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Cpl Roman F. Klick 36620923
Co "A", 353rd Engr Regt
A.P.O. #502, c/o Postmaster
San Francisco, California
August 9, 1943

Dear Aunty Clara,

I guess I am going to take after the late Florenz Ziegfeld with his easy come easy go attitude towards money. I received the money order from my Dad, Rose and Rosana and without having the means available to cash the money this evening, I borrowed a dollar on the face of my new wealth and went over to the PX and spent the whole thing on candy. You may wonder why I am borrowing so early in the month. Well, this is the story. I was trying to save five dollars our of my pay as a reserve for some future month when I might need it for something real important like. I placed the bill in one of my GI glass cases and then buried it with a lot of other things. That is just about as good as putting it into the bank. The remaining spending money was soon spent and that is why I asked John to loan me a dollar on the money order until tomorrow when I can get it cashed.

The PX has an unlimited supply of candy and all kinds of it. This evening I bought a box of Hershey Bitter-Sweet and six bars of Nestle's Crunch. Ever since the candy has been on stock once again, I have felt very healthy because six or so chocolate candy bars have the same effect on me as the walnuts have on Aunty Florence.

Today was wash day for me and I really handled the whole business in a professional manner. Last night before retiring I filled a large ten gallon tin with water and shavings from a bar of soap. I then put in the clothes I wanted to wash and let them soak overnight. This morning I climbed up the hill and found a little fireplace which I soon had blazing brightly. I guess I boiled those clothes for a half an hour straight and then took them down to the creek to rinse out. My total laundry this time consisted of about three pairs underwear, as many pairs of socks, four handkerchiefs and a set of woolen underwear. That is the most I have had to wash out at one time yet and it is the best job I have ever done. They dried rather quickly and now my cabinet is filled with fresh clothes once again.

Last night when I went down to the creek to fill the tin with water, I had to make the first use of the flashlight and the idea of its being fastened to my wrist was swell for I could carry the can with both hands. Several nights back I barely creeped along the walk in the pitch darkness of the night but last night I just walked along at a natural pace. I am using the flashlight sparingly because there are many times when the moon or other lights offer sufficient light to see by and a flashlight is not necessary. By the way, during that period when you can send packages without a request from me, you might send along a few spare batteries and bulbs for the flashlight. I do not want the batteries to spoil on me by keeping them in too long because then the whole flashlight is usually ruined.

The most exasperating thing in the world just happened. Rizzo is playing the piano in the big tent and got around to "For Me and My Gal." Larry and I have been in doubt as to how that one part goes and we stopped writing to listen to it. Just as he reached the part "And someday we'll build a little home for two or three or four or more" (which is what troubles us), a truck passed outside and we couldn't hear a note. The truck noise died out and we heard the piano as it finished the last line of the song. Doesn't that just get a person? It'll happen every time.

The birthday card I received from the Klicks was a real nice one with airplanes drawn all over the face of the card and bundles of joys, dreams and happiness parachuting to earth. My Dad wrote (oops, I mean Rosana wrote this) "Just received your V letter birthday greeting and was very thrilled by it. Yes, I am 4 yrs old. Had a nice birthday party. Aunt Clara, Aunt Flo and Uncle Joe were here. Hoping next year you will be here too. For now all I can say is Happy Birthday to you too. Rosana."

So-long,
/s/ Roman
Roman