Letter from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams, January 15, 1945

Well honey we are still rolling, rolling over the deep blue sea. It has really been grand sailing today, beautiful sunshine and very warm. Also the water has been calm but I will still be glad when we again set foot on land for a change.

Honey I am surely getting homesick for some of your letters and hope there will be some waiting when we arrive at our destination. Also it will be a lot easier to find some thing to write about when we get there I think. Then again perhaps everything of interest will be censored as it now is.

We had a fairly good dinner tonite, nothing to rave about but better than usual. Had roast pork, noodles, asparagus, lettuce salad and some peaches for desert. Honey when I come back your going to be a very busy little girl in more ways than one. One of course will be cooking and what I mean I don’t believe I will ever get my fill of it. Was talking with one of the boys today and he remarked how well he liked hot biscuits with good steak gravy. It reminded me of many happy memories which I hope will soon return.

Just had to take time out for a cigarette and try to think of some thing new to write however can’t say it helped much. When we have a cigarette we either have to go up on deck or into the latrine and of course there is no smoking on deck after dark. Also every place we go of course we must wear our life belts and pistol belt with a full canteen   of water. I am not complaining about that because it is a good safety feature but it does get tiresome dragging it around and hooking same on every one walking by in the narrow aisles. It will seem rather odd to be on land and be able to walk around again without elbowing your way.

I was thinking and wondering today if I told you on the phone about how I got to see the show at Radio City Music Hall that night. There was a crowd there over a block long all the time. As fast as people would go in more would follow in the line. When the theatre is filled (over 10,000) they merely close the doors. They keep the crowd roped in on the sidewalk to hold the line in order. I was standing near the door or entrance when an officer (Police) came along. He said, do you want to see the show, and of course I said I would like to very much. He lifted up the rope and said okay go under. I was third from the last in the theatre when they closed the doors. I thought it very nice of him being so considerate, don’t you? That’s one place we must visit when we go to New York.

Well darling, I am again out of news so will say that’s all for now.