April 3, 1944

(Letter from Vic to younger brother Paul, from Bougainville in the Solomon Islands to Berkeley, CA. Photos show the American graveyard at Bougainville, March 1944, and a photo taken from a dead Japanese soldier.)

Dear Paul,

Many thanks for your most interesting letter dated the 11 March which just arrived yesterday. Believe I wrote you several days ago. How is the mail service in that direction? Were all the items safely enclosed?

Out intelligence readily passed that stuff, but one never can tell about some of the old base censors. Well, I'm enclosing a few prints herein, three of which were sent to me, and the fourth deals with native subjects as you can see. I have a fair group of war scenes now, but, as we cannot send them back to the States nor transport them on our body or amongst equipment they will undoubtedly deteriorate within a few more months in the tropics so as to be unrecognizeable.

Most of the war-film troops have deals with subjects that are hardly of use to the enemy even if he could obtain same, and yet one can hardly expect any photos to pass on to the addressee. Understand, our organization's censors haven't the authority to without film, unless, of course, it deal with outright and valuable military info., but enroute all mail with material enclosed other than writing matter is inspected by our beloved base censors. Do you think I should attempt to try sending a lot thru to you?

Please forward these snapshots on home unless you care to keep them. These were terribly poor imitations of Jap photographs that I forwarded to you recently, and you can keep or discard same at your pleasure except for the dog-tag which I'd like you to keep for me.

However, I mailed Ruts three pictures that weren't too bad that you ask to see. Two of Tojo's stooges viewed in them have joined honorable deceased ancestors.

I am glad to hear you have begun metallurgy, but why do they specify physical? I thought your studies would deal with both chemical and physical properties of metals. You should be able to satisfactorily complete such a course and graduate a metallurgist so buckle down to it! I should think it would be very absorbing.


Personally, I've been considering completing my high school credits for a diploma that I might take a U.S.F.S. civil service exam and make forestry. Received some dope from Wash. U.S.F.S. office that sounds mighty interesting.

Of course, it'd be necessary to have some time to concentrate on the required subjects, and overseas is as good a place as any. Look like I've a minimum of fifteen months more time to serve over here unless the qualified time for relief in this theatre is lowered from two yrs.

Am awaiting word from Wm Horlick's on my credit standings. Can't say how I'd manage it were I to hit the States in the future. However, that's almost the remotest of possibilities. What do you think of the idea?

Do Rudy and Ed write to you regularly?

I've been corresponding regularly with Ray Reed so I have his latest address but thanks anyhow. I sailed from Noumea, New Caledonia to the Canal on his ship last summer on it was the winter (rainy) season down there then. His ship is a swell transport as far as G.I. transportation facilities go. It's fast and comparitively new.

Ray recently said he'd written you a while back and had the letter returned as the address was old. Apparently they didn't have a forwarding address of yours at that place. Ray says he's been in the general vicinity of this place, but I don't he's come all the way up as yet. Believe he's hit New Guinea already.

Incidentally, Jake Valentine will be leaving that place in the future under the rotation plan as well as Max Mueckler. Dave Altman quite recently wrote me from that place also. You can see he couldn't have taried long on the west coast. Sorry you didn't get to see him as he's a swell guy and a vet-member.

Yes, I correspond with Yuts, Sid and Irv Goldberg. Haven't seen Yuts up this way as yet. Did you hear of or read of the War Dept.'s statement regarding their intention of discontinuing the A.S.T.P? The need for overseas replacements and technicians is more than vital than sending able-bodied men to school to enter studies of their choice. If there isn't enough draftees to send over to help fight the war why can't they send us those YSO commandos who're wearing themselves out playing college students?

Paul, I realized that the W.D. has pulled some boners and been rather erratic and that certain lousy congressional cliques favor dropping the program that is educational, but did you learn the opinion of that Navy overseas vet you mentioned?

Naturally the A.S.T.P and V-12 programs have a number of good points. Say would you favour letting G.I.s go home to college from overseas?

Your brother
Vic

Didn't you know - we have two seasons here in the S. Pacific - rainy and wet.