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

Dear Aunty Clara,

Saturday

I ran off the picture but I don't know what the story was about or anything because the sound was too low to be heard up in the projection booth. All I know is that Joel McCrea, Barbara Stanwyck and Brian Donlevy played in the picture. Joel McCrea marries Barbara but it seems that he is a no good galoot while Donlevy, whom she meets later, is one swell fellow. She finally leaves McCrea for Donlevy but in the end returns to the no good guy. Poor Donlevy who was on the square gets gypped so it's a lousy picture.

I feel awful this evening. I have an earache in my right ear but since that is the bum ear anyhow I am not worrying about not being able to hear out of it. The thing that bothers me though is the hurt. I'm tired and the arms and legs are filled with scars, scabs and red spots where I have been scratching bites.

And there wasn't anymail so that didn't help me feel any too good.

I had to run the film because Yantis had an emergency meeting of the fellows over 38 years old concerning their possible discharge.

From here it looks as if tomorrow is going to be a busy day after all and it will be a miracle if I get any other letters out. There is also a softball game composed of fellows from the Headquarters and maybe I might be drafted to play in it if they find themselves lacking a man.

I'm not going to get up for breakfast and will sleep until someone comes to wake me up. This permanent tiredness must cease. I've certainly been violating those doctor's orders of never getting myself fatigued. I sometimes wonder if maybe those X-rays taken at Camp White which I never did get the results on were negative or positive. I still think I must be immune to the disease because I certainly have given it every break in the book and yet I have not succumbed.

By the way, it looks as if we are going to see lightning after a year's absence. As the Spring of the year down under is approaching, we are getting to have a few electrical displays and occasionally one can hear the faint rumble of thunder. Those are sure nice days when it just pours outside and the sky is filled with lightning and thunder. Remember how it used to rain so hard that we just had to stop doing whatever we were at and go out onto the back porch to look at the rain?

Whew, but my crop of hair is getting long and thick, I sure do wish I could have found the time to have it cut off. I've been carrying the barber ticket around in my pocket for over two weeks now.

I sure do wish the Allies can make some good headway in Italy and get that European thing over with. It will be a tough job but I think they have it in the bag. Every day the news is good except for minor reverses which are bound to come but it still isn't fast enough to suit me. When they get that business over with, they can begin the big push against the Japanese and the war will be ended.

Sometimes I think that the six months at the end of the durations are going to be harder to bear than the duration itself. But then again I don't think anything could be as bad as this perpetual waiting, waiting, waiting and wondering if maybe the rest of you life is going to be spent in uniform.

If this letter doesn't seem to make sense in spots or maybe all over, you can blame it on the fact that I must have just about fallen asleep three times while typing it.

See you at the feather ball.

So-long,
/s/ Roman
Roman