15 July 1945

In this letter, Jim is sunburned from taking a day off from work to fish and sunbath. The best way the crew has found to swim and not be eaten by sharks is to put a "motor whaleboat in the water with a crew in it to stand off from the ship about 100 feet and watch for sharks while we're in swimming. One fellow in the boat has a Thompson machine gun and there is a fellow on the ship with an automatic rifle, so if one comes monkeying around, he wont get a chance to bite a leg off." Guess they have to do what the have to do to swim in the Atlantic for a bit.

Sunday, 15 July,

At sea.

Another day and what a day! Didn't turn to in the office at all today. Just fished all morning and swam all afternoon. The water was "just rite" and did we enjoy it. Haven't caught my shark yet, but it's almost sunset now and I'm going back on the fan-tail and bait my hook and get ready. I got a bit too much sun today on my legs. First day I have been in shorts and I get pretty red. My face and upper part of my body is taking it nice. No blisters and not sore, but red, oh my. Tomorrow I'll have to really get to work and get caught up. Even so, I plan on getting an hour or two in the sun, and most likely, a swim every day. We put the motor whaleboat in the water with a crew in it to stand off from the ship about 100 feet and watch for sharks while we're in swimming. One fellow in the boat has a Thompson machine gun and there is a fellow on the ship with an automatic rifle, so if one comes monkeying around, he wont get a chance to bite a leg off.

The month is half over. We will stay here until about the 3rd of August, then it is rumored we will go to Newfoundland. From there, we may go up about Iceland or Greenland, or maybe south again. Dont think we'll be in the States before latter part of September, or October. Can never tell though. Sure wish I could receive mail from you while out here. It's hard to write a one-way letter all the time. I dont know what you're doing or how. I'd better have a few letters waiting for me though when I get back to the next port. You should be going home today. You've been gone two weeks. I mailed the last letter to your new address. It wont get back int eh states however until about the 16th or 17th, and you should get it shortly thereafter. I do hope you like your new home and the set-up in general. I'm sure your new pappy will have a nice step-daughter. You couldn't be too naughty, could you? Had a letter from Bob in California and he sent three snapshots of he, Esther, and the baby. Sure nice. They were tickled to have found a house to live in. Seems they had been bouncing from one family to another trying to find some place to live. Guess housing facilities there is as bad as everywhere else. That's why I intend to build me a home after the war. I want to be sure to have some place to live anyway. Darling, I can't think af anything of interest to write about. Just thought I'd sit down and chat a bit with you this afternoon, then cut it off until tomorrow, and do the same thing then. Goodnight, sweet dreams.