A Fun Sailor’s Song – September 26, 1943 (Alex)

I’ve been transcribing letters at a rapid pace but deliquent about posting them here on the blog. I’m going to post a few in quick succession without a lot of analysis.

In this letter we see the first hint that Alex and Sylvia will be moving to an apartment of their own! Alex tells Sylvia to let people know about their change of address. He shares a very funny song about life at the base and I like to imagine Alex singing it with his pals.

You can see the postcard Alex refers to in the letter in this previous post.

Alex to Sylvia 

Sunday

My darling sweetheart,

I am beginning this letter without knowing what to write, but this is SUnday Morning and the boys are in church and this afternoon I am standing guard so I don’t know if I’ll get a better chance than this to write.

Monday will be a field day for you, this one the one I wrote yesterday and a postcard.

Life goes on in its monotonous usual, we talk of leave of what will do when we go home, and the Rooster and so on. 

We don’t know yet when the competition will go under way probably next Saturday. It just came in my mind did you get the Knickerbocker deposits back? Did you notify the gas company yet of our change of address? Wrote to Mr Fach about changing address, SR.T. —? Projects. Etc? If you didn’t, do it now. To Anita ? tell them to discontinue and state the reason. I shall write them to as soon as I get the correct address from Serena. 

How is Boopsie? I can’t very well imagine her growing, I bet she will be a big girl by the time I get back.

Page 2

I will write a letter to Al perhaps after this is finished and cheer him up a little. I’ve sent a letter to mom and Edward, ask Edward to show it to you, I am trying to get him to find himself some pals. I wonder if I’ll succeed. 

Here is a song we just learned:

The coffee that you get they say is mighty fine

It’s good for cuts and bruises and 

Taste like Iodine

Oh I don’t like this Sampson life

Oh gee I want to go home

The biscuits that they give us 

They say it’s mighty fine

One fell off the table

And killed a pal of mine

Oh I don’t etc..

The chicken that they give us 

They say etc.

One  jumped off the table 

And started marking time

Oh I don’t etc.

Page 3

The pay that they give us

They say it’s mighty fine

They give fifty dollars

And fine us forty nine

Oh I don’t etc.

As I learn them I shall write them to you when I get home I’ll sing them, there many more verses and they really sound good, some of them not so clean-

The informational news are not so bad and I suppose the second front is not any more in ought than ever but still a lot has been accomplished, I suppose there is a lot to do to make and those who want to make it don’t want to give up.

We had a movie during our indoctrination and it sure was fine, because it gave a little background to the present situation, of course I could have suggested some additional information, but it was good.

There was a regimental review yesterday

Page 4

and it looked beautiful. Our company was in it too, but your old man was not because my blue blotches were at the tailor and we all had to dress alike, so poor me was on the “watch” relieving another boy for the parade. To our great surprise our Chief thought we were swell and had a big smile.. Neither he or us thought that we could march as we did. Of course everyone had set his heart to do well. 

What kind of dress you bought, what color? So you look as beautiful as ever? Write me about everything. Friday night I went to services and I couldn’t help but to think of good soldier Schweik. After services the boys ran for the door, so the chaplain called all of them hell, Where do you think you are, you’re in the Navy now and you don’t move before your superior officers leave the room (He was the only officer there he is a lieutenant.) and gave us a real bawling out, where do you think you are, in the Bronx? So I had to laugh, like particularly because I didn’t have my uniform on but my dungarees (uniform at the tailor) so I felt like Schweik who had to go to services in his underwear. I was with Ben Alpert cheering all services because he

Page 5

Had dungarees on. 

The chowder heads are making so much noise that you can’t hear yourself think. They are playing pinnacle for do, of course you are not allowed to gamble but they play on points and at the end of the game they pay each other off –

I feel fine and fit. Lately I am getting cosier and cosier dreams, I am afraid that some night I might let it go. I dream of you and we really have a swell time. 

Honey my love to you and baby I think of you very much.

._../ ._../ ._../ and millions of kisses Adrienne from me and junior. 

(This is the letter L which when called out has to be called love.)

Alex

My best to all the family