Letter transcription:

Lieut. R.S. Yegerlehner USNR
USN Base Hosp. #4 Navy 133
F.P.O. San Francisco Calif.
Jan. 12, 1944

Dear Mother,

I’m getting forgetful. I forgot whether or not I added a P.S. to my letter yesterday telling you your Christmas package came – It did. This time it was in pretty good condition but the contents could be seen without opening the box. In other words the ends were very ragged. The chicken bones are all melted into one huge chunk but still within the paper. And why the alcohol and tobacco chasers? I haven’t opened much of it yet. The chewing gum is the best article. The wafers are good – really surprisingly crisp but I’ve lost practically all my taste

[page 2] for sweets. Just the very smallest bit of sweet is enough so I’ll have candy enough to last all year long. One of the officers who was ordered from here gave me a pound box of candy weeks before Christmas and most of it is still in the box and Floyd & Ruth sent some and it is practically intact. I’ll wait a few weeks and put it out in the ward room and it won’t last long but I know I’ll never eat it, unless I get more of a sweet tooth than at present. I hope I don’t sound ungrateful about the gift. The hankies were fine. I am a little short on those and they will fix me up about right.

I wrote Joe Roberts a letter last  night and will try to answer

[page 3] another of those long unanswered letters today. I have an awful time now trying to figure which one I should answer.

I did some laundry this P.M. Last Thurs. I sent my khaki shirts & pants to the laundry as well as 5 pairs of underware trunks, and today I washed 9 pairs of trunks and 16 pair of socks – don’t ask me where all the things came from. I still have 5 clean pair of trunks and one pair on so that makes a total of 20 pair and approx. 2 doz. pair of socks. I still don’t wear any undershirts so don’t have to worry about that part of the laundry. White shirts are no problem because they are not worn enough. Just to weddings or special things which

[page 4] are far and few between for me. And one shirt will last thru several engagements.

Before I forget it I don’t think it’s necessary to file an income tax return this year but again Agnes M. knows more about the laws and if she thinks necessary go ahead. All we get for sure on the tax problem is scuttlebutt, but there is something about this year & last year or something so let me know what you do.

Don’t run yourself too short on buying bonds as I won’t be able to send too much money extra on account of saving it for travel. Maybe I’m being optimistic but it never is wrong to plan ahead – For now Dear that is all –

Love Daddy

P.S. Thanks for the Christmas present.

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
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