Dear Mom and Pop:

Well I’ve finally arrived safely in Hawaii. It was a pretty nice trip coming over in a plane. I think I told you before that so your fellows left a day before I did because there wasn’t enough transportation for all of us. We came the next day to Hawaii and met them. They left yesterday for Bikini and 4 of us are still here. For all I know they may change our orders and we might not get in on the A-bomb test after all. After I got here, guess where they put us four to work? Mess cooking! It seems like every place I go I get a dirty deal like working in the galley. Boy I’ll be glad when I rip off the old Seaman strip on my shoulder and put a “crow” and a strip there instead. Well its practically summer and its really hot here. We run around in our white pants and skivy shirts to keep cool. It would be a lot warmer if it didn’t rain every fifteen minutes. It just about stops raining before it starts again. Its pretty nice here, but I still hope I don’t stay long. The quicker I get out to sea the better I’ll like it, and also the sooner I’ll get home. Well I close now, don’t worry and take care of yourselves.

All my love,

Alfred