Postmarked February 3, 1946

Shanghai, China
Feb 1, 1945 [1946]

Dear Folks,

Got your letter of Feb. 1. and am glad you liked the pictures. I don't have any to send this time and the weather has not been suitable to take any. However, the first sunny day, I will take some more.

Had shore patrol last night and it was very quiet. We broke up a couple of fights and took care of a few boys who had imbibed too freely and say that they got safely back to their ships. But on the whole, it was a big change from those wild nights in October when the fleet first came in. There aren't as many ships in and the cold weather is keeping many fellows aboard. Like all sailors, I always regarded the shore patrol as a killjoy, but, now that I have been pulling it myself, I see where it does a lot of good in preventing minor incidents from becoming serious, especially in a foreign port where difference in language and customs are apt to cause considerable confusion and misunderstanding.

The time is drawing close to my eligibility date (23 days to be exact). So far I haven't heard anything about being held for 90 days, but the usual practice in the past has been to wait until the last minute, when a guy is all packed up and ready to leave, and then let the blow fall. So I'm just sitting tight and keeping my fingers crossed, in the meantime trying to make myself as un-essential as possible.

All my love,

Paul