Day of Rest

Lieut. Gilbert Steingart

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

Sunday 22 July 1945, 10:50 PM

Dearest Eleanor,   

          Sunday, a day of rest at home.  So just to make things more like home beginning today no appointments except emergencies.

          Nothing to do all morning except read.  I also wrote a letter to Uncle Bill.  I'm way behind in my correspondence again so soon I'll just have to take a day off to catch up.

          I failed to mention that we had a new officer report aboard to replace Jim Lyons.  His name is Brossears. He is married; his wife lives in Oakland.  He and I went ashore today.  I told Simmie when I saw him on Friday that I'd be over this morning.  Well we didn't get there until 3:00 PM and he had gone down to the beach.  I left him a note and may see him Wednesday night.  Anyway we went back to the club and had a few drinks.  At five o'clock our boat picked us up and we returned to the ship.  I had just enough time to shower and freshen up before dinner after which we played our regular game of cribbage until movie time.  We had a real oldie today but everyone enjoyed it.  "Mutiny on the Bounty" was the cinema.

          I got three letters today and since I've already received later mail, most of the stuff you write about has already been hashed over by me.

          In spite of what Leon told you, orders come from the Bureau. Even he said in his letter that he wouldn't be surprised to get orders to ship out.

          I've written to Libby about my mother and should be hearing from her soon.  Anyway it won't do any good worrying about it.  We'll just have to wait and see.

          Sorry you didn't enjoy the Fleisher party.  I still think you would have been more miserable had you stayed at home.  Every chance you get to go out, do so. 

          Sweet I never was chaplain.  I'm welfare officer which is the chaplain's job.  Being chaplain is a full time job.  I'm still a dentist, remember?  Yes I'm still librarian. But now that everything is squared away, the enlisted man who runs it for me does all the work and I retain the title.

          I guess the mess treasurer's job is mine until I leave.  When I was first appointed we only fed eighteen officers.  Now we have seventy regular members and have better than two hundred guests each month.  The captain insists there is no one else for the job so I'm stuck.

          About the linens you mention; all I've seen are bridge table size.  As I've mentioned before, the Japs took everything they could and destroyed what they left behind.  Where we are now there is no industry or agriculture so fancy linens are not obtainable.

          Our strange honeymoon sounds intriguing.  All night long with my big girl and all day with all of my girls should keep me quite busy. I will love it!

          Well Darling, I'm getting sleepy and I've run out of things to say so goodnight until tomorrow.

Yours always,

Gil

The Eighteen Officers

The Movie

The Letter

Ashore

80 Degrees

Lieut. Gilbert Steingart

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

Wednesday 11 July 1945, 10:15 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Hello honey how is my Sweet tonight?  I'm still the busiest dentist on the ship, there aren't any others.  Was swamped under all morning and worked this afternoon until 3:00 P.M.  Then I had my wardroom books audited.  Following which I made out an order for some more recreation gear.  By then it was 4:15 so I retired to my room for some reading and relaxation.  Also, I had some mail to censor. Before I knew it, it was time to shower and dress for dinner.

          After chow we played cribbage until 7:30 and then went to see tonight's cinema.  We had an excellent color cartoon and a short about Nova Scotia.  The feature attraction "Hangover Square" with Laird Craeger and Linda Darnell which was also good.  However don't see it.  There are a few murders and such.

          Today was the coolest it has been since we've been here.  As a matter of fact I felt cold lying in my skivvies and reading this afternoon.  So when I got dressed I went up to the bridge to check the thermometer.  What do you know?  It had dropped to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and I was cold.  Will you keep me warm when I get home?

          There are several questions I've failed to answer.  About our chaplain, one was requested but so far none has shown up.  Dr. Law is the second doctor aboard but he is only on temporary duty until the one who was assigned to us arrives. That should be in fifteen days or thereabouts.

          That is all for now darling so I'll say "nite-nite" my dear and until tomorrow I'll always be

Loving you as ever,

Gil

Two Girls and a Sailor

Lieut. Gilbert Steingart

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

Sunday 24 June 1945, 6:45 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Hello Sweet, here it is Sunday again. It really isn't any different than any other day.  I did begin work at 9:00 AM instead of 8:30 AM but that was the only difference.

          After a busy morning and chow I finished reading "Postman Always Rings Twice" and began Thorne Smith's "Passionate Witch."  Then I had to arrange Catholic and Protestant services on deck and before I knew it was 5:15 and time to shower and dress for dinner.

          No cribbage game so here I am a little bit early.  The mail brought me one letter from you postmarked the 17th.  I've still to receive the 15th and 16th but that's the ways it goes.  Today's letter really thrilled me.  Those three photos of the kids are swell.   My how they've grown.  I'd better hurry home or my two little girls will be grown up young ladies.  Oh well something should pop in the next month or two. Maybe I'll get home long before Xmas.

          I guess Norma's party was on the 17th instead of the 20th.  The package I sent probably didn't get there in time but you should have received it by now.  How long is it taking for my mail to reach you now?

          We have a good movie tonight, "Two Girls and a Sailor" with Van Johnson, June Allison and Jimmy Durante.  However I always go, good or bad.

          So darling you are blue again.  Now dear I'm lonesome and miss you and the kids but I try not to let it get me down.  I know it's hard to do but I do, and I'm making the best of it.  The letter I received from Dr.  Ivie's several days ago indicates that he is quite homesick and unhappy.  It's got the best of him.  It does no good to feel sorry for yourself.  In any case no one else will feel sorry for you.  So the thing to do is to be cheerful and make the best of this situation.  It can't be long now before there'll be some changes.

          In the meantime Honey, think about how much fun it'll be when we are all together again.   Keep smiling.

Loving you always
Gil

The three photos--in dancing school costumes

 Linda--Snow Ballet

Norma--Bunny 

Linda--Dutch Doll

Tacloban is the Capital

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

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

Thursday 7 June 1945, 11:05 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Hello Sweet, here I am a little late but still, I made it.  This morning was the usual deal of working on patients.  At 11:30 I took charge of the liberty party and we shoved off.  Dr. Bushyager and the exec came along.  On the way to the recreation area, we all had lunch with Joe Goldfarb on his ship.  I brought along the lox and gefilte fish, and the doctor brought some liver paste.  That was our appetizer.  We made the beach at 1:15. I logged in the recreation party and passed out the beer.  Then my time was my own until 4:30.

          I went back aboard the LCI and we ran over to the town across the bay.  This town happens to be the capital of the island and boasts several larger buildings badly in need of paint.  The town itself would compare as second best to the place in Mexico where the Weinstein's uncle and aunt lived.  Remember?  No paved streets and no sewers. Just deep ditches on both sides of the road.  The houses are old and run down and look dirty.  Yet the natives looked surprisingly clean.  The men and women wore a good deal of white and their clothes looked fresh and really white.  I'm going to find out how they launder their stuff because soaps and bleaches are at a premium out here.  We tramped around for over two hours, looking and shopping but bought nothing.  I'm getting a line up on values and the next time we go over I'll probably buy some things for my three sweethearts at home.

          We got back to the beach and picked up the recreation party and arrived at our ship at 6:00 PM.  After dinner until the movies, I played cribbage with the skipper and two officers.  The picture tonight was an oldie but enjoyable "Hail the Conquering Hero."

          After the movie we all went up to the wardroom for little farewell get together for Dan Graves who is leaving in a couple of days.  We had a great big cake and enough ice cream. I made a pig of myself as did most of the others.  Now here I am.

          There was no mail today so I'm just about run out of words.  Oh yes, you asked about our chaplain. Well we are ready for him but the lord alone knows where he is or if we'll even get one.  It has been recommended and approved but so far nothing has materialized.

          No more for now my love so I'll just say "nite-nite."  Loving you as always.

Your sleepy husband,

Gil

Tacloban the capital

The nightly movie

Boxing

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

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

Sunday 25 March 1945, 6:45 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Hello Darling, here I am again.  Today for a change I put in an honest day's work. I saw eight patients this morning and two more this afternoon.  Besides that I spent some time digging out additional information for my annual and quarterly reports. Now the Dental Corps has more control over its administration. Seeing as I am the senior dental officer aboard I have more reports to make out (ahem!).  It's a good thing there aren't any more dental officers or I'd probably be junior.

          I was beginning to run low on shorts so I bought a half dozen more today (35 cents each).  It has been raining or threatening to rain all day so I spent my leisure time in my room reading and censoring mail.

          There was no mail today for a change.  I do wish the service would settle down so that I'd get one or two letters every day instead of all at one time.  Well, I shouldn't complain, I still get more than most aboard this ship.

          It's hard to realize that next week is Passover.  All days are alike and as a matter of fact I'd never know it was Sunday except the chaplain is around.  Talking about chaplains, one has been assigned to our ship and I'm looking for him to arrive most any time now.  Won't I be glad.  Then the job of Welfare Officer and Librarian will be taken away from me and given to someone who has the time and training to do a real job of it and at the same time give me more opportunity to do what I'm here to do.

          We finally got a boxing ring built on one of the hatches.  While we are waiting for the chaplain, I'll try and promote some bouts before movies.

          By the way, in one of the letters yesterday you asked if I wanted some fruits and nuts.  I've still got some left and have been laying off them because I've gained a couple pounds lately.  There isn't much chance for exercise but I still eat two meals a day and even that seems too much.  So the answer is "no thank you."

          The movie tonight is "Fighting Lady" a picture about the carrier, "Yorktown."  It is very much like the movie we saw of the flying fortress "The----Belle." I can't remember the rest of the name.  We saw it in Diego together.  Also it is rated as excellent.

          I'm going to sign off now.  Good night, my love, my Sweet.  Till tomorrow with love and kisses.

Yours alone,

Gil

Lucky

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

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

Wednesday 7 March 1945, 7:00 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          This has been another busy day.  I saw seven patients in the morning.  When I was through it was 11:45 AM. The score was eighteen fillings and three extractions.

          After lunch I censored some mail and then returned to my office to see a couple more patients.  Then I went up on the poop deck and enjoyed the sun for forty-five minutes.

          After that I went to my room and visited with a chaplain who came on board for the day.  Then I spent an hour or so mounting snapshots in the album the Goodfriends sent.  The first thing I knew it was 5:15, so I showered and dressed for dinner.

          After dinner we enjoyed the cool breezes on the bridge deck and looked for a pretty sunset, but there were many clouds on the horizon and it didn't pan out.  Now, here I am.

          There was no mail today.  If there had been some I'd have been surprised because I've been real lucky of late.  Come to think of it I was lucky when I married my loving correspondent and that luck has stayed with me all these years.

          The movie last night "The Angels Sing" was very good and though I thought I'd seen it I really hadn't.  Tonight's movie is "Something for the Boys" with Carmen Miranda and Michael O'Shea.  It is rated as being very good.

          Honey, that is all there is for today.  I wish there were some new encouraging scuttlebutt about me coming home or something but there isn't a damn thing worth talking about.

          So--good night my love, I'll see you in my dreams (I hope).

Loving you always,

Gil

My Beard and Mustache Are Coming Right Along

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

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

Sunday 17 December 1944, 9:45 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Another Sunday and all day I've been thinking of you and our girls and wondering what you did.  Don't tell me--Linda went to Sunday School and Norma wanted to go too.  When Linda got back, you all had lunch.  Then the kids played and Norma laid down for a rest--no nap.  Then you went over to Ruth's for dinner and after that returned home and tucked our darlings in.  This is where I should come in and I'm so far away.

          Sweet this has been just another day.  A little work this morning and then a little reading.  After lunch I got everything lined up for Sunday services and so the afternoon went.  After the chaplains left the ship, I showered and read until dinner.  After dinner, Roberts and I played checkers until movie time.

          The movie tonight was screamingly funny.  Cary Grant in "Arsenic and Old Lace."  In many ways I enjoyed it more than the stage show but it would have been so much more enjoyable it I could have held your hand or better still put my arm around you with your head on my shoulder.

          There was no mail again today so by tomorrow there should be a whole sack full, all for me.  My beard and mustache are coming right along.  I do hope I can have a snap taken before they're gone.

          Darling, do you remember you antipathy to whiskers?  I promise I'll come home without.

          When I write Deb and Dave I'll be all caught up on my correspondence, so I know I'll have plenty more in a day or so.

          Good night Honey.  Sunday, as every other day, is not the same without you beside me awake or asleep.

Love,

Gil

The Food Is Swell--No Ration Stamps Either

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

             U.S.S. Ocelot, FPO San Francisco
             Tuesday 5 December 1944, 9:55 PM

My Dearest,

          Hello Darling, I never thought just a letter from home could make me so happy, especially when that letter is from my Sweet.  I got eight letters, five from you, one from my mother (card), one from Libby and one addressed to the chaplain. I pinch hit for the chaplain because there isn't one.

          Libby seemed concerned about me because she hadn't heard lately but she should receive my last letter soon now.  The one addressed to the chaplain was from a worried mother about her boy.  She hadn't heard in three weeks. He really has been writing.  Anyway in the morning, I'll get a letter off reassuring her that all is well with her son.

          Not let's get back to us.  Leon is slightly mixed up about his ships. An APA is a transport used to bring men up in attack.  They aren't called even that any more.  Now they are AP with the last "A" dropped.  The innards of the ship are the same as any troop transport.  Anyway don't worry we aren't that nor are we participating in any invasions.  I didn't say we weren't going to the Philippines.  I said we weren't there.  If and when we get there things should be well under control.  Spitzer was with us until his ship came in and then he left to join his outfit.  For a while we had many officers aboard and were quite crowded. As I explained it was only by accident that we got to talking.  Just a day or so before he left.

          The size of the ship is still the same, it always was a fairly large one and with a lot of men aboard sanitation is vital, hence the thorough daily inspections.

          Yes dear, Lt. Samuels is no longer our captain and the exec will be the skipper from now until relieved, not temporarily.  I gave Samuels your phone and he may call collect although I doubt that he will go to all that trouble. I didn't tell you sooner lest you'd hang (?) around anticipating a call that never materialized.

          Yes, we all enjoy movies.  Right now, I'm soaked.  It poured as usual just in the middle of the picture.  It was "Invisible Stripes" with Raft and Bogart.  At least five years old but good and we got a kick out of it.

          We'll probably be here for some time but there is no telling.  A few victories and off we go to new places.  I doubt whether we'll go back to the Hawaiians for a while.  As a matter of fact the next time I see that place will probably be on my way home.  Guam isn't our locality but we're not very far from it.

          OK Sweet that jewelry ensemble is a hit.  I now have $149 to my credit and my food bill for this month is paid.  Unless I run into some unexpected civilization, by the time I get home, I should have quite a wad saved up.  Don't worry about my uniforms, they are well cared for and they still fit.  As a matter of fact the khakis are size 36 and my greys were 38.

          The food is still swell.  We have large refrigeration space and carry enough fresh food to last three months or more, depending on how many we have aboard.  In fact we could get along fairly well for 6 months without taking on any addition supplies.  Yesterday we had chop suey and noodles for one meal and creamed chicken for dinner.  Today we had meatloaf and beef stew.  For breakfast you can have all of hot cakes, eggs (any style), French toast, sausage, bacon, fruit juice, powdered milk (when cold it tastes OK), canned whole figs, toast, butter and coffee.  No ration stamps either.  We make our own ice cream and the cream pies the bakers make are the best I've ever eaten.  I can see your mouth watering and it's really the way it reads.  In spite of it all though what wouldn't I give for one of you home cooked meals!

          Catching up on correspondence seems an endless job. Xmas greetings will have to take the place of many letters this month.

          Go a little south dear and see what you find.  Who cares what Sylvia thinks?  I'll take you as you are and how I'll love it--and you will too.  I hope.

          I hope I'll be home by summer. Thirty days leave spent at Lake Arrowhead sounds well.  Make plans to go there anyway and with a little luck I'll join you. I can dream can't I?

          I do hope Dave gets sent to officers training but frankly I doubt whether he will.  It is a long story but from what many ensigns have told me he just isn't eligible.  Don't say anything to Deb or him about it.

          Gosh, my clothes are wet but there is plenty of sweat mixed in with the rain.

          Forget about a Xmas job.  Are you crazy?  Waiting on people for eight hours in a Xmas rush is a lot different than teaching school and don't forget you still have two darlings at home to care for.

          Today was just another day.  Worked in the morning.  After lunch I censored some mail then the skipper, Cox (my roomy) and two other officers when ashore for a couple of drinks.  The club didn't have any beer so we drank cokes.  At three they serve whiskey for an hour but there was such a mob that one drink apiece was all we tried to get. Then we returned to the ship.

          Well, what a long winded letter! A fifty minute visit. What a swell one.  Dear, do you remember how we'd always recount the day's events when I came home from work?  After the war let's continue with that too.

          Good night my love, my darling.  I love you with all my heart and soul.

Devotedly

Gil

         

    

Poker

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

          U.S.S. Ocelot, F.P.O. San Francisco
              Sunday 3 December 1944, 9:15 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Hello my Darling, Sunday at home was never like this.  Worked all morning. When the mail orderly returned--not a thing in his bag for me.  Guess I'll just have to be patient and wait.

          This being Sunday I was a busy man as welfare officer.  Got the crews' mess hall arranged for services with piano, record player and microphone.  Sent one boat at 1:30 PM to bring the Protestant chaplain and an hour later to bring the Catholic chaplain.  We had a better turn out than last week.  Guess the word got around.  Both services were very nice with choral music and piano accompaniment for the hymns that the men sang.

          After dinner I sat in at a poker game, 25 cent ante and $1.50 limit.  After a couple of hours it was time for movies, so I quit 25 cents to the good.  I only won two pots in all that time so you can see that they must have been good ones.

          Well honey, what's new?  By the time you get this letter you'll probably be shopping for a tree.  Do get a nice one and fix it up real pretty.  At least, I do want our girls to have one even if I can't be with you to decorate and enjoy it.

          Darling do you remember your first or should I say our first tree with the blue and while balls and bulbs?  And the lecture your cousin Leon gave you?  Well after this war we'll have many trees on many Xmases and let Leon or anyone else lecture someplace else.

          Good night my love, parting is such sweet sorrow, till we meet tomorrow. But tomorrow is still months away.

Love,

Gil

 

Note: The movie was "The Lodger" with Merle Oberon, Lair Cregar and George Saunders.

Catholic and Protestant Services Aboard

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

          U.S.S. Ocelot, F.P.O. San Francisco
             Sunday 26 November 1944, 9:30 PM

Dearest Sweetheart,        

          So this is Sunday!  Well I can think back to when Sunday was a day with my Sweet and our toe little darlings. But this is war and I'm out here doing my duty.

          I started out this morning as usual.  By 2:00 PM I had put in thirteen fillings, polished five fillings, extracted one tooth, X-rayed five teeth and treated two cases of trench mouth.  Whew, I'm all tired out just recounting my day's work.

          From 2:00 to 2:45 P.M. I had to arrange for the Catholic and Protestant service aboard.  Just a few travails, such as bringing a piano out through one of the hatches and rigging up a mike for the chaplain to speak through.  Then at 2:45 PM I left the ship in a motor whale boat and picked up one chaplain at one ship and the other at another ship and was back on the Ocelot by 3:15 PM.  Took both chaplains up to meet the "skipper" and then showed each one where he was to conduct services.  When it was all over I received several sincere thank yous from officers and enlisted men alike and though I did not attend service they tell me the arrangements were perfectly planned and everything went off smoothly.  Anyway from now on services will be held aboard every Sunday.

          After the chaplains left I showered and changed. Then it was time for dinner.  After eating I played my daily game of checkers and I'm really getting good.  Roberts, the officer I play with, was beating me constantly and tonight I beat him six times and tied him once much to his chagrin.

          The mail situation hasn't changed at all.  No airmail has been received since November 17 and very little of anything else. However every time the mail orderly leaves I get hopeful again.  Maybe tomorrow will be my day.  I do hope so.  Aside from being with you, your letter is the next best thing.

          The movie this evening was really good.  "Meet the People."  Remember when we saw it on the stage?  Well when they made a movie of it we passed it up and it's nothing like the stage show.  If you get a chance, see it.  There are plenty of laughs in it.

          Well darling, so ends another week.  Do you remember how on Sunday night, maid's night out, I'd lay down on the couch listening to the radio and fall asleep?

          After the war I've got other plans for maid's night out.  Can you guess what they are?  If you can't now you'll find out later and I know you won't be disappointed.

          Good night honey, I still love you and think about you all the time.

Devotedly

Gil.

Bringing Piano Topside for Religious Services

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

          U.S.S. Ocelot, F.P.O. San Francisco
           Saturday 25 November 1944, 9:14 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Hello darling, here I am again.  No mail again today which makes it eight days since my last letter.  I learned today that a ship heading out this way carrying mail burned and that probably is the reason.  You see when the load gets heavy even air mail travels via ship and the load out here is terrific.  Hope none of my packages were on it.

          Well today was another routine day.  I worked all morning and took care of my welfare duties this afternoon.  The chaplain came over to arrange for the services and I'm getting the carpenters to build a pulpit and the engineers to rig up a P.A. (Public Address) system for him.  Then we are bringing our piano topside and we'll have service with hymns and even an accompaniment.  I didn't know how much this meant to the men until I heard and saw the reaction when services were announced.  I haven't done anything about the community sings that I had planned but I'm going to go to work on it tomorrow.  I'm planning to make it a nightly affair about half an hour before the movies.  Because we can't show too much light on deck I'm going to make some slides with words of songs on it and project them on the screen.  We have several musicians on board so we should have a lot of fun singing.

          That's all that is new.  Sweet, do you remember the day we went to get our marriage license and met Ben Weinstein?  Weren't we a couple of happy kids then?  And when I get back we'll go on our second honeymoon and be a couple of kids again.  Is it a date?  Okey, dokey dear, I knew you'd say yes.

          And that is thirty for tonight.  Good night honey, I'll see you in my dreams.

Loving you always,

Gil

P.S. The movie tonight was so old and so lousy I forgot to mention it.  Title: "Gambler's Choice" with who cares.

 

.

105 Degrees In The Shade

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

          U.S.S. Ocelot, F.P.O. San Francisco
             Friday 24 November 1944, 9:20 PM

My Dearest,

          Here it is Friday, a whole week has passed and still no mail.  However I know that it isn't because you haven't written.  You see no one else has received any either.  All I can say of the mail service out here is that it is lousy.

          The movie last night was "Star Spangled Rhythm" with Eddie Bracken, Betty Hutton and the best of Paramount Stars.  We saw it years ago together and now I've seen it alone.  Tonight we had another oldie "Road to Morocco" with Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour.

          Today was just another day.  The thermometer registered from 97-105 degrees in the shade.  I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't read the temperature myself.  This morning I turned out nine fillings, two extractions and a gum treatment.  After lunch I took a boat over to another ship and arranged with the chaplain aboard to conduct services on the Ocelot Sunday.  He is Catholic and promised to bring along a Protestant chaplain as well.  I do hope it works out.

          Outside of that there is nothing new or exacting.--just the same everyday routine.  Gee, next week is your birthday and here we are thousands of miles apart.  Well, this will be the as well as the first that we'll be apart.

          How are my girls doing?  Do they still talk about their daddy?  By the time I get back I'll be a total stranger to Norma and almost that to Linda.  Yet she remembered Leon when she was much younger and that is a happy thought.

          Talking about Leon, he never did answer my letter and so help me. I'm really going to tell him off when that opportunity presents.

          Have you been doing any more teaching?  Are you still going out for an evening?  There are so many things I want to know and I'm sure when that stack of mail does arrive all my questions will be answered.

          Darling, do you remember those happy sessions on the studio couch in the Admiral Apartments?  Well, after the war, I've got some new ideas we'll have to try out.  You see I have plenty of time now to think about all the wonderful times we had together and also to plan all the things we'll do in the future.

          Good night my Sweet.  I'm going to close with loving thoughts of days gone by.  I love you so!

Your devoted husband,

Gil