Chapter Text
Bucky sat down on his bed in the barracks, and pulled out a piece of paper from his notebook. He filled his pen with ink and looked at the blank page. He sighed, grateful that he had a moment for himself, and began to write.
December 10th, 1942
Dear Stevie,
I’ve finally gotten a chance to sit down and write you a letter. I got to base about a week ago, and it’s looking like I won’t be able to get leave for Christmas or New Year’s. But we’ll see. I hope I do, ‘cos I miss you. I know I’ve only been gone barely two weeks, but this is the longest we’ve ever been separated, isn’t it? Besides the time you were quarantined in the hospital in ‘35. But I don’t want to remind either of us of that time, so I won’t go on about it.
Training is okay. They have us doing a lot of obstacle courses and apparently they’re thinking of putting me in advanced infantry training (known around here as AIT). That would mean my stay here would be extended for who knows how long. If I could say thanks no thanks I would, so I could come home and be there for longer with you and Ma and the girls before I actually got shipped out to Europe. But, that’s not how it’s gonna be. I’m sorry, bud.
I hope you’re doing as well as you can be, and that your asthma’s not actin up or anything like that. Ma is probably doting on you and making sure you have dinner every night, huh? Tell her I’m doing okay, just really busy and don’t get a lot of chances to sit down and write everyone a letter. Tell the girls I said hi too. I’ll try to keep in touch more but I can’t promise I’ll have anything interesting to say. I gotta go for now.
Sincerely yours,
Buck
—
December 25th, 1942
Dear Stevie,
Merry Christmas! This letter will probably reach you a little after the holidays, but it’s Christmas as I write this and I hope you have a good day with the family. I got your letter, and I’m glad to hear you’ve been doing alright and that Ma hasn’t been too overbearing.
We got to decorate the base so it’s at least a little festive. And the cooks made us a special dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes, and beans. Not that the food is bad the rest of the time. It’s just not what I’m used to. Though I’ve heard from guys who have been in the army for longer than me that the chow overseas is worse. Not looking forward to that at all. I think I mentioned it in my last letter that they were thinking of putting me in AIT. Well, that’s been confirmed as of yesterday. A nice Christmas present to me from good ol’ Uncle Sam. But they did tell me when I’d get to go home afterward, so I’ll be back sometime early March. Then I get a couple weeks before I ship out to England from New York. Ma will be excited to hear that I’ll be home for my birthday. I’m counting down the days til I get to see you, though. The guys here have been exchangin stories about their girls back home and I haven’t been able to say anything to add to those conversations. Our letters are censored by the army so I won’t say too much here either. But just know I miss you.
Have a happy holiday season and try not to get into too much trouble, though I know the look you’re giving this letter and how your response is gonna be something like, “you’re asking too much of me, Buck. Someone’s gotta fight the big man.” That person doesn’t always have to be you, Stevie, but I know you’ll be damned if it’s not. Stay safe and make sure you’re still in one piece when I get back home. I can’t hug you if you’re not.
Lights out is coming soon so I better wrap this letter up. Tell the girls I say hi and Merry Christmas. Ma will be excited that she gets her own letter this time. Signing off for now.
Love,
Bucky
—
January 10th, 1943
STEVIE,
You’ll never guess who I met at the local cantina the other night. Well, you have known me for over ten years so you can probably narrow it down to like three people who would make me start a letter so excitedly. A few nights ago a couple guys and I decided to sneak off base (okay maybe it’s “allowed” that we go off base on the weekends but I wanted to sound badass) and go into the nearby town for drinks where we met none other than the New York Giants’ manager Mel Ott. I haven’t swooned like that since I saw you in your new Sunday suit that you had saved up for. I was too nervous to go up to him but after some nudging from Dum Dum (that’s our nickname for this guy named Timothy Dugan. He’s a Red Sox fan but boy does he know how to tell a story and a joke) I went up to Mel and introduced myself. We talked for about twenty minutes about this season and the chances of the Giants going to the World Series. Real insider stuff, Stevie. Something finally happened to write home about. Everything else here has been same old same old, obstacle courses and exams throughout the week with a break for Sunday service.
I’ve learned how to reload a rifle in under thirty seconds. I currently hold the base record of quickest time, which is seventeen seconds. Dum Dum is a close second with twenty. You’d like this guy, Stevie. And he’d like you. I told him about you the other day, told him about how you fought that guy who was twice your size behind the automat and how you only broke two ribs and your nose and I had to pick you up from behind the dumpster. He got a real kick out of it. His girl is back in Boston. He’s in AIT with me, so we get to go home at the same time.
I know these letters haven’t been the longest they could be, but sometimes I get too homesick to write much. I got the drawing you enclosed in your last letter though, and I keep it in the inner pocket of my uniform jacket. Thank you for that.
I hope you’re still in one piece,
Bucky
—
February 21st, 1943
Hey Stevie,
Sorry I haven’t written in quite a while, training was really taking it out of me so when I had a minute to sit down I was too tired to write. Basic has been over for some time now, and we’re almost done with advanced. Dum Dum won’t stop talking about how excited he is to go home to Boston to see Darlene. I’m just as excited to get to go home to see you but don’t want him to get the wrong idea. Well, the right idea. But it’d be the wrong idea to the army. Anyway, advanced training is, as the name would suggest, much tougher than basic. And basic was no walk in the park. I was promoted to Corporal at the end of basic, and there’s talk that we’ll get more promotions by the end of AIT. We’ll see. If I’m promoted to sergeant before I go over to Europe I’ll be given my own squad once I’m there. Imagine that, me, in charge of a group of guys? Let’s hope they’re not as stubborn as you. But then again, if they were, we’d win the war in no time flat. We could just march up to Hitler and punch him in the nose. Wouldn’t that be something.
I almost forgot, tell Ma thanks for the care package. The other guys and I were really excited for the chocolate bars and shaving cream. And thank you for the book. I haven’t been able to get to the end, but Gabe Jones, another guy here at AIT but for radio operation, saw me reading it and nearly spoiled it for me. Apparently it’s the first book with a homosexual main character that gets a happy ending? That’s all I let him tell me before I kicked him out of the barracks and he could tell me anything else. But I’m really enjoying it and look forward to getting the chance to finish it.
Well, that’s gonna have to be all for now, I gotta go help clean up the mess hall.
Your pal,
Bucky
—
March 1st, 1943
Stevie,
This is gonna be my last letter sent to you from training: woohoo! We’re boarding the train on the 4th and it’s taking me straight to Grand Central Station. Tomorrow is the very last day of training and then the day after that will be spent cleaning and packing. I really did get promoted to sergeant. I guess it’s unusual for someone to get through the ranks so quickly like that, but the war has caused the army to adjust how they do business. I’m real excited to be coming home. It won’t be for too long since not only did they give me a promotion but they also gave me the date I’ll be shipping off to Europe: I leave March 20th, so I still get to be home for my birthday and then a little while after. Maybe we can get the train to Coney Island and I can try to win you one of those stuffed animals. To remember me by when I leave. I’m gonna try not to worry about not coming back once I leave the U.S. I mean, it could happen, but I don’t want to think about that just yet. And you shouldn’t either. Sorry for bringing it up. What a way to end the letter, seeing as now I have to go.
I’ll see you in a few days, Stevie. I can’t wait. Will you tell Ma about my arrival? I’d love it if you and the girls and her met me at the station. But it’s okay if it doesn’t work with your schedules. Don’t worry too much about that either. I’ll see you soon regardless.
Bucky