Capt. T.G. Leske
71st Infantry
APO44
Fort Lewis, Wash.
3-25-43 (Tacoma, Washington – on Fort Lewis letterhead)
Miss Jane Axtell
538 S. Normandie
Los Angeles, California
Jane Dear:
Please do not think of me as being too presumptous on the basis of our long freidship but a question burns in my mind and in my heart which you must answer at any cost.
This lust may sound too commanding or forward but it has been so long that I have searched for a true answer that I have finally gathered courage enough to match the mightiness of the sword and put into writing what I have never been able to say in words.
In a world so very much in turmoil at the present it really seems a sacrilege to think so deeply of ones self ever for a moment. Still Anthony loved Cleopatra, even in their troublesome times and Napolean sought happiness and relaxation from the hells of war with Josephine so maybe my apparently shallow selfish quest may be excused on the grounds that in the Spring a young man’s fancy turns to lighter things.
My thoughts have turned time and time again to this subject with no decisive end. Others, my friends and even strangers, have given me their time, advice, and benefits of experience. Their attempts to help me were from the heart I am sure and meant for the best but still I feel that there can be no other way to sureness without an answer from you.
Give my question a great deal of thought considering the future and all that your answer might mean, one way or another. After all, life in the Army ins’t one which provides even those little things to which one has always been accustomed. Of course if one can be with those for whom there is a certain pull and attachment even Army hardships can become minor.
To quell my doubts and bring happiness to my heart your answer must be in the affirmative. Forget duty, country, and let only your heart rule. A freely given "yes" means every thing. With trembling heart I ask, even hesitating now to ask, as the doubtful question is burning in my mind, do ya think the love message will be drafted – an honest answer, please.
Sincerely
Ted