Ocelot Won't Budge

Lieut. Gilbert Steingart

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

Wednesday 19 September 1945, 10:00 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Hello Darling here I am again and here we are still.  When the tide comes in the tugs pull and strain but the "old" Ocelot won't budge.  It really doesn't look like she'll ever be much good again.  I'm hoping that we'll celebrate you birthday together.

          I don't know where the days go, but they do go with very little to show for their passing.  We were all called out of our bunks at 3:15 this morning because the tide was high and we thought maybe we'd get off the reef.  Well all they can show for four attempts at getting up off at high tide is a lot of sleepy officers and men.

          I did move all my gear to my new stateroom.  I've never been quite as comfortable on this ship before.  However I've got some of my stuff in a sea bag which I won't unpack until we see what comes of the present operation.

          We just learned what would have been if the storm hadn't wrecked us.  This morning we were supposed to shove off for Tokyo, stay there for a couple of days and then go north to Ominato, then back to Tokyo, Okinawa and finally Shanghai.  The itinerary involves several months so as far as I am personally concerned, things happened for the best.

          After dinner tonight, we got some mail aboard.  I got letters from you and my mother and a stack of dental literature and Navy dental bulletins.

          We had an excellent movie tonight.  You must see it.  "That's the Spirit" with Jack Okie and Peggy Ryan was the show.  I found it unusual and very entertaining.

          Gosh I'm sleepy!  Will I ever catch up?  Hope we don't have to get up at 3:30 AM again.  That is when the tide will be in.  Well, we'll just have to wait and see.

          In the meantime Darling, goodnight.  I'll see you in my dreams because I love you.

Yours alone,

Gil