Home | Return to Index

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

Dear Aunty Clara,

Wednesday

Here it is eight-thirty and I am first now sitting down to the typewriter to write to you since last night at eleven o'clock or thereabouts. Just before writing this I typed a short note to Aunty Florence.

By the way, the payroll is done and almost all signed except for the few stragglers and absent members of the Company. And yours truly carried thru the plan of working thru the night on it and it wasn't until quarter to five in the morning that I got back to my tent where I laid down my weary bones for a brief forty-five minutes rest before Reveille. For the most part I have been on the go ever since then but I heeded the words of that fellow who says a few catnaps here and there do wonders towards refreshing a person. Immediately after breakfast I laid down on the cot again for another twenty minute refresher and then again after lunch I took a fifteen minute catnap. They may not seem like much but with those three short sleep intermissions and a brisk shower just about a half an hour ago, I feel like I could last out another sleepless night.

But in spite of the fact that I wasted those precious hours doing the payroll I found that I had to do four sheets over again this morning. Two of them were because of some changes which couldn't be helped and two were because of what evidently was grogginess upon my part after four o'clock.

After spending the morning revising the payroll and putting the finishing touches to it, I spent the afternoon checking it. What I had thought was to be my third successive perfect payroll turned out to be just another job. I found that in two places I had deducted a wrong amount in the insurance column. It wasn't anything more than what I couldn't correct by just writing in the correct figure but it has brought me down from those heights of perfection which I had enjoyed for two months.

I used my system on exactly one-half of the payroll and it worked like a charm. In less than an hour I had finished one of the two drawers of Service Records. The second drawer was not yet put into the system and it took me the rest of the night to do it which just shows to go you that the idea has its merits.

In order to get the thing signed tonight, I posted a bulletin on the board stating the hours I would be in the Dayroom and then on top of it I stayed longer than I had anticipated. The payroll must be turned in tomorrow but at this writing there must be at least twenty-five fellows who have not yet signed. Maybe I can get them at the noon or morning meal tomorrow.

Say, in that one box of Mallow Delights I found a piece of chocolate candy or caramel with walnuts plastered all over it. It was pretty good. Nyalka was looking around for candy this evening so I offered him the Milky Way which I did not eat last night and while I am opening the desk for that, Jack reaches over and helps himself to my box of Mounds which I also did not eat last night. Mentally I said, "Ok boys, you've got that candy now and I'll trade them any day of the week for the Mallow Delights". I must confess that, in spite of conservation, there is only a pair of candies left in that one box while the other is as yet unopened.

That is a lot of talking shop for one letter so it is about time that I switch to other topics such as the things I received in the mail today. One was a Daily News from the 28th of October and a letter from you dated the 27th of November.

I wonder if the operation of the new Chicago V-mail station had anything to do with the terrible order your last V-mails came in. They have been all out of line between the 24th and the 29th.

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

You know, you have set me thinking that I ought to get my hair cut real short, As you say, it is the summer season and the back of the neck never can feel cool with that crop of hair growing back there. Second, the way the wind has been blowing today I haven't been able to keep the wool from flying all over the place until I look like one of those before advertisements of a hair oil firm. And lastly, my chances of getting a furlough home are very slim from this place and the natives of this Island won't give two hoots whether my hair is cut short or long.

But that wind is really something. It blows so hard the whole tent just seems to shake so hard that you feel sure the entire thing is going to just take off into the air. Back in the Company Area this noon, the tent next to ours collapsed during one big blow but it was mostly the fault of the occupants for not having the sides roped down. This heat which I have been telling you about really isn't heat so much but the humidity. I think that some Chicago days actually are scorchers when compared with the mercury but as far as the humidity goes Chicago hasn't seen anything yet. I suppose that will sound a little disappointing to you after hearing me talk about the terrific heat day after day. Another thing is that here that represents the average temperature of the day whereas back home the hot days ran in spells with some cools days interspersed in between.

Some questions have come to my mind in connection with the picture of the crib, etcetera. When did you set up the outfit? Did you take it down again? Who snapped the picture? What gave you the idea? I can see now that those are the questions which you probably anticipated when you said that a bit of explaining would have to be done.

In that discussion which you and Mrs Reed had over my possible future life, you come closer to the truth. If I do happen to get married at some time or another after the war, I will have a home built and designed by myself as much as possible. But we will probably have the house ourselves long before I dream of bringing a wife into it. That is one of the first things I have to do after getting out of the Army and that is start arranging it so that we will have our own home. Then as to the question of children. In the first place it seems to be a crime to bring children into a world like this with nothing but wars, worries and heartaches, but you can never tell and should I have a family I would like to have three offsprings. Two would be boys and one would be a girl. The only reason I happened to answer that part of your letter is because just the night before receiving it, Edie, Mersing and I were talking in our tent about possibilities of our lives after the war and that very same topic had come up.

From time to time you mention various programs which are broadcast to the forces overseas and wondered if I had heard it or not. The truth is that the only time I will listen to the radio is during the fifteen minute newscast after supper. The other programs do not hold much interest for me right now. I like to hear about the happenings in "One Man's Family" from you but I doubt if I would take the time to listen to it had I the opportunity.

So Harold is still in Ft Sheridan and George is scheduled to leave at last! I think they are just trying to cover up that Harold was limited service or something by saying he was lucky in remaining there. Still in all there is the possibility that Harold did have a streak of amazing good fortune to get that position.

The big tent project was taken out of Personnel's hands and put into the hands of the Band, the Medics and the Companies during night time work. It is becoming an immense affair and looks something like a screened in roller rink.

So-long,
/s/ Roman
Roman