Cpl Roman F. Klick 36620923
Co "A", 353rd Engr Regt
A.P.O. #502, c/o Postmaster
San Francisco, California
August 23, 1943
Dear Aunty Clara,
I didn't mention that yesterday I received exactly no mail from you or anyone else. I can't complain though because that is just one of those few and far in between days. Last night I dreamed that I finally received the French books so if that is any sign of events to come I should be receiving it in actual life any day now.
Typing of my typewriter is somewhat of a chore these days because a spring broke in two and it is difficult to hit the roller up to a new line. We can't send it into the typewriter repair shop until Thursday so until then I will have to struggle along as best as can be with what I have.
Almost all the companies and quite a few of the men have mascots of little puppies. The cutest of all of them are the two which 1st Sgt. Goldenberg of Company B has acquired. They are just about the smallest puppies you ever saw and they can hardly crawl along the ground. He has named them "Bo-Bo" and "Nuisance". "Bo-Bo" is the livelier of the two and answers to his name when called. "Nuisance" on the other hand is an ornery cuss is prone to get into mischief. Boy, this is good. Just as I was writing about "Nuisance" he came running in front of the Personnel Section. Jack started to take him back to the company area and he saw Goldie up ahead. The little pup started running towards Goldie and kerplunk! He tripped himself and landed right smack on his snoot.
Well, it looks as if I finally jinxed our 353rd Baseball Team. I never once have seen them play a game but yesterday I took a walk over to the baseball diamond in between piano lessons and by golly if they didn't lose their first game in nineteen. The tough part about it was that this team was tied with our outfit for first place in the Island League. If we would have won, it would have meant undisputed possession of first place. As it is the other team is now on top by itself.
The tent floor in our tent has failed to materialize once again. There seems to be a seemingly lack of indifference on the part of all occupants. Censky, who has built about a half a dozen of company floors, seems to be the most apathetic about building it. And as for Mersing, Edie, and Burkard, it is hard to get them all together at the same time. The fact of the matter is that I am indifferent to is also because I just sleep in the tent. After I leave the tent in the morning, I return to it only to get my mess kit at meal times and then sometime around eleven or eleven-thirty at night.
It is possible for a party of fellows to request transportation for pleasure trips on Sundays if they desire. Yesterday the entire S-4 section which consists of Blumenfeld and his cronies went out for a day's trip. Blumenfeld said it was quite enjoyable only he wished they could have stopped at some of the towns and spent some time in them instead of just cruising through. Another fellow, Shaefer of the Medics who used to work in Personnel as a clerk, has toured quite a bit of the island and speaks about the towns as if he was back home talking about weekend trips to different lakes etc.
Ever since Jack Molyneaux has taken the test for the Air Corps, he has been flooded with questions regarding the test and the procedure which must be gone through in order to get into that service. The applications for the Air Corps are flooding in from every company in the regiment but so far not one has made it.
Another thing which looks good for some men in this regiment. You have probably read about it in the papers long before this, but the Army has decided to release all those over 38 men who didn't get out in the first release this Spring.
So-long,
/s/ Roman
Roman