My life in Chicago was easy compared to what Nate was experiencing in the Army. He was suffering through some hard days (and nights) of living in the field, stripped of every comfort. He was exhausted, dirty, hungry, and longing for his fiancée. Meanwhile, I was happily shopping for a wedding gown and helping my parents sort through mountains of creature comforts they no longer needed. It was the story of two extremes.
July 12, 1969 – Dearest Meg. Thanks for the sweetest card I’ve ever seen! That picture of Meg with a trace of a shiner is so cute! I could hug, kiss, and squeeze you for a week! Down here I am really tired. We’ve been up every morning between 4:00 and 5:00 and been kept busy till midnight or 1:00 AM every night. Today we ran a reconnaissance patrol – 27 men, 27 rifles and a radio, etc. We walked about 15 miles in the heat, and my underwear and clothes were soaked! I’ve had to wear the same clothes for 5 days. No showers. This is rough, but it makes a person appreciate civilian life. Every man owes this to the U.S. When I think of what some men have sacrificed, my little suffering is microscopic.
July 12, 1969 – Dear Nate. My life is so different here than yours at Ft. Riley. I’ve been helping Mom and Dad sort through a lifetime of belongings. You’re operating with nothing, and they have too much. But… there’s an up-side. Since they have to get rid of so much, let’s think seriously about taking some of it. Dad’s father made some really nice glass-front book cases back in the late 1800’s. (Remember, Dad was born in 1899!) Those might be nice for all your law books.
July 12, 1969 – Dearest Meg. Thank you for your last fabulous letter! I could hug and kiss you forever! My love grows daily, and I am so excited about our engagement. You are the most fabulous woman in the world! I love you! And I also say, just wait until November 29! Love and kisses! I think of you every minute – every minute!!! I think about things you’ve said and done and your and my prayers, and your body. I realize again how magnificent you are and how fortunate I am. I’ll love you forever!
July 13, 1969 – Dear Nate, my Loved One. I just returned from shopping for a wedding gown! But before I tell you about it, I want to thank you for all your letters filled with so many words of love. I appreciate every penned word. And I love you very much! Getting ready for our wedding is the most fun I’ve ever had, for lots of reasons. Nov. 29 can’t come fast enough for me! Today I tried on all kinds of gowns and about drooled over their beauty. I’m not ready to decide, because I want to look some more, and of course I have to run the prices past Dad. But I did decide a few things. I want an off-white dress made of heavy satin. It’s a very rich-looking fabric. I don’t mean in money but in thickness and quality, you know, sort of like a “rich” pastry. I’ve also decided on a high collar with lace of some kind. I hope to get a long train that will drag 3-4 feet behind the dress, and a floor-length veil. I’m going to pitch in for the extra costs of some of this. Dad will probably say I can’t, but I’m going to try. And I don’t want a veil over my face, because when I walk down the aisle, I don’t want anything obstructing my view!
“In the day of prosperity, be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other.” (Ecclesiastes 7:14)