Sept. 3, 1944
S/Sgt B. Maurice Alm
A.S.N. 19060165
371 Bomb Sq. - 307 Bomb Gr. (H)
c/o Postmaster - A.P.O. 719
San Francisco, Calif.
Wakde, New Guinea
Dear May,
I see by your last two letters that you also have been doing some moving. If you keep it up you will have covered France about like I have covered the South Pacific.
It seemed good to receive two letters from you so close together. Now if I could just figure out some way to make that a habit everything would be O.K. Your second letter arrived two days before the other one and took only two weeks, and that is darn good service.
I have moved again since I wrote to you, and am now quite aways farther west but still on an Island. It is the smallest island I have ever been on, but I believe I like it here better. In the first place, this is the first time I have ever had my tent right on the beach, and here the high tide is only about six feet from the door. In fact night before last there was quite a wind with the tide and it wrecked our log sea wall out, and came right up to the tent. Consequently we spent a few hours yesterday building a new sea wall unit of logs and empty oil drums. There is almost always a nice breeze coming in, so our tent doesn't get too hot.
There is a good place to swim about 100 yards down the beach but I have only been in twice since we have been here.
Your landing in France must have been quite an experience. Much more exciting and also more serious than our moving to another Island. You were going into a new country with people who talked a strange language and had different customs. But also you were following up the fighting and seeing the wounded coming right off the front.
When I stop to think about it I guess I am lucky to be out here. It gets lonesome and monotonous, but at least we don't have anyone shooting at us. Also the few minor air raids we had didn't ammount [sic] to much. In my type of work over here we kind of get the impression we are just working and not fighting.
I got a big kick out of your description of how you got your new nickname [Buzzbomb]. I know about how you felt because I have done the same thing, and have also played the role of the major in your experience. It is serious at the time, but funny later.
My Independent [Chewelah newspaper] is still quite erratic. I only get part of them, and the ones I do get are about two months old.
Glad to hear that Doc is still planning on setting up in Chewelah, and hope you decide to come back there too. That part about your husband has got me to wondering Do you have any picked out, as a result of your Army contacts, or are you going to give all the Chewelah eligibles another chance?
I haven't heard from Marg [Hogan] and Jim [Kaiser] since a year ago last Christmas, but have been able to keep a fair check on them through your letters and an occassional [sic] one from Stell. Their place ought to make a good spot to either start or end one of our picnics, when we again get them in operation.
About one more week and it will be two years since I was home and saw you and the rest of the gang. I remember that Bob [Coffey] drove me back to Ephrata and then took my car back home for me. That sure seems a long time ago. Your mentioning my stopping at the office to take you swimming, reminds me of the time I got you to fix up the dates on my pass so I could stay home an extra day. Boy I used to get away with murder in those days.
I haven't heard from Cliff for quite awhile myself, but I know he is at Denver now, and still in a Chemical Warfare outfit. I don't have his address so can't write again until he writes. In fact I haven't heard from any of the kids for quite awhile, except Toke, and he is at Camp Shelby, Mississippi now.
The last letter I had from Bob, he said he thought they were under an 18 month rotation plan. His 18 months were up in July so he was planning on being home by Christmas. My two years will be up next month, but I don't believe that will mean a thing for awhile I thought I would be home before Christmas, but I believe now that it was only wishful thinking. I hope tho that Bob can make it.
How did your pictures come out? I hope you won't forget to send me some when they are ready, because I always like to get pictures. Do you remember that picture of you milking a cow on the left side?
I won #5 from Joe on your war over there. He bet it would be over labor day and since yesterday was labor day, I collected this morning. That is one bet I wouldn't have cared if I lost tho.
My gambling luck is still bad except in bridge. I hit one bad day at bridge tho and lost $15, but I have been winning most of the time lately.
We were paid in Dutch guilders this month so the games are quite confused. We all have some Dutch money and some American, so when we want to make change from one to the other it almost requires pencil and paper.
I hope that when you get all finished up over there that you won't have to come down here to help in the finish of this one. I still say that these Islands are no place for a girl, so don't do anything foolish like volunteering or anything.
Well May it is almost chow time and I have about run out of ideas
anyway so I will close. Bye now and write soon.
As Ever,
Swede
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