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

Dear Aunty Clara,

Saturday

The picture was an MGM production and was good because of the interesting angles in the hunting down of a murderer by Van Heflin. The boy, Brown, handled the show very well although it was interrupted at several points because he had to make announcements over the PA system.

As soon as the picture was over Larry and I heeded back to the office where we found Harvey and Campbell talking it over. While the four of us were gabbing away, the telephone rang and it was none other than the Legal Eagle, Blumenfeld. He wanted to tell me that he forgot to mention a certain matter to Captain Terry this morning and wanted me to relay the message. Then he hung onto the fone for about ten minutes chewing the fat. It was very reminiscent of the days when George Prokopec and I used to talk over the fone. Somehow it seemed that the Bloom's voice sounded a bit like George's.

I was very careful while swimming today and for the most part stayed in water which was not more than four feet deep. That is rather hard to do in the section in the river in which we now swim because it is a rock bottom and may take you down to a depth of six feet while the next one brings you just about out of the water. A person can't really win in a treacherous area like that. Just one time did I feel safe enough to take an underwater swim across the river and back again. A cramp sort of throws a fear of another one into you and that has to wear off first before a person can be at perfect ease in the water once again.

Blumenfeld's wife sent him a pair of comfort shoes which are not shoes and are not mocassins. He says they are too small and he would be willing to sell them. I may go into town Monday and buy them. Then again I may not.

Larry and I both bought a can of Planter's peanuts for $.25 at the PX before going to the show. We also stopped to chew the fat with Harvey who was working out his sixth evening at "hard labor." His job is to chop firewood for the showers. During the course of the evening he has all his friends stopping by for a word or two.

It is only ten o'clock now but I'm dead tired and hope to be in bed well before eleven. Of course, it is the same old story in regard to the letters. I'm just not writing any today. Maybe tomorrow I will get at them. I tell you what. You have told me time and time again that even if for one day I didn't write to you and would answer some letters instead, you wouldn't mind. I'll write those letters first no matter what time I sit down to the typewriter tomorrow no matter if it is midnight. Okay?

While writing this letter, Larry and I put the finishing touch to the fruit cake which Aunty Lilly sent to me. It sure was delicious as a late evening snack. On some days we actually stuff ourselves like today with the peanuts, fruit juices and then the fruit cake. I'm becoming slightly worried as to the whereabouts of those mallow delights and the hard candy not to say anything about the book. So far we haven't lost any packages that we know of but maybe by having this whole slew of packages arriving safely we are trying our luck and sooner or later one or two are going to disappear forever.

The news on the radio this evening seemed to be good and bad. Why the Russians should be losing their recently captured towns is a mystery and doesn't sound any too good; but to hear that the British released the heaviest air raid ever made against the capital city of Berlin is very good news. If the Allies could knock Berlin out of the picture, it would be a damaging blow to the morale of the German people and soldiers. Perhaps the Germans know this and have placed strong defensive posts around Berlin because it seems that our flyers get quite a large fighter opposition when they enter the environs of that city.

Gee but I'm sleepy all of a sudden. I can just about keep my eyes open and if I keep them closed for a second they seem to stick shut and I am all set to go dreaming. Well, in about fifteen minutes I'll be snoring.

So-long,
/s/ Roman
Roman