1 December 1952
"tonite I must write you as I have something on my mind that I had better get off before it's too late...they told me that when you got the card that I would have to look for another wife...whatever it is that is written on the card, I sure wish that you won't get sore at me. As I was just a victim of an innocent prank...I hear a lot of commotion out side the office, I think they are feeding hot dogs tonite to the crew...I wish that you and I were eating one of those Howard Johnson hot dogs. They are really nice, aren't they? Maybe I'll get shore duty somewhere where Howard Johnsons Restaurants are located."

 

At Sea on the way to Naples, Italy

26 November 1952
"All the fellows are ribbing me about me being so tight with my money but I sure don't care. As I think I will have something when they won't. Another thing, I just can't see going and spending all my money like some the fellows do when they go ashore. One chief owes me $5.00 this payday....I will have about $15.00 to buy your Xmas present with and send it on to you....We have run out of the plain envelopes that I used to use when I wrote you so I had to go to the store and buy some of the ones that I am now using. They cost 10 cents for 12 of them. I sure do hate to buy anything in that store as I just hate to see that money creep from my hands. Yes, I guess you married a tite wad."

 

24 November 1952
"This is the last sheet of that paper that someone gave me, so from now on I won't be using it to write to you. I don't think that I would use it to write to my mother....Did I ever tell you about the cookies that you sent me. Well I received them in good time and the top layer was all crumbs, but the bottom was just like you had packed them. There wasn't a one of them broken. I gave some of them to the boys and they really liked them....Sometime when we are back in the States again I will show you where I have your picture and where I do all my writing. It is a place where visitors are not allowed to go but I think that I can get you in here OK."

 

Thessaloniki [Salonika], Greece

23 November 1952
"I have not been over here in Greece either as I just can't see going over here in such a place. I know that I will probably never get the chance to be over here again as long as I live...there is not much to do except to go in the bars and drink and the houses of "ill fame". And you know I don't indulge in either of them....Some of these married men must not have any feelings toward their wife at all...Well I am sure glad that I have a good wife like you to be loyal to when I am away from you."

Buss Gerdes during World War II

 

Salonika, Greece

22 November 1952
"As you have already noticed, I am using the same type of stationery that you were talking about in one of your letters...Don't worry I don't care how much you have, just so I have you in person. After all that is not all I look for in a wife....I am honestly and truthfully in deep love with you...I don't mind the RED kiss that you give me [on the envelope] as I just put my lips against it and that way I get a real kiss from you. That is more than most of the fellows can say about their letters...Do you still save all the letters that I write to you? I hope that neither of our children ever get a hold of them. Boy would our faces get red. But I think that you will have them all locked up when we do have a family, won't you?"

 

At Sea on the way to Salonika, Greece

19 November 1952
"I am sure glad that I did not go [ashore] as these fellows came back all drunked up. I think that it was meant for me to stay aboard that day....there was no camel fight anyway as the camels have to be in heat before they will fight...I sent out [my peacoat] to have cleaned while I was in Palermo, Sicily. Well after I got it back, I looked it over and found out that they had fixed all the lining in it. You remember the way the lining was all torn and frayed. Well now I have a good peacoat again...all just for the price of the cleaning."

Buss and his buddy, Lee Herrington wearing their peacoats (?) World War II

 

17 November 1952
"There are a lot of people that think that you are still a young girl by the looks of your picture....They think that you are about 25 or so. I sure hope that you stay that way, but at any rate I will love you in your 80's or 90's just like I do now so I don't want to have you worry about your age hindering your love affairs with me."

Ruth Gerdes circa 1952

Ruth at age 84.