This story is told through a series of letters written by Edward to his Bella starting in June 1941 and running through much of World War II. A/H, AU. This story will be lemon free and fairly clean. I love a good lemon like the next girl, but this story didn't seem the place for it. There will be plenty or romance, a little stress and a lot of love and home sickness. I'm hoping that this will give everyone a feel for what life was like for soldiers and civilians during the 40s, proving that it wasn't all big band music and romantic perfection. Not that there isn't room for a little perfection. :)
P.S. My Edward needs a name. Any ideas?
June 9/41
Mon 4:30 pm
Hello Bella My Sweet:
This is Masen talking. I've got quite a lot to say and don't quite know how to start. Well anyway honey, I'm all alone in this camp in the wilderness, that is to say I'm the only B. Co man here now. All of the men in the 37th Div except one man from each company left for Texas this am to start maneuvers against the 32 Div, the job of the man in each company who stayed here is to guard whatever equipment hasn't been moved out as yet. (That's me) Wed am June 11th I am to report to Regimental H.Q. and then will be taken to Fort Boregard from there (Its in LA somewhere) There I will be assigned to an officer of the 32 Div and travel with him until this maneuver is over. It is supposed to end some time between Fri or Mon. After maneuvers we don't know if we will come back here to camp again or go on into Texas down by the Mexican Border. I've heard both & don't know which to believe. It's getting so anymore when you think of me you can't even be sure which of the 48 states I'm in.
Something funny happened last nite. I was kitchen guard so I had to stay up all nite and was supposed to get the cooks up at 2:00am so they could have breakfast ready by 3:00am. We have had some trouble in the kitchen lately cause the cooks hate the guy who is over them and this morning they decided to strike. I called em & they wouldn't get up, pulled Paul out of his tent into the street, he crawled back in bed to go to sleep & told me to go to hell. I had to get the "top kick" up to get them up to cook breakfast and he really raised hell with em. They forgot about the strike & decided to cook breakfast.
The clouds have been dark, low & moving very fast all last evening and today. I imagine there is a big storm down on the Gulf and we are due for a hard rain. Hope I don't get as soaked this time as I did the last. Gosh but this place is deserted since everyone left, it's just like camping in a big field by yourself.
There is enough food in the ice box to last me till I leave but the darn fools didn't leave me any water. If I can't catch rain water I'll have to walk several miles miles to get some to hold me over till Wed.
This life isn't so bad for a guy if he can take care of & think for himself but it would really hurt a fellow who couldn't. I don't suppose I'll receive any mail and I'm not even sure I can mail this after I write it but if you do receive it and then don't get any for several days or even a week don't worry darling. I'll just be out in these forests some where that I can't write for a while. Gosh I wish I was home Penny. The only thing nice about these nite hikes is that I can lie on my back, gaze at the stars and moon, recall a million memories of you and make a million plans for us. It's hell to miss you so and know it will be so long before I can be with you. I want to put my arms around you so very much, every once in a while I can get a slight whiff of the way your hair used to smell and feel my arms about you as they used to be but it's only for a second & isn't much help when I want you so much & not just memories of you.
By Candle Light
Hello Again Sweetheart.
I've eaten supper and it is now almost dark. Bob Jones, a kid who transferred to Anti Tank Co last month just came over and asked me over to listen to his radio this evening. Guess I might as well go.
Will close for now darling, as far as I know now I will be able to write tomorrow- but if this is your last letter for a while don't worry.
Will be thinking of you darling, I'll take you to work, meet you for lunch & take you home every day. Will spend every evening at your house except Fri nite and will meet you somewhere on the corner that nite so Nina won't be angry.
More Love Than You Can Ever Need
See you tomorrow
Edward
P.S. Write same place & often as you can. E.A.M
AN: I know there are a lot of misspelled words, missing punctuation, etc. in this story. This is done for a reason. Our Edward is from a poor family, his parents died when he was 13 and he dropped out of high school to get a job and help with the bills. It irks me to no end to write like this, but I think this is how he would write. I hope you enjoy this series of letters home. They come from a very special place in my heart.