Letter transcription:

2/5/43

Dear Mother,

I wanted to start this letter some hours ago but Dr. Loop was in so didn’t get started. Finally I decided to take a bath and maybe that would do the trick – It did. If you get what I mean. In fact I was going to write several letters this P.M. but didn’t get started.

Dr. Loop was telling me of a Dr. near Lafayette who had been sent to Greencastle to do duty there. Some people seem to get all the breaks. That guy is only about 60 miles from home. Of course he has to battle thru the snowdrifts and over the slick roads. And after all that is something to fight the battle

[page 2] of the Indiana snow. I meant that to be sadistic – did it sound that way?

We have a pretty good mess hall and galley now for only officers of ship co. and our food is prepared separately. And we had steaks – good steaks for dinner. Not as good as those we used to get from the lockers but they weren’t bad. Our first course was sliced oranges. These were stood on edge. Three around the cocktail container and the inside was filled with mixed fruit. The second course was steak smothered in onions – with dried diced potatoes, and diced turnips. The potatoes were well prepared and could hardly be told from fresh. The last course was fruit jello. I ate it. We also had iced tea with considerable lemon. Not bad would you say?

[page 3] If that keeps up and our exercise doesn’t get any better I’ll probably weigh 200 in a short time. Won’t that be funny? Or will it? We also have a bath house with hot and cold running water. The three of us decided it was time we should probably begin to get our things ready to go places because it is too nice. We didn’t pack yet however. There are some things I might send home – like white suits, heavy rain coats etc. One of these days because those aren’t being featured in New Caledonia this year. I’ll let you know when and if I get ready to send them. Dr. P. has sent home several boxes of extra things and lots of the others have but I tried to travel light. Some brought 3-4 suits of blues overcoats etc. but I was wise never did buy an overcoat, and only one suit of blues. Will finish later.

[page 4] Later – Show good mail not good. Got a letter from Lentz – he has had malaria but is better now. As yet he hasn’t received the pictures I sent but I send them the next day or so after I received them from you. Funny how much ground or I should say ground & water those pictures have covered. Starting in Penna – to Norfolk – to Calif and you know the rest as far as I do. Maybe by this time he has them I hope.

I’m sending some films home I took – have them enlarged a little and if any are good send them back. Two are shots I took of Dr. P. & W. on the hill – not obscene but maybe not

[page 5] too publishable. I won’t take anymore until I get some word back as to whether those are good or not. I’m sending all but one – it might not be censorable. I’ve tried to print some but they are too small to make know if good and maybe I don’t know how to print anymore. Just turn them over to be developed – maybe they won’t have to be enlarged.

I sent Mark one dollar for his birthday – repeating.

The show tonight was Harold Lloyd in something – and you know what his pictures are like –

Well, lots of Love
Daddy

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