January 6, 1943

Dear Pop,

We were supposed to go on another fourteen mile hike this morning, This type of activity as you know, doesn't interest me in the least. Acting on this one prevailing thought in my mind, I took off in the blackness of early morn and heading for a new service club that is nearing completion. I only went on the last march to see what it was like. That, as far as I'm concerned, is sufficient for the duration.

To get on with the story, Joe and I, Joe is the only goldbrick that outranks me, arrived at the club at least two hours before daybreak. The sun rises about eight thirty down here. We went in and spread some excelsior on the floor and continued our much deserved sleep. The next thing we knew, the man with a white coat was shaking us. Still half asleep, it wasn't clear in my befogged mind where I was, until the familiar odor of paint flowed into my nostrils. Then I knew the painters had arrived. The lights are on now and I looked around and saw that the bed we were laying on, that is the excelsior was being used for filling floors. Every one of my muscles were stiff from the previous day's work. Every floor alone is 200 ft. long and 100 ft. wide. I got talking to the "Boss" and he offered me a job. This would be alright is I could get the time off.

Something that interested me more is a huge metal water tower right in the back of the building. This tank stands on six legs 94 ft. high and the tank itself is 20 ft. high. This was about one third painted and he offered me $75 to finish painting it. I judged it would take about three day's to finish it because the bottom of the tank was all done. He said I was about right but again no time. He said I could use his equipment. We spent a good part of the morning just snoozing around until a Lieutenant showed up to inspect the place. We then shoved on to the PX, remaining there until the boys came in tired and bedraggled from their physical tortures.

As ever,

Al