Friday, 23 November
1945, 3:45 PM
Dearest Eleanor,
Another day
closer to coming home. Another week and
I'll pick up my orders at NOB. In a day
or two after that, I should be on my way.
Some ships make the trip in fifteen days. Others take as much as twenty. In any case this Xmas will be a real merry
one for us.
These
Okinowans are an interesting people.
Some native girls are sewing for three of us. They are making kimonos for us. Mine is all ready except for some Jap
characters that will be embroidered on it tomorrow. We gave the girls a few cans of rations and
now we have four of them hanging around ready to do any chores we may have such
as washing, ironing, sewing, etc. Before
they left at 4:00 PM they picked some flowers that look like daisies and
arranged them in a coke bottle. They
don't speak English nor I Japanese, yet we are really getting to understand
each other by sign language and facial expressions.
You are
probably curious about these natives.
Well, here is the arrangement.
They live in villages under the jurisdiction of the military
government. They are clothed, fed and
housed without any money changing hands.
However they are supposed to work for the men stationed on this
island. They wash, clean and sew. Their villages are "off limits" to
all military personnel. Trucks pick them
up every morning and deliver them to the different camps by 8:00 AM. They work here until 4:00 PM with an hour off
for chow. Then back to their
villages.
In the
northern end of the island, there is considerable fraternization. We have a twenty-five man working party up
there. A few days ago several of the men
were relieved. Two of the
"gook" girls broke down and cried when their "bed companions"
left. As for myself, I haven't been
tempted to "go native" yet.
Tonight's
movie was "The Cheaters" with Joseph Schildkraut. Now here I am.
Goodnight Darling,
I'll see you in my dreams.
Love,
Gil
Natives Doing Laundry
Sewing
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