SATURDAY

MY DEAR AUNT AND UNCLE

FIRST LET ME SAY MAZEL TOV AND WISH THAT YOU AND YOURS WILL KNOW ONLY OF THE GOOD THINGS IN LIFE. MAY DAVIE'S FIRST BORN BRING ONLY JOY AND HAPPINESS TO ALL OF YOU.

MOMMA WROTE ME THE NEWS BUT SHE WAS SO EXCITED THAT SHE FORGOT TO TELL ME WHETHER IT WAS A BOY OR A GIRL -- BUT EITHER ONE I'M SURE IT'S MORE THAN WELCOME.

I RECEIVED YOUR LETTER AND AM HAPPY THAT YOU HAD NO TROUBLE READING IT AND I CAN SAY THAT I HAD NOT A SINGLE DIFFICULTY IN READING YOUR JEWISH SCRIPT. AND IF YOU FIND IT BEST TO WRITE ME IN JEWISH YOU CAN GO RIGHT AHEAD AND I WILL FIND IT JUST AS WELCOME AS THE LETTERS YOU WRITE ME IN ENGLISH.

I COULD COMPLAIN ABOUT THE HEAT -- BUT WHAT I'VE HEARD LATELY HAD CONVINCED ME THAT IT IS PLENTY HOT AT HOME SO I GUESS WE ARE PRETTY MUCH EVEN AS THE WEATHER GOES.

OF LATE I HAVE BEEN DOING QUITE A BIT OF GETTING AROUND -- I VISIT MANY OF THE NEIGHBORING TOWNS AROUND HERE AND GET A BIG KICK OUT OF SEEING HOW THE PEOPLE HERE LIVE. I DON'T CARE MUCH FOR THE SOUTH […] BUT […] I MAKE THE BEST OF IT.

I WENT TO NASHVILLE A FEW TIMES -- NASHVILLE IS THE CAPITOL OF TENNESSEE. IT IS A BIG SOUTHERN CITY BUT IN NEW YORK IT WOULD FIT IN ABOUT EIGHT CITY BLOCKS. BUT HERE IT'S A BIG CITY. I LIKED IT VERY MUCH CAUSE I WENT SWIMMING AT THE YOUNG MENS HEBREW ASSOCIATION AND MET QUITE A FEW SOLDIERS AND CIVILIANS -- YOU KNOW US JEWS GET TOGETHER EVERYWHERE, AND WHEREVER WE ARE WE'RE BOUND TO FIND EACH OTHER AND HAVE A GOOD TIME WHEN WE DO. THE SWIMMING POOL WAS REALLY A TREAT SINCE I LIKE SWIMMING -- AND THINK OF IT -- ME WITH A WHOLE OCEAN FOR A BACK YARD HAVING TO SWIM IN A SWIMMING POOL -- THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE GOING TO LICK THE PANTS OFF THE AXIS -- SO GUYS LIKE ME CAN COME HOME AND GO SWIMMING IN THE [ocean] AGAIN.

BEST OF ALL OF MY TRIP TO NASHVILLE WAS THE JEWISH MEAL. I FOUND A NICE JEWISH RESTAURANT THERE -- AND HE GIVES THE SOLDIERS A BREAK AND DOESN'T CHARGE THEM THE FULL PRICE FOR THE MEAL -- SO FOR A DOLLAR AND A QUARTER I GET A TWO AND A HALF DOLLAR MEAL -- AND THEY AREN'T BAD.

SO YOU SEE, US CITY GUYS HAVE TO BE NEAR A BIG CITY OR ELSE WE'RE LOST. BESIDES NASHVILLE IS 65 MILES FROM HERE BUT YOU'D BE SURPRISED I GO THERE AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK -- AND IT DOESN'T COST A CENT CARFARE -- I ALWAYS HITCH HIKE THERE -- AND THE PEOPLE ON THE ROAD ARE ALWAYS GIVING SOLDIERS A RIDE -- AND THEN I KNOW THERE WILLING TO GIVE -- SO I DON'T INSULT THEM BY REFUSING -- BUT PICK THE BEST CAR ON THE ROAD TO TAKE A LIFT IN.

THINGS HERE ARE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME -- I'M STILL DOING THE SAME WORK POUNDING OUT TELEGRAMS FOR UNCLE SAMMY -- AND SPENDING MY DAY OFF THE BEST I CAN. MY MOM SENT ME A BATHING SUIT -- SO NOW I TAKE SUN BATHS AND NEXT WEEK ONE OF THE OUTDOOR SWIMMING POOLS WILL OPEN UP SO I'LL START SWIMMING THERE.

I HOPE EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL WITH YOU AND UNCLE. AS FOR THE WAR SITUATION -- THE ALLIES ARE STILL CLIMBING UPWARD SO WITH GOD'S HELP THE END IS SOON TO COME. I AM SORRY TO HAVE KEPT U WAITING FOR AN ANSWER -- BUT WISH YOU AND YOURS PLENTY OF JOY AND NOW WILL DAY GOOD NIGHT AND WAIT PATIENTLY UNTIL I HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN ---

Phil