June 25, 1944
Darling,
I missed up on your letter last nite and duly apologize. Reason? Too damn tired! Owed Mom a letter and hadn’t written to her for 2 days so wrote that one and went to an uneasy bed. How I hate this country and particularly this one spot in it!
Well they took Al Whitehouse off to the hospital today. They think he has appendicitis. He was very reluctant to go but hasn’t been feeling too well lately and as that was the medic’s verdict he had no choice. As you probably know Joe Flahertz has been in the hospital for some time, recuperating form a Hernia operation. That leaves your old man quite on his own. Of the so called 3 Musketeers, Al, Joe, and yours truly, the score now stands 2 down and 1 to go! I wonder????
We are still playing tag with him old man Monsoon. Several times daily we stage a neck and neck race with [him] to see whether we reach shelter before he catches us and does his best to drown us. Then again where we are particularly weary and disgusted we just stay outside. I let him do his best. Underfoot, Mother Earth does her best to absorb all the rain but her efforts fall far short of their work. If a man at the end of a day isn’t covered with mud you can bet your bottom dollar he has been gold-bricking in bed.
The chicken-roast didn’t come off as scheduled the other nite so we are having it tonite. Hope it turns out well as the G. I. food was particularly bad tonite. Our cooks are pretty good it is just that the food itself is poor and in insufficient quantity.
Have some more bad news for you Darling and no matter how bad you feel about it you can’t even approach feeling as tough as I do. Some duty -----, stole my sun-glasses out of my foot-locker! They not only had great sentimental and monetary value but I really need them for this intense sun. It is absolutely impossible to procure another pair anywhere near suitable here. Also I had grown more attached to them you can imagine as they always reminded me of that last wonderful Xmas we spent together. As I have said before and will say again, I am undoubtedly amongst the worst, most jealous and miserable gang of cutthroat swine I have ever encountered!!!! Working in a shipyard I have worked with all races and creeds but none like these! Well anyway Darling I’m terribly sorry to have lost anything you had given me. That is what hurts the most, believe me.
While we are on the subject of swine one other item of interest. We have a system of rationing here on P.X. supplies of cigarettes, beer, fruit juices, candy, gum and soap. It is very meager. We have card which Rossiter the P.X. man punches every time we purchase an article. Well to make a long story short I lost my card the first of the month and have been without any supplies since them. Lost out on all of y ration with the exception of some cigarettes I purchased before. Now I say lost in the sense that I no longer have a card and it was through my own carelessness that it is gone. I left it on the counter and Rossiter kept it although only the man to whom the card is issued is supposed to draw supplies on it. I have suspected that all along as I didn’t know how it could of fallen out of my wallet and the other day I found it to be a fact. However cannot prove it as yet. Nevertheless Hon as you well know I’m after and will trip up that skunk if it takes the duration as after. That I promise as I never forget.
Well enough unpleasantness so let us turn to say something cheerful if possible.
Took time out for the roast chicken. It was very good although there wasn’t much meat on the bones. Finished off with some fruit cocktail and juice.
Time to go to bed now Darling.
With all my love,