March 17, 1954 Vieques, P.R. My Dearest Wanda, We secured school a little early - so I've been taking it easy most of the day. Got real smart this morning and answered Brad's letter - still gotta get around to writing Mom - maybe I will this weekend. Honey I don't have to much to gab about today - all of my letters are beginning to sound alike to me - don't know whether I told you already or not. One thing I've told you for sure and you know it's so - I love you, please don't ever get tired of me saying that - you're all I live for, then when the baby gets here I'll have two of the best reasons in the world to live. You know this time on the island is going by pretty fast because we're staying busy most of the time. We don't have but about 3 more weeks here on the island. We start loading out on the 6th, leave here the 13th and get to Onslow the 25th, probably after a couple days in the field I be with you. Honey I don't know how long the problem at Lejeune will last but I'll be with you by the 29th, That 20 days aboard ship is gonna be rough but that 3 or 5 days at Lejeune is gonna be still worse knowing that you're only a few miles away and I can't see you. I can hardly wait honey. I hate to say this but you may as well quit writing me April 10th. On that last letter mail it from somewheres in the base. I may get it and I may not - believe me honey every one of your letters mean the world to me. I will quit writing to Winston four days before you leave - let me know what day you're leaving W-S. I'll send you a money order March 20th - it should take care of the rent and what you need to get set up again at Lejeune. I'll send more before I leave the island that should take care of everything. Then I'll be paid again after the problem is over. Well, we really start to work tomorrow. We go to the range tomorrow and my five tanks have 5000 rounds of 30 cal. to fire and 150 rounds of 90mm to fire tomorrow before we quit, we have the same thing Friday except Friday we'll do half of the firing at nite - so I won't get to write Friday nite. We fire again Monday and the rest of the week we'll be catching field problems, but we'll come in every nite. Wanda if my letters are a little scarce for the next week or so please understand - I know you want my letters as much as I want yours and I will write every chance I have. Honey after reading that last letter I got written the 12-13th I know you love that baby more that I'll ever be able too. I love you Wanda and I want that baby for us. Wanda you're not the only that is blue and grouchy - at times I can't stand myself - I've run up three of my boys since I've been here - of course they deserved it - but back at Lejeune I would have let them go. Darling I'll call it quits for now, just remember I love you and it won't be long until I can love you the way it should be for us. Goodnite baby. Yours Forever, Dave Brad Tesh - transcribed 2005-01-04