February 16, 1945 Friday

Dear Skipper,

                It seems as though I’m always sore bid for writing paper.  I guess I’ll have to get on the boat and stock up.  I did pretty well today.  I got two letters.  The mail must have been fouled up because I never got a letter for 3 or 4 days, then today came a letter and the clipping and the awful cute Valentine.  I sure enjoyed that and it made my morale surge.  I am glad to know the funeral fared well but it isn’t good for Lila to take it bad but I guess it can’t be otherwise.

                Hon they don’t call it K.P. duty in the Navy.  It’s Skullery Duty, but thanks to the luck we haven’t seen any and I’m quite certain we won’t.   Well there’s not much to say.  I’ve been working on the engines of those planes in from the Islands.  AS I said, they’re sure beat up and I got a hold of one that has been on fire and the wiring was pretty badly cooked.  I’m still griping too because it seems like I have Guard Duty every other night and 12 to 4 watches at that.

                The only excitement lately was when a Fortress almost crashed into the Hangar today.  See, it’s been snowing bad almost 6 inches and still going strong and he couldn’t find the runway so he had to give it up.  Then a B-29 tried to find the runway but couldn’t make it.  I don’t know where they went; the B-29 Super Fortress was low on gas.  It was the first one I’ve seen and Young-un, it’s nothing less than immense like a train.

                Some of the boys are out on a drunk and they said they were going to give me a nuisance call and wake me up when they came in which will probably be about 3 or 4 in the morning, but they always sleep through chow on a morning like that but about now I’m going to go out and get a bucket of snow and a bit of water and put it on the decks under my sack and see that they get up but quick-about an hour sooner than necessary.  They say he who laughs last laughs loudest!

                Thanks for sending the clipping and program.  I’m sending them back as you wished.  Hon, thanks again for the Valentine.  I did think that was very thoughtful of you and it meant a lot to me.  Tell me Skip, will next Sunday be all right for me to call you, say about 7 o’clock your time.  If you write back that it’s ok, I’ll phone station to station so I’ll save from four bits to a buck and that means you should stick close to where they can find you when necessary.  If that arrangement isn’t ok, give the word because I’ll be aboard all day and night and can latch on to a phone almost any time.  For now as ever.

Pablo