Same Old Sandhole on White Beach
19 Oct 45 Friday
Dear Aunty Clara,
I was sick two nights ago and last night we had too much work to do and I still wasn't feeling well. That's why no letters.
I don't know yet what was wrong with me and I haven't really recovered yet. For two days before getting sick I hadn't cared about eating but ate because I figured I should get my meals. I did skip the breakfasts, though. Then two nights ago I felt tired, and funny feeling. We were knee deep in work but I just had to walk out on it to lay down a bit. That didn't do any good so I came back to work only to feel worse. I went to the Medic and got some aspirins and sodium bicarbonate but that didn't do any good so I went back to the Medics and they told me if I felt worse in the morning I should come on sick call. Not two minutes later and about thirty steps away, I threw up. Not once, nor twice, but five times. Terrible business. But I was far from well. I went to bed and turned hot to cold and back to hot again. Then the pains got started in earnest as just below the ribs, non-floating, the pressure began building up. The head was hurting and I couldn't sleep. At last I had to get up and aways from camp a bit I threw up three times. I didn't eat anything the next day, what, after throwing up my last two days meals? Then today I didn't eat anything either except drink some apple juice at breakfast, eat some tomato sauce for lunch and a small bit of crushed pineapple for supper. Nothing greasy, nothing heavy, just fruits or fruit juices. Yet after all that throwing up and non-eating, I'm still not hungry - figure that out? Me thinks that if I should begin eating without an appetite, I'll just give it the old heave ho once again. Last night, after getting progressively better all day (waking up in the morning after that rugged night with hands that turned ice cold) and taking a malaria smear my head seemed to be in a vice which kept opening and closing. However, today things have gone fairly well and to all outward appearances I'm okay. I feel good but am still not hungry. What was wrong with me is hard to say and whatever the trouble might be, can still exist for all I know.
So much for that. Yesterday when I normally would have taken the day off because of my poor condition, I had to work (along with all the clerks) especially hard - on past midnight - from early morning - on Service Records. We did it, Aunty Clara, got rid of all men over 35 years of age and with 70 points or over. That means with 67 we are right at the top of the heap and if they move the 60 pointers in November, we can expect to go in the first movement. Lewis, Molyneaux, Vickers, Yzzi, Goldenberg, Lynd, Burkard, Marsh and score of other are now but memories.
Half of Paniqui has come up to White Beach. Most of the laundry girls must have gone broke after our Battalion pulled out and they came up here. Even our laundry girl. Then surprise of surprises - Lolita and her whole family are up here. They were outside of the mess hall one morning saying hello to everybody and now they are a regular sight just across the road from camp. I can't understand these Philipino people at all. They always want to go with the Americans. From Guadalupe we brought up Pedro and Nap, from Paniqui we brought Sidney and Jesus and now the rest of the town comes up on their own hook. They all live around the camp. Of course among all these people are some Filipino girlfriends of fellows who in some cases have traveled clear from Manila with them. And they are serious relationships for two of the fellows want to reenlist immediately so that they can be assured of remaining here in the Filipines with their "wives" or be to wives.
Finally, all men who become eligible in the future are not allowed to be promoted. In view of that fact, they are anticipating promoting all of the 60 point men who are in line for a promotion (that is promoting them before November 1st). So maybe I'll become a T/Sgt (Technical Sergeant) after all. If their plans should materialize and I am promoted a grade, I can leave this army knowing that in my chosen field (Personnel Section) I not only reached the top in fact as I have now but also been rated to the T/O top of T/Sgt. However, that is just talk, if within eleven days such does not occur, it will be barred forever.
So-long,
/s/ Roman
Roman