Camp White, Oregon
16 March 1943

Dear Aunty Clara:

Last night (Monday evening) Curry came around after supper and asked to play a chess game. My will power held up long enough to refuse him as I had more important things to do with my evening. But just because I didn't play chess doesn't mean that I did utilize my time as I desired. It so happened that I became involved in conversation with John T. Edie and Lawrence Y. Isaacson. I did manage to break away for about an hour and in that time I made a new and complete list of names to accompany the company picture. In that time I managed to send out the March Reader's Digest which I hope you will receive in a few days. When it came to mailing out the picture, I was stumped. I have no round cardboard tube to enclose it in and a paper wrapping may prove too fragile or insufficient for the 2000 mile journey it must take.

When I went back to the barracks, I started talking to Larry again and we didn't stop right away either.

Incidentally that bivouac scheduled for Thursday is not going to be the soft touch we originally thought it would be. Instead we are going to have to march out with full field equipment and pitch our tents and in the morning we will march back again. The crazy part about it is that it is supposed to be a practice maneuver to see how we will operate in the field yet we will not do any desk work while we are out there. Even Lt. Warner doesn't get it. Perhaps the Colonel thought the office force needed a little toughening up.

Now, for the first time, I hope something does call off the hike. Why? I have a smoldering cold for the first time since the very first of the year. It is not an out and out cold but has given me a mild sore throat, and an occasional sneezing fit.

In my letter of yesterday I failed to mention that I received a letter from you and another chess move from Bob Hesser. This last move of Bob's is the strangest one yet and for the life of me, I can't seem to dope it out. That guy is the toughest fellow I ever met in a chess games as you well know. He is still hoping that instead of going overseas our outfit will move closer to Chicago in order that our game will run a little more quickly. We never did anticipate such a distance as Oregon to Chicago nor the possibility of such a quick removal to more distant places.

Now to answer your letter as time will allow (apologies to Walter Winchell): even a few pounds extra of Polish sausage is better than no Polish sausage at all. In fact you can even have my share of the stuff. The new batch of soldiers which came in last night were originally scheduled to take over our barracks but since we are still here they were moved elsewhere. It seems our weather is just opposite from yours. For some unaccountable reason it has grown quite chilly during the past few days. Let's hope it warms up for that hike (it will be just our luck to have it become cooler). Funny that both you and I dreamed about me being on furlough at the same time. Mental telepathic sleep I calls it. It would be fun to be dressed up in bow tie, saddle shoes, loafer coat, red shirt and brown pants once again. And if I ever come home on furlough, that is exactly what I will do. Too bad you can't get coke anymore. It is even lighter to carry up the stairs.

Solong,
/s/ Roman
Roman