Free Machine Dreams by Jayne Anne Phillips

learn—experience. Good luck and I will see you.
    Mitch
    June 9, 1942
    Dear Aunt Bess. I have just a few minutes to write this so it will be short. The alert is off for today, for how long no one knows—saw a shipload of troops leave here Sunday afternoon, a lot of workers for Pearl Harbor were aboard. Not a sound as the boat pulled away from the dock, no cheers or good-byes; it gave you a funny feeling. I am not worried about the car, it is yours & Clayton’s to do with as you please, I owe you both a lot more than I could ever repay. Have to close now. I will send the kids a birthday telegram if I can, hello to Clayton. A lieutenant said we would be on the high seas by July 4, but can’t tell. Don’t fret about me.
    Lots of love,
Mitch
    AUSTRALIA
    Brisbane
August 14, 1942
    Dear Aunt Bess. We did not have a bad crossing though it seemed long. I am lucky to have an apartment, in town here with another lieutenant for a few weeks (Lieutenant Estimatakis—he is from Ohio, up near Youngstown). Word is the outfit will go by train across Australia to Townsville, then somewhere in New Guinea. For right now I have no complaints, I have a place to go always, which is good because everyplace else is so crowded and expensive. Liquor is very hard to get except on the black market and is very costly. I get a weekly ration, 1 bottle of spirits and 6 bottles of beer. It doesn’t last long. When I go to town it’s on the electric train, takes thirty-five minutes. The city is alive with men on leave and of course the Base Section Commanders are always present. If you know the right people and places—and have plenty of money—you can have a very good time. Transportation is the big problem but when you learn the trick you are all right. The girls here are very nice (mostly) and there must be 40 for every man. They all want to marry a Yank so they can go to the States. Do not worry about Lorraine—the rumor about us getting married before I left of course was not true. I don’t know why anyone would get married before going to a war. If I had of wanted Lorraine I would have done something (as you thought) about it before enlisting. I am surprised she didn’t find someone before this. Now, I will not be getting any mail for quite awhile, until the outfit moves north, and so you will not hear from me much. But I am well, keep writing letters, they will all catch up with me at once when base camp is established at our next Post.
    As ever,
Mitch
    NEW GUINEA
    APO-929, New Guinea
November 15, 1942
    Dear Reb. Letter from you in the first mail delivery though I have not heard yet from anyone else. Tell them all I am all right, have not had time to write, also there is not much to say. I left Townsville, Australia, with my outfit (am still with 41st Engineers) and arrived at Port Morsby, New Guinea, then we moved by truck to Ora Bay. Tell Clayton I have a 10-yd. dragline and two dozers working now and several cranes. Patched or built them all with junk. We have established a good Base camp here, built tarmac strips for a landing field, etc. I am in charge of the motor pool and all equipment. A week after we got to Ora Bay the Japs landed at Morsby, about 200 of them, but they were surprised by about 60 infantry with machine guns. It was open beach and all the Japs were killed. I was sent down with some men and dozers to bury them—the heat here is infernal, hot as hell, and such a stink as you have never smelled. We wore masks and buried them in pits. Of course you will not say anything about this to the family. It is the worst that has happened as yet, though shelling is sometimes bad—mostly we are kept busy loading and unloading the supply ships, patching the loading machines with scrap, and building more airstrips. We get little news and scant mail. I am well but awfully tired. It’s very difficult for me to sleep but that is the way this climate affects you—nothing to worry about. You are lucky Doc that you did not get pulled in.