Cooled Down to 80 Degrees

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

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

Wednesday 13 December 1944, 7:10 P.M.

Dearest Eleanor,

          Hello dear.  While Alexander (my corpsman) was cleaning my teeth I got twelve pieces of mail.  I could hardly wait for him to finish.  I got a letter from your mother a letter and a card from my mother , a Xmas card from Sam Green (surprised?), a letter from Ethel, one from Deb, the B'nai B'rith Magazine you sent and five letters from you ranging from November 29 to December 5.  Am I behind now!  I'll have to take a day off to catch up.

          Gee, I'm sorry you didn't get the corsage I ordered for your birthday.  I checked with the ship service officer and he thought that possible it got mixed up with the Xmas orders and that you'd probably get it for Xmas.  However if delivery is not made, a check for the full amount will be forwarded to you.  The same holds good for the dolls so we'll just have to wait and see.

          Nothing much doing today.  I had my teeth cleaned in the morning and rehearsed our Glee Club in the afternoon.  It has been raining more or less constantly all day long and it's cooled down to 80 degrees.  Isn't that wonderful.  Going to the second movie rain or not.  The picture is "The Conspirators" with Hedy Lamarr, Peter Lore, Sidney Greenstreet and Paul Henroid (spelling?) and it has a 3.9 rating.

          Now to you letters.  It seems like the kids are conspiring to make things tough.  Cold and more colds!  Don't let it get you down.  Talking about the kids and illness, Dr. Sieger never did answer my letter.  Wonder if he even got it.  I'll drop him a Xmas greeting if and when they arrive.

          That bond show sounds swell, wish I could have sat there with you and held your hand.  And be careful you drunkee you never had two drinks with me around.  My how times have changed.  Seriously though I'm glad you're getting out and taking a more active interest in B'nai B'rith work.  Time will pass so much faster.  A couple of your letters around Thanksgiving sounded so depressing but now you seem to have snapped out of it (thank God).

          No got Nescafe.  And I'm not in the South Pacific even though many men on board make the same mistake.  However the rest of the description of the island is 4.0 or should I say islands.  I bet they don't even show on your maps although the atlas I have does show them as several fly specks which is more than some of the large wall maps we have around.  As a matter of fact very little was known about these islands even as recently as the time I came aboard this ship.

          I wish I knew how long we'll stay here.  It all depends on the progress of the war.  We most certainly won't be here for two more months.  We could be ordered on most any time (and it can't be too soon for me).

          As I wrote you some time ago, Captain Hartfield is our exec.  Our Xmas Menu is going to be very interesting and I'll send you a copy.  I am working on some details for it now.

          I can't tell you much of the geography of these islands without disclosing our whereabouts.

          Darling my plans for the future keep changing all the time.  As a matter of fact all I really think about and want is to be back with you and kiddies.  The rest won't matter.  Courses of study will be available in many places and I'll choose only after very careful consideration. Honey, do you remember how we were always making plans?  Well I'm still planning for the future, how to make up to you for all the unhappiness and lonesomeness that this war has brought to us.

          Good night my darling.  Love and kisses to you and my, or I should say our, darlings

Devotedly

Gil