Cpl Roman F. Klick 36620923
Co "A", 353rd Engr Regt
A.P.O. #502, c/o Postmaster
San Francisco, California
18 November 1943
Dear Aunty Clara,
Thursday
For this letter, Ralph loaned me his typewriter and the ribbon is much better than on mine. I never did change it on my machine.
I think the RH&R should send the boys in service some extra little something. It seems that this year I have received more presents so far than I have ever received any other Christmas. Not to be cynical in any way but it seems since being overseas the people think a lot more of a fellow. We get the Impression that people back home are thinking that being overseas makes a fellow more homesick etcetera. I may be true as far as others are concerned but with me, P find that excepting for occasional blue mood, I have enough to keep me busy and preoccupied so that I haven't the time to become lonesome or worried because I am so far from home. I've told you before that I was more lonesome and down in the dumps during my first five months in Oregon than at any time since them. But of course there has been the new outlook from one of the extreme pessimism to almost an optimistic attitude.
The show this evening was lousy. S/Sgt Baron of H&S Company was telling us for three weeks how good his program was going to be and how important timing was to be in it; yet when he finally put it on, the dialogue was lousy, there was nothing to it and the timing just wasn't there. Larry and I agreed that alongside that production, anything which Company A puts on next week will look good.
The band played an overture which dragged on an on and although some fellows in the Regiment still insist that a majority of fellows like the finer type of music, you will always find that attention will stray when it is played. Solid rhythm with a boogie-woogie beat will have the fellows keeping time with the music really make them interested in the program. A fellow in the band is an artist and they stopped the music long enough for him to sketch Sgt Goldenberg and Lt Carryzozo.
This Brown really has a job on his hands because now, in addition to the duties as movie projectionist, he must run he spotlight which we installed today and not only follow the people around to keep them in the spot but also change the different colors (red, white, and amber).
The picture was solid corn being a story about Nazis landing by plane in the thick of the bitter jungle near Tarzan's tree home. During a show like that fellows will get more kick out of ad libbing comments here and there than out of the show itself. Tarzan rescues a Nazi from the crocodiles and thereupon is condemned as a traitor by the audience. The same audience then threatens to turn in their Tarzan memberships cards and wear their Superman buttons instead.
Before the Tarzan picture there was a short but Madero of Mexico in the John Nesbitt "Passing Parade". Those shorts are always good and in this case the short was much better than the movie itself. I only hope that I am not elected to accompany Brown on his trip to the other outfit tomorrow evening. He soloed tonight to all practical purposes even though I stayed right outside the doorway of the projection booth throughout the performance.
Say, do you know that I had been noticing the Help Wanted Ads in the Daily Newses which was asking for girls to become V-mail photographers etcetera and it seemed strange to me at the time that Chicago was asking for that type of help. Then, when I saw it was some Chicago firm doing the advertising, I thought it was a commercial enterprise. Now you tell me about the new V-mail station which they will open up. We will welcome letters which come 30 hours sooner, eh? Believe it or not, but one of John's airmail envelopes reached his sister in no less than four days!
It is eleven-thirty now so once again there will be no letters to other people. I didn't get any more work done on my new style payroll either. Who knows what tomorrow may bring.
So-long,
/s/ Roman
Roman