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#78 Wed. 20 December 7 pm Hi, Sweetie- I'm still pleasantly foggy - at least, it was very pleasant, and now it's more foggy or just plain sleepy - from two substantial drinks concocted before supper by Tom Hershey (Doctor, U.S. Public Health Service: same uniform and folderol as the Navy) out of what's described in published analysis of whiskies as “neutral spirits” (grain or ethyl alcohol) plus [C?ce], lemon juice out of a bottle but real, maraschinos and chopped ice. The first mixed drinks I've had since Hawaii, they were very tasty. On the whole I don't miss drinking, but do feel like it often enough to welcome the fact that we've just established an officer's club amongst ourselves and will have been shortly, other liquor later under its auspice members pay $20 a share plus - temporarily- monthly dues of $2. That furnishes enough Capital to buy the necessary liquor, especially if we combine with some other outfit in placing an order for it. We pay for each drink as we buy it, of course, and later on upon leaving can redeem the $20 or even more, depending upon what the share is worth at the time. Once a liquor mess is established it usually costs more to buy a membership say $30 or $40. The next time I go out from Hawaii I'm going to take as much liquor with me as I can afford to buy. Reason - it's the only medium of exchange (including money, in other than absurdly large amounts) with which [pg 2] you can get such items as Jap flags, [sa?ers], etc. - occasionally even a kimono. The former and the last are what I'm principally interested in getting, though as I write I think of Ehrenburg's masterful characterizations of German greed in souvenir hunting and feel slightly shamed. Only slightly; we didn't start this war - but of course the simplest rationalization is that the Marines get everything they can lay their hands on before we get here, and I have no conscience about bargaining with them. As for the civilians who have managed to hide and keep some item of personal property until now, like the few kimono etc. that are in evidence in their plays or watches and fountain pens, I’d insist on their right to keep them as would everyone here, very few succeeded in doing so. 9 pm Zos and Tel Mook dropped in to chew the rag, then it is nearly bed time again. No mail today - but yesterday I got four good letters and three large envelopes full of clippings from you. All were welcome - the clippings really are a boon, darling. I enjoy the cartoons and pass them along, but the ones which interest me most are the articles on Civil Affairs, B29s, Stalin's remark about Japan as an aggressor nation (that seemed to me most significant), Jack Belden, etc. Keep on sending ‘em, as long as you can afford the stamps! One [pg 3] suggestion - everybody who reads the news articles wants to know date and source; will you mark those when they’re not printed? Pictures of children in color, particularly if they interest you as pictures, are swell because I can pass them along to the kids at the orphanage. Darling, don't save things like Christmas cards until I get to Hawaii - it doesn't take so very much longer to reach me here, and here is the place to enjoy them. But use your own discretion. Yes, I'm glad now to have got out ahead of the rest of the men in my class - by the time they get overseas I'll be at least four months ahead of them. Don't know what they'll learn at Fort Ord, but certainly the experience gained at Columbia is worth little beside that out here. Two months was probably advantageous, but I really feel as though the school's full program would be more harmful than good. I'm thinking of all this for the moment from a working and not a personal standpoint - being home, etc. - but in the long run, from a personal standpoint too it's important to feel that you’re not engaged in something futile. There are a lot of small futilities about this existence and the work being accomplished, but the latter does make some sense. I'm not sure how truthfully that can be said of M.G. School. Anyhow, I do hope you see the men in my [pg 4] group - could you possibly have all over (10 or 12 with wives) some afternoon for sandwiches and coffee? The more of them you see, the better the chance of getting a message to me. That is, not a specific message so much as a description by them of how you are and what Wendy looks and acts like - all those little things I’d love to hear first hand from somebody even if you do write me all about them. You'll surely see the Eblings, anyhow, and the Bensons, probably the Whites. And I hope the Corrigans and the Falks. Some one of them ought to replace me or cross my path or something. I'm taking in all the delicious “Smell-‘s” and love it - the only one that really came thru strong, tho, was the one on that pad. (Still on back letters - #83) I sent the pajamas air mail two days ago, Sweetie - mentioned Mother's birthday in a note yesterday. That business about the stable man is most annoying and I can quite imagine how you feel toward him and toward Paula's indiscretion or lack of judgment. Try to use such little occurrences as a test of your own tact, honey, and never give in to yours fear of a possible situation. You can handle him. I haven't skipped anymore days since that spell of a week or so, two weeks back, when I was writing about every day and a half. I got in to that [then?] more or less [pg 5] unconsciously and have just as easily got back to catching the morning mail (the only one that goes out the same day). Lots more to write about, even apart from answering your four new letters, but there've been several interruptions since I started and it's 10:30 The only reason the lights are on is that the executive officer is playing poker! I think of you constantly, my darling, and now and then look up at your pictures before me with a twinkle in my eye, just to reassure you that the best way to survive this deal is to meet me with an answering twinkle whenever you can - here's to life and to our love: may they always augment each other as they do even now - Warren The other day while using my key ring I tried your college ring on the little finger of my right hand. It fit, and I decided just for fun to keep it on over Christmas.
