Description
344 Saturday 13 Oct. 8 pm On duty (but in my quarters) Darling, I spent, considering that Saturday is now a half day off, a rugged afternoon, though the latter part of it in most interesting fashion. After stripping to the waist and helping five of the Nisei boys sort out the four truckloads of clothing piled in the new suiji [whose?], sorting out the best stuff left after officers and those more qualified to wear khaki had fulfilled their needs (I picked up four shirts and 2 pants - guess I mentioned it before) for serving class and turning the rest over to Welfare for distribution in camp, I caught up with a group of young correspondents and officers over for a night from Saipan for the purpose of making folk song recordings. Two of the men in particular were fun, and I helped [pg 2] them round up some of the Okinawa players to sing accompanied by [samisen?] and [taiku?] (drum). They seemed like a very congenial group: the leader and recorder is a correspondent attached to the Coast Guard but is making the recordings as a hobby for the Library of Congress. The officers were of various civilian professions and interests: ornithology, anthropology and the like - and a former child actor named Dickie Moore who has made 151 pictures - but their common bond is an amateur interest in folk songs and ballads, including many which have come out of the war. Some of these they have also recorded, singing them themselves, for the Library of Congress and some day in Washington I should like to look them up and play them. They are recorded and cataloged for [pg 3] the sake of academic accuracy as well as pure amusement, at full strength: for instance, the title and all the words to “Fuck ‘Em All,” as well as to a more elaborate version of “The Ball of [Bula M?]” than the one I sent you (“Frickin in the parlor, frickin’ in the ricks, you couldna hear the music for…”) are represented intact. I missed a pleasant opportunity to get in on a good male sing by being on duty tonight. The spirit of the thing reminded me of our group in Boulder, and I shall take the address of some of the men in hopes of running across them again - such people are worth tucking away against a travel time opportunity. One of the men in question - the most stimulating - [pg 4] is from Hollywood, the other-pretty much of a youngster-is from N.Y. 91st St. I think some day we shall have to collect folk recordings in a small way - not for the sake of collecting, but for the delight of playing them, esp. as at Boulder parties. #415 (414 still missing; have the rest thru 419, and 421) Yes, I am eligible for a year's study with full tuition and academic exp. and $75 a mo. under the G.I. Bill of Rights without question; 3 years if I can make a case of interruption or delay in my education. I have complete particulars on the provisions of the bill. Don't know whether it would be worth getting just an M.F. in terms of college work, but it definitely would be for other schoolwork or civil service. In my letter to the State Dept. [pg 5] last night I asked how much bearing it would have on my getting a job there. I don't relish the idea of returning to Boulder for more than a summer session neither. I did, tho, consider its value from Wendy's standpoint. And as for us, of course we’d get to Denver more often. But Sweetie that's still lightly tentative. I too wish I could talk to you about it. I'm not discussing my exploratory correspondence in detail partly because it would be difficult to summarize it and partly because I'm really just getting well started and there's not enough to tell you. If we were together I’d love having you follow it with me; as it is, distance and the time element would tend to confuse and over-or-under-emphasize things. [pg 6] A little later on I may send you some correspondence for you to see and return, but not until I've more than very general replies. Of course 17.50 in Oct. and Nov. is all right - any way that's convenient for you. I was just a little disappointed- only a little because I knew it must be a mistake - about that 12 mos. promotion deal and its extra 50 bucks a month. I feel the same way as you do about the distinction between borrowing money and receiving gifts from M and F. M. is very sweet with all her idea [?istling]. Yes, working with Barry continues to be much better, though its easier than ever with Tel at a distance to credit him with the swell job he did here. Barry is intelligent - essentially simple and [pg 7] with lots of provincialism but he rises above them. Except for a degree of overtalkativeness and continuous bustling, he makes a very agreeable roommate and working associate. Rest of the Boulder men? - Yes, I have a letter at school from Will Ebling in which he asks many questions which I'm in the process of answering. I'll send you his letter and a copy of mine. He's in the Palaus as Intelligence Education Officer, I forget offhand where the other (apart from Benson and Corrigan on Truk) are but his letter mentions some of them. According to the revised time difference as duly entered in my address book under T for Tinian, 12 noon Jan. 1 here now equals 6 pm Dec. 31 San Francisco. In other words, to get my time from yours, [pg 8] add a day (both day of the week and date of course) and subtract 6 hours. The direct method is to add 18 hours to your time. The difference used to be 7 and 17 hours respectively, but your 1 pm has become 12 noon. I enjoyed your description, Sweetie, of how you felt as a child at setting-the-clock-back time. Fourteen folders? Yours to me (including those of the latter part of my stay in Washington) fill 2 black notebooks and 7/8 of a tin box. #416 - Okay, Sweetie, keep your end of things up for both of us and don't give up hop on my being home for Christmas. Personally I don't have it, but you never can tell, I guess - and I certainly won't miss an opportunity! [pg 9] #417 - answered last night #418 The foot locker for Wendy's personal use is a fine idea and I hope you can get one. Ask me later why it made me laugh. No, Sweetie, we don't have 60+ days’ leave coming - we used our year's quota in Boulder (3 times at 10 days’ each), and on leaving there were “authorized to delay until 28 March 1944 [from 16 March = 12 days less 2 days’ travel time = 10], such delay to count as leave” That subtracts (to 22 Dec.) 40 days from a 3 year total of 90, making it a possible 50 days. My orders from M.G. School to CinCPac say in code “Delrep seven days SanFran” : i.e., Delay of seven days authorized, but I don't know whether the official interpretation of that abbreviation means that the authorized delay is to count as leave. If so, our rock bottom count [pg 10] as of the end of this year would be 43 days. That was an ugly story about Simone, wasn't it? I don't see why it should be credited at all in view of the fact that Simone had been aching to get back to Belgium for a visit (as is only natural), and Jack would very naturally want to get overseas for at least a while. My jealous regards to the Mr. Comstock who held Wendy on his knee, Oh Boy! Yes, of course I got that delightful cable, Sweetie, and acknowledged it - are you still missing some letters? #419 - the fire letter, answered, but perhaps rather phlegmatically considering the potential danger. Well, I didn't feel phlegmatic about it lying in bed last night and dreaming up all sorts of horrible thoughts, finally getting up and shaking them off to return to a sleep full of only pleasant [pg 11] undercurrents of you. I needn't say ‘Do be careful, Sweetie,’ for I well know that you will. #421 - Have answered your question about Christmas, but there's something awfully sweet about knowing that you’re hoping regardless - you must gear yourself to the strong unlikelihood of it. Darling, but give it a special loving thought anyhow, just for me. About time for me to make my rounds in camp now I love you, precious Warren
