “I have a lot to say but no time to say it, so adios until tomorrow.”