Leonard's Story: August 7, 1945

Apparently Uncle Len had Hepatitis A, or infectious hepatitis.

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                                               Philippines

                                              Aug 7th

Dear Arnold,

     This may catch up with you in Florida.

You should be getting rich on travel pay

and per diem. I feel perfectly well

but will probably be here another week

or so. Two other fellows and I built

a couple of model airplanes, one a

flyable Zero, and the other a solid model

of the P51, which we are giving to a nurse.

If you ever get sick get yellow

jaundice. The only cure is plenty of

rest, and except for two weeks when

I couldn't eat and felt like I had

been kicked in the stomach it hasn't

bothered me at all. However I

a pretty good case of it, they didn't

take my index until I had started

to get well about 16 days later and

it was 95.

     I am starting to put on a

little weight and gut. Enclosed are

two pictures of me. I probably weighed

around 140-150 lbs then (still do).

  

[page 2]

     Although I am a little late may I

extend birthday greetings to an old

man of 24. The three or four years have

really ripped by, what, and they

start accelerating from her on in. When

are you going to get married? or even

get a girl? or have you one in the wood-

pile that I don't know about?

     It looks like we will have to land

on Japan to make them surrender, and I'll

probably be there. How many points have

you got? I have 61! Not counting

my illegitimate children, so I'll

be around here got quite a while.

     Well that's about all for now.

                       love

                     Leonard

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Leonard's Story: July 16, 1945

                                                      July 16

                                                     Leyte Is PI

Dear Arnold,

     Well here I am back on Leyte, a hole

of the first waters. I am in a General Hosp

with a rather severe case of yellow jaundice.

For a while I was pretty yellow (still am), but

its clearing up a little now. I will probably be

here for a month or six weeks or so, as about

the only cure is a good long rest. I would get

sick just as we were coming out of combat. I

had expected to planned to visit Manila

and Baguio, and look up a lot of old friends.

Now I suppose that I will return just in

time to push off for Japan.

     Naturally there isn't much for me to

write about, inasmuch as I have been in bed

for almost three weeks. All I do is read,

sleep, play cards, or chew the fat with some

of the other patients. A hell of a life!

From your letter I surmise that you had a

good visit in the valley. I sure wish I

could have been there. I tell you what

I would like to have right now a thick

malted milk at that malt shop in Hanford,

or even a plain glass of cold fresh milk.

[page 2]

     If it is possible would you explain in a little

more detail just what kind of work you are

doing now (if any).

     Wel Bud, its pretty hard to think of

something to write about, when absolutely

nothing new happens, and when there isn't

much life (pep) in you. So I am going

to close. Write soon.

                        Love

                        Leonard

P.S. Address

     118th Gen Hosp

     APO 1002 c/PM

     S-- ---

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