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

Dear Aunty Clara,

Wednesday



At last we have heard something definite on the Family Allowance. In today's mail came a photo-mail copy from the ODB of a request for authorization from the soldier --- that's me. It said that you had filed an application in your favor based on my service and that the enlisted man --- me --- should state whether he desires to authorize the allowance and to designate the date it should begin. It will start the month you applied for it, in other words, October 1943. Within the next month you should receive the check for those past months. It may be all in a lump sum or it may be in several checks. I have already written up an answer but it has to be signed before it can go out. However, I do not know if my letter had anything to do with it since it is addressed to the 353rd and not the 1393d.

The result of the whole thing is that I am not going to be paid for the month of September since I will have insufficient funds to collect anything. You see, September completes the 12th month and 22 times 12 is $264 which I owe the government; but the government owes me $20 a month since December which makes $200. In September I would have had $47 coming to me but it will go to make up the difference of $64 which will leave me only owing $17 and that can very easily be taken out of the October pay leaving me some $30 in my paycheck which is more than ever. Or will it? No, the $22 will be taken out and I'll have $8 to struggle on but I'll take care of that by lowering the Class B allotment once you write and tell me that the Class F Allowance is coming home. Or I could even leave it that way for November's pay would add up to $25 and it would be steady at that.

The elephants are mailed now but the most curious thing happened. They are in identical cans, wrapped the very same and there should be no difference at all in weight, yet, the one cost 6¢ to mail and the other one cost 16¢. I can't get over that for there is no accounting for the discrepancies except in the error of the postal clerk at the post office. When you receive it, write and tell me which one you received.

I went in with the ear once again and Captain Schleinitz says the pinkness is well down and I only had to take two treatments today. The second one this evening. The pain is all gone also. The temperature this morning was back up to 98°.

Incidentally, I didn't tell you that yesterday I weighed myself and tipped the scales at a mere 152. Jack M has finally gotten to weigh more than I do as he went to 152½. Still in all, 152 is more than my civilian weight and I believe that if I were to be playing golf over the week-ends and pumping my way around on a bike, I would easily come down to my old weight of 148 or whatever it was.

Lt Suiter is in a touchy mood this morning. There was some question as how the mail was to be handled and he called all of us in for a discussion of the subject. Instead of just saying "yes", I happened to think of an exception to the rule and asked him about it whereupon he repeated his instructions. Thinking he didn't understand what I said, I elaborated on what was on my mind for it seemed worthy of consideration and I was just about bowled over when he became rather peeved at me and put an end to the conversation by saying what he had said was final. Maybe tomorrow he'll think it over and agree to it. But I guess that is life (in the Army).

The show this evening is "Up in Arms" at the Seabees and we all plan to go for it is supposed to be an excellent picture. That woman we saw in the picture last night, Mrs Muggins, is Charles Laughton's wife in true life and we didn't know it until today and in the picture she shows a picture of her dead husband, Sgt Muggins, and it is Charles Laughton as he appeared in the picture, "The Man From Down Under."

So-long,   /s/ Roman   Roman