Home | Return to Index

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

Dear Aunty Clara,

Tuesday

It seems that once the schedule of the day goes off kilter everything follows the same way. For instance, today I didn't get my Morning Reports out on time since we had to leave the office and go out on a giant police job in which we cleaned up the baseball diamond, the battalion area, the show area and the old show area and the road pretty well down to the Motor Pool. We thought we were going to have distinguished visitors and the area had to be spick and span and when those occasions arise it is the Headquarters boys who are available for the job. Luckily, this time I was the jeep driver or the miniature garbage truck driver one might say and it was my job to wheel the jeep from place to place and help load it down with tin cans, cigarette buts and the usual things which are picked up when an army area is cleaned. This was all a very sweaty and dirty job and then Kipp and I had to ride the stuff out quite a ways away from camp and before we got back it was past eleven o'clock and the morning was shot. When I did return there were two letters waiting for me on my desk of which I will talk more about later in the letter after showing you how the entire day's schedule was interrupted. Incidentally, you might realize that from the way I'm trying to rush along here without paying to much attention to form, wording and spelling that I'm typing this letter late at night (ten minutes to eleven). Anyhow, the noon hour came and with it came lunch and a very necessary shower. That took up the entire noon hour for I needed a good scrubbing and the end result was that I did not write a letter as usual during the hours from twelve to one or thereabouts.

The afternoon working period was rather successful though and probably the best part of my day since I managed to take a big dig or bite into the OPVs and have but two and a half items to clear up before I can begin the process of checking them for accuracy and tomorrow morning before noon or at the very latest tomorrow afternoon, I'll be able to distribute them to the officers or begin getting the signatures of the officers as they come in thru the office during the course of the day.

The four to five rest period was knocked into a cocked hat by my having to get my laundry turned in and turning something in to Mersing. The laundry was a mess but I did manage to get an extra suit of khakis in this week. Anyhow, there it was five o'clock and I hadn't written a letter nor had I gotten my usual catnap.

Incidentally, I found a nickel today which I had lost some two weeks ago and with it joined with one of Lewis's nickels I was able to buy three Hershey bars for the show this evening and they hit the spot but good. That, however, is racing ahead of my story. After supper I did manage to lay on the cot for about a half hour to let my supper digest and also I managed to read a few pages in the book by Joseph Conrad which doesn't seem to be quite up to Conrad's speed although there is enough interest in it to keep me going along with it. Not avid interest but to pass the time away.

Along about quarter after six and the conclusion of the news broadcast I went to the show area with Any Mathis and carried along a few Daily Newses too boot which we read while down there before the show began.

The show was a rather good one this evening being quite mysterious and the name of it was "The Falcon and the Co-eds" and as the title implies there were quite a number of co-eds in the picture which provided quite a bit of material for the boys to whistle at. Leishman and I have come to the conclusion that the girls have a right to scream and swoon at Frankie Sinatra when fellows go crazy whistling at pretty girls.

But the show was over as all shows eventually are and I found myself back in the office once again at the early hour of nine bells which seems to be ample time in which to write these two letters. However, I did not reckon with fate and before I knew it I was wasting time trimming off the edges on some old V-mails from you and from Uncle Jack. Then I got myself into a discussion as to where certain spots like the Bensinger Bowling Alleys were in the Loop and where the different shows were etcetera. This discussion you might have guessed took place between Andy and I - two Chicago yokels.

That wasn't over until I took out a Daily News to try to find the names of all the downtown entertainment houses we may have missed. Well, once the paper was out I had to read it and I did. Then came an interruption as Captain Ladley wanted me to drive him to his quarters and then to park the jeep in the motor pool. I did that too.

I thought that at last I was ready to begin the letters when the San Francisco news came over the radio and I had to listen to that for fifteen minutes. Then an American magazine section from one of the numerous Heart papers spotted my eye and I thumbed thru that for a half an hour or so - still wasting time.

At long last I did set down to write letters and begin the concluding chapter in this day which has played topsy-turvy with my schedule. For one thing I haven't been up past eleven o'clock like this for some time now and I can already tell the late hour because my eyes are getting groggy and I'm tired. My old stamina which could keep me up past one in the morning is now gone.

Your letters were dated the 21st and 22nd of August and from the way you talk, I still have another letter coming from the 21st. I got a kick out of the way you mentioned 26 letters coming for the address but only six of them really being for you. I didn't think that there would even be that many thinking that two dozen might be the maximum total but 26 letters must sure be quite a bit at one time. I wonder how it would feel to get that many.

I suppose I did get Dolores and Eleanor mixed up on the promptness with which they reply to things like that. As yet I've not heard a word from Do.

Boy o boy, Mrs. Reed is more fussy than even the army if she wants to keep her basement so very spotless. The Army only gets fussy when inspectors are coming thru or the company decides to get tough and hold some inspections. Otherwise, once the standard has been set, there is a steady upkeep of things but the extremeness of keeping things neat etcetera relaxes and fellows can live a little bit. I couldn't stand a person like Mrs. Reed in the same house with me in civilian life and before I take any fatal step in future years I'll have to keep that in mind. There is no sense to such fussiness and a home with a reasonable degree of cleanliness and neatness is always better than one in which you hate to move around in for fear of disturbing the looks of the place.

The time is marching on and it is well past eleven and I'm still here writing letters. Talking about the Army letting it, perhaps it really hasn't but we are getting might used to it for the regular Saturday inspection still goes and in addition to it we are having these almost stricter midweek inspections on Wednesday. Rifles, messkits, shoes et all will be given the once over tomorrow but we are beginning to take them in stride. I find that I keep my equipment in such a state that satisfies myself and it is not just let to slide along and when that is the case, I can't see any necessity for this last minute fuss over the things. If they are clean to begin with, another hour's work on them isn't going to make them any cleaner.

I'll be seeing you again tomorrow and I hope I can slow down on my letter so it will make more sense and more legible.

So-long,   /s/ Roman   Roman