Disagree With U.S. News Magazine

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

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

Friday 9 March 1945, 7:10 PM

My Dearest,

          Hello Sweet, how are you tonight?  Today has been an easy one for a change.  Saw a few patients in the morning and had some broken appointments, so I wrote letters to Bob and Uncle Mike.  Tomorrow I'll write Willie and several others that I owe letters to.  By Sunday I should be all caught up.

          After lunch I got the sun for forty-five minutes and had just gotten comfortable in my room to censor some mail when I was called down to my office.  I had three emergency patients from another ship and had to take care of them.

          When I was through I sat in on some more of the court marshal and because of its interesting matter I stayed on until the final verdict was given.  Then I returned to my room finished my censoring, showered and read the Post until 5:30 when I dressed and went up for chow.

          After eating we stood up on deck and enjoyed the gentle ocean breeze and pretty sunset and here I am.

          The movie tonight is "Winged Victory" and is rated as very good, guess I'll go.

          The mail brought two letters from you and a card from my mother.  We haven't had much rain lately but I see you have.  Enjoyed the publicity clipping you sent.  I thought you said your picture was to be run with it or is that something else?

          I'm glad you are getting the suit you wanted.  You sounded so disappointed in your last letter.

          In Pearl Harbor, I began "Earth and High Heaven" in the Collier's magazine.  It was run serially and I never did get past the first installment although I did try to get the following issues.  No luck!  Maybe I'll get hold of the book because I did want to read it.

          You and Nina are carrying on a regular correspondence.  Well she was nice to us and I think you enjoy writing to her so go to it.

          All the appendectomies have been successful though some of them weren't very simple.  Outside of minor stuff that is all the surgery that is attempted. Other types are usually not emergent and are referred back to a base hospital or hospital ship.

          The heat rash is all gone so forget about it.  I knew I shouldn't have mentioned it but I was just making conversation.

          Who am I to disagree with U.S. News? Yet I don't believe the Japs will fight to the bitter end like the Germans are.  The Nazis have nothing to lose.  The Japs, on the other hand, could give up all the conquered land and still have their home industries and cities intact.  Surrendering their fleet would be giving up something they haven't much of anymore.  Peace terms keeping them down to a fourth rate power wouldn't have to be so harsh as with the Germans.  Anyway that's my opinion and I'm stuck with it until we see what really happens.

          I'm very happy to hear all is quiet and serene on the home front.  Keep the home fires burning honey and don't let things get you down.

Loving you always,

Gil

Pharmacist Mate Gave Me a Rub Down

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

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

Wednesday 28 February 1945, 10:15 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Hello my darling, did you sleep well last night?  It was past 2:00 AM when I finally turned in last night and I slept like a log until 8:45 this morning.

          I stayed up because the doctor was operating and there was a chance that he'd want me to give the patient ether.  However the spinal worked perfectly and I didn't have a thing to do but catch up on my correspondence.  I wrote notes to both mothers, Deb and Dave (swell news, eh!), Ethyl and Libby.

          Saw a couple of patients this morning and then worked up the wardroom statement for the month.  Hope to have it balanced and completed by tomorrow night.

          My heat rash is much better, but I got about 45 minutes of sun just the same.  I'm going to get rid of it and try to continue with the same treatment because it does come back.

          I didn't get to censor any mail yesterday because I was busy doing other things.  So I had twice as much to censor today.  I spent from 4:00 to 5:15 this afternoon on that.  Then I showered and dressed for dinner.

          The movie tonight was very good. It was "The Woman of the Year" with Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn and Fay Bainter.  You should see it if you haven't.  I know you'd enjoy it.

          I've had a sore back all day and thought my kidneys were bothering me.  Well a few minutes ago I got the doctor to take a look.  It was just a tight muscle.  He got one of our pharmacist mates to give me a good rub down and it feels much better already.

          There was no mail today, not even a magazine, but who am I to complain.  After getting seventeen letters in two days I really shouldn't expect anything, but just the same I'll be disappointed if I don't get a letter from you tomorrow.

          Well, Sweetheart, that is thirty for today.  I love you and miss you more each day.  Wonder if we'll ever catch up with all that we've missed.  Well we'll try and have fun doing it.

Yours always

Gil

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

Glen Arnold Was Wounded on the German-Belgium Line

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

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

Sunday 18 February 1945, 7:20 PM

My Dearest,

          I must have been feeling pretty high last night when I wrote to you.  Can't remember much about what I said. Just remember writing.

          Today has been an interesting day.  I didn't have any regular appointments but was kept busy all morning and for an hour this afternoon with emergency cases from other ships.

          I had a visitor, a dental officer whom I hadn't met before.  He is stationed nearby and we discussed several problem cases that he has.  He is sending me a couple of patients that stump him.  I showed him around the ship and invited him to stay for lunch.  I'm planning to look him up in the near future.

          We have a couple of appendectomies to do tonight and the doctor has asked me to stand by to give ether on the second one if the spinal doesn't work.

          Do you remember the Arnolds, patients of mine?  I made a call at their home once in Venice and you were in the car.  They have two tow-headed boys if you recall.  Well I got a nice card and the enclosed letter from them today. I thought you'd be interested in reading it.

          Got some more heat rash and so have been sunning myself some more.   I hope I get rid of the darn stuff soon.

          The war news certainly sounds good in both theaters and the Japs will catch plenty more hell before this is all over.

          Nothing more for now Honey.  I still am looking for mail of February 4 through 7 inclusive.  Hope it comes tomorrow.

          Night Sweet until tomorrow.

Love,

Gil

Letter From Mrs.Eileen Arnold whose husband Glen was wounded on the German-Belgium Line.

Heat Rash

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

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

Monday 29 January 1945, 7:15 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Hello darling, here I am again.  Had quite a busy morning and wasn't through with work until after eleven.  Then I went to my room and read until lunch time.

          I broke out with heat rash so after lunch I went up of the poop deck, stripped down and got the sun for a half hour.  Sunshine seems to be the best remedy for this type of rash.

          Then back to my office for more work.  I was all cleared up by 3:00 PM so I had a coke for a little refresher and censored some mail.  By then it was four o'clock so I stripped down to my skivvies (shorts to you) and worked on a jigsaw puzzle until it was time to shower and dress for dinner.

          After eating a few of us stood out on the bridge deck enjoying the cool refreshing ocean breeze.  And so here I am.

          There was only one letter.  It was from Ambie.  He is en route to San Francisco and promised to phone you when he gets there.  He seems to be feeling very well. No doubt the fact that he is returning to the states has helped him a lot.

          The movie last night, "Belle of the Yukon," had lots of stars and possibilities, but it was only fair.  Tonight we have Merle Oberon and Franchot Tone in "Dark Waters" and I do hope it's good.  The story was run in the Post magazine recently.

          Nothing that is new, Sweet, so I'm going to sign off.  Good night, I'll see you in my dreams.

Love,

Gil

Bitch of a Day

 

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

          U.S.S. Ocelot, F.P.O. San Francisco
            Thursday 7 December 1944, 7:40 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Well, here I be again.  The movie last night "Are Husbands Necessary" was good but old.  So old that though we both had seen it I couldn't remember a thing about it.  It starred Betty Fields and Ray Milland and was about the dumb but cute young wife and her husband, a bank second vice president and the troubles the wife got the worse half into.

          Today the mail brought that crossword puzzle book and some literature from the medical department.  I haven't done a puzzle in months but I know it'll be fun.

          This has been a bitch of a day.  Saw eleven patients.  Four from one ship, two from another and one from a third.  The remaining four were ship's company.  When I got through I had done eleven fillings, two extractions, two prophys and three treatments.  I finished at 3:00 PM and then censored some mail.  Then I played checkers from four till five at which time I showered, shaved and changed for dinner.  You know I'm mess treasurer and I've got it figured now so that our food bill should only run about fifty cents a day.  Nobody believes me but they will when they see the statement at the end of the month.  I can't explain how I'm doing this without divulging censorable facts.

          After dinner we stood around on the bridge and talked for almost an hour.  I remarked this evening that the heat didn't seem to worry me anymore and we all decided we were just getting acclimated.  Still sick bay is full with "cat fever," several pneumonias and many ambulatory heat rash patients.  So far no complaints from me.  Thank goodness.

          Darling do you remember how I got sick before taking my physical and doped myself up to pass without having to go back?  Well, I'm disgustingly healthy even out here and believe me some of the young bucks are always complaining about something.

          Good night Darling.  I don't know what the movie is, but I'm going anyway.  I love you, I love you, I do. Kisses and hugs galore to my two Darlings and my Sweet.

 

Love,

Gil