Letter transcription:

Lieut. R. S. Yegerlehner USNR
Navy 60
F.P.O. San Fran Cal.
Aug. 25, 1943

Dear Mother,

Not having anything in particular to write about I might describe some of the what I would call the peculiarities of people round about – of course no names will be mentioned.

To begin with we have several who laugh at the slightest bit of humor in what I would say the 15 year old girl age. That is OK but I’m just not built that way. Then there is the fellow at the table who spreads the entire slab of bread with Jam etc. and with both hand feeds his face with gruesome furry [fury]. Also the fellow at the table who takes uses finger for pushes – not just tip of finger but a good 1/3 of the distal end. And a few who lick knives. Then the fellow who sits across from me often who chews with his mouth open. I haven’t been splattered yet but I’m waiting because he is one of the fellows who laughs at little things and I’m afraid something funny will happen at the wrong time sometime. Finger “lickers” are very numerous.

There is one in particular who thinks smoking and drinking are very unbecoming of a naval officer but since he arrived here about 6 wks. ago his waist line has increased considerable because he asks for seconds on most everything and uses butter on everything. Then

[page 2] we have a few who talk of not much of anything but going home and they have been away from the USA about 7 mo. Then there is the single fellow who when he saw Lana Turner in the movie decided to see the show at all the places it was showing on the island. I don’t know if he figured it was a builder upper or a tearer downer. Then there is the fellow who in the wash room takes out his partial and stands over the one and only wash bowl and brushes and scrubs for many minutes while others line up behind.

Of course there is at least one in every group – the fellow who laughs at his own jokes and his own clever saying which if he didn’t laugh no one else would. The wild tall stories teller who to hear him is a one many army and navy all rolled up in one snug package – The stories when checked are always miniature.

This letter as you can see has no point and if some other officer wrote it he would in all probability have a different slant. The officers are a swell bunch and have probably slipped from the ways of society and maybe I’m a little critical.

There is one other fellow who receives lots of letters from his wife when the mail comes in – enjoys them very much – writes her every day – some very no good letters. He adores her very much and knows how she carries on back there while he is gone and admires her for it and thinks she is tops – I wonder who??

Love Daddy

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/01/02/peculiarities-roscoe/