Sgt Roman F. Klick 36620923
HS 1393 Engr APO 709
c/o PM San Francisco, California
23 June 1944
Dear Aunty Clara,
Friday
I'd like to say that I'll be able to answer all my letters tonight or tomorrow but I'm afraid that circumstances have acted against me once more. For instance, this morning I was in charge of sweeping out the barracks and seeing that everything was in order. Later on I understand that all those in the barracks were gigged for it was police call at that time so those fellows will probably have to do a little "extra duty". So it looks as if the next time we will have to take a chance on having a dirty barracks or staying a little overtime cleaning up and go out for that police call. Whether this extra job comes today or tomorrow makes little difference for it will take away time from the letter writing and I'm in no mood to sit up past eleven o'clock these days to write anything. So much for that.
Tonight we quit work at three-thirty in order to prepare for a Retreat Formation a little later on. We must be in perfect uniform with rifles, bayonets and cartridge belts. After being thoroughly inspected, we will go thru a manual of arms for some minutes and then stand at attention when the flag is being lowered. The reaction to this is aptly expressed on the heading of this week's Bulldozer which I am sending to you today by "free" mail. It is not such a good one so I see no reason to hurry it up.
Good or not, I'm sending the thing to Pat in lieu of writing a letter at this time. It is the truth alright that the longer a person puts off writing the harder it is to begin once again.
But I haven't yet told you about the letters I received today. One was a V-mail from you dated the 16th of June. A second was a nine cent air mail from Aunt-Aunt with a dollar bill enclosed. The third was a very first ever from Renee. It is in her own handwriting and the words sound as if they may be hers also.
So there is more to buying a house than meets the eye, eh? I wonder if Mrs Reed realized that there would be all the expense involved? Or maybe she knew it all the time but knowing they have money to burn, she didn't care one way or another. By the way, does she ever pay back those loans she had been making from some relative or another out in the West? Every time before this when she needed some money, it was he who loaned it to her.
I haven't answered your yesterday's letter as yet but I do remember one thing and that was my mix up over the Portuguese people who lived in Villa Park and the Spanish people who lived on the North Side. It is easy to understand how I got them mixed up with the names somewhat similar and both having small daughters. However, now that you bring it to mind, I realize that it was Mr Perez's daughter who got mad at Bill, I mean Red, for winning all those pennies from me. I don't believe the Piereras were ever out to our house.
According to the latest news as we have it, the Japanese fleet turned around and went back after they saw they were beginning to have a losing time of it. That is mighty different from the early days of this war when they just came on and on regardless of the losses they might be suffering.
So much for now. I'll try to write again today when and if I have the opportunity.
So-long,
/s/ Roman
Roman