Dart writes a short letter today. It’s been more than three weeks since he’s received any mail at all, making it very hard to keep his vow to not write disgruntled letters home. When that mail delivery finally gets there, it’ll be a whopper!
Rather surprisingly, he asks Dot an out-of-the-blue question: What would you think if I signed up for 6 years in the regular Navy? He’s heard of the many benefits, such as opportunity for advancement and higher pay, a chance to learn a trade, plenty of time off, if you’re in the US to collect your liberty, and education through travel. “What would you say? It would mean a lot.”
Then, the tone changes. “It would mean signing away every single thing I’m fighting for now, and every bit of happiness I’m looking forward to when this war’s over. Being the wife of a Navy man is no fun, I hear. And being a husband in the Navy is equally ‘no fun.’ But those recruiting promises sound awfully enticing!” (Was this his subtle way of saying “Beware the WAVEs,” without harping on her again?)
He enclosed a snapshot that someone took of him on deck after the previous set taken a few days ago didn’t turn out.
His P.S. says, in tiny letters “Don’t worry about my signing over. I won’t do it.”
This reminds me of a story Dad told occasionally – one of the few he told about his time in the service. As he was disembarking for the final time from his ship, leaving the Navy for the long-awaited return to civilian life, he was being processed out by one of the more senior crew members. The other guy read from a clipboard Dart’s name and rank, except it was a rank a couple of steps above where Dart really was. Dart told him that the name was correct, but the rank was wrong. The officer replied, “That rank is right, if you’ll sign up for the regular Navy.” Dart smiled, saluted, and scurried down the gangway, leaving the Navy forever behind him.
This succinct note begins with “Well, I have yet to hear from your mother, and then the cycle will be complete. Today I received a letter from Fred saying -you know what.”
And the WAVE issue raises it’s head again. She says that Fred writes in a very similar style to Dart (“Four pages of the same sort of stuff.”) She’s not sure how to respond to him. She says that Dart is used to her incorrect spelling and poor grammar, but she fears she’ll shock Fred with it. She hopes his opinion of Dart will not be diminished by getting a letter from his B.G.F. Unlike the two guys, she claims she’s not able to make words sound like music. (Well, I think the music they’ve sent her has it’s share of sour notes.)
Too tired to stay awake, she closes with the hope that she’ll dream of Dart and with a prayer that God bless and protect him.
