Example of WWII war bride and soldier husband

I don’t know who the gal who wrote this letter is, but she sounds very ambivalent about how to respond to a marriage proposal from her boyfriend.

A lot of guys wanted to get married before they left for the service. Many girls were suspicious of their motivations. In an era when girls had to be more concerned about getting pregnant (no birth control; no abortion), many were more reluctant than girls today to have sex without the benefit of marriage.

Many a girl felt pressured to marry a guy, even if she wasn’t sure she loved him enough for a long-term relationship—because the war skewed everything. This gal doesn’t sound too keen on marriage to me.

January 18th 1944
Tuesday 7:00 PM

Dear Frank:

Although your letter has not found me in the best of shape, but it was good to hear from you again. And your letter came in time for a speedy answer. I’ve been packing myself and spending most of my time in bed for the last couple of days. You! You are  not the only one who could cough beautifully. I sure do my share, and besides that, have a good case of flu. Now I feel much better but I’m not going back to work in too big of a hurry. In fact, I would like to take a nice rest and go out to California for a couple of weeks.

Yesterday afternoon I had a long distance telephone call from San Diego, California. My boyfriend would like to have me come out there and get married before he leaves the states, which is in a very short while. He left once before but something went haywire and the next thing he knew he found himself at the hospital. That kept him here another month and a half. I would like to visit him and perhaps stop over to see you, if I knew he wouldn’t convince me to get married.

I guess you know, or perhaps you don’t remember, how I can’t understand why people get married while there’s a war going on, getting a start in life from nothing and with not much of a future to build on. I hope this darn mess will be over soon so we people could live a normal life again. Well I guess that’s about enough on that subject, in fact, I think I carried it along far enough.

How have you been and did you get rid of your cough or are you still barking? If you’d get to drink some good stuff you would be alright, or is it that the California gals don’t keep you warm? From what I know they should. But I guess you can’t compare any of them with the Chi babes, just like the rest of the things. Am I not right?

By the time you get this what I call letter you should be pretty well started in school so let me wish you a lot of luck and I’ll say a special prayer for you each night so you will make the upper 20%. You have it in you so you haven’t anything to worry about. Only keep your head clear or else you really will be left in the fog.

Have you gained any of the weight you have lost since the last time I saw you?
I guess this is about all for now. I gave you a lot more news in my letter previous to this one which I guess you haven’t received yet, when you wrote me. So take good care of yourself and be good. So until I hear from you it’s
Love, JS
P.S. I hope the first page of the letter will not stop you from writing me just as usual., or is it that the California gals don’t keep you warm? From what I know they should. But I guess you can’t compare any of them with the Chi babes, just like the rest of the things.  Am I not right?

Original Letter