V-Mail - Edward Gontarz, Mar 1944

Edward Gontarz S 1/C

United States Coast Guard

U.S.S. Laurel

c/o Fleet Post Office

New York N.Y.

12 March 1944

Miss Naomi Speer
National Safety Bank & Trust Co
1384 Broadway
New York 18 N.Y.

My Dear Naomi,

     Well just how are you?  Still punching for me?  I hope you are because it would make me feel good to know it.
     Some of the words I may put in might be censored then it may not be.  You see I'll just write along and what they don't like they'll just take it out.
     This morning we landed [CENSORED].  Its not as cold up here as I figured it would be.  A little colder than in the States but not bad at all.
     It was regular routine work during the daytime and at five o'clock the fellows that had liberty were starting to shove off the ship to be on land again. 
     I happened to be one of the boys which had liberty and was able to see it.  To be truthful it was nothing at all to see.  I went over to the canteen to get a few glasses of beer and what happened?  Yes, they closed the canteen as soon as I stopped into it.  Just my luck isn't it.
     Maybe this will be the last place we will hit that has any beer to drink and I had to miss out on it.  You see up north they do not serve any hard stuff anywhere.  So just wait until I hit good old N.Y. again.
     Before I forget.  The Navy band sponsored a dance for our ship U.S.S. Laurel.  But it didn't do any of us any good.  Why there were only about 25 girls here and about 500 service men.  So figure it out yourself.  The permanent boy which were stationed here had them all.
     And the girls.  Why you made me laugh about the guys you seened in Greenwich village.  But you should see some of them out here.  The lack of space does not permit me to write about it.
     So if you'll excuse the mistakes and take my love I'll remain the same as always

Love.

Ed.