Description
320 Navy #3247 (Mil. Govt) FPO San Francisco Friday 7 September 1945 8 pm My dearest darling, In answer to your question, I think I will be able to get home for good after I finish out my eighteen months, but it's hard to tell now that (apparently) all language personnel, both Army and Navy, are being used in Japan. Tel, as I may have mentioned, is afraid that when he leaves here some 3 weeks from now he may be sent directly out again from Hawaii without any leave at all, even though he's been overseas 20 months or more: his brother-in-law, Addie Parker, was recalled from the States halfway through his 30 (or rather 26) days. I should think that it depends a lot on my being here another 2-4 months, and that if I am I may not be sent to Japan. But in that connection I'm still looking to hear what's happened to the Boulder men at CASA, for none of the men who have just arrived here knows any of them. My point score under the current setup, including the additional ¼ points per [pg 2] month for overseas service, will be as follows as of September 24th- Dependency credit 10 Age x ½ 16 Months in the Navy x ½ 16 ½ Months overseas x ¼ 3 45 ½ Total required for discharge of officer 49 Still to go 3 ½ At the rate of ¾ point per month, it will take me 5 months or until February 24th to gain a total of 49 points. Normally, officers with a total of 46 ½ points may not (i.e., forbidden) be sent overseas now if they are in the States, but I doubt that such a provision would hold for language personnel. If it does, I could not be shipped out of the States, once there, after November 24th (providing that the points gained between Sept. 2nd and [pg 3] that date are counted.) Tel and I were informed today that Lt. Lowe (rimes with ‘how’) will take over when he leaves as head of the Department of Education and Religion, a setup which may be similar to that which prevailed when Arthur Smith was head of the Department of Education and Welfare. Whether I am to remain Asst. Ed. and Religion Officer or will salvage the title of Education Officer, handling just the school, has not yet been stated and probably won't be for a couple of weeks. Naturally I am disappointed, but from what I have seen of Lt. Lowe this far I expect to find him agreeable and possibly fun to work with. He is a professional educator whose most recent experience was as president of Sioux Falls College, a small (about 250) coed school in one of the Dakotas. He is small town but not objectionably so and seems to have good ideas: for one thing, he wants me to think about making a movie [pg 4] of the school and of the camp in general, a project which I should love. That would not be possible for some weeks, of course, until we have settled down to a steadier routine. I am persuaded by now that as long as Tel is here with his strokes of genius and driving inefficiency we will have to continue in the hectic fashion that we always have, because he is not one to relinquish his authority until the moment he leaves. You mustn't think that I feel any bitterness. Working with Tel has been a hard experience, but a good one. It will also be good to have it over with, principally because I can divert that portion of my energy which has necessarily been devoted to putting up a stoical front against being dominated into more satisfying activities. Just to keep the record clean, I should add that Tel was genuinely sorry to hear of the Captain's decision and assured me that he had recommended me as his successor. [pg 5] I know that he had, and also that yesterday Lt. Lowe was tentatively designated as Personnel Officer to replace Arthur. Then the question arose of what to do with Harper's relief, since the Labor Office is being incorporated into Camp Administration when he leaves; after interviewing him, the Captain decided they had better use him as Personnel Officer and use Lowe in educational work. It was a reasonable decision which I cannot find room to quarrel with except in the sphere of my own personal hopes. I am even a little relieved, because with someone else in the office it will be less difficult for me to get out of here when the time comes. The school is not a job that you can break your successor in for in a few days. Not much mail in the past few days (one letter from you since I left for Saipan); today for the first time I was almost the only one not to get any. But perhaps [pg 6] tomorrow there'll be a landslide. #374 - Laugh, I nearly died, even while making a wry face, at the image of Wendy coming in with her offering of fruits of the boulevard - you certainly have your problems, darling, and I can well imagine what a handful she is to manage. I'll just love taking over some of that job from you - or sharing it with you. I was so pleased to hear that the thought of re-reading Chaucer had occurred to you before I wrote to ask for it - I remembered your saying that you liked The Canterbury Tales. #375 - Please ask Wendy to hold up the most scrumptious big Raggedy Ann to Daddy's picture for him to see! Incidentally, darling, I think it might be fun if I could arrange to arrive home from San Francisco dressed in whites (depending on the weather and whether [pg 7] it's done at the time of year), because that's how Wendy knows me and it might help her to associate me with the picture. What do you think? You might check to see that everything is there, including shoes and socks, gold buttons (count each kind) and jg shoulderboards. I have a pair of the latter here and will keep them anyhow for my tropical, whether or not I discard my khaki blouse when the grays arrive. I'm glad you get your permanink, Sweetie (pitcher, please?) - Pooh pooh on you for being surprised at liking Precious Bane after I had recommended it. Thank you, Darling, for taking care of the watch. I'll be looking for it in a few weeks, and meanwhile for an acknowledging letter from the company. Still the B29s fly over in droves (not as regularly as they used to, but perhaps [pg 8] twice a week now), all with “PW Supplies” painted in large black letters under each wing. They are a beautiful sight, in formation of 30 to 40 such as the one that flew over the school today. #377 Shall I stop sending the daily island paper, or do you find it sufficiently newsworthy to want to keep getting it? I'll continue, of course, with the weekly Churo Chronicle, and wish you’d save those. Darling, you’re so sweet - every time you do get a Special when mail has been scant, or when I happen to produce when you most need it, you overlook all the times I don't and say “so you see you really did me proud - as always, darling.” Such words are as music to my ears. Time to fix my ear now - yup, I've got some more fungus, but no abscess this time, and should get rid of it quickly. Lots of letters tomorrow, please? I love you, darling Warren Yes, I wouldn't be surprised if Chuck did leave unexpectedly, I'm very sorry to have missed him.
