Cpl Roman F. Klick 36620923
Co "A", 353rd Engr Regt
A.P.O. #502, c/o Postmaster
San Francisco, California
4 October 1943
Dear Aunty Clara,
Monday
The new place where we show movies is much further up the island than the old place. But we met some old familiar faces there. The old outfit sent a couple truck loads of fellows up to the new location.
It goes without saying the picture itself was excellent although the film was old and the sprocket holes were damaged. During the first reel the machine had to be turned off at least five times for adjustments. That will mean a lot of repair work in the morning or some time before tomorrow night's show begins.
If we have to go into school tomorrow, I hope we get out early enough so that I can buy a few things in town. However, I would much rather stay in camp.
I wonder if those V-mails which are occasionally delayed are reprints sent out after the first print was lost in delivery? Where in the world are you getting all the room to put the sixty-one jars of preserves? Those back parts of the top shelves in the pantry must be crammed chuck full.
That was pretty good about the soldiers stationed in Chicago concentrating more on having a good time than on their studies. According to that, this place should be an ideal place to study.
I guess our tent was picked to be the model because we have been referred to as the overhead tent in the past. You see, back in the beginning, all five of us, Harvey, Edie, Mersing, Burkard and I were all overhead. The idea still sticks even though Censky and Mersing are two tent members who are no longer under the overhead listing. Then too, I believe, Censky spoke to Lt Hanton about changing things around and suggested an arrangement similar to the set up he had in some camp in Arkansas.
Gosh, the mail seems to be slowing down considerably from me to you. Quite a bit of the delay comes from leaving this island. This letter, dated 4 October, will go into the mail box tonight but will not be brought into the Orderly Room for censoring until sometime tomorrow, 5 October. I think they work daily on the censoring but I do not know for sure. If they do, this letter will be delivered to the Regimental Mail Clerk just three or four tents down the line from where I am writing this at this moment. That will be the morning of 6th. What happens after it gets to town, sometime on the 6th or 7th, I do not know. Nevertheless, it can easily be seen that the two, three or four extra days required for my letters to get to you are because of the procedures which must be gone thru.
Jack Seefor always did have trouble getting Tribune newsboys when school started and as winter came on. This year it will be tougher than ever to get them with better money and full time jobs waiting for those youngsters who want them. I can remember a time when a fellow thought it was it was an achievement to get himself a news route. It probably would be a good idea to cancel it under the circumstances and get Aunty Florence some accident insurance with a commercial company. I believe that the Travelers Company specializes in accident policies.
It is ten-thirty now I don't think my Dad will get a letter from me after all. I'm really not tired but I want to get to sleep so I can forget I'm in this army for another few hours. That would be swell to go to sleep some night and not wake up until the war is over.
The mosquitoes sure did go to work on me this evening. I've got a half a dozen bites on my one wrist alone. That's another thing that is getting me down --- those infernal mosquitoes. Sometimes I wonder whether, if and when I get home again, I will have the ambition to do anything at all after living thru this eternity of waiting for the end.
So-long,
/s/ Roman
Roman