Well, Dart is back. Here’s a long, interesting, tender letter – some of it answering Dot’s letters, but much of it coming straight from his heart.

He and his buddies didn’t find much during their search of Oakland, except “where things and people had been.” He says the town of Oakland stinks. And it smells bad, too. However, for once, he and the guys were warm; in fact they were warm enough to perspire – a new and pleasant sensation for them in California.

Dart has noticed that some of Dot’s recent letters have arrived with their stamps on upside down, like so many of her early letters. Knowing that is a code for “I love you,” he’s very happy to see them pop up occasionally. It gives him a little secret thrill.

He is in complete agreement that they must not let a trivial thing like swimming spoil their beautiful relationship. He actually says that as he gets more comfortable in the water, he’s actually starting to enjoy swimming a little. Then he says something very sweet. “I certainly never intend to let kids of mine (if I ever get married and have any) grow up with such a fear of the water as I’ve had, or without learning to swim.” He kept his word and always encouraged my siblings and me to have loads of fun in the lake, pool or ocean.

Dart razzes Dot a little bit about the two of them honeymooning in different places. Naturally, he says he’d be terribly disappointed if that should happen! It’s cute how casual they both are about their foregone conclusion that they will marry someday. Dart claims to not want to get ahead of himself and say too much, too soon. Dot cautions that there’s no need to move so fast. But the fact that they share this particular dream is the subtext of nearly every letter. How well they know themselves and each other after so little time spent together!

Dart has a fervent wish that Dot’s father will see to it she becomes fully “domesticated” by the end of the war. It sounds a little chauvinistic by today’s standards, but in 1944, I suspect nearly every young man had hopes of his wife being expert at all the household “arts.”

In the next paragraph, Dart responds to Dottie’s incredulity that her brother Doug could be homesick for his father while enjoying a vacation at the beautiful Lake Sunapee. “Just at those times when things are going well or when nice things are happening, you are apt to wish for loved ones to be there and share the joy.” He recalls his days in Cleveland after returning from  his brief visit to Greenwich. He was having a great time with all his friends and enjoying his leave tremendously, but he still longed to be with Dot and he missed her acutely.

That thought was followed quickly by a companion thought. “We just have to get me that leave for your graduation,” he said. “Keep hoping and praying and maybe it’ll come true like some of our other dreams.”

After some other light chat, he begins to wind the letter down so that he can grab some breakfast. He feels a great need to be home, once and for all. His father writes that he believes Germany will be defeated in September. Fred jokes that he has “seen the schedule” and that all the boys will be home for Christmas of 1945. That still seems like a long time from now. So much can happen in 16 months!