Another Day on a Holiday Cruise

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

U.S.S. Ocelot, F.P.O. San Francisco

Sunday 27 May 1945, 8:15 PM

At Sea

Dearest Eleanor,

          Hello Sweet here I am again.  After I wrote to you last night I went up to the wardroom and read for a while. Then I heard it raining and I made a dash for my room because my ports were open.  By the time I got there my bunk was soaked. Rather than break out my room boy I changed the linens myself in the dark.  You see it's rather difficult to blackout the room and still have it cool and airy.  So--no lights when underway.

          Today has been another beautiful calm day at sea.  The Pacific is like a great big pond.  I really haven't seen any rough seas on the Ocelot.  I'm glad because when the Pacific does boil up she is plenty rough.

          Being underway and being Sunday I had the deck in my office painted and secured for the day.  So you see today has been another day on a holiday cruise.  What did I do?  After breakfast I went up on the bridge and visited for awhile.  The captain invited me into his cabin for a cup of coffee. Then I strolled around on deck.  Thus the morning passed.  After lunch I censored some mail and found a cool spot on deck and read all afternoon.

          After dinner a group of us went up on the fo'castle, watched the sunset and told "sea stories."  All in all we had a lot of laughs.  Now here I am.

          The desk lamp vibrates from the motion of the ship and it's bothering my eyes.  Besides there isn't much more to say so I'll sign off.

          Goodnight Sweetheart until we meet again tomorrow.

Love,

Gil