Johnny Martin to Bill Guarnere

So I've been reading the oral account of Easy Company by Bill Guarnere and Babe Heffron ("Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends") and while the entire thing has been amazing and absolutely filled with gems of information that cast both the events and the men in a new light, this one piece absolutely stopped me in my tracks and begged to be shared. This is for bloodygoodgirl, who showed specific interest, but also pretty much anyone who's fond of manly yet schmoopy declarations of pretty intense emotions. It's a letter from Johnny Martin to Bill Guarnere when Bill was at the hospital in England after his leg got literally blown off in Bastogne. For anyone not familiar with the series, Bill is one tough sonofabitch, a real soldier and a wonderful sergeant who took fantastic care of his men and did his damnedest to get them all out alive. Johnny is also a complete badass sergeant dude, which is why the emotional nakedness of this letter is so very striking.

( I never felt so hollow inside in all my life. )

Easy! ;____;