Postmarked February 12, 1946

Shanghai, China
Feb. 12, 1945 [1946]

Dear Folks,

I had some luck, in a business venture, and am enclosing a money order for $100. The business being fillings straights and drawing to four card flushes. You guess it, poker. So, I decided to get it off before I lost it the same way as I won it.

I got a letter from Miriam and she told me all about the coming blessed event. I can imagine the stir it is creating in their household.

Shanghai is pretty much the same. American whisky is now available at the Navy Enlisted Men's Club, priced at 25 cents a shot, which is cheap enough. They charge about 3 times that much in the local clip joints. Chinese money has skyrocketed again the rate going from 1400 to 1 dollar to 1900 in about a week. It will probably come down again in a few days. When the rate goes up like that, prices go up with it, but when the rate goes down, prices remain the same. Since the rate is always seesawing up and down, prices climb steadily. I sure will be glad to go back to doing business in dollars and cents instead of having to delve into the intracacies of foreign exchange, inflation, and mathematics every time I buy a drink.

I haven't heard any work yet when I can expect to be transferred for discharge but I will probably know the story within a few days. My fingers are getting dislocated from keeping the crossed so long.

With all my love,

Paul