Cpl Roman F. Klick 36620923
Co "A", 353rd Engr Regt
A.P.O. #502, c/o Postmaster
San Francisco, California
4 November 1943
Dear Aunty Clara,
Thursday
After supper, Larry and I went down the road to the other outfit's PX to get ourselves a coke. Other than that, their PX hasn't any more things for sale than ours has.
We came back to our area and the band was half way thru its Thursday night show. H&S company was supposed to have been the group presenting the vaudeville for tonight but they did not come thru with any show.
The packages and newspapers were distributed right and left this evening after chow but I didn't get anything more. Some of the packages look like the kind you wrap with the brown paper and string and I think that that one will be for me but it usually isn't so.
I hardly think that I could get another mosquito netting to make myself a portable mosquito room for me to work and live in so I'll just have to go along smearing on the lotion and hoping they will not bite me. I have a headnet which I could wear when the mosquitoes become more obnoxious than now. They tell me we haven't seen anything yet.
Were this a malarial mosquito we have around here, it would be necessary to go around with all the clothes fully buttoned, pants legs tucked in socks, mosquito nets on and lotion spread over all exposed surfaces besides being smeared into the clothes where the mosquito could bit thru to the skin. I wonder whatever made people go into the wilds of South America and Africa in the old peacetime days when they knew that they would have to fight mosquitoes every minute of the day and every inch of the way.
That is one thing which I never did discover about the Oregon country and that is if there are mosquitoes there in the summer time. But then back in the States and especially the Northern States a mosquito didn't mean anything but a harmless pest which occasionally made life a bit miserable.
Isn't it strange how scientists have managed to create and discover "shots" which can protect you from the different diseases but they never seem to have been able to conquer the malaria germ completely. All they seem to be able to do is prevent the bite from taking place or reducing the violence of the fever once it begins.
Did you know that overseas troops never wear ties? That is a fact. The last time I ever wore a tie was the last week we spent in the United States. Every once in a while when I am feeling good I take a look down at my shadow. The shadow of a soldier, whether he is in a fatigue uniform or khakis, is no different from the ordinary shadow of a civilian. Remember how I used to belittle the uniforms which the Navy men had to wear? Well every time I see that shadow I feel glad that at least my general appearance has remained unchanged by costume. It is sort a morale booster and makes me think I'm just a civilian on an island away from home.
The time now is approximately quarter to nine. Since Gordon has gone to town to study for his part in the new stage play, I promised him that I would take care of the lights and the loud speaker after the show. I'm judging that the show will be over just about nine o'clock so that I can fix it at that time.
I still can't get over how early Mrs Reed and Myrtle sent out that Christmas card. That is a full two months ahead of time.
There was a small type of candy in those boxes I received recently which had a center filled with something or another. They were pretty good eating. You could put about thirty of them in your mouth at once they were so small. So I think I'll enjoy your hard candy.
Speaking of those boxes, I finIshed off the last remnants of them this evening by consuming the apricot jam along with a box of vanilla wafers.
So-long,
/s/ Roman
Roman