The War Letters

February 10, 1944

"I am considering going to New York for the weekend - it seems a shame to miss going there when I'm so near but I may decide not to go after all - I hate to spend my capital reserve." He still has about $45 "stibokes" on hand, but is spending some everyday on cigarettes, milk, a few beers. Each shipping list is taking some of the firemen, so it's never certain what shift he will have. Today he got his first haircut - not G.I. and if he'd seen the whole business in a move he'd have "laughed himself silly." In the barbershop today there were six barbers working, three side of a large room is outfitted for the barbers with about 4 on each side. The fourth side of the room has two long rows of benches and seats for "those that would be mangled." men move up a seat each time one of the shearers calls "next." His turn, he was only relieved of a small part of his right ear - they waste no time - about 12-14 minutes per man. Today he got his 4th and final shot.  "The stock joke to all newcomers here is when they march in everyone yells 'Look out for the hook?' This is a reference to the shots, two of them; you get almost as soon as you arrive. We then get them aside and glibly describe that the first shot is called the Torpedo and the second one the Umbrella and that both are administered up the rectum." Off to mail this one in the 3:30 outgoing mail...