Phil Larimore”s leave finally came through after New Year’s Day. There wasn’t enough time to make one last visit to his parents and see Marilyn, however. He agonized over the decision of where to go in this letter home:

LETTERS HOME

Got a letter from Marilyn today. Mom, I don’t know where to spend my next leave. I want to be with her so bad I can taste it, and at the same time, I want to be with you just as bad. Oh, poor me. Why can’t I pick a girl from Memphis? But, oh well. I love Marilyn, and Mom, in my mind, there is no doubt about it. If I could, I would marry her in a minute, but at least one of us must finish college, and since it looks like I’m not ever going to get the chance to go back, I guess it’s up to her to get the schooling.

Love, Phil^[1]

^[1] Handwritten letter postmarked 14 Dec 1943, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Lt. P. B. Larimore 0-511609, Co. C 326^th Glider Inf., 13 A/B Div A.P.O. 333, Fort Bragg, N.C.

My dearest Mother and Dad,

I’ll start this thing but it is so late I’ll have to finish in the morning.

This has been a heck of a week. We have been running around here getting medical exams. Our first of the year exam, but a lot of people seems(sic) to think it will mean a lot more to some of us.

Mom some have told me I am getting a leave starting Monday Jan 3^rd. From here I am going stright(sic) to Gulfport, It’s been almost a year since I’ve seen Marilyn and I’ve got to see her. I hope you’ll understand. I’ll try to get up to Memphis before I have to report back but I must see Marilyn. I can’t expect her to keep the home fires burning if I don’t get around enough to keep her well supplied in fuel. But anyway I miss her, so I will head for Gulfport when I get free here.

This Christmas and New Years has been the quietest that I have ever spent. New Years eve I went to bed about 2130 and that was all. I slept the New Year in and think it did me a lot better good that if I went out anywhere.

Mother it was wonderful talking to you last week, I think that was the nicest gift that I got. Bill sent me a very nice tie and two good looking pair of s[l]acks. Jane sent me a pound package of Prince Albert. Marilyn sent me one of the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen of her. It is to(sic) big for me to carry around so I will be sending it home soon, but it is a lovely picture and I wish I could carry it with me.

Aunt Leota sent me a $10.00 check that will come in handy if I get that leave I am hoping for. I got a lovely letter from Grandmother, was sorry to hear that they were sick over Christmas holidays, but she said that see(sic) was feeling better now.

It is planned that the Regt will make another move here in about a couple of weeks. This time we will move to Camp Mackall N.C.[1] We just stopped over at Fort Bragg to wait until the 11^th Airborne moved out of Camp Mackall. Now they are ready to move out so I guess we will move in a couple weeks. Oh well I guess I should be getting used to this getting kicked around this country for now.

It is raining to day, the first Sunday of ‘44 and it has to rain. I like it when it is raining. Every thing is so cool and fresh and there is always that nice cool clean wind blowing. But this is no weather to have to go out and train in. Old Man War knows not the difference between good and bad weather, he doesn’t know when a holiday comes, so therefore he won’t stop when one is passing by, so if he won’t stop we can’t either.

Well honey I guess I had better stop now and do some work to get ready for Monday. I have the first 3 hours of lecture so it would be best if I did a little study.

Your son, Phil[2]

[1] That area is about 40 miles west of Fort Bragg on the west side of Drowning Creek. http://www.bragg.army.mil/18abn/CampMackall.htm.

[2] Handwritten letter. Post Marked 3 Jan 1944, Fort Bragg, N.C.

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