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

Dear Aunty Clara,

Friday

I have nothing to write about today. Mainly on account of because nothing happened. I didn't do much work, I didn't receive any mail, etcetera. For one thing this living away from the company has as many disadvantages as it has advantages. Standing Reveille, for example, isn't done with our small detachment living alongside the wall of the monastery. The idea of not standing the early morning formation is alright but the resultant late start by getting up later is bad. I believe in getting up at five-thirty now but standing around for ten minutes is what seems the waste of time. The reason we can't get up at the right time is because all the companies are on the opposite side of the monastery from us and the buglers sound off with the calls over there. I haven't heard a single bugle call since the first week we were on Luzon. And for things like (1) getting up (2) chow (3) telling the time at nine and eleven o'clock, the bugle is a convenience.

The disadvantages to not getting up at the crack of day (five-thirty) are these: you don't have any breakfast, you don't get washed up properly and mainly you feel sort of groggy the rest of the day.

Other disadvantages of living away from the company are: walking to chow so far away, having that same walk to take when there are such things as laundry to be turned in, picked up and so forth.

Some advantages are not having to fall out in formation every time the First Sergeant blows his whistle and not worrying about being called out on some emergency details while sitting on your bunk taking life easy.

The H&S mess hall is progressing excellently across the road from the monastery and it should be completed either tomorrow or the next day. We don't know as yet whether the company will build the tent floors first before moving into the area or do the job later --- or not do them at all.

My total work today consisted of getting out the usual Morning and Allied Reports and then cutting a stencil work sheet so that the company commanders and Colonel Shubat can figure out the officer efficiency reports. Not much production in one day I can say that yet even that bit dragged me down. I have a continual tired out feeling and the fellows want to know who is my embalmer. Perhaps one of these days I'll wake up and get going again. As it is I'm just holding my own.

Also to further bog me down - Sackett was off again today and again Jack stepped in and took over.

Of what little mail there was, Norona received his May 28th edition of the Time magazine and since I get it before he does, I spent my time between four o'clock and chow and then between chow and darkness reading the book from cover to cover. It was not exceptionally interesting except for two facts. One is that it begins to look more and more as if Hitler has disappeared and not died. Second that by the time I get out of the army, the reconversion program will have advanced far enough along for me to purchase a civilian car if I wish to. It is funny that everyone continues to get their Time magazine from Hawaii when they print it right here in Manila. Of course, if they never change their address, Time magazine will never know that they are right here in the city.

If some letters don't come in soon from other people, I am going to forget how to write once again. That is why I would like a steady stream of them to be coming in continually with me answering them as they arrive. I think that tonight would be as good a night as any to get started on the little photo album I intend keeping my growing collection of pictures in. I managed to get hold of two black binder covers which are bound together with shoestrings so all I have to do is cut some manila envelopes or manila folders I think they are called, down to the right size and then place the pictures on them, tie the whole works up and there she be.

There are other jobs I have to get accomplished sooner or later. One of them is sorting out my letters once again and providing some means of disposal by either actually getting rid of them or sending them home. While we are in one spot it is alright to have all that extra junk but when it comes moving time, it is no good at all to be tied down with all those extra articles and I have no intention of hauling twice as much personal equipment as GI equipment the next time I move. That includes the sending home of a collection of books if I ever do get around to same.

While it is too early to opine yet on the new broom that swept the mess clean in the kitchen, the injection has temporarily pepped up the products of the cooks. For instance, today, for the first time we received actual pastry - something all the other companies have been having steadily heretofore. It was a raspberry pie and extremely tasty. In the evening we had a swell concoction of cherries, pears, peaches, pineapple and what not. Again that is that little extra that other companies have had and we have not had. That is what I meant when I said this man Ellis they have put in charge of the kitchen will do - that is go to a little extra pains for the fellows. Then we have had fruit juices instead of water at the lunches and tonight we had tea instead of the usual coffee. Even the Spam was breaded down and fried making it a delicious dish. Of course, as I said in the opening sentence, only time will tell whether he is merely bucking for staff sergeant or really carrying out a long range policy. We all hope it is the latter.

Several weeks ago Norona was going to give me the picture of the cemetery at Guadalcanal which appeared in Time magazine but someone walked off with it and so no picture. However, this evening, just a few minutes ago, out of the clear sky, Lewis asked me if I was supposed to get a picture of the place from him and I said no but I would like it. Then he asked me again if he had promised it to me and I smiled and said "yes" and on that crazy deal, he gave it to me saying he never saw it. Evidently he promised somebody the print and had his mother send the extras to him yet now he can't remember to whom he promised it so gave it to me as long as I didn't mention where I got it from for fear that whoever it was he promised it to might be put out should he learn of it. Therefore, I am sending it out to you under separate cover today to be added to the ever growing collection of overseas snaps. Amazing how for a year and a half there were no pictures to be had and then suddenly we have all the pictures we want. I believe this is the same picture that Bob Stone took when we were driving in a jeep one Sunday on the Canal.

Last night after banging out the evening mail, I went down to the tent, made up my bunk and then read another of Damon Runyon's stories. He has the stories written in the language of a Broadway crook. You knows the type, he was strictly a small time jerk that could hit the dives and knew all the big boys around the Forties and the Great White Way. Now this babe is a good looker and since Dave the Dude was the type of fellow to go for babes that is good lookers Dave the Dude goes for her in a big way. And so forth his writing goes. There is not too much to the stories and the plot is something on the O Henry surprise line.

For not havening/having anything to write about this evening I guess I filled in enough lines on these two pages. That is the good part about write/writing every day, it is easy to just write about anything. I imagine that you find it so yourself at times.

Goombye pleez,
/s/ Roman   Roman