Sgt Roman F. Klick 36620923
HS 1393 Engr APO 709
c/p SF Cal
28 November 1944

I guess it will have to be the big type again this evening and every evening from now on until the machines with the small type are fixed. There isn't much percentage in using a typewriter which slows you down at the end of every line. But whether I extend the letter to three pages of V-mail every nite instead of the two will all depend on how much I have to say and I'll say whether or not I'm continuing on to a third sheet of paper at the end of the second sheet.

There was absolutely no mail for me today. I don't like that at all. However, to recompense us for the lack of mail, the parade and inspection for tomorrow has been called off. Whew, that is a relief. I wasn't going to go to the show this evening in order to prepare for the inspection tomorrow but just the idea that we don't have to go thru with it so relieved my mind that I went to see the show even though I saw it before. The name of the picture was "Fired Wife" with Louise Albritton and Robert Paige. It is a hilarious comedy and is chuck full with laughs. I laughed just as much during this 2nd seeing of the picture as I did during the initial showing.

By my light and carefree tone, you can easily see that I did not have a hand in running the show this evening. My "direct orders" from the Special Service Officer for today was to have Ebner run the film and I would have to run it tomorrow evening. He also said that he is looking for a man to run the machine full time and will use Nelson Peck, the Special Service Assistant, as the alternate operator. At that time, Eb and I will be relieved of this additional duty. Since he is acting to get other operators, I will stick to it for a week or so to see what happens or whether it is just a stall.

The afternoon was spent in special bunk fatigue (which in other words is sleep). Just how much sleep I got or how sound it was, I do not know because I have no idea when I got to sleep or when I woke up and about a half a dozen times during the course of the afternoon, I woke up on account of because fellows were walking around the cot and making the floor shake. Anyhow, some sleep is better than no sleep and I am glad that I managed to get whatever I did get.

Poor Jack Molyneaux had to work this afternoon on the mess hall. Lewis turned his name in along with several others from headquarters and that was that. You see, Jack wasn't out with us the day Grauel was down in the basketball court working with one detail and Lewis and I were up at the headquarters Latrine on another detail.

Just about everybody got haircuts today in anticipation of an inspection by the colonel and now there was no need to get them. I had to bum the money too - something I didn't care to do so close to payday. Instead of borrowing from one person to get along this month, I've spread out the debts and owe everyone either a dollar or fifty cents. Never again. I'm going to save up a "kitty" of about ten bucks and keep in reserve for any future time that I may go without pay for such a long period.

Today I sent out another eight Christmas cards and one of the recent home editions of the Bulldozer. I thought I may as well send those that I have laying around in my desk home. Also, I wrote out a Christmas card to Robbin in New Cal. It is very much ahead of time but it was easier than writing a letter and after he send me five CCCR's and two letters without an answer from me, I felt I just had to get word to him that I was still living. If nothing else, I'm going to try to get off short notes to people from now on to let them know that I received their letters. I hope.

Say, I didn't tell you about the new shower room, did I? It is a peachy affair with a cement floor, ample wardroom space and good showers. It looks as good as anything you can get back in the States and is even better than the one we had in New Caledonia except that we do not have hot water or wash basins.

Say, again, that was great news that the B-29's bombed Tokyo again inside four days. Wouldn't that be swell if every four days from now on they could paste Japan like that? The people over there will begin to wonder things if they keep seeing Allied planes coming over their nation continually. And it will also cut down on the war supplies going out to the troops.

Surprising events in the news today and yesterday have been (1) Cordell Hull resigning as Secretary of State with Stettinus replacing him. (2) The death of the czar of baseball, Kensaw Mountain Landis. (3) Wacs landing in the Philippine Islands.

As Secretary of State, I would have much rather have seen the former Undersecretary who resigned because of difficulties with Hull and that was Sumner Welles. In England they would call a man back just like they called Anthony Eden back but in America they have the crazy notion that once a man is out, he should stay out.

By the way, there will only be two sheets of V-mail this evening because the material for writing the letter is running out. The brain isn't creating enough words for me to set down. It must be a disease for Jack M is sitting here along side of me writing or trying to write also. Only he is a little worse off on account of because he hand writes his letters and only gets 14 lines of writing on them.

Next week we go back to an eight hour day with Reveille at a decent hour of five-thirty instead of five o'clock. We have our lunch at noon and go back to work until four. That means that Jack, Lew, Bill and I will get back in stride with our nightly ping-pong games in between the end of work and chow call which will go back to five o'clock instead of five-thirty.

We will have Wednesday afternoons off for recreation but Saturdays we will have our parades, orientation etcetera. Some of these things are peculiar to this one theater - the South Pacific - but this orientation business is Army wide and fellows in Europe, the States, here and everywhere have to listen to what is going on in the world at war. It is a good thing for those who do not get to listen to the radio, read the news or magazines. If the officer in charge presents some good topics, it can be very interesting. Capt Knowlton, former officer here, had personal experience in just about every part of the world and could speak with great authority on the different countries.

So-long,   /s/ Roman   Roman