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Sgt Roman F. Klick 36620923
HS 1393 Engr APO 709
c/o PM SF Cal
31 July 1944

Dear Aunty Clara,

Monday

This was a happy day but now it is a sad one. I received an unexpected package from you today containing the three cans of sardines from Mrs. Vintera, the box of chocolate malt from you and the box of candies also from you. I sure was happy about receiving those items but the happiness was sort of short lived for when we went down to the bulletin board at noon, we received a notice that all food will be taken out of the barracks and in the future no food will be kept there. So that means that they are ordering people back home not to send any food to the soldiers. For most of the times the food which people send can not possible be eaten the same day as it is received unless it is squandered wastefully. I'll have to go over to the Canteen a couple times this week and throw a party so that we can get rid of our hoarded stocks. What hits the hardest is that the powdered milk and the malt will have to go too and I want to know whether or not you want me to send back the egg beater. Isn't that a darn shame that suddenly they should become so strict? At Camp White there were no severe restrictions at all although no one really kept anything around which could be restricted for in the States everyone could get what they wanted when they wanted it in town. At New Caledonia, however, there were also very few such barriers and they even distributed jungle rations to us and allowed them to remain in their boxes on our tables in the tents. But then, you know how the army is. One day the order is that you can do something and the next day the order is that it is not allowed. There is nothing a person can do about it but accept it with the faith that all these things are but temporary trials in life which will soon be forgotten upon our return to civil life (or will end with an escape to death which we know isn't so bad at all even though there is a temporary grief suffered by those still alive at the loss of the deceased). I can see more restrictions of this nature coming, so as time goes by, I'm going to send home anything which I believe will interfere with the general order of things such as quite a number of my books which some rule will prohibit them also.

In line with this there will have to be no more packages with food unless there is just enough for eating at one time. For instance, instead of two boxes of --- no, wait a second, they can't be that severe on candy for that would mean the PX would practically have to shut down since everyone buys candy and ends up by carrying a bar to the office or barracks and saves it for the next day and those two boxes of mallow delights never last so very long anyway so I guess it is quite all right to continue to send that on occasion. That would be too much to give up. No more malt, no more olives, no more pickles but perhaps one can of sardines at a time although I think that we can forget about them too for they are really a luxury and seeing as how they are rather difficult to obtain back home. I'm not bitter about this restriction for, in spite of myself, I agree with it for sanitary reasons. Fellows will leave foodstuff open and draw rodents, lizards, cockroaches etcetera and that is bad so all must be restricted --- even people like myself who are extremely fussy when it comes to sanitation concerning food.

Another similar ruling is that all mess kits will be hung up in the barracks and will be washed both before and after mess. The reason for that being some fellows take their mess kits with them in trucks and leave them get dirtied up and clean them by wiping them off with an equally dirty handkerchief. In my opinion, my mess gear is as clean as any ones can possible be but since it is a company ruling, I will have to go through the extra washings also. One thing I would like to see is more supervision of sanitary conditions in the kitchen itself and a general washing of hands by the enlisted men before eating. I'm laughed at when I mention that but after all, scientists have proven that diseases and infections can be transmitted by hands to food and then into the body.

So-long,   /s/ Roman   Roman