Cpl Roman F. Klick 36620923
Co "A", 353rd Engr Regt
A.P.O. #502, c/o Postmaster
San Francisco, California
August 25, 1943
Dear Aunty Clara,
Wednesday
So far today I have not received any mail but Jack Molyneaux received a package from home. That means that maybe the books might have arrived. You asked yesterday that I mention various things which might be sent to me as Christmas presents from Sep 15/43 thru Oct 15/43 incl. I believe I have I have mentioned several things up to now but I would appreciate any good books people may wish to send. There is a scarcity of readable literature on this island and repeatedly I have found myself wishing for a thick volume to go to in my spare moments. If anyone asks you what I might like for Christmas you can tell them that. I don't believe I have to name any title because almost all the books I have ever received as presents have been good. What do you think of the idea, good or bad?
Our magazine literature dropped down to almost nothing until today the PX brought in a batch of such ones as "Coronet", "Collier's", Post", "Liberty" and "Look". But after all one gets tired of reading those things.
Evidently the watch gains a bit of time or else I have set it up five minutes too fast because Zamora, the bugler blew Recall at ten minutes to twelve on my watch and set up a resulting howl from Regimental Headquarters. Lt Maack and M/Sgt Meyers came running out and asking him what he was blowing his bugle by --- sun time? When he told them he had received the time from me, Lt Maack hot-footed it over to our Section and asked if I set my watch by that sun time. He told me he gets the correct time every day over the telephone and that his watch would probably be the most accurate in the regiment. In fact, he told me that that was one of the Regimental Adjutant's duties to keep the correct time. As it turned out I had been five minutes faster than his time.
Gosh, there has been great kidding going on about Jack's Norristown. To him it is the best little spot in the United States so from time to time when the Pennsylvania versus Chicago battle calms down we all jump on his little Norristown.
The finances are now at 90¢. Ten cents went today for three Tootsie Rolls. Who knows pay day may come around and I will be flush with all of a dime or a quarter in my pockets.
According to the latest prophecy of Dr Edouard Benes the war with Germany will end not later than Spring of 1944 with the downfall of Japan not long after. So far he has hit most of his predictions right on the head and naturally we all hope that this one is the best of all. Wouldn't that be something to be home again to stay sometime towards the end of next summer?
Tonight is the night for a trip to the other outfit with the movie machine and I will have to get busy rewinding the film for tonight. That is one thong I haven't figured out yet. We always rewind our film before handing it back to the film exchange yet the ones we receive must always be rewound by us before we can show them. The picture for this evening is either "Mr Lucky" or "Harrison's Kid"; I don't know which it is at this time.
It is remarkable how serviceable the new screening is around our tent. With this translucent screen in the front and rear the front of the tent needn't ever be rolled down either at night or when it rains. The sides of the tent are raised as awning to let in yet more light and ventilation. The set up is nifty.
What piano playing I have done in the last two days has just been to run over those tunes I already have in my head. No new tunes or experiments. What I plan to do is to make myself several music sheets and rewrite the music with only those notes which I can play with my one finger method. As it is now I play about one eighth of the notes given on the music sheets and the others only serve to confuse the theme.
So-long,
/s/ Roman
Roman