November 15, 1945

(Letter from Vic in the Philippines to younger brother Paul in Berkeley, California. Photo shows review of American soldiers in Rizal Stadium, Manila.)

Tuesday afternoon,

Dear Paul,

Thanks for your recent letter dated thirty-first October bearing your new address. Meant to reply via air mail yesterday but I've been unable to purchase or borrow any air-mail envelopes. Our mail clerk said that even the div. A.P.O. hasn't had any in stock for some time now.

Just received a line from Yuts dated 29th Oct. He said he'd been alerted for shipment the next day and that he would probably wind up with the Fleet Air Wing I in China. That's bad considering the unpopular support our War, Navy, and State Departments have been giving to the Chinese Nationalists, French Colonials, and Dutch and British Imperialists. These Asiatic people are certainly going to hate us for our present actions here in the Far East.

I'm now in "B" battery because we've all been transferred around according to the number of points we have. We're leaving within a few days and I should certainly be at sea within a week.

Am enclosing a number of articles from the Army newspaper here in the Pacific, Daily Pacifican, that I thought might interest you. Perhaps you'd care to pass same on to Ruts or Ed. I'm replying to the vicious letter sent in by one T/SGT. Carl W. McGuire from HQ of this division. Perhaps I won't be here on the island when they get around to publish my line. If I see it I'll forward same on to you. This newspaper has been publishing a number of good articles. I previously sent Rudy several copies.

Undoubtedly this letter will take many days to reach you because it'll travel by slow ship. Incidentally, Yuts said he'd recently received a letter of yours dated in July that you'd sent under regular 3 cent postage. I've had that happen quite often in the past. Also received long-overdue letter that were incorrectly addressed or lacked my A.P.O. number.

May not get to see you on the West coast. It depends entirely on the situation at Angel Island or Camp Stoneman (to whichever we go to after disembarking). They won't promise me a pass on the West coast at this time. I should be in the States by the tenth of Dec. Don't reply!

Your brother,
Vic