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

Dear Aunty Clara,

Friday



Frankly, I am disgusted. Here I had a whole entire evening in which to write a measly two thank you notes besides this letter and what happens. We were immobilized and had to stay around our tents until well after eight o'clock. That was the equIvalent in time to the length of a moving picture show. Then I thought I would take a quick shower with Mersing but when I got to the shower room there was a line a mile long. I, for one, do not care for those hurry up showers but rather take it easy and have almost the whole shower room to myself. As a result, I didn't take the shower but just wasted more time.

It was just before nine o'clock that I hit the office where I found Lt. Yantis typing a letter home to his wife. We talked the situation over a bit and then I decided since other people could toss around my time for me, I might as well do it too. That is when I picked up the November issue of the magazine "Flying" and read all about the different planes, the designs of the future air attacks against Japan and what-not. A highly entertaining book but a time killer too.

Now it is ten o'clock and unless I break my newly acquired habit of trying to get in bed before eleven o'clock, it appears as if my letter answering is to hit a snag. It was my intention to write a short thank you to the Bradleys and then kill three birds with one stone by thanking the Reeds for their candy and answering Myrtle's and Mrs. Reed's letters at the same time.

Not more than a half an hour ago I polished off the last of the French doughnuts. They didn't last long but still it was almost a day and a half ago since I bought them. The best part about it though was that they kept their freshness and didn't harden up and become stale. Last month we brought some home and just left them on the table where they hardened up in the time between noon and suppertime. Next month I intend to really stock up with about two dozen and then seal the one can with Scotch tape so that it will keep maybe a week or so.

I was walking across the field to the latrine a short while ago and I noticed a fellow groping his way about in the dark as if he had lost something. I flashed the light in his direction and then walked over to him. He seemed to be looking for something and I asked him if he had lost anything. He turned out to be a bit bleary eyed and under the weather and he said "Yes. My camp."

Elmer Keck stepped inside the office this evening and tried to tell me that there is a new way to making up the payrolls which will mean, if true, that all the work I put on the new system of mine will be useless. It'll happen every time!

I wish that I could stop going to the movies or at least have the evenings of the three non-show nights to myself to write letters.

All this week Larry has been on guard excepting the one day off. As a result, the only time I get a chance to see him is at the noon meal and most of the time he sleeps thru them.

It appears as if I crowed too soon about the mail situation because Jack received nine letters today to match up against my two items. That leaves him four up with only one more day to go. You see, he is almost bound to win in the long run because he has two sisters, two brothers and a mother besides a wife writing to him. He has stopped typing his letters but sends them out in long hand and that way writes as high as twelve a day to say all the things he wants to say to everyone.

Poor Larry hasn't been receiving any mail at all lately going for stretches of five and six days without a letter. But, all in all, I can't complain no how about my letters only having five letter less days in the entire month of November. I doubt if I will even do that good in December. As a civilian you are almost doomed to four or five letter less days because of the Sundays and then if they stopped delivery on Saturdays that means double that figure for sure.

So-long,   /s/ Roman   Roman