How Much Do I Love You?

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

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

Sunday 25 February 1945, 7:00 PM

My Darling,

          Well Honey, here I am again.  Got to bed real late last night and slept in the morning until almost nine o'clock.  Naturally I missed breakfast but had no trouble getting my usual juice and coffee.

          Didn't do any work today.  As a matter of fact there is nothing new that I can write about.  There was no mail at all this morning but this afternoon's delivery brought me letters from your mother and mine.

          One of our officers got a letter today, four days out of the states, from Texas, announcing the long overdue arrival of a baby girl and is he excited.  Who wouldn't be?  He has been on edge since the first of the month when the baby was due.  Now he knows it's a girl but not another thing.  Probably other letters written prior to the one he received today have the information and will arrive soon.    

          My heat rash is back again so I got some more sun this afternoon.  Guess I'll just have to include a half hour or so on the poop deck as regular part of my daily routine.

          Last night's movie "Enter Arsene Lupin" was just average.  Tonight we have an oldie but a good one, "Louisiana Purchase."

          I'm a little tired and sleepy and my mind is a total blank so there is no more for now.  Have I told you lately how much I love you? No? Well, I'd better do it now.  You do remember the song "How Much Do I Love You" don't you? It goes "How deep is the ocean, how high is the sky."  Yes darling that is how much I love you, only more.

          So long for tonight Sweetheart maybe I'll have some more dope tomorrow.

Yours alone,

Gil

"Horse Ovaries" and Animules"

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

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

Saturday 24 February 1945, 7:15 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Hello Sweet, here I am again.  Today was just another day as usual.  Worked all morning and finished up at 11:25.  Went up to my room and washed up for lunch.  The mail brought five letters today, four from you and one from your mother.  Yours were marked 11 and 15, so 12, 13, and 14 are still due.

          After lunch I censored some mail and extracted a tooth. Then four of us went ashore to celebrate a birthday.  We had plenty to drink but returned all secure and put away a nice steak dinner.

          Last night's movie, "Experiment Perilous," was OK, see it.  Tonight we have "Enter Arsene Lupin" but I don't have much hope for it.

          This afternoon when I got back to the ship I found some more mail.  A package from you with "vitamin pills," American Weeklies, and Pictorial Reviews, a Journal of the Southern California Dental Society, Alumni Association Magazine and American Dental Association Bulletin made up my total bag.  Please don't send any more reading material except for books.  We have oodles of magazines, etc.  Also no more candy.  I now have two full boxes and the bulk of the "vitamin pills" you sent .How about some sardines, anchovies and other stuff suitable for "horse ovaries." Now your mail.

          As I've written before Marty sent me a program from the Center banquet.  I do hope Dave makes warrant officer but I'll believe it only when I see it.  I've heard enough about Mary and Willie and their troubles.  How about a new episode?      

          Ruth and Harry have no one to blame for Dick but themselves.  Leon is no model to hold up to any growing boy but I doubt that he had very much influence on Dick.  All I can say is yapity, yapity, yap, baloney!

          I see you got called to teach again.  With all these calls you should be able to get by without digging into our account much (I hope).

          I'm glad that Linda is through with her thumb sucking.  As a matter of fact, from your letters I gather that she has become quite a young lady.  Wish I could be there to see her and Norma and you too!!  Those pictures of the kids before the Xmas tree were swell though they could have been clearer.  But then who am I to complain.  I played back the recording you sent and had the same trouble as with the previous ones.  Please cut the records deeper and play them back before sending them.  Then the grooves will be more defined and the roll of the ship won't cause the playback arm to jump across the record and ruin it.

          You seem to have the impression that there is a naval base with all the refinements of civilization here.  Well there isn't.  Wish I could get you some hose, but all I could get would be men's cotton ones and I don't think you'd wear them.  The same goes for valentines, there just ain't no such animule.

          So honey I'd better sign off.  All this rattle and prattle probably doesn't make much sense but blame it on the drinks I had ashore.

          Bye, my darling, if you were here or I were there we'd sure have fun tonight.  See you in my dreams.

Love,

Gil