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

Dear Aunty Clara,

Wednesday

Who am I to kick when mail call brings two letters from you dated the 31st of October and the 1st of November. War sure does bring all kind of surprises with it, doesn't it? Who would ever think that it would have an affect on the Halloween celebration? Wasn't the night that the window was broken by a thrown stone the very first birthday party of Carol Ann when we had the christening? It is funny how opportune your closing remark was in that you say a good night's rest for me just at a time when I'll really need it. It's ten to ten right now and I hope I'll be sawing timber before eleven.

The reason Edie could keep my footlocker was simply this: He did not have one to begin with while I had two of them counting the foot shelf as a locker. I had to get rid of one of them and he could either get one or not have any.

You hit the nail on the head when you said that maybe even the censors would find my letters in which I let off some steam, too hot to handle. It isn't nice to send out letters which are filled with disgust, complaints etcetera, so the best way is just to write the thing and having written it, just tear it up and throw it away.

This office has been busier than Grand Hotel with the people coming and going and it has slowed down my letter writing this evening to a considerable extent. As a result, I only have written one letter and that one to Eleanor Angsten.

One of the magazines which were put on sale at the PX today has a story about the movie picture machines, shows and projectionists in the South Pacific. Whoever wrote the article must have had first hand knowledge of the reaction of the soldiers. He describes the way the fellows flash their flashlights on the white screen before show time and during change of reels. He tells about the projection rooms and about the necessity of having breaks in the film in order to change the reels and how during these breaks, the fellows will sing out to the movie operator to get on the ball, show slides, quit putting his finger in the machine, put a nickel in it, read the instruction book, or to let someone who knows how, run the machine.

We have a new fellow in the regiment who Lt. Yantis believes will become the next switchboard operator or movie projectionist. It is a toss up right now as to which job he is going to take over. Gordon is pulling for him to begin immediately if not sooner operating the movie machine.

Tomorrow, rain or shine, I intend to begin my payroll and finish it too. It will be the 11th of the month tomorrow and we should be getting them ready to turn in on the 15th of the month. It will be much easier to have the payroll signed this month as our company is all back together again instead of being separated in two groups as we were for quite some time. That means that the payroll can be signed within one day instead of prolonging it over three or four days.

The noise coming out of the big tent these evenings is similar to the racket which would emanate from the basement hall of the Bohemian school across the street at all hours of the night and morning of a party. It is Company B practicing away ahead of schedule for their next stage show. They have an electric guitar, an accordion and a piano player plus a lot of barber shop harmonizers.

Our Company A show is scheduled for a week from tomorrow evening and the bulletin went up on the board today that all men interested in the thing should see Lt. Weisman who will be in charge of the affair. I'll have to look up the various talents of the men on their qualification cards and see if we can't work up a good program. A lot of the fellows can probably do things but don't care to come right out and say so.

So-long,   /s/ Roman   Roman