Lieut. Gilbert Steingart
U.S.S. Ocelot, FPO San
Francisco
Sunday, 1 July 1945,
10:45 PM
Dearest Eleanor,
Today was
Sunday and quite a busy one for me. I
worked on patients all morning and worked on quarterly and monthly reports all
afternoon. Now everything is complete except
for doing the wardroom statement. When
that is finished my book work with be done for another month.
It has been
quite hot and so I stripped down to my skivvies, censored mail and read until
5:15. Then I showered and dressed for
dinner. After chow we played cribbage and
then to the movies. We had "Mollie and
Me" with Monty Woolley and Betty Field. It was amusing.
After the
movies we sat around in the wardroom and talked and joked until now so here I
am.
Now that thirty
days have elapsed since we left Ulithi I may mention it in my letters. The May 7 Life ran some pictures on
"Life Visits an Island Paradise" and I would like a copy of the
magazine as a memo of the place. Any
questions you have about the place can now be answered, so fire away.
The mail
brought me three letters postmarked 22nd and 25th. One letter made record speed out here taking five
actual days in coming. Usually however
it mail take seven to ten days.
I'm really
beginning to worry about you with your gas attacks and nerves. Let's hope I can get back soon and cure your
troubles.
The cosmetics
are for trading. These items are scarce
out here and will bring in exchange many times their cost in the states. No dear there are no island
"beauties" here. If there were I doubt if I'd be interested.
Dan Graves
was one of our officers. No he won't
call, but as far as that goes neither have the others though they promised to.
A brief
honeymoon when I get back sounds 4.0 but let's not decide until I arrive and
see what circumstances are like then. I
do want to spend as much time as possible with you and our girls--let's wait and
see.
I'll write
Libby about mother but don't you worry about it. Everything will work out OK. You know, somehow, it usually does.
I'm missing a
couple of letters. Evidently something
has happened to your Lake Arrowhead plans and I'm truly sorry. I guess I'll know more about it when the
missing letters arrive.
Glad you got
to see "Carmen Jones" and enjoyed it.
I read a review of it in life some time ago.
The food problems certainly sound
serious. Not so out here. Today we had a swell steak dinner and for
dessert fresh frozen boysenberries and were they good, yum, yum.
That is all
for now so I'll sign off with my usual thoughts of love and prayers for an
early second honeymoon.
Yours forever
Gil
Link to photos from May 7, 1945 Life Magazine article about Ulithi
http://www.mighty90.com/Reporting_for_Duty.html
Ulithi Children from Life Magazine
