Postmarked May 26, 1943

May 25, 1943

Dear Folks,

I didn't get my any letters today, so I guess there will be two tomorrow. I'm glad you liked the pictures, and, as I told you on the phone, I will have some more soon

Last night I saw "A Stranger in Town" with Frank Morgan and it was pretty good. After a couple of warm days it got cold again today. You've probably read about the floods out in the Midwest, which is no wonder considering all the rain we've had. Since I got back from the hospital there has been only one day that it didn't rain.

How are things at home? Has Vickie finally learned to behave herself? Is she any bigger? How are Dotty and Ralph coming along in school?

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked May 24, 1943

May 23, 1943

1430

Dear Folks,

Right after I got back from making my call this morning, the Co. clerk read off the list of who made school. I made machinist's mate, as I was pretty sure I did all along. I have been promoted to Fireman 3c, effective as soon as I graduate, but that was more or less automatic as everyone becomes either a Seaman 2c or a Fireman 3c after graduating, depending on whether they go into the deck or engine room branch. My pay will then be $54 or a 4 dollar raise.

We had a mock air raid here today. A squadron of training places from Glenview Aviation Base "dive-bombed" us all afternoon and was some sight to see the swooping in and pulling out inches above the roof tops.

I'm glad the Dad and Ralph had such a good day's fishing and I sure hope the  keep running for the next few weeks. 48 flounders! Boy, that's really pulling them in.

That just about covers everything so I will close with,

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked May 21, 1943

May 20, 1943

Dear Folks,

Today I had about the greatest thrill of my life. I went aboard a submarine! She was a brand new sub, just commissioned a month ago. She was built on the Great Lakes, and will be sent down the Mississippi. They are building a lot of subs that way. I don't think I've every saw so much machinery in one place. I went thru the whole boat, but naturally, I didn't have a chance to examine it very closely. The 16 cylinder Deisel engines alone are a sight to see. All that presicious machinery is something to see. I guess I was pretty impressed since I can appreciate all the precision work that went into it.

We also had a gas lecture and learned how to put on and adjust a gas mask. Next week will actually go thru the gas chamber. We will probably never be exposed to a gas attack, but its best to be prepared anyway.

That's all there is, there is no more, so I will close with,

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked May 20, 1943

May 18, 1943

Dear Folks,

I didn't hear from you today, but there will probably be two or three tomorrow. I got a letter from Henry yesterday and he says he may get a furlough some time in June. It would be swell if I could see him while I am home, but that is mostly wishful thinking.

We have been pretty busy this week. Yesterday we spent the whole afternoon on marlinespike seamanship, and we had a test on gunnery this morning. We are also study the semaphore system of signaling, and we have to know thwe whole alphabet by Saturday. I'm studying that Bluejacket Manual harder than I ever studied any book in school.

As for the weather, the less said, the better. It has rained every day since I got back from the hospital. It is so muddy you need a life preserver every time you step outside.

There isn't any more to tell, so I will close with

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked May 17, 1943

May 15, 1943

dear Folks,

I got your letter and am glad you liked the Mother's day card. It sure was tough that I didn't get measles a week earlier so that I could have missed K.P., but I guess I'm not that lucky.

I got several letters today about a week late because they were sent to the hospital ad got there after I got out, so they took that long to catch up with me. They same thing happened with a package from Aunt Reba, so the cookies were kind of hard.

We are making plans for a party the night before we leave. Each one is kicking in a buck to pay for it and to buy a present for the chief. One of the fellow's mother is baking us a cake. It will have to be pretty big to feed 115 buys.

I guess that i about all, so I will close with

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked May 15, 1943

May 14, 1943

Dear Folks,

This morning was a pretty special ocassion for us. We first got word of it last night, when we got orders to have lean hats and legging and uniforms pressed for the next day. Immediately, the scuttlebutt bean to fly, the President himself was coming, according to the rumors. As a matter of fact they weren't far from wrong. The Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Admiral Downes, and Capt. Emmet were there to review us. You will probably see pictures of it in the papers. I am in the center ranks slightly to the right of the reviewing stand, but I doubt if that would be much help, because there were over 40,000 men lined up.

So the garden is producing already! Well, I must say that is pretty. If the farmer stay ambitious all summer, there ought to be a pretty good crop.

They days are really flying by now. Only a few more weeks and we'll be marching to the train. We made out slips yesterday for our dress jumpers, and we will be getting them in a few days.

That is about all, so

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked May 14, 1943

May 13, 1943

1930

Dear Folks,

Well, I got my long awaited interview yesterday. He asked me quite a few questions about my skill and seemed particularly interested in the machine I could operate and well I could read blueprints. He put me down for machinist's mate, and, although it is not a sure thing, he said chances are about 99 out of 100. of making school, so it is practically certain. I'm sure Dad will be glad to here this. We will now for certain in about 2 weeks, but I don't have much to worry about.

We had wrestling today against Co. 367. I was kind of out of condition after a week in the hospital, and so the best I could do was a draw. We wrestled around for about 5 minutes and neither of us could score a fall, so the ref called it a draw.

I have ordered another half dozen post card size picture and they will be ready in about a week. That is about all there is to tell, so i will close with

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked May 13, 1943

May 12, 1943
1130

Dear Folks,

Got two letters from you this morning, and in answer to your question about the R.L.H.S.M. [hand-printed on the May 7 envelope] stand for "Rush Like H___ Sailor's Mail."

Well, I am getting my service school interview at 1300 today and it will probably decide my fate, so to speak. However, with my grades o the tests and previous experience I shouldn't have much trouble.

I drew some clothes today from small stores. I got two suits of underwear, a whisk broom, another white hat, and a news pair of blue pants. With the dress jumper we will get in another week or so, I will have a breand new uniform to come home in. When I do get home I would like to do some fishing out on the bay. That may seem like a sort of bus man's holiday, but I really miss those days when our biggest worry was hoping the outboard would get us home. I hope those flounders and fluke are running good out in the inlet.

Well, tomorrow is pay day again. From now on I am going to save as much money as I can. Although we get $50 to go home on, the train ticket cost's $23.55, and meals on the train will come to another few dollars, so it will take a pretty big chunk out of the fifty.

That is all there is for now so I will close with

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked May 12, 1943

May 11, 1943

Dear Folks,

Believe it or not, I just got back from a week in the hospital with the German measles. I didn't say anything about it while I was there becaseu I didn't want to worry you, but now that I am back I guess it is I.K. to tell you.

It was a pretty pleasant week, bbeing able to sleep as late as I wanted and not having to do any work, but I am glad to be back with the rest of the boys. It gets on your nerves just laying around in bed doing nothing.

I missed quite a lot while I was there as this was an important week I picked to get sick. I missed, among other things, the rifle range, the anti-tetanus shot, and the school interviews, and I will have to make all these things up. I was lucky to not to lose my company, as that would mean being put back into a newer company. Not only would I be separated from all my pals, but I would graduate a week later also, but things worked out O.K. and I am back in my own company.

Before I close, I want to make it clear that I am perfectly well now, as they wouldn't let me out of the hospital if I wasn't.

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked May 8, 1943

May 8, 1943

Dear Folks,

I got your letters and am glad you liked the picture. If Ralph thinks my G.I. haircut was bad he should see some of these guys. They've really been scalped.

So the local paper finally got to writing about me. At that, it's quicker than I had expected. I thought I would read it myself when I got home.

So Ralph is doing good in school, eh. What's the little brat trying to do became a lousy genius. I thought he was over that. Well I was smart in my first year. By the time he is a senior he will be down to normal, respectable 60's and 70's.

I'm glad that Vickie is being well taken care of and that she is behaving herself. I wonder if she will remember me when I get back.

In your letters, you spoke of having cold weather, well, the radio just announced that Illinois would have a frost tonite, so you are not the only ones who have cold weater.

There isn't any more to write so I will close with

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked May 7, 1943

May 6, 1943

Dear Folks,

Today is the end of our sixth week of training here, which means our boot training is more than half over, the tougher half, they say.

Now that I am a salty veteran I can take stock of myself. I guess I've changed more in the last six weeks than is the six years previous. Remember how I used to take my time getting dressed? Well, we have exactly 15 minutes to get dressed, washed, shaved and have our bunks made up. The barracks must are inspected every day, and our towels, mattress covers, and pillow cases have to be lily white. Remember how I used to shine my shoes twice a year? Well I polish them every day now and no two ways about it.

It sure is a lot different from the easy going life I used to have. But I don't mind it and I guess these habit I am learning will stick with me for life.

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked May 5, 1943

May 4, 1943

Dear Folks,

This letter will have to be short as I haven't much time. Besides which there isn't much to write about. I'm glad that the ingot job is finally done, but I suppose that there will be other headache job coming along. I was also glad to hear and Vickie and Dottie. It's funny the way Vickie sticks up for her after the way she used to beat up the mutt every day. [editor's note: I did not!]

Today, just when we thought spring was finally here, it was cold again. I'm sure glad I wasn't here in the middle of the winter. With With the temperature of 25 or 30 below as it gets here with a stiff wind blowing in from the lake, it is more than a little nippy.

as far as school goes, I don't know anything yet but I was talking to a couple of fellows who made the motor machinist school with lower grades than I got, so that is encouraging. However, we will know more aout that after the interview.

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked May 3, 1943

May 2, 1943
1200

Dear Folks,

I got letters from you, Dad, and Ralph this morning, so I certainly can't complain about the mail. I'm sorry I didn't write during K.P. week, but, as you know I just didn't have the time, but you'll be hearing from me regularly now.

By now you probably have received the picture of me. How do you like it? Maybe I'm just concieted, but I think I look pretty sharp.

Well, here it is Sunday again. I went to synagogue this morning and after that I did some washing. That is one thing that you are never done with in the Navy. Whever you have a little spare time there are always a few things you can scrub out. It's hard to get things really white because we dry
them in a steam room and too get things really nice and fresh and white they have to be hung out in the sun. We couldn't do it any other way tho, because the gear we wash at night has to be dry by the next morning.

I'm glad Ralph enjoyed the program "Can You Top This?" I'm sure it must have been pretty good funny to see those screwballs in action.

I have to close now, Chow call!

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked May 2, 1943

May 1, 1943
1650

Dear Folks,

Well, we got our marks on our tests today and I think I can say without being over-optimistic that things look pretty good. I scored 92 on the intelligence test 90 in math and 99 on the mechanical aptitude. The average mark on the mechanical aptitude test was about 50, so you can see I did pretty well. We also had a lecture on the different schools and what they offer. Next week we have our interviews and I am going to make my first choice Motor Machinist's Mate and my second choice Machinist's Mate. The difference between the two is that a Motor Machinist's Mate works mostly on Deisel and Gasoline engines, while a machinist's mate handles stearing turbines. I don't know much about Diesels but I now gas engines pretty well, so that should prove a help.

The course lasts for 16 week after which you become a Mo.M.M.2c or a M.M. 2c, which pays $84 per month. You understand of course that this is still mostly speculation, as you can never tell what the Navy will do. But, as I said before, things look pretty good.

I've taken up more space for this than I had wanted too, but once I got started I just kept writing. Outside of that there isn't much to write so I will close with

Love to all,
Paul

Postmarked May 1, 1943

April 30, 1943

Dear Folks,

Today, for the first time since I enlisted, I saw water. We had boat drill all morning on Lake Michigan, and I really enjoyed it. I got a laugh watching these Ohio farmers pulling an oar for the first time. The bos'n in charge must have seen that I knew something about boats because he made me a bowman, so I didn't have to row, just stand in the bow and take care of the lines, etc. They had the dock rigged up like the deck of a ship. The boats hang from davits ad we practiced hoisting them up and down before we went out. The boats are 24 foot round bottom, square sterned cutters, and have ten rowers, five on each side. They are certainly built sturdily and with a cabin and motor it would make a good fishing boat. Maybe I'll buy one after the war.

We had our haircuts this afternoon. Not only do they clip it short to start with but they don't give it a chance to grow.

Next week we get our service school interviews. I hope I can make machinist's mate but the competition is very keen as that is a very popular school. However, my experience should prove a big help.

That is about all, except that I am feeling fine and hope everyone at home is the same.

Love to all,

Paul