November 23, 1943

U.S. Naval Hospital-Long Beach, California

Dear Mom, Pop, Jerry, Mary and Mat,
   I have just come out of a nice warm shower and suddenly had the urge to do a little more writing.
   Last night after sending my last letter out I dressed up and went down to Long Beach. I roamed around most of the time visiting the famous "Pike". It's the exact same thing as Coney Island except it's about half the size. Same old penny arcades, "freak" shows, pop corn stands and baseball games, jammed together. As you might expect it was over run with sailors. They were throwing salutes at me left and right. It got so bad that I had to keep looking to my side and at the the ground. I sent home some junk but it shouldn't be there for two weeks.  I have a few things here that I bought in Mexico but I don't know how I am going to send them out.
   A Red Cross nurse was in this morning and invited two cadets to someones house for Thanksgiving. I said I would go so it looks like I am going to get a free feed. I don't know what kind off deal this is but there's no harm in trying.
   Every Tuesday Kay Francis comes around with a group of movie starts and distributes smokes to the patients. I was told she was working on a picture at present so wasn't going to be here today. Most of the movie stars aren't too famous. One of the girls I saw though, I remember her in a picture but can't recall her name. If I ever do think of her name, I will let you know.
   I received only one letter today. That was from Mat. My gosh, Mat with all those connections you have you should be boss of the P.O. in no time.
   No kidding Mom this is the life. I only got eight hours sleep last night so I snoozed for a few hours this afternoon. Boy what I wreck I am going to be when I get out of this hospital. All this rest will kill me. Say Mom, if you have any wash you want me to do send it on to me. I have to do something.
   This west coast has the worst transportation I have ever seen. All buses stop at 2430 and you are out of luck for the rest of the night. From 1800 to 2430 they only run every half hour and your can imagine how packed they are. Last night I was lucky enough to get a hitch back to the hospital. Two elderly couples gave me a lift right to the gate.
  Funny part about it all was that five of us in the care and we all came from different sections of the country west-midwest-east-south- southwest. It seems that everyone here in Long Beach comes everyplace but California. The population has tripled since the war started.
   There are millions of jobs out here paying good money. Some plants are paying 90 cents and hour while you go to school. The problem is housing. There isn't a room to be had in all this section of the country.
   California seems to be the land of defense housing projects. There are thousands of these small houses, no larger than our garage, surrounding the defense plants.
   Douglas Aircraft in only five miles down the road and I can see these defense homes from the ward. I hate to think of what's going to happen after the war.
  I had better watch myself. I want to write about five more letters tonight and rambling on like this will never help.
                                          That's all for present.
                                                      Your loving son, brother and nephew,
                                                                                               Jim