Minila

Sept. 7, 1945

Cora Dear,

Yours of August 20 came today. The first in a long time and it was in answer to mine written at Milne Bay, N.G. where our Monkey died. That was over six weeks ago. I still don’t know if you got my bag or how you came out with the bank. I wonder if you get all my letters, I surely must have missed several of yours.

We have another monkey. A female. Pretty young and not nearly as smart or cute as Gismo, yet anyway. Our last cat died at child birth. So the new monk (Jeanie) is our only pet.

We are still swinging on the hook five or six miles out in the bay and nobody seemed to pay any attention to us. There must be at least 100 other Libertys here in the same spot. Some day I suppose they will send us on some place or do something, but in the mean time moral is getting very low. We are out of almost everything. No toilet soap, no liners, almost no food, ran out of Potatoes two months ago and out of dehydrated ones a month ago. The meat we have is ox tongues and tails, canned beef, and pickled pork shoulders. Still have carrots, peas, and rice. That’s about all and the W.S.A. say they can’t give us anything till they get orders for us.

I got a letter from the union the other day saying the W.S.A. had okayed my overtime on the Wardevell and could pick up the money in Frisco. I understand the Wardevell is here. Maybe I’ll get to see Bill from Honolulu.

I got my three days off last week and Paul, the Chinese Lieutenant really showed me around. I have really seen all sides of life in the Philippines. We spent one day and night with his people about 45 miles out in the Provinces. You will be interested in much that I have seen and learned. Believe me their people have been through things.

Most of his people make Panama hats; brought back 17 of them, cost me $4.00 a piece. I intended to bring them back home with me, but the Captain wanted two and offered $12.00 a piece for them so I said okay. Then the rest wanted some in a few minutes. I only had five left so I called a halt as I am going to keep them and I made a $76.00 profit.

The stores here have almost no stock, but every once in a while you will see the most surprising things at the most surprising prices, I’ll give you a few examples of articles I’ve seen. A jar of Vaseline P16.00. Ponds cold cream P20.00. Kleenex P15.00. Stateside Whiskey P80.00, a regular $1.95, white shirt P50.00.

We got some clippings today telling about the war end riots in Frisco. One of them told about a girl stripping her clothes off on Market Street and being roped twelve times. “Muscles MacMurry,” our 19 year old wireless operator asked “did they catch the man?”. The chief engineer said, “If it was the same man I guess he did not run very far”.

From what I have seen and heard I don’t think much of the way we are treating the Japs. I believed Franklin Roosevelt and Churchill were made of wiser & sterner stuff.

We still don’t know the extent of the fire damage to the ship. After she was reloaded one heavy iron crossbeam cracked and they had to weld it. The hold being full, they could not tell if there were any more. Won’t know till we discharge this cargo.

Think I had better stop for now. Or there won’t be anything left for the next time.

Love

Ray.