MS 964 - Lena B. Rees & James L. Carter Family Papers (September 1943)
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| Title | MS 964 - Lena B. Rees & James L. Carter Family Papers (September 1943) |
|---|---|
September 3, 1943Sept 3, 1943 Dear Mom, This is really not the first time I've written, but I tore my first letters up because I mentioned to much about the weather, where we were & it wouldn't have passed the censure. Having not received any letters I couldn't think of anything else to write about. Didn't have a chance to send my address before because we shoved off immediately after finding out where we were going. My address is Robert Allan Carter S 2/c This will proabably soon be changed to Los Angeles but until notified send it as is. Being aboard you can see how we got to San Francisco from New London. Three days at Panama was the only place we could mail letters enroute. Saw lots of palm trees & jungle & the canal locks. Have a ten day leave starting this morning but it would only mean a day at home & I don't like to take the chance. It was a long trip from Panama to here because I was anxious to get home so don't think I didn't want to come. Don't pay any attention to the return address of this envelope. The ship is being refitted & didn't want to stay around the mess of the ship so rented a room at the Y for one week. Have no plans so will probably sleep go to the movies & see the points of the city. Thought I might look up Mr. & Mrs. John Cole if they live near hear, forgot which city they live in. Send only letters (except for newspaper clippings of interest) via air mail so will get them in a couple of days. Will be here a long time; not at the Y; have to go back to the ship & sleep in a barge along side it at end of leave. To bad I couldn't get home, I might have managed to get a 15 lb ham from the ship & bring it home. We unloaded all its meat the other day. 10:30 PM & am sleepy so will close for now. Bob P.S. Wired for $25.00 for emergency because only got paid $17.00. Will probably mail it back around the 20th because will get the extra sub pay then.
Sept. 18, 1943 Dear Mom, Not much to write about. Got back ok, wondered around town + went back to the shop at 3:00 PM Sunday afternoon. They have some new barracks for us to sleep in but we still eat on the ferry which I mentioned we had slept on. Only for odd jogs to do + stand deck watches so am reading + fooling the time away. Found the book "Combined Operations" aboard so am reading it now. Have a lot of new books to read now + there is a larger variety. My new address is Hope to have more to write about next time. Have a watch tonight so will close to get some sleep.
September 21, 1943 RODMAN NAVAL CENTER Sept 21, 1943 Dear Mom, Received my pen just in time because I am sent here for four days of school. Also prefer to write with pen. The Rodman Naval center is a large building which includes a theatre, canteen swimming pool. Its quite a large place. Had a swell bus ride from the ship to here + saw what the country looks like a little more. Got paid $60.00 Saturday so will try + send some home. Not doing anything so don't have anything to write about so will close P.S. Won't receive your mail till I get back to the ship. Also don't bother to send the paper anymore.
Sept 25, 1943 Dear Mom, I believe it was last Saturday when I received my pen. Have been away from the boat to go to school but am back for two days then have 10 more days of school. Probably won't receive any mail while at the school, but will write. We only go to school several hours a day so spend my time reading, bowing + swimming. Have received the mail from New York. Haven't paid attention to which or how many have been sent to Frises. Received a letter from the Flacks. Sally is going home like Annabell said. At school we had all morning to sleep but the next time we may have school in the morning + the afternoon off. Tried to call Ruth Gear but couldn't locate her telephone number. Of course I looked for here married name, I've forgotten it now. I think I'll have Sat. + Sun. off next week at school so I may be able to look up the Bates boy. Is it Don that is in Oakland? I'll be very close to Oakland also. Won't be able to check how the mail runs until I get back from school because most of it has come when I wasn't around + it has been aboard several days before I saw it. Received all those letters of Dorothaes so I suppose I've received all mail up to date. About all for now.
Sept 29, 1943 Dear Mom, Not much to write about. Came to town to get clear of the naval base. Was supposed to have school this morning but only half of the class showed up so we didn't. Read "As you were" all morning. They started taking names of guys in their bunk so I just cleared out. The town is just about as bad with shore patrol so I'll just lay around here + read. This is the tow I mentioned in Dorothaes letter that has grown so much. The bunk I'm sleeping for the next ten days is twice as wide as regular ones so that its like sleeping in a bed again. Ive finely worn out those sport shows AnnaBell gave me so thought you might send me those slippers she gave me for Christmas last year. I have some black liquid shoe polish + am going to dye them black. Tell Rev. Wood I'm sorry I didn't get to see him, but that I stoped at his house several times. This stationary reminds me I haven't written you on the ships stationary yet. They give it to us free + its pretty fancy. Of all the luck. Several weeks ago went to town to see a show. While there I lent my pencil to one of my shipmates to send a telegram + he left it lay. There may be a chance that W.V. has it yet, I'll see when I get back to Frisco. Im happy to have my pen though, I hardly ever used my pencil. About all for now |