Wilson College - World War II

To our cotton Wedding Anniversary - My darling - May we be together for all the rest. B-

My thoughts are with you darling. All our love. Love Bobby Wendy Johnston

Father's Dad card from Bobby and their daughter Wendy to Warren. It reads: To my Daddy dear- With all my love on our very first Father’s Day Wendy

Card from Bobby Johnston to Warren

Envelope addressed to Warren Johnston

1942 yearbook photo of Eunice "Bobby" Johnston

P.S. Changed my mind - was going to send this by regular mail Thanksgiving Evening Hello, darling- This should arrive just about as you’re sitting down to your Christmas dinner! - Well, maybe a little before. I was afraid that holidays like this which have a personal significance for us would be rather unhappy or depressing occasions out here. Somehow they’re not; they don't spoil the real thing by being a poor invitation of it (they don't seem to have any correction at all) and for that I'm grateful; when we take up again where we left off it will seem the most natural thing in the world- As for our little Christmas ceremony, that's something special that I look forward to without any feeling of sadness or regret, because it will give me a feeling of being momentarily closer to [pg 2] you than ever, instead of reminding me that we are temporarily apart. I'm already reminded of the latter fact only too often. I love you so very much, darling - tonight just before chow two (2 unmarried men of 28-30 and myself) or three of us were talking about women and sex in general in the lusty, straightforward way that men have: about what makes for a good “lay” (not a woman who is oversexed or overanxious, but still one with plenty of life and honest gusto); how usually women of about 30 who have been married make the best sexual partners, when they have no complexes as a result of having been unhappily married; about the case (from a purely pragmatic, amoral and mutually satisfying standpoint) for and against virginity in women at the time of marriage (we came to no conclusion, except that no two women- or occasions - are quite alike)… -and I find myself feeling very happy about the way things have worked out for us. While I still don't take any particular stand on the subject of virginity per se, one way or the other, I agree with Henry that nothing in extra-marital relations can approach [pg 3] a constantly developing and deepening relationship between two individuals for whom sex is basic but not everything. Such a relationship can do more for each of those individuals, I think, than any other thing can; it is capable of fostering greater subtlety as well as more plain [fun?] - and certainly [?] being the maximum source of strength, both individual and collective. I still hold to me [freedom?] on the terms which you prefer (as I would toward you), but without feeling committed to exercise it. The [?] is that even while I feel just plain lusty and in need of a good fuck once in a while, I seldom think of sex except in connection with you. [I?] [?] (as perhaps every married man is at one time or another) jealous of my freedom. No matter where I am or what I do, I know that it is you I really want. Dream of me tonight, darling Warren [Menu & Notations, Not transcribed] On the whole it was a very pleasant change. Not at all reminiscent of home, thought there was a certain holiday spirit about it.

350 July 29 - 5:45 P.M. Sunday My Dearest Darling: Feeling sleepy after a glass of beer - haven't had one for a long time. Have some straight news from Casa, but it doesn't sound as if its going to effect us any. However, it does sound as if the new guys mean business. All Navy men at the Presidio are being interviewed and offered one of three things 1) they may return to whatever branch of the Navy they were in before MG, or apply for some other branch which might be able to use them 2) remain in MG and [pg 2] become part of the replacement pool at CASA 3) if they’re old enough - probably 40 or over, they can apply for a discharge. Heresay has it that few men want to remain in MG - but MG men on Okinawa. The replacements will probably be used for those whose 18 months are up. I don't know of course, but I imagine the Boulder men will stick with MG, and go out eventually as replacements. They are not at all popular, and I've heard more derogatory remarks about Will than anyone else. There will probably by repercussions from men already out, but I don't imagine anything will come of it, tho it [pg 3] hardly seems fair. I expect you will have to see your eighteen months thru, perhaps by then the war will be over, and you won't have to go out again - I don't think I could take a second dose of this particular brand of hell. This afternoon while I was ironing, I blew a fuse. Not knowing a thing about them, I went over to Grammy Price. She didn't have a spare, but came over, and together we found the fuse box. Helen managed to find an extra fuse, which I blew because I forgot to disconnect the iron! Finally Grammy phoned Gladys, and Markham Sr. came down - he [pg 4] couldn't get into the box because the space was too small, so I crawled in, and managed to fix it, tho I was sure both the house and me were going to blow up. This morning after I took Wendy into bed with me, I had a nice silly dream about you. I dreamt that it was Sunday, and you were walking briskly down the street toward me, dressed in a suit of your gray, pipe in mouth, bug smile, and a tower of paper bound Boulder texts on your head! No mail from you again today, and I miss it so much. I feel as if I am in a perpetual whirlwind, not knowing what's going to happen from one [pg 5] minute to the next. It probably sounds funny, but if we can't be together right now I wish I could get away and change places with you - to be in a wholly new and different place, one which has no associations with life as we know it together. One of the hardest things about this waiting business is living in normal surroundings under abnormal conditions. 8:45 The Standard Hour - and I've just finished filing away twenty five more letters (11 folders now) and getting the snapshot album up to date - Its full now, and I have seven pictures left over with which to start a new one. Thought I was quite a fancy fuse fixer til I discovered that tho the lights and radio are on in here, they’re out over the rest of the house. Sweety, you just better come home soon. I love you very much Bobby