29 MARCH 1945
U S S PRAIRIE
DEAR POP,
I JUST WROTE A FOUR PAGE LETTER TO MARY. THOUGH IT'S TRUE I HAVEN'T WRITTEN ANYONE FOR SOME TIME, SHE HADN'T HEARD FROM ME FOR THE LONGEST, SO OUT OF A GUILTY CONSCIENCE I HAD TO MAKE HER A SPECIAL CASE.
AS I TOLD HER, THE PRAIRIE HAD QUITE A BIT OF EXCITEMENT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THIS AFTERNOON I (AND THE REST OF THE SHIP) BEHELD MY FIRST WOMEN IN ELEVEN AND A HALF MONTHS. IT WAS QUITE A SIGHT TO SEE ALL HANDS AT THE RAIL, OFFICERS AND MEN ALIKE, TRYING TO CATCH A GLIMPSE OF REAL LIVE WOMEN-AMERICAN WOMEN. THEN THIS EVENING AS A SPECIAL TREAT WE HAD ENTERTAINMENT BY CLAUDE THORNHILL- HE WAS ONCE A BIG NAME BAND LEADER- TIDI MARY AND I HAVE A FEW OF HIS RECORDS. AND WITH HIM WERE SEVERAL STARS. JACK COOPER (WHO FLUNKED OUT OF V-12) TOMMY RIGGS YOU KNOW, BETTY LOU, AND DENNIS DAY FORMERLY SINGER WITH JACK BENNY. THEY WERE ALL NAVY PERSONEL. THORNHILL HAD BEEN ON BOARD BEFORE AND I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO SIT BEHIND HIM AND TALK WITH HIM A FEW SECONDS. I PROBABLY MENTIONED THAT SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. TOM TONIGHT I WASN'T SO FORTUNATE AND MISSED THE GREATER PART OF THE SHOW. I WAS WORKING IN THE SHACK AND DIDN'T GET RELEIVED UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE TO SQUEEZE INTO THE FORWARD MESS HALL.
SAY, WHATS THIS I HEAR ABOUT VEEN AND YOU HAVING A "BIG NIGHT". IN ONE OF HER LETTERS SHE MENTIONED THAT ONE SATURDAY EVENING YOU AND SHE STEPPED OUT AND THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY YOU HAD SUPPER AT THE CLASSY 11/3 WEBB RESTAURANT. THAT'S ALL SHE SAID AND I'M STILL WAITING TO HEAR THE DETAILS. THE LETTERS WITH THE DETAILS ARE PROBABLY AMONG THE STACK THAT ARE MISSING OR JUST TRAVELING THE WORLD OVER BEFORE COMING TO REST WITH THEIR PROPER OWNER.
I HAVEN'T TOUCHED MY HORN FOR OVER A MONTH. THERE HAVE BEEN LOTS OF WORKING PARTIES LATELY AND THE BAND SEEMS TO TAKE THE BRUNT OF THE 4TH DIVISIONS WORK BECAUSE THE REST OF US STAND REGULAR WATCHES. SO THE BAND HAS SECURED FOR A WHILE. I THINK I'D BETTER GO BACK TO THE BAND ROOM AND CHECK UP ON MY HORN THOUGH. IT'LL PROBABLY BE IN QUITE A SHAPE AFTER ALL THIS TIME AND IN THIS HEAT.
POP, IF THE BANKING BUBSINESS GETS TOO TOUGH FOR YOU MAYBE LOMMY'LL LET YOU HIRE AS DOORMAN FOR HIS HOTEL IN FLORIDA.
SAY, I HAVEN'T WRITTEN TO MOM AT AUNT GERTRUDES BECAUSE I STILL DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT SHE IS STILL THERE. SHE HAD MENTIONED RETURNING TO CLEVELAND SOME TIME IN MARCH AND GAVE NO DEFINATE DATE SO I JUST STOPPED WRITING TO FLORIDA. IF WAS MY FAULT I JUST DIDN'T PAY CLOSE ENOUGH ATTENTION. IF SHE HAS COME HOME I'LL ADDRESS MY LETTERS IN THE USUAL OLD WAY- "DEAR FAMILY".
I READ "ONE WORLD" AGAIN THIS WEEK. THAT WOULD MAKE A DANDY TEXT FOR HISTORY CLASSES IN CONNECTION WITH THIS ERA AND "INSIDE EUROPE," A HISTORY TEXT IN CLASS BACK IN KISKI. YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED TO KNOW THAT YOU INSPIRED MR DANSONS INSTRUCTING US TO READ IT, THAT AFTERNOON YOU TAUGHT SCHOOL AND MADE SUCH A HIT WITH EVERYONE.
I CERTAINLY ENJOY THOSE TIME MAGAZINES. I MIGHT ADD THEY ARE TREASURES. I LEND TO MY FRIENDS BUT ONLY WITH THE GUARANTEE THAT I GET THEM BACK. I LIKE TO SAVE THEM FOR REFERENCE. IT MUST REALLY BE NIFTY TO BE A CORRESPONDENT OR REPORTER. OF COURSE NOTHING LIKE THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN TO ME, I'D PROBABLY END UP WRITING CLASSIFIEDS FOR SOME HICK NEWSPAPER OR ONE HS.WK (SHOWS OK? OR CHILDN - OLD PAY OR FR TO AND PM WORK. IT'S IN THE CLASSIFIEDS THAT ONE LEARNS THE ART OF ABBREVIATED ABBREVIATIONS.
I'VE SEEN CLOSE TO THREE HUNDRED MOVIES SINCE LEAVING THE STATES (ALMOST ONE EVERY NIGHT-THAT IS WHEN WE GET TO SEE THEM ALL 'GOING MY WAY' 'THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU' 'TWO GIRLS AND A SAILOR' AND MOST RECENTLY "MUSIC FOR MILLIONS' STAND OUT. THE LATTER WAS AQUARD A COUPLE NIGHTS AGO AND I ENJOYED THE MUSIC SO VERY MUCH. ALMOST FELT AS IF I WERE AT SEVERANCE HALL LISTENING TO A CONCERT. (ONLY THE DECK ISN'T QUITE LIKE THE CHAIRS AT SEVERANCE HALL) I'M WATCHING FOR 'WINGED VICTORY' AND 'KEYS OF THE KINGDOM' HAVING READ AND ENJOYED KEYS SO MUCH.
WELL, POP, I WANT TO WRITE TO VEEN TONIGHT, SO I HAD BETTER SIGN OFF THIS MASS OF RAMBLING.
LOTS OF LOVE,
Bud
P.S. Did my money order arrive?