Postmark: 11/01/1943

Return Address:

Pvt. V. Misitano
Co. A. 350 Inf.
APO 88
Fort Sam Houston, Texas
U.S. Army

Oct. 31, 1943
Sun. morn, 10:30

Dearest Mother,

    I received your most awaited letter and enjoyed reading it very much.

   Mother, I'm glad that since Joe had to go across he landed in Africa because mother, all that his division will have to do is just guard and keep order in the captured places and mother he'll never have to fight because all the fighting there is over with and all that's left to do is just clean up the captured areas. So mother, please don't worry about him because I'm sure he'll be O.K. and safe. So mother, we should be glad that he landed there and not in a combat area, of course none of us wanted to see him leave, but since he had to, we can thank god that he went there instead of a more dangerous place.

   Mother, you said that you're worried about me going across because we're getting all new equipment and that we're leaving this camp. Mother, please don't worry about me, because I'll be O.K. wherever I am, whether it's in this country or any other, but mother, when I leave here, which will be very shortly, the camp I go to will still be in the states. I'm hoping and praying that I'll be shipped closer to home this time, and when we leave mother, it won't be to a Port of Embarkation that we'll be going to so please don't worry about me mother, because I'll always be O.K.

   I was expecting to get a furlough this month but they cancelled all furloughs and called men back that were on furlough.

   Mother, I'm glad that you like Rosie, but just like you said mother, we won't talk about that subject, but mother you can stop hoping that I won't get married till after the war, because mother I never intended to get married till I am 25 anyway. I won't get married till after the war and even a few years after its end.

   Well today was payday mother, and I got $23 pay. I hope you received a bond mother, let me know if you did. Do you think it's O.K. mother for me to have the gov't. take out for the bond and send it to you? I mean, is there any way of getting hooked out of a bond or anything? (ans)

   Well mother, I guess I'll have to close.

   Love, Son,

"Jimmy"

Marriage and Savings Bonds:

In this letter dad states his intention to not get married until he is 25 years old. He did, in fact, later get married on 12/8/1949, at the age of 26. Seems like his crystal ball was in good working order. Though he doesn't mention it in his letters, a little after-the-fact research reveals that Rosie's birthday was November 13th.

Late in this letter he indicates some apprehension about the safety of the U.S. Savings bonds that he is purchasing. He mentions $23 in pay, which means that he was having $20 removed from his pay to purchase a bond each month, with his life insurance premium making up the difference to his total pay of $50 per month. While it's quite understandable to be apprehensive about where over half of his net monthly income is going, it is generally accepted in financial circles that the obligations of the United States in the form of various instruments, including savings bonds, is the safest investment in the world. Whether this will remain true in the future in light of massive U.S. debt and the economic rise of other countries is fair game for speculation, but generally only among conspiracy theorists.

   - Jim Jr.