Number of Days It Takes for Mail to Get to Pearl Harbor from Santa Monica

Friday 25 August 1944, 4:30 PM

Hello Sweetheart,

          Here I am again.  What did I do the last night in Diego?  Well we met at the Playroom of the Grant and drank until 11:30 and then some Chinese food and back to the ship.  This, being my second letter to you today, makes an average of one a day since we shoved off.  Be patient and you'll probably receive them all.  I received some postmarked August 17 and 18 before others dated a week prior.  You just can't tell about mail nowadays.

          Darling as soon as I know anything that I can tell you I will.  In the meantime be patient.  Had quite a busy day today doing dentistry but nothing more to write about.  I'll send those gifts along as soon as possible.  When you are on a ship, any item that tells where you are can't be mailed until after you've left--so they'll be mailed the day we leave.

          Missing my three girls more and more every day.  I am

Your husband

Gil

Dole Pineapple Cannery

Friday 25 August 1944,  8:45 AM

 

 

Dearest Eleanor,

          Went on liberty again yesterday.  Went over to the dental clinic and met Jackson.  We had lunch at the Officers' Club and are planning to get together one day next week.  Met some of the officers of our ship and went out with them.  We returned to the base and did a little elbow bending at the Submarine Officers' Club.  Then we returned to the ship.  It was about 8:45 PM then, and we hadn't had any dinner so--we went into the galley and I concocted an omelet of catsup, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and eggs.  We ate every bit of it so it must have been, at least, edible.

          A few of us recently visited the largest pineapple cannery in the world.  I drank ice cold juice and ate sliced pineapple until it came out of my ears, but I still like the stuff.  The tour through the plant takes one hour and I was impressed by the cleanliness of it all.  Every bit of the pineapple is used, even down to the shell which is used as feed for cattle.

          Well dear, nothing much else to tell.  I took out a couple of juicy impactions and surprised myself.  Even though I haven't done any real surgery in months everything went smooth and even the patients survived.  Right now I'm waiting for an anesthetic to take effect.  The patient says it is really numb so I've got to go back to work.

          Bye dear till tonight.  I love you and miss you.

Your own husband,

Gil