March 11, 1945 Sunday

Dear One,

                A little while ago I talked to you on the phone and didn’t have much to say.  Right now I’m on guard duty and also writing a letter with not much to say either. Probably at times like long distance phone calls it isn’t so much what you say anyway-more what you feel.  By the way you talked, your feeling wasn’t natural which is natural.  I guess it’s one of those feelings you can’t explain maybe something like the feeling you get before you get on the speaking platform in front of a big mob, or when you get something you want bad and don’t know how to act or what to say.  Those feelings and quite a few more all mixed in.

                It’s sure funny-it’s a fine spring weather we’re having outside.  When it’s snow and ice I have a nice watch out in it, and when a day comes along that it would be nice to be out, the Hyer boy has to sit at a desk and play executive. I’ll close for awhile.

Paul

March 9, 1945 Friday

Well Katy ma Darlin,

                Same noise, snafu and all that.  Right now it’s from 0400 this morning until 0800.  This old noise of getting out of a warm sack in the middle of the night has got to come to a screeching halt.  Haven’t been doing much lately.  Started reading a book-saw the show a long time ago and thought it would be good.  It’s named a “King’s Plow.” You may have heard of it. It was a best seller once.  I see why now.  Quite the book.

                You know I don’t know why I started a book when there’s as much else to do-letters, wash, etc… and I always did like to read.  Just got back from chow.  Tasted pretty fair this morning-eggs, bacon, grapefruit, biscuit, all-bran, milk, etc… This Base is really ok for  milk.  I get a small bottle every morning and usually two and that’s something.

                I hope all’s well and ship shape at your quarters.  That school’s being squared away ok.  A little excitement and romance a stirring.  A scrawny letter but nothing’s stirring.  I’m going to hit the beach tonight.  May have something tomorrow.

Toodle-oo Darling,

Pablo

March 8, 1945 Thursday

Dear One,

                In that last communication, I’m awful sorry I never explained a question which I imagine has bothered you some.  Why didn’t’ that Dutchman call, especially when he said he would? Well, I haven’t any excuse or alibi but I do have a reason.  It seems that Sunday fell on the 4^th of the month-the 5^th being payday.  From that we might conclude that on the 4^th this humble lad was financially embarrassed and also I was ashore at church and there being a great distance between church and the Base.  By the time I docked back, the telephone exchange was secured, even if I did borrow some mazooma to speak with you.  I hope you won’t let your temper dwell too long on my blundering plans and arrangements.  But this coming Sunday I will have the needed finances and also I’ll be confined to the Base so I have a very hopeful outlook as to my being able to make good on my promise.

                Maybe you’d be interested to know that my duties have been changed for approximately 2 weeks.  See my dear, we can’t take care of our work and barracks too so all hands take their turn at “compartment cleaning.”  We just spend the day making the barracks look ship shape.  It’s a detail that’s very popular though-you might even call is a pension.  We turn to at 8 and work until 10 (in the shop we’d work until 12) then we have sack time until 1 (in the shop we’d have to be back at 12:30 about), then we work until 3 and we are secured for the day (otherwise working until 5).  Then we only get a watch every 4^th night (otherwise almost every other night).  We can hit the beach 3 nights out of four and that makes the married men happy and I’ll be able to go to mutual again tonight if things blow right.

                But it sounds like you don’t get so much sack time what with that assembly-practices, meeting, programs and such-and like the M-men and Gleaner Dance you mentioned today, I hope you tell me more about it in the next letter.  I imagine those few hours do mean a lot that you’re able to have the kids over and play a few records and shoot the breeze and such things.  You find some enjoyment in as leading the singing as over to Sunday School lately.

                You mentioned Washington’s birthday and I thought yours is the 24^th of the month right? I was also thinking that Sunday was the 4^th another day of meaning and gosh but I would have liked to have called you. I’ll close now my darling with an awful lot of love for you.

Paul

March 7, 1945 Wednesday

Darling Cap’n,

                Snafu and all that noise.  The only thing commemorable I did lately was going to mutual last night to a civilian meeting-mutual for nigh onto a year now.  Yep Chris took lots with the Army about a month ago.  He’s in Texas getting the rugged staff Prod and I got in boots.  I used to think Lois was taking Chris for a ride too but it appears to be that it matured and Chris gave me the outline of their understanding-very similar to ours.  It surprised me especially after the Graves vs. Peble deal which we studied in the making and breaking. 

                I hope you’ll keep writing some of those things that are hard to say and sometimes don’t understand.  Just do as you have been in writing as much as you understand.  In your phrases and knowing you, I feel many of those things and we’ll agree then, that we really are missing the time of our life being separated.  Maybe I won’t die for my country but I am giving part of my life because you-now are my life and it’s logical to say that the time I spend away from you is not much different from time taken out of my life.  For now my thoughts and love.

Paul

March 6, 1945 Tuesday

Dear Skip,

                I honestly wish I weren’t writing this letter.  The song, “Three o-clock in the Morning” isn’t so funny, enjoyable or anything else anymore.  I’m as usual-on watch-and it’s just before three.  I cam on at 2400 and I’ll be on until 0400.  Matters could be worse, of course I could be out in the weather at the north gate sentry post or the prefabricated huts.  The weather is moisture in frequent and bountiful quantities. As it is I’m in the Master at Arms shack in a chair, doing a bit of office work but confound it It’s the principle of the thing.  Getting a lad out of the sack in the middle of the night to sit around for 4 hours! Besides, I had a big wash tonight and you know how I love that. But I reckon as how it’s just counterbalancing the past weekend I had.

                Maybe I said that Friday night I played a bit of basketball with the staff men.  Saturday night I had one fine enjoyable time, in fact, the best for quite some time. I was over to a fireside chat.  The mutual takes that here and we shot the breeze awhile and played different games and even danced some.  I’m wondering if I’ll ever get on to the idea of scrubbing my feet around the deck again.  The females are quite patient though which helps.  Then we had some tasty chow-ice cream, cake and the likes.

                Sunday I made it in good time to church and really digested mentally a fine Sunday School and testimonial.  The smallness of the Branch and the scattered location of the members by no means hampers their activities here.  They really do commendable work.  After church I latched onto 4 Army boys and we had some fine noon chow-french fried shrimp.  Do you like shrimp? Then we latched onto some bicycles and had one time all afternoon.  (Today my stern is the worse off).  We played tag and rode around in the zoo and in the paths through the park-one of the best and largest I’ve seen.

                After while the tag game got a bit rugged-the Army bent a pedal and almost a car and put a little skin on the deck so we gave it up in preference to the more conservative sport of eating a couple of pints of ice cream and riding the trolley to the U.S.O. A bit of pool and then to evening meeting then back to the noise I was griping about in the first of this word.  Same as usual though.

Paul

February 28, 1945 Wednesday

My Harriet,

                I may not get far but I’ll try starting.  It’s getting near taps. Me and some of the staff men played a bit of basketball tonight.  I really most thoroughly enjoyed the airmail letter today.  You must have felt generous.  It made my blood boil in a way though.  What I mean is that the reason I never phoned over

Sunday is because I never got the word that it was ok.  Now I find out it would have been.  I stood around Sunday and wondered and figured etc etc for a long time, finally I said well I’ll call anyway so I even had my Dungaree jacket on and started for the door but one of the boys said I wouldn’t call if I were you.  It cost too much to take a chance on so I figured well maybe he’s right-haste makes waste.  But I will call this Sunday unless something goes wrong.  I’m going ashore to church if possible but I’ll try to be back to call.  I figure on making it through the telephone exchange on the Base here.  I sure am sorry though my dear to make you sit around in a suspense that never profited.  You said around 7:00 p.m. your time or earlier.  I’m sorry, but it will probably be later if anything. I still have two chocolates left as you know I’m quite conservative with candy.

                Oh yes I’m a thinking those be pretty fair grades you’re getting.  That was a fine sounding shin dig you had over there.  If you were with a sailor though it was you not he who was jilted.  I don’t understand though, love why you ever think of this moth eaten swab jockey at times like that.  Seriously Harriet, it’s one of my pet dreads that of you getting a misconception of me.  This is something I’ve found quite true-when a person leaves another that means something to them, that person builds them up more than they really are.  I’m afraid you may be forgetting my bad traits and weak parts and making of me a person that fits your own ideals and wishes.  I hope not, but I saw it happen with a girl named Anna and a boy who went away as a missionary.  But as you say-when I get on that phone I might seem pretty stupid but after all, we’ll deal in principles and say it’s not the words but the feeling and thoughts.

                I got a letter from Lila-a very fine one. I think she has a wonderful attitude and I only hope her child will be ok.  She’s had too much grief now and as you know may even have more in store.  But we know God will be with her.  Well stay on the boat young-un.  Luck, love and more,

Pablo