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 4 May 1944 at 11 p.m.]

April 27 – 44
Australia

Dear Ralph –

Got your last letter a day after I wrote you so will answer this one, probably the last one I’ll write from this location.  Hope so anyway.  Been [CENSORED] loading up [CENSORED].  Not getting near enough sleep either.  Gosh you guys make them too big.  You don’t realize until you start filling one up.  Seems like there’s no end to it.  No Ralph, we very seldom get to visit down in the engine room with any of the crew members.  We are known to be quite a thieving lot so naturally the deck house is more or less out of bounds to us.  You can well imagine the situation if we were given a free rein.  All the food and liquor supplies would no doubt vanish overnight.  Nice fellows we are huh?  Well Ralph, write whenever you can.  “Hello” to your mother.

So long till later.
Bud.