To Lt Alan Rosner, Fort Worth Tx
From Ruth Carmel, Albuquerque, NM
Air Mail 6 cents
February 9, 1955
Card: If you think I don’t miss you a lot by golly, all I can say is…
You’re off your trolley!
All my love, Ruth
Darling,
Please WRITE. I’ve been so worried about you, especially since I heard about the B-36 crash at Carswell. I would have called you if I hadn’t been able to find out that the plane was from Biggs AF Base and not Carswell.
To Lt Alan Rosner, Fort Worth Tx
From Ruth Carmel, Albuquerque, NM
Air Mail 6 cents
February 13, 1955
My darling,
It’s not even 10 o’clock and I’m already in bed. I didn’t get much sleep last night and so I’m pretty tired by now. I had some kids over for dinner tonight, but since they’re all working, they went home early-- which didn’t make me mad.
Was it last Tuesday night that the B-36 crashed at Carswell? I heard that on a late TV newscast and just about died. The reporter didn’t announce whether the plane was from Carswell or some other base, so I called the TV station. It was one half hour later before I was able to find out that the plane was from Biggs AF Base. By that time, I had called every TV station in town and the newspaper office. If I hadn’t been able to get that information, I would have called you even if it was late. Boy, was I a complete wreck until I was sure you weren’t involved. You’ll never know what a shock it was to hear that over the air.
I don’t even know if you’ll get this letter right away, for I know you said when you called that you were going to Limestone and for some unknown reason I forgot to ask when. If you haven’t left yet, do tell me when you are going.
Sure was sorry to hear about Louis’ accident, but it’s just lucky that he wasn’t hurt. He wasn’t, was he? Did he ever get a new car or did all this happen in the Pontiac?
Have you become chief cook and bottlewasher in your mother’s absence? Hey, how does it feel to be a prospective uncle for the third time? You’ve already got a niece and nephew, all you can expect this time are quintuplets or at least twins.
You said when you called last week that you were going to write the following night so when days went by and I didn’t hear from you I was beginning to get frantic. Finally, I decided that something had happened to you. At least I was right about something happening, not to you but to the rest of your family. Anyway, I had decided that if I didn’t hear from you by Friday afternoon, I’ll call you up. And Friday morning just before I left for work, your Special arrived, thank goodness. What a relief!
I’m not quite sure I understand what you meant by saying that you lacked faith in yourself. All I can say is that I’ve got enough confidence in you to make up for both of us. I do hope my love will be enough to help you overcome this difficulty, since you had thought it might be. It’s just so hard to do anything about anything when we’re so far apart. On the other hand, feeling the way I do about you, I’m almost afraid to think about what might happen if we were together all the time. When I tell you that just thinking about you gets me excited you can imagine what being near you does to me.
I could go on for pages and pages about how I think of you all the time and try to remember every minute of that marvelous week with you, but I’m going to sleep to try to get rid of a terrible toothache. I shouldn’t complain now since it’s only four days to the slaughter-- when I’ll really be miserable.
All my love, Ruth
To Lt Alan Rosner, Fort Worth Tx
From Ruth Carmel, Albuquerque, NM
Air Mail 6 cents
February 14, 1955
Card: My love for you is intents!
Be my valentine, huh? Ruth
I miss you more and more with each passing day.
When she got home from work a package was waiting on the doorstep. A bottle of Nina Ricci’s L’Air du Temps Parfum arrived for Ruth on Valentine’s Day. Inside the shipping box was a bright yellow carton tied with white ribbon. The delicate floral scents of gardenia and carnation captivated her as she envisioned herself strolling along the Les Champs-Elysees hand in hand with Alan. He also included a photograph, finally, along with a Valentine’s card. The photo wasn’t good at all, (there was barely a smile) but it gave her something to hold on to and to show to her friends. She needed to find a decent photo to send to him in return.
Christie and Suze said they’d come over and take Ruth out to the movies on Valentine’s night since she sounded so blue that Alan wasn’t there, but she wasn’t up for it. Not even seeing “Young at Heart” with Doris Day and Frank Sinatra for the third time could get Ruth out of the doldrums.
Ruth barely got through work the next day, dreading her upcoming wisdom tooth extractions so much she was going to call in sick on Wednesday, but after some strong self-talk, she decided the hell with it, and went to work anyway. She wanted to save her sick time for possible visits with Alan, plus she was trying to get through the last unit on the Past Perfect tense and didn’t want it to drag on any further for her or her students.
Wednesday during block B, Miss Summers, the Principal’s assistant, had a student come to Ruth’s room with a message slip. Ruth had a phone call in the school office. She was more than happy to leave the room early.
Alan was calling from the base. He wished her good luck with her surgery and said he’d be thinking about her the whole time.
Ruth always gets flustered when Alan calls but talking to him in front of Miss Summers she was only able to mumble and grunt. “He must think I’m insane,” she imagined.
To Lt Alan Rosner, Fort Worth Tx
From Ruth Carmel, Albuquerque, NM
Air Mail 6 cents
February 16, 1955
Darling,
I finally finished my 9th grade Dramatic Club meeting at school and got home about 5:45pm. Course I wasn’t worth a darn for the rest of the afternoon after talking to you today. Fortunately, the other teacher did most of the work at the meeting, very unusual for her. The rumor mill is that she’s having an affair with our Principal and can get away with murder, but that’s another story.
I intended to write to you tonight, because I hadn’t even acknowledged your Valentine’s present because of the way I felt. I was so surprised and thrilled with all of it. The perfume smells divine! It’s so good that I hope you won’t mind if I save it to use just for you in April. I don’t intend to even break the seal until I see you again. You’re tremendous for being able to remember the fragrance I mentioned during the holidays.
Alan, I want to be with you so much that I can hardly stand it. I never thought I could love anybody as much that I would be completely miserable and lost alone.
You’re right-the picture’s terrible (I thought that the minute I looked at it), but what matters is that it’s a picture of YOU and that you did remember. That poor picture is sure going to get a lot of wear and tear, for I’ve been carrying it with me every place I go. If only I could carry you with me every place I go.
Alan, thanks for being considerate enough to try to call to wish me luck. Knowing that you’re thinking of me will definitely help a lot when and if things get bad with my tooth surgery. I’ll write and let you know what happened as soon as I’m able.
It’s sort of silly to tell you to be careful on tomorrow’s mission since you’ll be back when you get this. But I don’t care, all I care about is anything that concerns you.
All my love, Ruth
p.s. I just mentioned to Mother that I should have had a picture taken before I was going to be all swollen up, so she insisted I send you this awful thing which she somehow loves. It is not only faded, but it was taken a couple of years ago even though the date on the back is last April (we take pictures and leave them in the camera for years). Anyway, Mother has announced that if I don’t put this in the letter, she’ll mail it herself so… I promise I’ll send you a decent picture real soon.
So sweet. The perfect read on Valentine’s Day
So romantic about having enough faith for them both. I love those old valentines cards, post a photo if you can.