Sgt Roman F. Klick 36620923
HS 1393 Engr APO 709
c/o PM San Francisco, California
Fourth of July (1944)
TO BE FILED: Pat's letter of 18 June 1944.
"Dear Ro,
Sunday
You will have to forgive me for not answering your letter sooner. As soon as school was out I went to my cousin's house for a week-end vacation. She is a high school teacher, but her ambition is to be a doctor. During my stay with her I had a chance to visit Northwestern. I was greatly impressed by the university. I really don't know what it was, the buildings, the beauty of the campus, the serenity that encircled the entire university, that gets me. It made me promise to myself that if I go to college, Northwestern is the place.
Everything out here is pretty grand, although we did have quite a lot of rain the past week. I'm looking forward to a lot of swimming and a good tan this summer. I have to close now, but I'll write soon.
So Long,
Pat"
NOTE: I realize that lately I have been guilty of mis-spelling words and making grammatical mistakes yet I'm surprised to find that Pat has occasional lapses like that.
R
Sgt Roman F. Klick 36620923
HS 1393 Engr APO 709
c/o PM San Francisco, California
3 July 1944
(a letter written to Pat Svolos)
Dear Pat,
Monday
Your V-mail letter arrived today and, frankly, I was a bit embarrassed at receiving it, for it is I who should be answering and not you. I have no good reason or not having written during this past week except that somehow the days have slipped by too fast and were over before a person realized it. Will you forgive me?
Now for a few notes from my little black book: Your disappointment at having the prom pictures turn out blank was matched by my own, for I had looked forward to seeing them. . . Going to Northwestern is a great idea and I hope that by this time next year you are enrolled there for your Freshman year. It is a good school, has a prestige associated with it that is hard to beat, has an excellent environment as you already know and if you want school spirit, there is plenty of it there. . . You should be a writer and I mean it. Your description of the mingled emotions of sadness and happiness which you felt during those last few days of the school term was a perfect word-picture of what goes on in the hearts and minds of almost every student during those times. . . Tell me more about this Morton Arboretum, please, it is something new to me. From what you say of the place it must be a rather pleasant stroll through it. . .
Concerning vacation days: Swimming and picnics are wonderful fun but that hiking doesn't sound so exciting. We used to do our swimming mostly in Cermak Park, have you ever gone there? . . I think it is a rather nice place and prefer it to the Lake. . . Our French Club used to hold its annual picnic in the Forest Preserves just south of the Melody Mil, while on other occasions we would go outside the city for about forty miles to one of those little lakes. . . Have you ever tried golfing? That's my favorite summer sport along with swimming and from personal experience it appears that once a person takes up the game, it is practically impossible to leave it. . .
Questions (pertinent and impertinent): How is the quest for a summer job coming along? Or is the Normandie Restaurant still fortunate in having the prettiest girl in Cicero work for them on Sundays? . . , Do you collect dolls? (That is not a crazy question because for some reason or another I've always had the idea that you did) . . .
Hint Column: Have you taken any pictures this summer?
Good health and good luck to you and to those dear to you.
So-long,
/s/ Ro
Roman