Too Many Requests for Dental Treatment

U.S.S. OCELOT (IX-110)

c/o Fleet Post Office

San Francisco, California

Thursday 30 August 1945, 7:00 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Hello Sweet, here I am again.  It was close to morning when we got back from the beach last night.  I was fairly sober and after a good night's sleep I feel swell.

          This morning was the usual busy one with more requests for dental treatment than I could possibly handle.  I take as many as I can and refer the others to nearby ships.  This afternoon we had a series of drills: fire, abandon ship, and general quarters.  Then back to my room I went. "Sodom by the Sea" is quite an interesting history of Coney Island and I'm enjoying reading it.  At 5:00 PM I showered and dressed for dinner. After a delicious chicken dinner here I am.

          I got one letter from you today and it is postmarked the 18th, two days prior to the ones I received two days ago.  I'm sorry you don't like the set up there.  You sound sorry you went but I'm sure after a few days you'll get used to it and enjoy your stay.  I figured you'd be nervous making the move by yourself which was why I suggested, when your plans got fouled up, that you stay home.  Anyway by now you should be over your nerves and with a little company I'm sure everything will work out okay. Cedar Glenn is where we rented the Rausch House.  Yes I do remember that vacation.  A wonderful weekend, that is all it really was.

          The location opposite the Board of Education on 6th Street sounds okay but I bet the property is high.  You can investigate it when you get home but don't do anything in a hurry.

          Tonight's movie is a real oldie, "Hurricane" with Dorothy Lamour and Jon Hall.  Remember it?

          No more for now Darling. So good night and pleasant vacation.

Love

Gil

Lousy French

Lieut. Gilbert Steingart

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

Monday 16 July 1945, 10:20 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Hello Darling, how are you tonight?  Today has been a repetition of yesterday and every yesterday and probably many tomorrows.  I worked all morning and part of the afternoon.  Then I read for awhile and censored some mail.  Visited with some other officers in the wardroom and soon it was five o'clock and time to shower and change for chow.  After eating we played cribbage until 7:30 when I went to my room to change into my rain gear to go to the movies.  It even rains on schedule now.  It begins to pour about 7:00 PM. At 8:00 PM when it abates slightly but continues until midnight.

          Tonight's movie was colorful but very slow moving and didn't come up to expectation.  It was "Sudan" with Maria Montez and Jon Hall.

          There wasn't any mail for me today but others got mail through the 9th so I expect I'll get a few letters tomorrow.

          I air mailed your little gift this morning. I hope you receive it about the time you get this letter.

          By the way there is a definite rule about sending packages via air mail that are specifically requested by men overseas.  I am enclosing two requests--one for a Schick shaver heat for a Captain Model "S" shaver and one for the repaired Sunbeam.  Show the letters at the post office and they will accept the packages to send via air mail.

          I'm going to sign off Sweet.  Gee I'd love to kiss you goodnight instead of having to write it on paper but "c'este la guerre" (lousy French).  Goodnight Honey and pleasant dreams.

Love,
Gil

P.S.    When you send back the Sunbeam, send along a tube of sharpening compound.

Wind and Rainstorm Raging

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

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

Saturday 16 December 1944, 9:00 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Here I am again and none the worse after yesterday's "flier." Awoke this morning to find quite a wind and rainstorm raging.  It was so rough that all the small boats were secured. 

          However, the show must go on so I went to my office and worked steadily all morning until eleven o'clock at which time I wrote a few more letters.  Now I'm almost all caught up.

          The mail didn't bring me a thing today except a letter from the Naval Supply Depot in Oakland informing me of a shipment of 32 more books for our library.

          After lunch I read for a while and then called a rehearsal of our Glee Club for 2:00 PM.  We worked for an hour and some of the numbers really sound good.

          After the rehearsal I censored some mail, showered and read some more.  Before I knew it was time for dinner.  After that I played some checkers with Mr. Roberts, my worthy opponent.

          The movie tonight was good.  It was Maria Montez and Jon Hall in "Gypsy Wildcat" and in Technicolor.  We only had one showing because we are taking on stores tonight. So there is lots of work to be done.

          Now that our library is catalogued I am having our records indexed.  We have quite a number but no one really knows what we have, but we will.

          Well Honey, time is moving right along and soon it will be Xmas.  I can hardly picture it without you and our girls being with me.  Darling, do you remember how excited the kids were with the tree last year?  I do hope you got another nice one for them this year and decorate it "pretty-like."  I believe last year at this time it was already purchased and in the house.  Next year we all have a date to buy and decorate our tree.

          There is really nothing more to write about.  I've gotten used to the heat, no heat rash to complain of.  My cold has completely cleared up and my room is still the coolest on the ship (and I'm keeping it a secret).  Ambie was up for a while today. We had a lot of kidding when he came topside.

          Good night darling, my love. You are still the only girl I dream about when I'm awake and when I'm asleep.

Love

Gil


 Taking on Stores

Greeting Only Suitable for Men in Service

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

         U.S.S. Ocelot, F.P. O. San Francisco
          Wednesday 29 November 1944, 9:45 PM

My Dearest,

          Got twelve more letters today.  Guess I'm all caught up now.  Notes from your mother and mine, Libby, the round robin written at Manny's and the rest from you.

          This morning I finally finished up the dental work of the other ship's crew that I mentioned previously.  Am I glad!  For the past week I haven't had a moment to myself because of them.  Now I can take it easy until I get another crew to take care of.  At least our men are in good shape now so I'll take it easy.

          All afternoon I messed around with those slides.  Now that I have the right lead I'm striving for perfection and I do hope to have some good ones in a day or two.

          This evening the skipper invited me up for dinner. Knowing how much I like seafood, he had shrimp and tuna in separate salads made up just for me. I really enjoyed salads for a change and made a wee little pig of myself.  The Captain wouldn't be outdone so we were both stuffed by dessert time.  Then we visited around for a while and finished up with some gin rummy.  At 7:45, we went to the movie.  We saw "Cobra Woman" with Maria Montez and Jon Hall and enjoyed it a great deal.

          Now here I am.  One of the men with an artistic flair drew up the enclosed sketch and we mimeographed it.  This greeting is only suitable to be sent to men in service but I've just enclosed it so you can laugh also.  He promised to color one up for me but I did this one myself with red crayola and pencil.  If he does color one up I'll send it on as well.

          And now to the mail.  Those pictures of our girls are wonderful.  They both look so sweet and beautiful as well.

          Spitzer was only aboard for a short time.  Now he has joined his ship. I may not see him again for some time.  Wally's guess was pretty close, let him try again.  I am 6,000 miles from home and it does seem like a hell of a long ways to be.  I can't say where I made that liberty except that it was at an Officer's Club.  As a matter of fact there are no other places to get stinko except there.

          Well my darling, that's all for today.  Do you remember two college kids sitting in an Essex coach on Santa Monica Boulevard, holding hands?  Said the young lady, "My ideal man, the one I'll marry will be tall, dark and handsome." Said he (with his tongue in his cheek), "Oh yeah! Because all the time he knew that he didn't measure up to specifications."

          Bye my Sweet but lacking a book of poetry I just say I love you.

Your wolfy husband

Gil