Cpl Roman F. Klick 36620923
Co "A", 353rd Engr Regt
A.P.O. #502, c/o Postmaster
San Francisco, California
2Nov43

Very few letters were delivered today. In fact all in all there was only about a half a sack of mail for the regiment. I was lucky to receive one letter from you dated October 23rd. I suppose the nice glass is either off the market now or just too expensive, eh? That is one trouble about having those old stoves with the mica glass windows. Too bad there isn't some way you can have that stove screening put in its place.

I'm very surprised to hear that Adeline Fingerhut even remembers who I am. It has been years and years since we knew each other well enough to carry on a conversation and who knows how long since the last smile and hello. Yes, I guess even the little sun that us office workers get has deepened my tanned face and arms by several shades. When I was home on furlough, I first realized how dark the Oregon sun keeps one through the winter and this sun beats that one by miles as far as tanning goes.

The movie for this evening is "The cat and the Canary" with Bob Hope and Paullette Goddard. I'm to run the show because Gordon would rather show it tomorrow evening at the other outfit as I told you in yesterday's letter. I spent one entire hour up in the projection booth today patching up the bum spots but I know that the film is in bad shape so it will be fortunate if we get thru without having more than three breaks.

The Daily Bulletin has been discontinued as the means for getting the news to the soldiers. In its place we have a consolidation of all previous publications on the island into one four page paper called the "South Pacific Daily News". This paper really dishes out the news. Not only does it give the regular news reports from the world's capitals but it also runs a sports page, a column of excerpts from Newsweek" and maps. Cicero made the first edition too (of which I have a copy to save as a souvenir) when it reported that ex-police Svoboda of the Cicero police force was arraigned with others in connection with fostering illegal gambling. You can bet I got the razz for that article.

Say, did I tell you that the car we take the movie up in now is Lt Maack's truck? It is a small 1/2-ton truck. My permit allows me to drive cars and trucks up to 1½-ton but what I actually will drive will be the 1/2-ton and a weapon's carrier.

Company A's vaudeville performance is scheduled for either next Thursday night or the following Thursday evening. This time Captain Hanton himself is in back of a drive to put on one of the best shows yet produced. Our company needs someone to push them along in that respect because last time, we didn't have any show at all. There are enough harmonica players in A Company to form quite a large group which could put on a few numbers after they had some practice.

The PX is now selling Christmas cards besides the V-mail Greet-o-Grams. There are only four of five different kinds to buy and none are any good. The Island has set a dead line of November 5th for getting the cards in the mail in order to be guaranteed delivery before Christmas while the V-mail forms are guaranteed delivery before Christmas if mailed by the 15th of this month. I guess it will end up that I'll have to chance it at a later date and have my Christmas cards arrive in time for Easter or maybe New Year's.

A big shipment of beer was supposed to have come in today for the thirsty soldiers but the PX ended up by bringing in more orange juice. The beer is promised for tomorrow and I've already pledged my share to John Edie. The fellows who drink have to get around fast in order to get the non-drinkers rations before the next fellow beats him to it.

So-long,
/s/ Roman
Roman