Cpl Roman F. Klick 36620923
Co "A", 353rd Engr Regt
A.P.O. #502, c/o Postmaster
San Francisco, California
5 November 1943

Mersing and I went into town to return the payroll but we hit the place right in the middle of a siesta. Up to now we have been fortunate enough to miss the siesta hour and I thought that perhaps they had dispensed with it since the soldiers are on the Island. Not a place is open outside of the military establishments and one or two of those ice cream, lemonade and doughnut parlors. Luckily the Juicy Fruit was open and while I was in the Finance Office, Mersing went down and bought 4 of them. When I saw that he only had four, I wanted to go back and buy some more. We didn't so we had one apiece and brought back one each for Edie and Burkard. That will be alright when the tin can is available so that we can bring quite a few back and hold them for a few days.

We stopped in at the Post Exchange to buy an ice cream and coke but I completely forgot about the ice cream machine being on the blink. We also tried to get some carbonated water at the glaciere as they call the distillery and which really means ice house. But here too, the place was locked up for no business.

It only took us slightly over two hours to make the trip although we didn't make it back in time for lunch. As a result we had the entire mess hail to ourselves when we did eat.

Today has been just about one of the laziest days we've had in the Personnel Office since hitting this Island. Lt Yantis, Beaumont, Kenagy and some other fellows from H&S Company went up the Island looking for clams. Two clerks went to pick up some men and two more went with Lt Carrozza to give him a hand with some beer he was getting in. Then I took off with the payroll; so there wasn't but five men in the office for the greater part of the day.

After the early morning work was over, I found time to start writing Dolores a letter but it was while I was half way thru the letter that Mersing came in for me to go to town. In fact that interruption was a blessing in disguise because I couldn't find enough things to say to Dolores. There are a lot of things to talk about but some of them I feel she wouldn't care about and others didn't seem important enough to write to her about. One thing which I would like to ask her about can not be mentioned until she tells me all about it.

The PX got in a shipment of vanilla wafers and I bought up five boxes of them. They should hold me for a while during those little hungry moments along about midnight. That Mrs Snyder candy can't come any too soon for me.

The picture for this evening is unknown right now and we haven't the slightest idea where it is or where and when we will receive it. I'm going to take it up if it ever gets here.

Today marked the completion of one month since we started counting the 1001 days we believe to be left to this war. 28 days are history and 975 days are marked as yet to be served. How we got 975 days on the list is beyond me because that does add up with the other figure. Anyhow July 5, 1946 is getting closer all the time. Just think, only 7 more weeks and the new year will be here. And two years will flit by like nothing. It will only be the last half year which will seem long and drawn out. Hey, who am I trying to kid?

Flash! The carbonated water is in! The two clerks who helped Carrozza were in town after the siesta and bought two cases at 55¢ per case (24 bottles). The PX has the syrup at $2 a gal and we've already had our home made cokes.

There was no mail for me today. A punishment, I presume, for getting four yesterday. Another flash just came in. It looks as if the picture is going to be "Tortilla Flat" for the 3rd time. It is still in town and the other outfit will have to pick it up.

Whew! Just the same week of payday and with the cokes, cookies, doughnuts, fruit juices I know I'm not going to last out the month.

So-long,
/s/ Roman
Roman