Waiting for What?

Wednesday, 31 October 1945, 8:45 P.M.

Dearest Eleanor,

          Another month gone to hell.  For more than three weeks now, I've been sitting around and waiting. For what?  Well, for some gold braided old so and so to make up his mind about what to do with us.  When I say us, I don't mean just the Ocelot crew.  There are numerous groups all over the island just waiting and seeing time go by.

          Today we had another development.  The Commander of Service Division 104 came out and flatly stated that no man with less than twenty-four months of continuous duty overseas could go home unless he had enough points.  He was referring to the survivors of the typhoon particularly.  Thank goodness that statement applies only to enlisted men, not officers.  Then he called for volunteers for a particularly hazardous duty.  Survivors who volunteered would be sent home for thirty days leave after sixty days on this duty.  Big hearted of him, isn't it? Just for the chance of going home soon, many men with low point scores and just a few months overseas are volunteering.  Personally, I don't give a damn.  They can't hold me much after December 1st.  Maybe as response to my letters to the bureau, my orders will come through.  There is one more angle, but it is involved and I won't try to explain it.  However as soon as the ship is officially abandoned I'll try it.  Maybe I'll go home then.  That'll be in ten days or two weeks.  Keep your fingers crossed.

          Enclosed is a check for $410.80 to compensate for my storm losses. Don't you think I made out okay on that deal?  I'm also enclosing the memorandum about the hazardous duty.  Of course they don't dare put in writing the staying amount twenty-four months, but the men were told that prior to passing the information along.

          Tonight's movie was another repeat, "Earl Carroll's Vanities" with Constance Moore and Dennis O'Keefe.  
          And that's the dope for now.  I'm so mad about the deal that some of the men are getting that I'll pop if I don't sign off.

          Goodnight Darling.  I love you and by God they can't keep us apart much longer no matter what.

Yours for always,

Gil

P.S. No matter what you do or say don't quote me. It's just information you gathered from my letters.