Poured Ether

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

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

Tuesday 27 February 1945, 11:05 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Hello Honey, here I am again.  Began today as usual with work and was hard at it all morning.  After lunch a few of us went over to the recreation island for a few beers.

          There is a grove cleared and picnic tables are scattered throughout.  Five of us sat down at one of the tables and played hearts all afternoon.  Whenever we were due for another round the highest score player bought the beer.  It was really a nice quiet restful afternoon.

          We got back to the ship just in time for dinner and after eating, low and behold there was another stack of mail for me on my bunk.  There were seven letters, four from you, one from Deb, one from Ethyl and one from Joe Orenstein writing for the B'nai B'rith.

          We had a double feature movie tonight.  One was "Vigilantes of  Dodge City" and the other was "Sergeant Mike."  The second feature had just begun when I was called down to sick bay.  The doctor was doing an appendectomy under spinal but the patient was so scared that he wanted me to pour ether.

          We just finished a few minutes ago and will be doing another one in about twenty or thirty minutes.

          Now to your letters. They at dated he 5th through the 17th and the 19th.  I don't know why you're afraid to buy more "G" bonds.  They are negotiable, redeemable at any bank and bear interest.  If you need money, it will always be available.

          You seem to be doing quite well with your teaching.  Two or three days a week should help take up the financial slack and also keep you busy.

          Don't do anything about a lot.  There will be plenty of time and lots later on and the prices won't be as high.  You just wait and see.

          So Ruth has Gus Loeb to gush over now.  My, my aren't you thrilled?  Gus is a swell guy and I hope he doesn't get stuck with Goldie.  He's pretty smart though so I won't worry about him.

          I've gotten many nice notes from patients.  They seem to miss me a hell of a lot more than some of my friends (?).

          Yes dear we can play back 33-1/3 as well as 78 RPM records.  Be sure they are cut deeper and play them back once on the regular turntable not the recording unit.  That should help to fix the groove better.

          Wish we were someplace where I could buy some of the things you ask for.  Outside of Navy, to all intents and purposes we could be in the middle of the Sahara.  There isn't a damn thing I can say good about this place and there certainly isn't anything to be purchased as a souvenir.  I'm still hoping those boxes will come through.

          Again I ask, send me the addresses of Sol and Art.  If they are on a ship I may be able to see them if they come out here.  I'm in a position where I can check on who is here.

          Send the salami but no "borsht" or "gefulte fish."  Some nice sardines or anchovies would be good or even some caviar.  See what I mean?  OK Honey, go to work.

          Well my time is up.  Do you remember when I'd go to the office at night and you'd wait for me first patiently and then not so patiently?  Well I promise to spend all my evenings with you.  No more night work for me once I'm back with my three girls--no mam.

          Good night sweetie, until tomorrow.

Love,

Gil


Recreation Island
 Mog Mog, Ulithi

Playing Hearts and drinking beer

Hearts all hearts plus the queen of spades too

Another game of Hearts

"Horse Ovaries" and Animules"

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

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

Saturday 24 February 1945, 7:15 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Hello Sweet, here I am again.  Today was just another day as usual.  Worked all morning and finished up at 11:25.  Went up to my room and washed up for lunch.  The mail brought five letters today, four from you and one from your mother.  Yours were marked 11 and 15, so 12, 13, and 14 are still due.

          After lunch I censored some mail and extracted a tooth. Then four of us went ashore to celebrate a birthday.  We had plenty to drink but returned all secure and put away a nice steak dinner.

          Last night's movie, "Experiment Perilous," was OK, see it.  Tonight we have "Enter Arsene Lupin" but I don't have much hope for it.

          This afternoon when I got back to the ship I found some more mail.  A package from you with "vitamin pills," American Weeklies, and Pictorial Reviews, a Journal of the Southern California Dental Society, Alumni Association Magazine and American Dental Association Bulletin made up my total bag.  Please don't send any more reading material except for books.  We have oodles of magazines, etc.  Also no more candy.  I now have two full boxes and the bulk of the "vitamin pills" you sent .How about some sardines, anchovies and other stuff suitable for "horse ovaries." Now your mail.

          As I've written before Marty sent me a program from the Center banquet.  I do hope Dave makes warrant officer but I'll believe it only when I see it.  I've heard enough about Mary and Willie and their troubles.  How about a new episode?      

          Ruth and Harry have no one to blame for Dick but themselves.  Leon is no model to hold up to any growing boy but I doubt that he had very much influence on Dick.  All I can say is yapity, yapity, yap, baloney!

          I see you got called to teach again.  With all these calls you should be able to get by without digging into our account much (I hope).

          I'm glad that Linda is through with her thumb sucking.  As a matter of fact, from your letters I gather that she has become quite a young lady.  Wish I could be there to see her and Norma and you too!!  Those pictures of the kids before the Xmas tree were swell though they could have been clearer.  But then who am I to complain.  I played back the recording you sent and had the same trouble as with the previous ones.  Please cut the records deeper and play them back before sending them.  Then the grooves will be more defined and the roll of the ship won't cause the playback arm to jump across the record and ruin it.

          You seem to have the impression that there is a naval base with all the refinements of civilization here.  Well there isn't.  Wish I could get you some hose, but all I could get would be men's cotton ones and I don't think you'd wear them.  The same goes for valentines, there just ain't no such animule.

          So honey I'd better sign off.  All this rattle and prattle probably doesn't make much sense but blame it on the drinks I had ashore.

          Bye, my darling, if you were here or I were there we'd sure have fun tonight.  See you in my dreams.

Love,

Gil

Letter from Dingey Gal

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

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

Saturday 10 February 1945, 7:00 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Still busy.  Worked all morning and placed twelve fillings and extracted one tooth.  This afternoon I completed eight more fillings so I guess  I earned my money today.

          No mail this morning but this afternoon I got the "Yearbook of Dentistry," the December Esquire, American Dental Association Journal and a package from you containing several Coronets and those party recordings.  Because of the slight motion of the ship, two of the recordings at normal speed were scratched and spoiled when the pick-up arm slipped across the face of the records.  In the future, any recordings you make should be at 33-1/3.  They are much easier to play back without messing them up.  Intend playing the good ones tonight after the movies.  If the officers like them I may request more.

          Remember the letter that disappeared?  Well it showed up today.  It was a nice note from this Dingey gal thanking me for writing her.  It'll probably be Xmas again before I get caught up enough to write her again.  I'll enclose her note in tomorrow's letter.  It is in my room.  I want this to go off in the morning if possible.

          Nothing new, different or exciting out here.  I've been sunning myself at noon daily and should have a nice tan soon.  Tomorrow if nothing comes up I'll go ashore for a little refreshment.

          Darling, do you remember how much pleasure we got out of our records and movies on Wednesday nights?  I was reading a Radio News magazine and it seems that television is a certainty after the war and the receivers will be a great improvement on pre-war sets.  Are you thinking what I'm thinking? OK we'll get one.

          The movie tonight is "Sunday Dinner for a Soldier" and hasn't been shown out here yet, so it hasn't been rated.  Hope it's good.

          That is all for tonight darling.  Good night and pleasant dreams. I love you.

Always yours,

Gil

P.S.    Going up to my room so I'll enclose the above mentioned note.

Aboard Ship A Quart of Whiskey Sold for $36.00

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

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

Monday 25 December 1944, 9:30 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          After the movie last night, "Kismet" with Ronald Colman and Marlene Dietrich I went to my room and finished "Strange Fruit."  There were several parties on board but with you so far away I really had nothing to celebrate.  So I went to bed early and awoke without a headache which is more than most of the officers did.

          Just had juice and coffee for breakfast.  This being Xmas I didn't keep any office hours.  By various and devious methods I got two quarts of grain alcohol and spiked the egg nog for dinner.  The drink was so good that no one knew anything was in it until afterwards.  The captain and the exec had one each and still don't know it was spiked.  Further, just before dinner, I called all the corpsmen and a few officers.  I gave each a shot. I bought the stuff in Pearl. Is it valuable!  Right on our ship a quart of whiskey sold for $36.00.  I was tempted to sell the three pints I had. However I preferred using a quart as I did today and save the rest for New Year's Eve.  What is money anyway?  I'm enclosing the menu and it was really good.  All the food was set out buffet style, and we ate all we could hold.

          Spent the afternoon resting, reading and weaving.  I'm going to make identical bracelets for you and our girls.  At least I started something but I won't know until I'm further along.  Anyway, we'll see.

          For supper tonight we just had cold cuts of turkey and ham left over with the necessary trimmings, but who could eat? 

          After eating we had a good, old fashioned song fest.  And when movie time came they just wouldn't stop singing until the captain came down to see the picture.  The movie was a riot.  It was the "Dough Girls" with Ann Sheridan, Alexis Smith and Jane Wynn.  It is one of the most hilarious pictures we've seen and was just the thing to cap Xmas for men away from home. 

          No mail today so I have little more to add.  Dear, do you remember how in past Xmas nights, the whole family came over for a drink, to view of our tree and to see our two darlings.  Next year business as usual for the Steingarts.

          Dr. Bushyager got a recording from home and I can hear him playing it now.  His wife and little girl (five or six) both send him love.  I don't know why you had trouble sending me recordings.  A package with odds and ends can be sent and no one knows the difference.  One thing, pack everything well, you should see how the packages look when they arrive.  Most of them are marked and many have the contents falling out.

          Good night darling, how I would love to hold you in my arms and just kiss you once.  Once?  Well that would be a good place to start, wouldn't it?

Impatiently

Gil

                                                Xmas Dinner Menu

 

 Autographs on Back of Menu

 

All Patients Are the Same When They Are On the Mend

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

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

Thursday 14 December 1944, 8:30 PM

Dearest Eleanor,

          Just came down from the early movie.  I don't know when I've enjoyed anything so much.  It was "Casanova Brown" with Gary Cooper, Theresa Wright, Frank Morgan and Anita Louise.  You must see it.  I'll not spoil it by telling you about it.

          No mail today, just the regular routine.  Saw a few patients in the morning, three off another ship and an additional one this afternoon.

          We've worked out something different for our Xmas menu.  I'll send it along to you as soon as they're run.  By the way, enclosed is an additional bit of humor.  Save it.

          I've been catching up on my mail.  Wrote Libby, the Bergmans, Ruth and your mother, Ethyl and Ward Gilman.  Will do another stack tonight and in a couple of days maybe I'll be all caught up.

          Ambie is feeling better.  All patients are the same when they are on the mend.  Complaints galore, but no sympathy from anyone.

          Just for lack of something different to do, I'm going to raise a mustache and a goatee, get a picture taken and zip it off again.

          Dear, get Dave to buy a roll of 35 mm film for a miniature camera (black and white) and air mail it to me.  Also if it is possible to make recordings of some of our party records I could sure use them. One disc recorded at 33-1/3 speed should accommodate five or six records.  Try it and see what you can do.

          Darling, do you remember Linda's first Xmas?  She really didn't know what it was about but we did.  After the war we'll do as before and enjoy all events to the fullest.

          Good night my love, my sweet, how I wish you were here of I was there.  Gimme a kiss!  Another! Let's go to bed.

Love,

Gil

Ocelot Being Outfitted With Communications Equipment for Role as Flagship

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

          U.S.S. Ocelot, F.P.O. San Francisco
           Friday 22 September 1944, 10:00 PM

Hello Sweetheart,

          Just got back from liberty and now for our little visit.  Nothing important this morning until mail call.  Got a letter from you and a home recording from Dave, but I haven't been able to play it back yet.  Hope I can tomorrow.  After lunch the exec and I went on liberty together.  We sat around and drank all afternoon and then went to the beach for dinner.  After dinner we played some miniature golf and got a ride back to the ship with some marine flyers. And here I am.

          I wish I could take you to the dance at the "G's" but--well why say it?  However dear, when this is over there'll be many dances. We always have and we always will go again together.

          Yes dear I am sorry to say the Ocelot "ain't" what she used to be and I won't be home for some time.  What is the $29 storage bill for? You didn't explain.  If you have anything you wish to send me send it on.

          Certainly you are going to Chicago with me.  You didn't think I'd come home just to leave again.  Silly girl! And Grand Canyon is our first stop.

          Last night I wrote to the Aranoffs and the Bergmans. So two more off my list.  And as far as Leon is concerned, he is right, but I wouldn't worry.  Everything will be all right.   

          Nothing more for now Sweet but I'll be with you again in the morning.  Good night and sleep tight.

Saturday 8:15 AM

          Good morning darling.  Just had my juice and coffee and now for a few more minutes together.  Just you and I.  I had hoped for some-thing in the morning mail but no such luck.  I'm sure there'll be some letters this PM.  I hope you slept well, that our girls were good and also slept well.  Gee, even to be awakened at night just to cover Linda or Norma would be fun.

          I have a pretty heavy program scheduled today.  About five patients this morning and a couple this afternoon.  That with some non professional duties should keep me busy today.

          You should be well on your way to being settled by the time you read this note.  Hope you haven't worn yourself all to a frazzle but I know how you are when you begin cleaning and straightening.  Maybe you've learned by now.

          Dear, do you remember the Coconut Grove and Freddie Martin, how we loved dancing to his music?  Well Sweet, after this war it's you and I at the Biltmore, Ambassador, Slapsy Maxie's etc, etc.

          Goodbye for now.  Will be with you tonight and who said I like to sleep alone?

Loving you always

Gil