[Note: Letter is typed in all capitals throughout, maintaining Bud's original spelling, punctuation, and formatting exactly as written]
4 APRIL 1945
U S S PRAIRIE
DEAR DAD,
RECEIVED YOUR LETTER OF 18 MARCH AND ALSO THE NOTE ACKNOWLEDGING RECEIPT OF THE MONEY ORDERS. IT WAS QUITE INTERESTING HEARING ABOUT THE TRIP TO NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON NOT ONLY FROM YOURSELF BUT FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNICANT WHO TOOK TIME OUT FROM A HAPPY MARRIED LIFE TO ADD A FEW PLEASUREABLE LINES OF MORALE BOOSTING, IN A SWEET CORRESPONDENCE OF HER OWN.
I WOULD SAY, OFF HAND, THAT MR DEWITT HAS QUITE A THREAT TO HIS HOTEL CLEVELAND AND OTHERS IN THE NEW ENTERPRISE BEING SET UP BY E.L. LOMMOSSAN AND CO. I AM STILL IN THE DARK AS TO WHAT KIND OR TYPE OF HOTEL HE HAS INVESTED IN. ARE THEY REGULAR YEARIN YEAR OUT HOTELS, OR THE RESORT STYLE? IF YOU PLAN TO BE PARKING LOT ATTENDANT, I THINK I WILL SET UP AN HAMBURG STAND AND ICE CREAM BAR NEXT DOOR AND OFFER A LITTLE SERIOUS COMPETITION. NATURALY I'LL HIRE AS SPECIAL BEAN COOKER AUNT MYRTLE AND DURING YOUR OFF HOURS, YOU COULD WORK OUT YOUR SPECIAL TASTE FOR ONION COMBINATIONS- WITH CRACKERS AND CHEESE. OF COURSE, ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS YOU WOULD ALSO HAVE COMPLETE CHARGE DE' AFFAIRS WHEN THE MENU CALLS FOR LOBSTER OR OYSTER SOUP.
MOTHER HAS EVERY RIGHT TO BE ANGRY WITH ME. I HAVE NOT WRITTEN HER FOR A VERY LONG TIME, BUT I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT SHE HAD RETURNED TO CLEVELAND SOMETIME IN MARCH- THAT IS, UNTILL YOUR LATEST COMMUNIQUE INFORMED ME OF HER PLANS TO STAY ON AT CORAL GABLES 'TILL APRIL 18.
THE CHECKER GAMES STILL GO ON AND ON, BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN AS ENTHUSIASTIC LATELY. THE REST OF THE BOYS ARE STILL AT IT IN A BIG WAY AND I HEAR SOME OF THE COMPETITION IS PRETTY RUGGED. MY TEXAN FREIND HAS BEEN FORCED TO TAKE SECOND PLACE AMONG THE PLAYERS, SINCE THE ADVENT OF A LITTLE SEAMAN STRIKER FROM MARQUETE MICHIGAN WHO BLOWS US ALL DOWN. I MANAGE TO HOLD A FAIRLY SAFE THIRD SPOT, BUT UNLESS I RETURN TO THE OLD ENTHUSIASM I WILL BE PLACED ON RETIREMENT LIST. AT THE RATE THESE BOYS PLAY, IF ONE DOESN'T KEEP PLAYING JUST AS OFTEN, HE GETS WAY BEHINE, AND AT PRESENT MY SPECIAL OBLIGATION TO MYSELF IS TO SEE THAT I DO NOT FALL AT THE WAYSIDE. I FEEL QUALIFIED ENOUGH TO SAY THAT NOW I COULD OFFER MY FATHER SOME TOUGH COMPETITOON. A FEW GAMES BY THE FIRE UP IN GOOD OLD TEMAG WOULD SURE HIT IT OFF JUST NOW, EH?
YES, I SAW CASANOVA BROWN ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO. IT WAS FAIRLY ENJOYABLE. LAST NIGHT I SAW 'A SONG TO REMEMBER' - THE LIFE STORY OF F. CHOPIN. IT WAS SUPERB ACTING AND EXCEPTIONAL MUSIC FOR A HOLLYWOOD STORY-ALL BY F. CHOPIN OF COURSE BUT ENOUGH TO GIVE TRUE MUSIC LOVERS THEIR MONEYS WORTH. THIS EVENING I SAW 'THREE CABALLEROS' THE WALT DISNEY GOOD WILL MOVIE STARRING DONALD DUCK, JOSE CARIOCA AND PANCHITO. IN SPOTS IT WAS REALLY AMUSING, AND THE BATHING BEACH SCENES WHERE DONALD FLIRTS WITH THE BEAUTIFUL LATIN BELLES KEPT MOST OF US HUNGRY MALES DROOLING. IT HURT TO HAVE TO WATCH SOME OF EXAGGERATED COLOR SEQUENCES, THOUGH.
IF YOU DO SEE MR. CLARK, TELL HIM I THINK OF KISKI MORE THAN JUST OCCASIONALY. THE OLD PLACE WILL ALWAYS HOLD PRETTY FIRM GRIP ON MY FAVORITE MEMORIES.
I READ AN ARTICLE BY ERNIE PYLE TONIGHT ABOUT SAILORS. NO WONDER HE WAS THE FAVORITE OF EVERY G. I. IN EUROPE, HE KNOW S EXACTLY WHAT THE ENLISTED MAN THINKS, WANTS AND A GREAT DEAL OF HIS ORDINARY LIFE. HE HIT THE NAIL SQUARELY ON THE HEAD AND EVERY MAN WHO HAS READ THE ARTICLE AGREES THAT HE IS RIGHT TO THE HILT. HE SAID THAT SAILORS LIVE BETTER THAN ANY OTHER BRANCH OF THE SERVICE, WE DO- WE HAVE OUR ICE CREAM, GOOD CHOW AND REGULAR, OWN LAUNDRY (SMALLER SHIPS LACK THIS) MOVIES. BUT WHAT HE SAID THAT STRUCK THE MOST IMPORTANT NOTE WAS THAT THE SAILORS LIFE IS A MISERABLY MONOTONOUS LIFE. WHERE A YEAR OF SEEING NOTHING BUT FLAT HOT, SANDY, STINKING ATOLLS AND WATER COMPARES WITH MAYBE THREE YEARS OF A SOLDIERS LIFE A SAILOR IS CONFINED 365 DAYS A YEAR TO SAY,500 BY 60 FEET- THE SAME FACES, SAME OCEAN DAY AFTER DAY UNTIL HIS RESTLESSNESS SENDS HIM BERSERK- WE CALL IT ASIATIC. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME ANYBODY HAD ACTUALLY DISCOVERED THE SAILOR.
I'M BACK ON ANOTHER READING BINGE. HAVE LOCATED SOME FINE BOOKS IN THE SHIPS LIBRARY, THE LATES OF WHICH IS A 'FARWELL TO ARMS'- HEMINGWAY. FOUND THE FIRST PART OF LEES LEUTENANTS TOO BUT DECIDED NOT TO GET ABSORBED IN THAT CAUSE I'D NEVER FINISH IT BY V- DAY.
HARRIET ANN SEEMED TO REVEL IN THE FACT THAT SHE MANEUVERED LOMMY INTO MARRIED LIFE AND MADE HIM LIKE IT-MUCH TO THE SURPRISE OF ONE OF HIS OLD BACHELOR CRONIES. ITSEEMS TO ME THAT THE LOOKS OF THE FAMILY NOW RESIDING IN BLOOMINGTON, WOULD DECIDE TO NAIL HERSELF A MAN. HER DESIRE FOR NOTHING BUT SIX FOOTERS SEEMS A BIT FOOLISH TO ME- SIX FEET IS WHAT THEY GIVE YOU WHEN THEY BURY YOU. MAYBE SHES A BIT DOUBTFUL OF THE PRESENT CROP AND IS AFTER SOME RETURNING DRAFTEE. MAYBE I SHOUDN'T WORRY- BUT IF MY SISTERS DONT HURRY I'LL NEVER HAVE THE HONORED COUSTOM OF TELLING MY CHERUBIC NEPHEWS WILD SEA STORIES- THAT ONLY AN SALTY UNCLE IS PERMITTED.
THIS IS BEGINNING TO DEVELOP INTO BOOK FORM AND MY SCOTCH BLOOD TELLS ME THAT IF I GO ANOTHER PAGE I'LL ALSO HAVE TO GO TWELVE CENTS ON POSTAGE- AND THAT WON'T DO. SO UNTILL THE URGE TO BLAB ON AN' ON AGAIN STRIKES THIS PACIFIC CORRESPONDENT, PLEASE BE GOOD AND DONT LET THE EFFECTS OF THIS PROLONGED HERMITAGE HAVE ANY FATAL RESULTS UPON YOUR FAITHFUL 98 CENTS WORTH OF GOO- MOMA WILL BE BACK SOON.
LOTS OF LOVE, DAD,
Bud