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

Dear Aunty Clara,

Friday



Well, here is another day almost gone by before I am even down to writing my first letter of the day to you. The time is almost quarter to eleven. It was my turn at CQ this evening as I have told you repeatedly throughout the week but I didn't use it to such a full advantage as I thought I would. My net accomplishment for the evening was to write a six page handwritten letter to Eleanor Angsten which I haven't mailed yet and will not mail for several days, one, one page hand-written letter to Bob Boyer which I haven't mailed yet and then I put the New Caledonian stamps in an envelope with a little note and have that ready to mail to you and lastly I copied down that drawing of Dear Diary which shows Becky getting a V-mail letter and ending up by reading it with a magnifying glass and still wondering what it has to say. All those letters will be mailed out in due time but I'm waiting until I answer more of them so that I can send them all out at once. This business of sending out one and then not writing for several more nights or week must cease and I figure that I will be more apt to continue work on the letter answering if they all are dependent on the completion of each one before any of them are sent out.

There isn't much to tell about today even though a lot happened. I wish I were back home again where I could be talking instead of writing. Jack is pretty sure we will be rotated on time or ahead of time this coming May so home is only eight months off according to that.

The work in the morning went along rather smoothly and in the morning mail I received a large brown envelope with RH&R imprinted on it. At first I wondered what in the world it could be but then I saw that it had EJAngsten written in the corner above the address. You could never possibly guess what it contained. Two old book-of-the-month club magazines which I will read through although the spirit isn't there since I'm so out of contact with that sort of thing these days. In scanning through the lists of books they have had, none of them seems to have been very good. Anyhow, I had been sort of writing her a letter on little sheets of 3x5 paper when the mail came in and then decided that I had better be busy this evening writing her a real good answer.

Since I was CQ, I quit the morning work at eleven bells and went down to eat early mess with Lewis. That new mess sgt is strictly on the A train for not one of his meals thus far have been bad. He has given us more variety in that last five meals under his order than we had in the preceding five months. He sure can whip a meal together. This evening we had jello with fruit in it and plenty of it. At noon we had kolachkys and they were delicious. In the morning we had these plain rolls and they were also good.

Instead of writing a letter during the noon hour, I just lay back in a chair and fell asleep. The work was rather slow so I went in with Lynd for the mail once again and sure enough if we didn't bring back quite a bit which I sorted out on the ride back in the jeep. By sorting out, I mean looking through the packages for the mail which we hold in separate grouping and, naturally, my own mail. Unfortunately, I went through that entire process for the second straight day without any result for I did not receive any letters.

Hardly had we come back and finished sorting the letters when it was time to quit work at three o'clock. Today was Retreat Parade day and Orientation Class day. I enjoy that orientation class very much since it is a discussion of the events right up to the minute and a sort of prognostication center for the duration of the wars and the various strategies which may or may not be followed in the campaign against Japan.

The Retreat Parade wasn't so bad today for my rifle wasn't inspected although I was fully prepared for it. You see, now we no longer stand as individual companies besides our own barracks but rather line up along the road in Battalion Formation with the Battalion Commander and his entire staff out there with the Colonel sneaking a look in on the proceedings also. When we have these mass formations it is always better for the inspection isn't as long as otherwise. That is the only thing I really don't like about it. As far as the Retreat itself is concerned, it is just a lot of bother but nothing else. However, for this inspection business one must fix up his rifle extra good. Now, for instance, I had the thing pretty well oiled up and worked over but right after chow, I forgot to put on the heavy coat of oil again and I will have to do that tomorrow or else I can expect my rifle to begin rusting within a day or so.

The Retreat was over at quarter to five and away we went down to the barracks to get into our fatigues and then to chow. After chow, I came up to the office as I said and have been here ever since. The news that the Americans have bombed Japan again is okay. I don't imagine that those bombings make the Japanese people feel so extra good. They bombed our Pearl Harbor just once and that was all --- they thought that they had won the war. Now we have bombed Nagasaki three times and Japan all told on four separate occasions. How must they feel about a thing like that especially with the possibility that these bombings are going to recur more and more frequently as time goes by?

The time now is after eleven and I'm trying to hurry along as fast as I can but I'm just talking nonsense now and making quite a few errors. Writing one letter at noon and another letter in the evening is quite a lot better than trying to rush them both out at the very last minute.

Did I tell you that now the Illinois voting has been simplified and we are able to use the cards issued by the government? At first we had to write in for a card which would enable us to apply for the ballot but now this government card lets us apply direct and in a month or so I should have an Illinois ballot in my possession and be able to vote for President. That is pretty good. All this time, I was afraid that after waiting so long to get in on a presidential ballot, I was going to miss it. The only big election I've been able to vote in before this was when we voted for Senator.

How are you making out on those overseas bars for wearing on my khaki shirts? George Myers received six of them today but gave them all out. Jack and Lewis are trying to get some too. However, when we will like to wear them best of all is on an OD Blouse with four of them on our left sleeve which means we would be back in the States.

That picture "Destination Tokyo" didn't pan out to be such an entertaining picture as the boys thought it was going to be and they are beginning to think that I'm exceedingly lucky for every picture which I have stayed away from either voluntarily or because I was CQ has been lousy. They would laugh at me before they went to the show and then come back saying that the picture was a stinkeroo and they would have been better of to have remained in the office with me.

So-long,
/s/ Roman
Roman

PS: Too tired and too late. I don't think I'll let those noon hours get away anymore.