Letter #430813

Brantford, Canada, August 13, 1943

Hello Precious, 

Received your newsy letter just before supper and you must have been busy these last few days. I am glad you are, but don’t overdo it sweetheart. Let all the people come to see you, but don’t tire yourself running around to see them. I hope you felt better after your cry. I felt like crying myself after I had built myself up for a weekend and then it didn’t arrive.

I’m glad to hear that you are buying yourself some clothes and that you are getting the best as it pays in the long run. Maybe they will last for another blessed event or two. That’s really planning ahead, dearest, but I am sure it will come true. As for the perfume dearest, you don’t need it to make my senses reel as you alone can do that. I’m glad you bought it because I know you like nice perfume and anything that makes you happy is O.K. by me.

It has been raining here all day and it is still coming down. We were down on the firing range this afternoon till 4 o’clock. Then we went over to the gas chamber where they gave us D.M. gas which is a nose gas. It is nice stuff as it gets in your nose and throat and lungs and causes you to sneeze, cough, and choke. Then after a while, your head and teeth ache, and you feel depressed. I was one of the few lucky ones as it didn’t seem to bother me much and your letter arrived just after, so I wasn’t depressed in the least. Most of the boys didn’t feel so good, two of them were sick and the majority of them sneezed for quite a time afterwards. I have a slight cold and the gas is supposed to do it good so we will wait and see. Don’t worry as it is mostly a case of sniffles.

As for the part of your letter about seducing me, I’m all in favour of it. In fact, it will be a race to see who seduces who. But maybe you should ask the doctor about it first as maybe it is getting a little too close to the time for such a lovely past time. I hope not, but it is best to make sure.

Well darling, I will close now as the lieutenant says I need a haircut and the barbershop will be closing soon. So with kisses for Geek, Gook, Goo, Girl-Girl, and Oomah I will leave but tell them I will see them all next week.

Good night darling. Your loving boy Horgie. XXXXXXXXX 

Reflection So Horgie and Peachy, my grandparents, were hot for each other! Uuuuuuuuuuuuhm, okay. That was not something I was ready for. In fact, it was a bit hard for me to understand it but I got it—they’re in their 20s, they’ve been only married for just over a year and they’ve been separated for a month or so since Horgie took the train down to basic training. 

This letter is the start of some sexting in the 40s during war. Code words of body parts and affections for those body parts are referenced. What an amazingly beautiful example of intimacy and part of what I think is a healthy relationship. I’ll let you read the words Geek, Gook, Goo, Girl-Girl, and Oomah in context as the letters unfold so you can figure it out too! Thankfully, Horgie drew a diagram of these body parts to you’re a visual person. This map of the female anatomy is found later on this book—just flip for it if you really need to know now. 

The basic training life lesson here: love you who you love, be compassionate, be kind, and race to see who seduces who!