Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert
Steingart
U.S.S. Ocelot, F.P.O.
San Francisco
Monday 4 June 1945,
10:30 PM
Dearest Eleanor,
Hello Sweet,
how is my favorite wife tonight? I spent
a not too busy morning in my office, grabbed a steak sandwich and took the
liberty party ashore. We are now taking
our men to an area fourteen miles away because it has swell facilities. We go over in an LCI. The skipper of the LCI, a Joseph Goldfarb, is
a nice chap from New York. He is an
architect by profession and went through Columbia on a scholarship. He must have something on the ball. He has been married for 3-1/2 years now and
has a nine month old baby which he has never seen.
Anyway Joe
and I went over to the native trading post, but the prices were so ridiculous
we didn't buy a thing. Soon it began to
rain and we made for the only shelter available, the Officers' Club. We had a couple of beers and at 3:00 PM went
back aboard the LCI where we just sat around and visited. We got the liberty party back aboard at 4:45
and got underway for our ship. I had dinner
aboard as Joe's guest and he came over to our ship to see the movie. It was
lousy, entitled "What a Blonde" with Leon Errol--nuff said.
When I came
down to my office I found four letters from you. I really wasn't expecting any letters for awhile. Nina's is very hard to read; it looks like
you'll be stuck with her for a couple of days.
Maybe it'll give you something different to do for a change.
We had
"Tomorrow the World" some time ago and I did enjoy it. I'm not so fat; at least the scales don't
think so. I'm just about what I was when
I left the states. However I could stand
some more exercise, although walking around the ship and up and down ladders is
more exercise than one imagines.
Linda's show
seems to keep you quite busy with costumes, rehearsals and what have you. I'd love some snaps of our girls in costume
if that could be arranged.
Sol's ship
did see some action which is probably why she returned to the states. I don't believe he saw a hospital ship sink
though one of ours was heavily damaged and suffered numerous casualties. I can't mention its name. I don't know whether the information has been
released officially yet.
Nina
mentioned the Franklin. That carrier
really took a beating. I saw it soon
after the engagement--what a mess. You
probably saw pictures of it in the papers.
Well Darling,
that is all for this time. You complain
about my originality or lack thereof in making love. I always liked the old fashioned way the
best. Bye Sweet until tomorrow.
I love you as always
