May 17, 1943
No. 31
Dear Folksies,
The party the other night was given at another school — this one occupied by some nurses from another outfit. They had a nice large room and we had a good eight-piece band. Sgt. Sateja put on his act which as usual went over big. That was the 37th show he has put on here since February. When Martha Raye was here he won quite a nice prize — a complete make-up kit. He has become exceedingly popular around here and is well-known now for several miles around. Unfortunately at the party the other night Major Collie didn’t show up, so Sateja couldn’t “give him the works.” Mattie had never seen the act before and was just in hysterics during the whole thing.
Some of the officers and nurses of the other outfit were invited to the party and it turned out that one of the nurses was a gal from French Hospital in S.F. who knew Bob Treadwell and myself from our unit. She had been a student nurse, affiliating at the County when I was on Psych there as a intern. I just vaguely remembered her, and Bob, who had taken her out, so she said, had trouble remembering her.
At the party, Bob Escamilla took over with the bass viola for the first time since Camp Pickett and really pounded on that thing.
Day before yesterday, Lois had the afternoon off, so we went swimming again. It was so hot that for once I was sort of glad that I had some old calluses on my feet, for the sand was just scorching. This time there was really a big mob out there — our men filled two 1-1/2 ton trucks and the officers and nurses filled two 3/4 ton trucks. Quite a gang!
Last night we went to the movies and saw “Random Harvest” with Ronald Coleman and Greer Garson. ‘Tis truly a wonderful picture – don’t miss it !!! There had been such a mob there the night before that we all went down early and managed to be the first ones in the theater, getting the first-row-balcony seats.
Golly, what won’t pop up next. I see in the bulletin today that they have opened up a golf course near where we go swimming. Of course, there are a limited number of golf clubs available, but the course is open! As I think I have told you before, there are several tennis courts available here and also rackets. So, you see, the poor guys here who “work so hard,” really have a bad time of it. I think that we shall just stick to the swimming, however. As Lois only gets one day off and a very occasional afternoon off, the swimming is far the better activity to indulge in — i.e. swimming and sunning on the beach.
Loads of love,
.
