Dec. 31, 1951
Monday Evening
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| Photo courtesy of the National Archives |
Hi Norma,
How's the cutest girl I know?
I'm fine, except this pen is driving me nuts. It writes for awhile and then stops for a rest, I reckon. I called it all the bad names I know and some I didn't know and it still won't write.
When your last letter came I was on topside and after I read it, I started to put it in my pocket but a jet plane pilot started racing his motor and the blast blew it out of my hand over the side and I can't answer all of it.
It was cold last week over here, but the wind is what hurts. When it is 20° above zero over here, the wind makes it as bad as 20° below back home.
Look, kid, I got a different pen, same difference, "eh?" I think I sent you a picture. It should get there around Christmas and don't get the idea that I don't love you, because you know I do.
I'll be glad when we go into port again. I'm getting tired of water. We've been out almost a month now.
Today is New Year's Eve, if I was home, I would probably throw a big "bender," even if we were in Japan I would, but out here, there isn't anything to drink.
I got a letter from my brother today. He said he was sending me a bottle of wine for Christmas, but it didn't get here yet. It might be a good thing for me if it didn't come because when it does I'll probably be too drunk to work for a day at least HA!
"Yeah," I remember Ken C_____ but I would like to forget him. I never did like him very much. If he isn't playing for Gilead anymore, I would call it good riddance. He's another "pog" that should be in the service. How those "damn" guys stay out is beyond me. Excuse the language, but I'm a little disgusted that some of us have to fight a war and some others stay home and make out with all the women and good jobs.
Do you remember Dick Contino, he used to play an accordion on the Horace Heidt Show? Well, he dodged the draft and was sentenced to 6 months in jail. He served 4 1/2 months and now he is out and, so far as I know, he won't be called up again. I wouldn't mind spending 4 1/2 months in the "jug" rather than stay just 6 months over here. It isn't just the cold and the long hours that bother us. There are other things, such as crack-ups and lots of time they start fires and there are always live bombs and ammo lying around. If some of the fire ever got to those bombs, we're through. And it almost did last week. We had to throw about 4 tons of bombs over side to them away from the fire.
"Boy," I was already seeing visions of abandoning ship. HA Only I would have been around to abandon ship. I would have been playing a harp.
Well, kid, I've got to sign off now. I want to write my buddy on the East Coast.
Answer soon.
Your pal,
Jim
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