Red Hat / Fedora :: Bash - Echo Multiple Numeric Values On One Line

I'm trying to get multiple numeric valued version information into a variable, all on the same line. I want for example $VERSION=3.1.0.01.002. I'm trying to pull seperate values from the file named version.properties, wherein the file contains;

patch.rel.num=0
sqa.num=01
major.rel.num=3
build.num=002
minor.rel.num=1

So I have the following script:
#!/bin/bash
BUILDVERFILE="version.properties"

PATCH=`grep "patch.rel.num" ${BUILDVERFILE} | awk {'print $1'}`
SQA=`grep "sqa.num" ${BUILDVERFILE} | awk {'print $1'}`
MAJOR=`grep "major.rel.num" ${BUILDVERFILE} | awk {'print $1'}`
BUILD=`grep "build.num" ${BUILDVERFILE} | awk {'print $1'}`
MINOR=`grep "minor.rel.num" ${BUILDVERFILE} | awk {'print $1'}`

P=`echo $PATCH | tr -d .=[:alpha:]`
S=`echo $SQA | tr -d .=[:alpha:]`
MA=`echo $MAJOR | tr -d .=[:alpha:]`
B=`echo $BUILD | tr -d .=[:alpha:]`
MI=`echo $MINOR | tr -d .=[:alpha:]`

VERSION=$MA.$MI.$P.$S.$B
echo $VERSION #

I end up with the value of .002 ?? Seems like it's only getting the last portion because if I run the script thru "bash -x" I get:
...
+ VERSION=$'3
.1
.0
.01
.002
'
+ echo $'3
.1
.0
.01
.002
'
.002