7 Nov
1030
Dear ones,
I have been extremely negligent in my correspondence—there is really no excuse.
Much has been happening. The LST complement has been reduced to five officers (we will have six) and about sixty men. Tomorrow Siders Replinger, and Robertson leave the ship for the officers’ pool on Guam—to be reassigned to another ship. McAfee and Stenger will be leaving about the 12th of the month. At this time I will be executive officer and navigator (probably still gunnery officer, as I asked to retain my division). We will have an imported commanding officer. This will leave the new commanding officer, myself, Shockey, Foveaux, Gordon, and Schmidt—a select group, if I may say so (except for the commanding officer). Stenger and McAfee are leaving under the point system—will travel to New York on a CVE, arriving there Dec 20th—fortunate!
Of the thirteen men in my division three have already gone, three will be leaving (under the point system) Thursday, another Dec 1st—making six gunners left on board. We have been playing inter-division basketball and with these few men we have a team that is much superior to the other divisions with overwhelming manpower—our record: 7 wins, no defeats—mainly by top-heavy scores. I have been playing, but am of no great value to the team. Today a box is leaving—it should be at 6109 before Christmas. There is nothing of any real intrinsic value in it, just a few items that I picked up here and there. These will have to suffice for Christmas. The point system will have me released probably Feb 1st (according to the latest scuttlebutt Jan 1st)—and I would much rather procure a few items on my homeward trek personally than send money to have everyone buy presents for everyone else.
Aug 16th I sent a letter to Bureau of Personnel requesting that I be released to enter medical school. any answer is lost or strayed in the Okinawa mail. (We have about three weeks mail missing, though our up-to-date mail is now arriving with fair regularity). It is too late now for even a slightly [carat: possible] affirmative answer to help me any.
Yesterday I applied to Bu Pers for 30 days rehabilitation leave in the states and then reassignment. It will take approximately six weeks to hear from this.
In today’s mail is my request for a place in the Sept 1946 class at N.U. medical school. The reply is to be written to Joan, so you will have all the information first hand.
As for the ship: it will be our here in indefinitely. We had a bad break: if any other officer had inspected us we would probably have gone back—whether we went or not depending upon the length of time the repairs would occupy. We are now alongside the repair ship. We should be here at Saipan approximately three more weeks. Life is fairly pleasant here, though the thermometer is high. My radio is an excellent companion, we can go ashore when we desire, etc.
I am happy to see that you are doing some “gallivanting around.”
The typhoons were an experience. We were probably fortunate in avoiding casualties to men and equipment. Our main concern was whether or not the ship would hold together. In such weather there would hardly be a chance of surviving in the water. that Okinawa storm center is definitely to be avoided. The typhoon season is over, so I doubt if we see again a similar storm—even if we return to Okinawa.
I am not losing my hair—possibly a few strands gone and a few more gray ones, but that’s all.
LST duty for me has been about the best sea duty there is—though the old 661 may look dingy, on the interior it’s clean, very well painted, excellent living conditions. My room has a very “chummy” atmosphere, is the most comfortable of any. If I can’t be with Joan, I desire no other environment during the waiting period. Life is easy, my life is my own, literature is plentiful, I am more than happy—though I am doing everything possible to get home.
Love Bob