Shipboard Duty is Usually A Year for Dental Officers But You Can't Depend on It

Monday, 11 September 10:15 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Hello my darling.  Here I am again.  This has been a busy day for me.  In addition to the men aboard this ship, I've been getting patients from another tied up nearby.  Worked all morning and most of the afternoon doing dentistry.  After dinner tonight, I saw the movie we had aboard.  The title, "They Live in Fear" with Otto Kruger and a mess of juniors.  Be sure to miss it.  So much for my routine of today.

          No Dear.  My bowels are OK.  In fact I'm as fat and healthy as can be.  I'm writing now on my cot because it's the only place that I can find now.  You asked so many questions and "no" is the answer to all of them.  I don't know where we are going next or when except that it's not back to the states.  I'll just have to ignore some of your questions because of censorship.  Shipboard duty is usually a year for dental officers, but you can't count on that either.  It all depends where you are and what you are doing at the time.

          By the way, Jimmy told me McPherson had been stationed where he is for about four months and then requested duty further south and got it.  That is the only change one can get for the asking.  Bet I keep quiet.  Also that questionnaire had nothing to do with my present duty.

          Look dear, don't you think you are making a mistake staying away from those meetings?  Seeing people and doing things is what you need.  Think it over.  It is 10:35 and I do want to write to Linda also.

          Do you remember that week at Lake Arrowhead in July of '34?  After this war is over let's go back there and relive that week.  Is it a date?

          Good night my darling and pleasant dreams.

Love,

Gil

Lt. (j.g.) G. Steingart

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