Alvin Anderson spent much of the early part of 1942 at Fort Benning, Ga., where he was a platoon sergeant and weapons instructor.
Meanwhile, his sweetheart Faye Walker was back in Branford, Fla., filling in at the local high school as a teacher of American history.
Here are quotes lifted directly from Alvin’s letters to Faye during that period:
Jan. 28, 1942 — “Time sure passes slow here.”
Feb. 14, 1942 — “The Valentine came today. Thanks. … For some reason I can’t get you off my mind, but I love it.”
Feb. 20, 1942 — on the confusion at Fort Benning — “No one knows exactly where they are going. … It’s going to take a lot for us to preserve the things we love.”
March 9, 1942 — “Everytime I saw you something made me want to see you again until now I really miss you. Honest. I wish I could be with you every day.”
March 10, 1942 — “Are your eyes brown or black? I hope you will forgive me for not knowing.”
March 16, 1942 — “You teach your students civilization, and I teach mine how to kill men and how to keep from being killed. Quite a difference, yes?”
March 21, 1942 — on his apprehension about applying for Officers Candidate School — “It is just about like being in a nice warm house and then walking into the middle of a storm. But it means a lot to me to become an officer in the U.S. Army. … This is going to be a long, drawn-out war. So if I can go higher, why not?”
April 2, 1942 — “It seems that the more I see you, the more you mean to me.”
April 13, 1942 — “Service is the price you pay for the space you occupy on Earth. I think that covers everything, don’t you?”
April 17, 1942 — after hearing the song “The Way You Look Tonight” — “I can’t see how you look, but I can dream.”