Bitch of a Day

 

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

          U.S.S. Ocelot, F.P.O. San Francisco
            Thursday 7 December 1944, 7:40 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Well, here I be again.  The movie last night "Are Husbands Necessary" was good but old.  So old that though we both had seen it I couldn't remember a thing about it.  It starred Betty Fields and Ray Milland and was about the dumb but cute young wife and her husband, a bank second vice president and the troubles the wife got the worse half into.

          Today the mail brought that crossword puzzle book and some literature from the medical department.  I haven't done a puzzle in months but I know it'll be fun.

          This has been a bitch of a day.  Saw eleven patients.  Four from one ship, two from another and one from a third.  The remaining four were ship's company.  When I got through I had done eleven fillings, two extractions, two prophys and three treatments.  I finished at 3:00 PM and then censored some mail.  Then I played checkers from four till five at which time I showered, shaved and changed for dinner.  You know I'm mess treasurer and I've got it figured now so that our food bill should only run about fifty cents a day.  Nobody believes me but they will when they see the statement at the end of the month.  I can't explain how I'm doing this without divulging censorable facts.

          After dinner we stood around on the bridge and talked for almost an hour.  I remarked this evening that the heat didn't seem to worry me anymore and we all decided we were just getting acclimated.  Still sick bay is full with "cat fever," several pneumonias and many ambulatory heat rash patients.  So far no complaints from me.  Thank goodness.

          Darling do you remember how I got sick before taking my physical and doped myself up to pass without having to go back?  Well, I'm disgustingly healthy even out here and believe me some of the young bucks are always complaining about something.

          Good night Darling.  I don't know what the movie is, but I'm going anyway.  I love you, I love you, I do. Kisses and hugs galore to my two Darlings and my Sweet.

 

Love,

Gil