Sgt Roman F. Klick 36620923
HS 1393 Engr APO 75
c/p SF Cal
1 July 1945
Dear Aunty Clara,
Sunday
Well the most important month in the most important year has begun and today was a pretty good day. We had the entire day off and no one calling us to the office with the exception of twice Ebner came down to find out where some papers were kept. We didn't have to stand Reveille and didn't even hear the fellows fall out for it in the morning --- we slept until ten after eleven when it seemed that we all woke up at the same time. Then, we sat around talking the situation over, dressed and went to eat at twelve bells. When we came back Saky dressed up in khakis and went out, Lewis and Grauel went to sleep and I cleaned my rifle, bayonet and shoes for tomorrow's inspection. Along about four o'clock I showered and dressed up in my best (the overseas shirt) and thought I would go out with Grauel and Lewis to the new dance hall they found because they keep raving about it. Moreno came along and when we got there we found Sackett already there after having wandered around for the entire afternoon. Lewis has a little Filipino girl friend by the name of Remy (pronounced Ray-me) and she is smaller than he is (and he is smaller than I am). She is a rather nice looking girl, knows English, dresses perfectly and dances well. She lived in Pedor's locality and I asked if she knew him when she was there but she didn't. Bill's girlfriend is Patricia and she is a bit taller and not so good looking but she knows Spanish and talked in the lingo with Moreno.
This little Ramey actually asked to dance with me and even after the first dance in which I did awful, she asked me to dance again but it seems I've forgotten anything Aunty Florence ever taught me and I am very disgusted in myself for now is an opportunity of a lifetime to become a fairly decent dancer and I just can't seem to make any headway. Then there was the waitress (it is a place that must be similar to what a night club is back home) --- her name was Lenora and she danced when not serving. She was born in Cuba and not only can speak fluent Spanish but English and Tagalog as well. And when it comes to English she is no amateur for she gets in the American slur of the speech and even asked Moreno if he was a "wise guy".
It seems that all the 1393d fellows were there including some of the fellows we used to know from other islands. There is no electricity in this place so they use carbide lamps. There is no admittance fee as at the Santa Ana Dance Hall. The name of this place is San Miguel Beer Garden and they even have a Filipino girl do a Hawaiian Hula Dance for the floor show. I had a fairly nice time but only wished I could dance for those gals can jitterbug, waltz, two-step, and just do anything a fellow can and it was fun watching them.
We were very fortunate in missing the rain which came down in droves just after we entered the door of the place and when we came back the rain had stopped although the streets were muddy as anything and my poor moccasins are a sad cry from the highly polished state they were in when I left to go out several hours previously.
When we came back after supper, we found our mail laying on our bed through the personal delivery of Cpl. Edgar W. Lynd, the Bn mail clerk and a resident of Coldwater, Michigan. I received a letter from Uncle Jack and a letter from you dated 19 June. Also I received both birthday cards from you and Aunty Florence. They are both swell but so premature that I'm going to save them and reopen them again on my birthday. I had a laugh at Aunty Florence writing in "Gosh! It must feel good to be 25 years young." Unfortunately in the army I've seemed to have lost any feeling of being young or old but just knowing that I'm living. That was cute about the little dog being marked Snubby and if he was black that is just about the way he looked. No pet frogs though unless you want to call our monasterial inhabitants pets.
Uncle Jack is getting as bad as you about dreaming up contacts with me and the Japs. First you dream I am captured by them and then he jokingly anticipates the allied bombing softening up Japan in order for the 1393d H&S Co to make the knockout beach-head. I hope that your jests and dreams don't come true in that matter although if they did, and I lived through it, it would be quite an experience.
Uncle Jack also thinks the war will be over by Christmas as many other people believe but I just can't imagine anything like that.
Okay, okay, after listening to your argument that my symptoms might be an indication of a reactivation of the T.B. germs, I will go to the Medics and ask them if they can check into the situation. The only trouble is that it is hard for me to go on sick call on account of because my main work of the day occurs during the very first hour of the morning and then there are always those important things to get out that it is hard to break away. I told Sackett that I might go tomorrow morning but I'm not too sure now on account of because tomorrow is a pretty big day. But I will go soon if not then.
The funniest thing occurred with Uncle Jack's letter. There was an extension at the top of it and right above the letter in headline figures were the numbers 201. That is the file number in the army for enlisted men's personal file and therefore it was very appropriate that I file his letter in my 201 file. The fellows all got a smile out of that coincidence and strange occurrence.
The time is getting late again and I am not going to answer Uncle Jack's letter this evening. I didn't realize it but I never did answer Blumenfeld's notes and papers which he sent to me and tomorrow night I will have to make it a point to do so.
Not having hardly left the tent today except to eat the two meals at noon and night, we none of us noticed how they fenced in the entire company area with camouflage screening, ostentatiously to keep the natives from coming and going at well/will as they have in the past. This is the first time since being overseas that we have ever had our campsite screened in and it seems funny.
Incidentally your air mail letters came faster than the V-mails and the v-mail service on today's letter wasn't bad --- only 12 days --- although still putrid as far as we are concerned since it shouldn't take more than ten days at the most.
Well, I'd better be getting to bed if I want to get up tomorrow morning for Reveille so
So-long, /s/ Roman Roman