USCG Laurel - Edward Gontarz, Jan 1944

Edward Gontarz SZ USCG

USS Laurel

c/o Fleet Post Office

New York, NY

January 18 1943(*1944)

Miss Naomi Speer
National Safety Bank & Trust Co
1384 Broadway
New York, New York

Dear Naomi,

     Again I must start a one sided letter. Because I still haven't received any mail since I left the states.

     Because of this, I simply can't find anything to write about. Around here it's called no mans land because a man shouldn't be here. Because if he is he's all alone. With the exception of 15 Army nurses there are no women which you can even look at.

     We don't get any mail here until a ship comes from the states. This might be once a week or maybe once a month. I don't know if our mail is taken out faster than this. I sure hope so. At least I can write to people back home telling them I am OK. But if sure would be perfect if the mail would come to us once in a while, so we could know how everyone else back home is making out.

     By the way, if I am correct your birthday comes the 28th or so of this month, doesn't it? Well if it does I'll ready have your birthday present. It's a little something I picked up down here. But I don't believe I can send it on account it will show just where we are. And this is against regulations. Sorry but I think you'll have to wait until I get back to the States.

     In one of your letters you asked me my home town's address. This was if you didn't hear from me

cont'

you would write and ask my mother about me. Well this is OK by me. But one little lope note. You see if you don't hear from me neither will my mother. Anyway the next time I see you, you'll maybe find out everything about me, because I believe we'll see a lot of each other. This is the way my mind runs. How about you? Will you spend some of your time with me? Of course this will all be in about 6 or 8 more months before we hit the States again.

     I sure would like to hit New York City in the summer time. Then you could show me all of NY we didn't see the last few times. If I have a weekend at the time we'll spend it somewhere out at a lake or in the mountains somewhere.

     What's going on back at the States? Here we don't get a newspaper or nothing. Not even the Readers Digest. Maybe this is due to the fact we can't even get any mail.

     Well I believe I'll end this letter because lack of space. I hope you get both sheets at once to read. With this I'll sign my name and keep thinking of you.

Love

Ed Gontarz

* Information on the Laurel