Dear Folks:
I received Dad’s letter today acknowledging the first one I mailed from here and I’m so glad it made you feel better. Also had one from Mom but it was several days older. I guess the first thing on this communiqué will be about yesterday. Minatare moved 7,000 miles across the Pacific to Saipan when Dick, Jack Conklin and myself got together for an afternoon’s reunion. Until yesterday the three of us had been unable to get together at one time, but we finally got CO’s okeh. Dick attended services at the 27th Division cemetery just after dinner and met Jack and I at Jack’s outfit about three o’clock. This tripartite reunion means more than you realize. While we were there Jack took several pictures and he’ll send them as soon as possible. We thought also that it might be interesting to have it put in the Star-Herald with a short story below it. Jack will send the pictures to his Dad, and he left the writing end of it up to me, but now I don’t know how much the censors will allow. Probably by this time you have received my three page letter and there should be some material in that. Jack wanted me to write his dad with a little story to go with the picture but you can get all the information from his folks, and you can fit something together. About the first thing we do at these meetings is exchange news about the ‘old country’ and each adds to his bit of gossip. It seems there are a million changes back there and very few of the old faces will be left. Vic Sage getting wedded drew quite a comment, and every time someone has a baby we wonder how they could grow up so fast. And Jack Lupher too – it seems they are all marrying the Russians. Maybe it’s a good thing Dick got out when he did. And speaking of Dick, he does a lot more talking than before and because he had so many harrowing experiences than Jack or I, he had quite a little to say. I don’t suspect he will be writing much now but I’ll do his share and let you know all I find out.
The money enclosed is some of that I found that I told you about in a previous letter. This little guy I got it from must have been a paymaster or something of the sort for he sure had a wad. I’ve given away quite a slug too. The 100 yen note is pretty scarce. The holes in the bills were caused by a bullet which I found bedded in the center. The exchange rate is 20 yen for an American dollar, and the smaller bills I believe are 50 sen or a half a yen. As soon as I can arrange it I’m going to send home the sword and a few other items that Dick and I found – Dick found most of them. The souvenir racket runs into some big stuff here and some fancy prices are quoted for some things. Swords are quoted from $500 to $1,000. But ours weren’t boughten, they were found. Dick and I tried to imagine Mom’s little gasps if she could see some of the things.
I believe this is about all of interest this time. A Bob Hope movie is on tonight. Our ‘theatre’ is a hole scooped out by a bulldozer and the seats, the scooped out dirt. Well, adios and ‘buenos noches’ for now.
Love,
