Sgt Roman F. Klick 36620923
HS 1393 Engr APO 709
c/p SF Cal
5 April 1945

Dear Aunty Clara,

Thursday



This was a mighty big day today for the important things which happened in it. For instance, something happened to me today (along with quite a few others) that may stop me from writing letters for a short spell all depending. I'll clarify that ambiguous statement: I was given a yellow fever inocculation and sometimes the shot makes you sick as you have always worried a shot might make me. The reaction doesn't set in (if it does) until some four or five days later. It may or may not be serious when one does get sick from it for Captain London say he was given his shots during his course at OCS back in 1942 and it made him sick for two months but because he was going to OCS at the time, he did not drop out or even go to sick in quarters. Lt. Ricci, on the other hand, says that away back a few years when he was given the shot, he was hospitalized. To compare with that you have those rugged engineers who formed the cadre at Camp White such as Jack, Lewis, Myers and that crew. They claimed that the yellow fever shots didn't phase them in the least. This is just an advanced warning as to the condition of my health or probable health as it may effect my letter output, just as I gave you advance warning when I was doing Sackett's job that the mail deliveries might slow down during that time.

Another important fact is that I received two packages in the mail today and one was from Senor Gonzalez with your handiwork in preparing it. If I don't fall asleep before this evening is over, I'll try to get out a short thank note to him. I noticed that the candies were wrapped in cellophane this time. It changed the taste a bit, after eating a bit of the wax (melted) with the candies I noticed the difference and like the old way better although they are still good. And the other package is also in your handwriting so I imagine it is from you and Aunty Florence and I thank both of you for it. I haven't had the capacity in my stomach to open that package yet for it took us fellows all evening down at the show to eat the two boxes of candy from Senor G. Please don't be surprised at eating all that candy at one time, but it was a good show and we also had a light supper both of which combined, made us extremely ravenous.

The best part about it was that in one of the two letters I received from you today dated the 26th and 27th, you mentioned finally receiving the Easter candies which Mrs. Snyder's candies sent out to you and it made my mouth water for some and just wishing for it made it come true in the afternoon mail. By the way, did your package differ in any respect to Aunty Florence's box and how many pounds did they send you? I told them that if I had sent too much money, that should make up the difference by adding it to your box instead of bothering to send any change back.

Hey, I got three letters from you, the one of the 28th was stuck in back of one of them. And here is something more important than anything else. The allotment came through approved today. It doesn't say whether or not you have been classified as a B or B1 dependent which is the difference between $37 bucks or $50 per month. They state that all back payments will be made by check together with the payment for the month of April 1945 and will be mailed to you on the 1st of May. If you receive a check for $703 dollars, that means they are giving you $37 a month but if you receive $950 (I'm not kidding) it means it is the $50 a month allotment. Please write and tell me immediately (which you naturally would do anyway) which amount you received. In fact, it would be a good idea to send not just a V-mail that day but also an air-mail which may by chance arrive sooner. On the strength of what type of allotment you are receiving is what I will do about the Class E allotment of $40 bucks I now have going. Since you won't have much use for parts of that anymore, it would get more interest in solders deposits than if you were to put it in the Western bank. But we shall see. By the way $418 of whatever you get is what has thus far been deducted from my pay for that Class F Allowance.

We went to the show this evening to re-see "To Have or Have Not" with Humphrey Bogart and that torrid babe he calls "Slim" or in other words, Lauren Bacall. We got as great a kick out of the picture this second time as we did the first. Some choice remarks made in that picture are becoming celebrated around here. One place where she says that whenever he wants her all he as to do is whistle and to whistle all you do is put your lips together and blow. She looked exceptionally sultry in that scene and it seems to be the most remembered. In fact, her voice and the wisecracks are what put that picture across.

I also received a letter from Uncle Jack today plus three Daily Newses of which I finally had the opportunity to read one. Maybe I'll end up by having a little kitten for a pet instead of a dog for Mersing is taking care of a cat that will soon have kittens and he asked me what color I wanted. I told him brown and white but he thinks I'm going to have to settle for black and white.

You can hope all you want to but I'm afraid that it will be next September before I can get home on any furlough. A circular or memo came out saying that combat troops will get preference in all furlough quotas etcetera and you know that the 1393d is definitely not combat. Now I'm hoping that Aunty Florence has nice weather during her fun/vacation in September. I think she will have because I remember on my first two weeks from RH&R, I took it at the end like that and had a good time.

Yes, I remember Evelyn Suarez. She and her brother came over with Mary Lopez Keeling one time and then Mary related how Evelyn worked in a dancing (professional) joint and that she didn't think much of a job like that.

That was one time I've anticipated you. You asked me to write some notes to friends and start off with Pat and I did just that last week. And I hope to do it again now that things have quieted down for me personally.

By the by, Bill Kerwin lives way south on Western Ave and thinks he knows Kay Ferguson. Would you look up my collection of pictures and negatives and find either the one where Kay and I are standing together or the one in which she is alone standing next to the car and have one made and send it to me? I'd like to show it to him. He only lives a block from her house but can't seem to remember her outside of her being a blond like she is.

It is funny how I blew up about my Dad using the golf club so long yet now that you tell me about Uncle Jack wearing my coat, I don't mind it at all and I'm glad someone is getting use out of it. Different values or something?

So-long,   /s/ Roman   Roman