Postmarked July 31, 1943

July 30, 1943

Dear Folks,

Well, here it is another week gone. Time sure goes like lightning. I guess its because we're so busy. We've been turning up die stocks for the last couple of nites, and I've been doing a lot of knurling. Tonite we have math and mech. drawing, so at least I will have a chance to sit down.

I saw the proofs of the pictures I had taken last week and I think I can say without to much conceit that they don't look bad. The pictures should be ready in about a week.

You may have seen George by now, he said he would drop over while he was home. I am going to try to meet him when he comes back, and, if he stays here long enough, we may be able to take a couple of liberties together.

It's almost time to fall out, so I will close with,

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked July 28, 1943

July 28, 1943

Dear Folks,

This letter will have to be short, as we are falling out soon. Last nite we cut a helical gear on the  milling machine. We had to set up the gears from the lead screw to the index head to get the lead and also set the table at the angle and set up the index head. There wasn't anything to the job once we had the set up, but that part took a little figuring and thinking

The nite before, we were working on shapers. The instructor asked for a few men who could grind tool bits. He gave me a couple to grind, and he must have like them because he made deal with me to grind tool bits the rest of the night for a mark of 100. So you see, I am doing all right.

Outside of that, there isn't much new. I am looking forward to getting that package and also the stamp.

Love to all,

Paul

Postmark missing, probably July 26, 1943

July 25, 1943

Dear Folks,

I am writing this letter while "standing" guard in the recreation building. The standing in quotes because I am sitting in a swivel chair at the officers deck listening to a phonograph. I just came back from taking a swim in the pool. Boy, if only all watches were like this?

I couldn't get to see George but I called him up and talked to him. By the time you get this letter he will probably be home. He made Machinists Mates school, in which he was pretty lucky as they are not taking very many. For his sake I hope he gets sent to some college where the fellow have one swell time, but for my sake I hope he stays here so we can be together.

I had some pictures taken in whites today and they will be ready in a couple of weeks. Nothing more to write, so I will close with,

Love to all,

Paul

P.S. Please excuse pencil, but I left my pen at the barracks.

Postmarked July 23, 1943 Same Time

July 23, 1943

Dear Folks,

Got your package and that cake was just the thing. I have a piece wrapped up under my shirt to eat tonite in the shop during our 9:00 smoking period and will probably finish it off tonite after we get back from the shop.

This week sure flew, tho. It seems as tho we just came off liberty, and here it is another week gone. I guess its because we are kept so busy that we hardly have time to do anything.

Yesterday we say "Night Plane from Chunking." It has plenty of action and shoot-ya-dead, and Ralph would probably enjoy it.

I sure get a kick out of the way they're mopping up on the wops in Sicily. Some fellows are talking about being home by Christmas, but I think they are being a little over-optimistic. I hope I get a chance to get to sea a little while at least before it is over. I wold hate to go thru all this rigamarole without even seeing a ship.

That is about all there is for now, and besides we are falling out in a few seconds.

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked July 23, 1943

July 22, 1943

Dear Folks,

Got Dad's letter and was glad to here that everything is O.K. home. I heard about Henry's accident and was pretty surprised. Maybe he can get a leave out of it. So Stanley was rejected. Well, tell him not to feel to badly about it. There are lots of ways he can be useful, such as knitting, rolling bandages, etc.

So George is getting out the 25th? Boy they are turning them out fast. I haven't seen him in the last couple of weeks and probably will not be able to as I do not rate liberty till next Saturday, but I will see him it O.G.U. when he gets back from his 9 days. I hope he makes the school, but they are not taking many hear, as there are more machinist's mates now than they know what to do with. That is why they aren't giving out any rates.

I hope you can get that rubber stamp, but if not, the metal stencil will be better than a cardboard one.

There isn't much more tow rite, so I will close with,

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked July 21, 1943

July 20, 1943

Dear Folks,

Sorry I didn't write sooner, but I have been pretty busy. I got a letter from Ralph today and was glad to hear that he had a good time in Lindenhurst. So he is become an expert lathe-hand eh?

I am now amusing myself by watching a little kitten playing with a bone. she came in this morning while I was on guard and we can't get rid of it. I guess we'll have a mascot for the rest of our time here.

Last nite we turned down hammer-heads on the lathe, and the nite before we made center punches.

There isn't much to tell, everything is pretty much the same old routine.

How about sending some stuff like Ritz crackers, jam, peanut butter, etc. When we get back from the shop, a little midnite snack just hits the spot.

That's about all, so I will close with,

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked July 14, 1943

Dear Folks,

Well, last night we went to the advanced shop. We used mikes [micrometers] last night and did some precision turning, knurling and threading. We worked two on a lathe, so that makes the time pass faster. We must have been doing O.K., for after we working a while, the chief came over and said, "I can see that you fellows have done this before." So I am being noticed, anyway.

This morning we saw "Stage Door Canteen." It's a pretty good picture and you ought to see it when it gets around. They have movies at 1000 on Tuesdays and Thursday for nite school students.

If you can get one, I would like a rubber stamp of my name in capital letters 3/4" highm like this:

KLEINMAN P.H.

I could use it to stamp my name on my clothes as it would be much neater and more convenient than a stencil. I would also need, of course, an indelible ink pad for it. I don't know if you can get such things made now, but if you can, it would be pretty handy.

That's about all, so I will close with,

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked July 13,1943, from Samuel J. Kravis

July 12th

Dear Friends,

I received your letter a while ago, but, as you can see, I was lax in answering it.

I'd like to mention that I too have been recommended for machinest school, but I'm not so sure that I'll be selected, for there are a lot of machinests in the Navy by now. I want nothing more than to go to this school.

Paul called up last week and left me his phone number. I'll call him as soon as opportunity permits. There are a few topics I would like to discuss with him.

You might call it luck or just good fortune, for my graduation has been cut from August 10th to July 26 - a real break. I just can't wait to get home. I really like it here though, and am going to miss all the honest and good friends I've met.

I've become regimental bugler now  and am the fellow they all would like to murder. Yes, I wake 'em up and put the little boys to sleep. As for me, well, I never get more than six hours sleep a night. It's a beautiful sight, though, when morning colors are blown and the whole regiment is at hand to salute the flag.

Tell Ralphie that when I come home I'll drop over at the first opportunity and see you all.

Companies 642-645 have gone home today, and company 680 is graduating Saturday, so you see there isn't much more time left, for I'm in co. 725. I know the days will go fast and if I get the flyer, I'll be home in 16 hours.

In the meantime don't worry too much, for Paul likes it here, and also tell Ralphie not to read too many comic books. They do his imagination no good.

Yours very truly,

-George-

Postmarked July 12,1943

July 11, 1943

Dear Folks,

Well, here it is Sunday again, a cloudy day and it looks like rain. I have a watch this morning from 0800 to 1200 so I will not be able to make my call until this afternoon.

It's pretty hard to think of anything to write about as things are pretty much the same all the time. I cut splines on the shaper Friday night, using a splining bar, a tool something like a boring bar. As I said in my last letter, we start in the advance shop Monday, and guess the work there will be a little more interesting.

I can't think of anything ore to say, so I will close with

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked July 10,1943

July 9, 1943

Dear Folks

Here it is Friday, and another week gone. The time is starting to go fast now. I guess the 16 weeks will be over before I know it. We got a lucky break as the other day the came out that uniform for service school students would be dungarees all day. Up to now we had to wear whites in the morning now the only time we have to wear them is on Sunday. This will save quite a bit of scrubbing.

I don't rate liberty this weekend, so I will catch up with my washing etc.

We cut tapered threads the other night and cut some more gears last night. The stuff we make in the first two weeks is not used for anything, but from now on we will make things like milling cutters, reamers etc. We also make tools for Navy Torpedo Stations. It's a pretty thorough course. Of course it won't make a first class machinist in 16 weeks, but it gives a pretty good general knowlege of marine engines and machine shop work.

Thats about all there is to tell except that I am fie and hope everyone at home is the same.

Love to all,

Paul

Postmarked July 7, 1943

July 5, 1943

Dear Folks,

 I got your package today and was glad to receive it, but the soap powder can must have opened because it was spilled all over everything. It didn't spoil anything, just made it a litte messy to handle.

So the Franks have a son? Well, be sure and extend my heartiest congratulations.

I spent my liberty in Milwaukee this week end and had a pretty good time. We went to an amusement park Saturday nite and to a fourth of July party and dance Sunday. We got paid today and I am sending home a $20 money order, since I have enough to take care of my needs so there is no need of carrying to much money around.

We cut a taper pipe thread on the lathe last nite and that was pretty interesting. We had to figure the amount of set-over on the tailstock to get the correct taper.

that's all that I can think of to write, so I will close with,

Love to All,

Paul

Postmarked July 1, 1943

June 30, 1943

Dear Folks,

Well, I've been in school two days now and I like it pretty well. We are doing lathe work now, simple turning jobs that I can do with my eyes closed. It will be pretty monotonous for me for the first few weeks, but I guess it will be more interesting when we get to more advanced work.

As I told you before, we have an hour's physical training each day. Monday, we have swimming, Tuesday tumbling, Wednesday tumbling and calisthenics, Thursday boxing and obstacle course and Friday a hike, in which we walk a block and run a block and stop for a few sessions of calisthenics in between.

The last two days have actually been cold and I mean cold. We have to use blankets at nite and if it keeps up much longer we will have to go back to wearing blues, which I wouldn't mind either.

That is all, so I will close with

Love to all,

Paul