Spitball Army

[V-mail addressed to Ralph N., Richmond, California.  Return addressed to E.R.G., C.M. 3/C, 55th Battalion, Company D, Platoon 4, c/o FPO San Francisco, California. Envelope postmarked 24 July 1943 at 6:30 p.m.]

July 14 – ‘43

Dear Ralph –

Your letter of 6-25 arrived today and I was glad to get some of the home-town news.  It seems that the mail service is much slower both ways now that we are up here in New Guinea.  Say you fellows and gals are sure doing a good job up there at that rate.  Keep up the record.  I hear the news from S.F. every night at 6:00 P.M.  Of course it’s 1:00 A.M. at that time back there.  We came [CENSORED] a nice product, sturdy and easy going.  Check back and see if you did any “pipe tacking” on her.  I guess you’re right Ralph, the first act of the big show is probably now on.  This is a beautiful country over here, but just ot visit.  Remember how we used to think [CENSORED] during the winter?  That was just [CENSORED] friend, and I mean just that. [CENSORED]  All steel and iron turns to rust and all cloth, leather and wool turns to mold.  I wished I could have been amongst that bunch from [Attu].  I saw it in a Seattle paper a week ago.  I guess I won’t be back that way till ’44 or ’45, if then.  I hope this finds you both as well as I am.  So long for now Ralph.

Write again soon
Bud.