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Sgt Roman F. Klick 36620923
HS 1393 Engr APO 75
c/p SF Cal
14 June 1945

Dear Aunty Clara,

Thursday

I'd like to see the day when someone walks up to me and says "Roman, the report you have been turning in on such and such needn't be turned in any more and there will be no report to replace it." Instead the remarks are just the opposite, something like, "Klick, here are a couple reports you will have to get out every month." or like today, "Klick, from now on you will handle all the typing for the officer's mess, it won't be much but anything Lt Lesher gives to you, you type." Frankly, I'm spending more time doing "additional duties" than are required on the job itself.

I am seriously thinking of making a little blackboard sign on which I can chalk up the day's strength to keep seventeen million people from asking me that question throughout the day. I'm just a beaten man as far as my job goes - I no longer like it, I am resentful of the futility of some of the things I do, and I'm slipping in efficiency. I've noticed that in myself that my best now does not come up to what was my best a year ago. How long I will continue on the downgrade or if there will be a change, only the future can decide.

Suiter asked me today if I had taken my day off and I said yes, yesterday. Then he said, o you had too much work to do, is that it? Then he followed it up by saying that the next time my day off comes around I should take it because the next week I'll be real busy on the officer efficiency reports implying that I'll be working on that day off also.

Jimmy Osis had a lot of work to do this morning (his day off) and since no one was going to do it for him and it looked like a full morning for him, I said I would do it and I did, extending my own working day thereby until close to six o'clock and then a little bit this evening. However, no use seeing everyone wasting their precious little time off.

By the way, all while I was talking yesterday about Pat, etcetera and even now, naturally, the graduation was history and as I write this, it is at least six days since she received the flowers and reacted towards same. I figure that by next week Wednesday I should have heard from her.

Now, my purchasing agent, I just thought of another problem. But first of all, I have no idea if I have any money left in the reserve fund I had you set up. That is the main part of the problem because I might be making plans that can not possibly materialize. Do I have ten dollars still in the fund? If so, I would like to make some provision for a birthday present for Uncle Jack, my part of the present you will buy for Rosana (you have been just adding my name right along according to what you tell me so it is only fair that I do a little of the contributing) and also a card or something for Butch whose birthday I believe also falls on the same day. Understand, this is only in the event that there is something in the fund. I've lost track of it, myself. I suppose a dollar would be sufficient for Rosana, right? And for Uncle Jack I thought of several things such as summer slacks or polo shirt. But can you get anything like that for approximately $2.50? If not, I suppose he could do with some socks and handkerchiefs. Or what about a novel idea like buying him a ticket to a Sunday ballgame at Cubs Park? If you have any better suggestions please use your own discrimination in the matter. I will take care of the matter of sending Uncle Jack a birthday letter so that you needn't worry about a card or anything.

Incidentally, while on this subject of gifts, cards etcetera, we might as well bring up the Christmas card situation early this year instead of getting just under the wire as in the past. I'm not sure but I believe that if we are still in Manila before Christmas, I ought to be able to buy the cards right here in the city. I'll have to write to Pedro and ask him about the way Christmas is handled around here and whether or not there are a sufficient amount of Christmas cards printed. Yet, it wouldn't be a bad idea to send out a dozen or so cards just in case we aren't here or in case the prices are a bit too steep to afford buying them all in the local market. I do not know how the people like to receive those beautiful scenic cards such as you sent to me last year, but in certain instances I would much prefer to send out a humorous one so if it is possible - along about the time you get ready to send them out - I would like a few more humorous ones although they will predominantly be a more mature card. It does seem a bit strange to be talking Christmas in June but we know from past experience how quickly the last half of the year can go by.

Our area is gradually being built up although the company still is on the other side of the road and it is a long haul to go to chow. They have begun the mess hall over here and it isn't but a half a hundred yards from the office so when they finally do move in, things will be more than convenient once again. B company is getting floors in their tents, screening and a little canvas side wall thereby making them slightly better than the ones which we had in New Caledonia except for not having a screen door. However, what B Company does doesn't necessarily mean H&S Company will have to do so we will just have to wait and see.

The laundry came back today and this GI laundry on Luzon does a much better job than the one in Guadalcanal did. They at least get the clothes clean. However, it cost to have the washing done anyway since I sent out four pairs of socks and although I got two pair back, I can only wear one of them since the second pair isn't matched up - one being a heavy OD wool and the other being a brown silk. Three pairs of socks at about a half a peso per pair adds up to some 75¢ and is expensive. I'm going to try to see Mersing about getting them back on laundry shortage but the trouble is the laundry checks the slips and even if they check it wrong, I guess you can't hold them for it.

Did I tell you that cigarettes and beer is sold nowadays through the companies and is rationed at the rate of a carton a week and a half case of beer a month? It is and this month I've allowed Bill Grauel to pay for my ration and he can have it that way. Next month I'll let another fellow take it and so on. No sense in just not getting it. The main reason for the rigid control is to keep excess supplies from going over to the unauthorized civilian supply. On the Canal there were no civilians so when a soldier bought five cartons of cigarettes a week and was issued about a case of beer, the Army knew that only those for whom it was intended would consume it - the GI's themselves.

There was no mail today except for a few magazines and things. Among what little mail there was, Andy Mathis received a blow up of the picture where we are holding the flag. He gave it to me and in due course of time I will send it home.

After the deluge of V-mails which finally did come in, I can't rightly complain about not getting anything today. I hope, though, that tomorrow I will be able to hear from you saying that you at least received my letters which I wrote aboard ship. That must have been a mess for you to straighten out since I couldn't very well date them or indicate in any way just exactly the passing of the days.

This evening we had such various foods and drinks as olives (ripe), chicken noodle soup (dehydrated) and tea. I go for that tea in a big way and now I've taken to putting three tea bags in the canteen cup instead of merely two as heretofore - the stronger the better. I can drink tea and like it but I'll just drink coffee and not particularly care for it.

For the last forty minutes I was sidetracked from my letter writing to delve into the mysteries of the animal world. That is, if snails are members of the animal kingdom. Not having any previous knowledge of snails I do not know whether or not the snails of this monastery are different or the same as snails back home, but this I do know and that is they are the most peculiar kind of people. The guy travels on a conveyor belt and that is no humbug. You can see the bottom part traveling from his head to his feet while beneath or above that you can see the ripples of the below part going from his feet to his head. He has two little horn like feelers which he spreads before him as he goes and like in any insect or low form of animal life, they are extremely sensitive. His shape is hard to describe for he has no shape. He is anywhere from an inch to two inches in length depending on whether he is motivating or not. He is flat underneath but his top part comes up from the ground to a hump along his spine. He is black, shiny wet (or should I say slimily shiny). He traveled off the edge of the table and kept going until he was hanging by the very tip of his conveyor belt and then he did the most surprising thing. On the order of a spider, he left some sort of substance behind him which solidified and held him suspended in the air for about a minute before it finally broke and he fell to the ground. Now I buried the fellow in the gravel and can't find him anymore. The gravel clings to him so that he is indistinguishable from any stone.

The OPVs are done and I banged out the Medics payroll the last thing this afternoon only to do it over again right after supper on account of having omitted a man's allotment.

I'm not going to send that hand bag to Pat for quite some time because of the flowers gift - too much at once. I've also been contemplating sending the slippers to El because she might possibly get into them and I know a Klick foot never would.

So-long,   /s/ Roman   Roman