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

February 2, 1945 Friday St. Louis

Dear One,

                For awhile I guess you can’t expect very long letters.  Not until I get adjusted and stir up a little excitement for myself.  After this place I’m still working on the “Ventura” putting in a system that will pump gas from one tank to another because they have to stay in the air for quite awhile.  Other than that, I’m just cursing these sea bags and thinking of the usual subject-guess.  I don’t remember telling you that on the train coming over here I had a dream that I came home.  We went to the show but never watched it.  But there was an episode of two kisses and that’s all I remembered.  I’ve been here almost a week now-I ought to get a letter soon.

                I went ashore last night and went to the USO and got the address of the church here.  Maybe in a week I can go.  Then I danced a couple of times and shoved off to a show.  I saw the show, “Song to Remember” about the life of a Polish Pianist-I forgot his name but he’s famous and it was an elegant picture. But I don’t like to go alone.

                I’ll let this do for now hon. but I’ll write again tonight and send it regular mail and it ought to reach you a day or so after this.  After while you tell me how long it takes for mail to reach you from here.  

Pleasant dreams.  

Pablo

p.s. The paper may give you an idea of how things are run around here.

(Training department information for incoming trainees)

January 31, 1945 Wednesday

Dearest Skip,

                I don’t know exactly what to say that you’d be interested in. I don’t know either-exactly what the score is around here.  This is a small base and very much different than Jax.  Of course I haven’t been here long but so far I like it quite well.  We straggle to chow and straggle to work-just so we’re there by 8:00 a.m. for muster.  Ship service is pretty fair and the auditorium.  The barracks are fine-brand new but we have to live out of those confounded sea bags because they haven’t moved in any lockers yet.  The chow hall is just across the street and the chow is good too.

                Reveille is at 6 a.m. but if you want to forget breakfast and stay in the sack while you don’t have the Master at Arms putting you on report or hollering at you over the P.A. system.  And the town-oh what a town. BIG! The best liberty there is-I’ll tell you more about that when I go ashore. 

                I don’t know where the church is here but I have an idea how I can find out.  I will only be able to go every two weeks.  The other week I’ll be working.  It looks like there’s going to be plenty of that work to do.  You’d think there was a war on.  There’s some noise about that.  There is going to be a night shift put on.  I’ve been working lately on PV-1 a bi-engine plane.

                Well my dear, all that I’ve written so far is not really what is on my mind.  You see my darling, when I left Jax, I expected very strangely that I would get a leave when I got here.  Of course you remember that I didn’t say anything about it.  I was so sure I’d get one that I was going to write and surprise you and the folks.  When I was given the papers you read, it felt like there wasn’t very much more to live for.  Of course I feel better about it now but the bottom sure fell out of things then.  Seriously Hon, I could almost have cried like a kid.  So, I just layed on my sack and thought of you and home.  I didn’t even feel like writing.

                You remember those 3 extremely good letters that I have always kept? They made me feel a lot better too.  I read them over and over some more and when I could see you, you were smiling-same as always.  Now I’m just waiting patiently until some mail comes.  It’s like you said, “Those words are food.”  And Skip, I’m almost starved to death.

                Well Hon, mizpaw and play “always” after you read this-just so you know how my thoughts run about now.  And all my love too. Paul

p.s. Oh yes-I made my first snowball and slipped on some ice the first time and boy is it cold-worse than Utah if my memory doesn’t fail me.

January 20, 1945

Dear Skip,

                Not much time before classes but I’ll start this anyhow.  Well Hon just one more day-gosh but I feel like a prisoner getting set loose after a term.  But I’ll tell you what I have in mind.  The Nave has advanced schools for my type of work and when I get a chance I’m going to apply for it.  Most of them are Fleet appointments though-men from the fleet.

            This week I’ve been working on a “corsair” f4u-Navy fighter and it’s a beautiful machine.  Maybe I never told you of my big thrill at the first of the week.  I got to “turn up” a plane. My first plane was a “Hellcat” fighter that has shot down three Japs and has absorbed plenty of lead itself.  Boy it sure wasn’t like starting our old car.  There’s about 2 dozen things you have to take care of.  Lots of levers and switches, etc-both hands full. After everything’s taken care of, you pour the power to it and she coughs and sputters and then roars and you think you’re going to take off. Maybe you’ve seen it done in shows-boy some fun!

                If you don’t mind sweet I’ll skip all over now-just answer and comment.  Yes, we did see those alligators and they’re better than the pictures.  If you remember Hon I said we took a lot of snaps.  The film Herb’s camera uses is quite plentiful and when we had them developed the total came to three dollars.  The end of the story is that they were some of the best snapshots I’ve seen and we lost them and have never been able to find them.  And don’t think that don’t make my blood boil.

                Your letter today said you’d like to have me take you to the places I’ve been. That’s quite a day dream Land lubber and I kind of like it but the thing that’s wrong with it is that all I want is to come home.  We’ll agree that I’ve been around a bit since I left you and I’ve found that where I come from is better. It’s just like the guy who went on an expedition for diamonds and while he was gone, somebody dug some up in his own back yard.  The same is true about traveling the country to see things when the most beautiful scenery etc. is right near you.  So believe me matey, don’t envy the sights I’m finding.

                It was quite a queer happening a bit ago Hon.  I went from chow to the early show cause I wanted to see this show “Sign of the Cross.”  It was a striking show and you summarized it well.  I got out of the show and found the letter on my sack-in which you told of seeing the same show.  I think we were both well benefitted by it.

                You were wondering if Herb was thinking the same as me when we were overlooking a romantic bay and moon in St. Augustine.  Hardly Hon-cause Hansen hasn’t got a home town female.  That subject has been a topic of much discussion here though.  You see, every other weekend or liberty, Herb has got a new heartthrob and between that and his brother going down with a submarine, his grades haven’t been too good.  He’s even had to have special night classes and that goes bad.  Well the point is he says it sure must be mighty fine to have a girl home to write to you and think about.  I said yes and it saves a lot of wear and tear on the nerves too.  Knowing all’s well home and you don’t have to bother with any girls anywhere you go.  There’s a lot more to it that you and I understand but that can’t be explained.  I’ll have to secure this for now Hon.  In case you haven’t already quit writing, I think you better not write anymore until I give you the word. All my love.  
Pablo

January 10, 1945 Tuesday

Dear Harriet,

                It’s a field day tonight but I’ll try to get off a note.  We finally got up to the week we’ve been waiting.  Two weeks of school left, providing I can make the grade.  Everybody has the same hopes,-well founded too cause they set guys back in the class ahead of us.  This Saturday comes the great test we’ve been dreading-the one to cover all our school work. Near 100 questions that will probably make the hair raise on our neck.  As I was saying though, this is what we’ve been waiting for.  We’re working out on the “line.” I got assigned to the Generator Circuit on a Flying Boat-the PBY Catalina.  I really enjoy it, especially when you’re working on a craft that has a history.  This particular one put in over 700 combat hours in the South Pacific and has been on 25 bombing missions.  The name is kind of original too- “Amoozin But Confoozin” meaning of course “amusing but confusing.”

                Say that is quite a schedule you have.  It looks good to me and I hope I hope it’s good duty for you.  Those ought to be interesting subjects. I and the boys got a smile out of that tap dancing-I don’t let anyone read the letters but that’s getting around some.  First, Besting and Bass in Band and then tap dancing? What next? If it’s music lessons-here’s to you.  You’ll fare ok hon.

                Oh yes-why do you want to cut your hair this summer? What do you think you’ll be doing next summer? Maybe going back to Grants. the other person. I knew a girl back home who had more than I deserve-ever but just the same, all I would desire in a female.  Now she’s in a different life which will inevitably better her if that was possible. Naturally it is impossible for the good to come without some bad.  All the same I am as sure as anything I was ever sure of in my life that her basic qualities and traits will not change. So—I’m thinking this girl means so much to me that I’m willing to do all in my power to adapt myself to her.  I’ll go a long ways farther than half way to make being together nothing less than Utopia.  One catch is that the outlook on my coming home is pretty dismal.

                I know that after graduation I won’t get a leave cause it’s just impossible.  They give you your orders and they read where you have to report to the next Base and just enough time to get there.  Well last night (Wed) we had a good mutual meeting and I’ll close now. All my love.