T/5 EDWARD ZABRUSKY 37713618 HQS COMPANY BASE "K" AG/RC APO 72 INTER ISLAND T/5 BOB WEBBER 36925893 686 QM BAKER CO., APO 159 INTER ISLAND TACLOBAN LEYTE 5 MAY 46 DEAR WEBBER (SPELLED WITH TWO B'S) I RECEIVED YOUR LETTER YESTERDAY SO I HAD BETTER SIT DOWN AND DASH OFF A FEW LINES TO LET YOU KNOW HOW THINGS ARE GOING IN THIS FINE PLACE. IT TOOK YOUR LETTER ONLY FIVE DAYS TO GET HERE SO THAT IS A LITTLE FASTER SERVICE THAN MINE GOT. I SPENT A VERY FINE SUNDAY AFTERNOON TODAY AND IT WAS ONE OF THOSE RARE AFTERNOONS IN WHICH YOU COULD ACTUALLY RE- LAX. SINCE I HAVE BEEN WORKING NIGHTS I HAVEN'T BEEN SLEEP- ING AS MUCH AS I SHOULD BECAUSE I HATE TO WASTE THE DAY SO I STAY UP AND THEN I WORK AT NIGHTS SO THAT TAKES CARE OF THAT. WELL ANYWAY I WAS GOING TO SLEEP ALL AFTERNOON AND GOOD OLD BORDIN CALLED ME FROM THE ENGINEERS AND TOLD ME THAT FRYE AND HE WERE COMING IN TO GET ME TO GO FOR A SPIN. SO SPIN WE DID. WE TOOK IN A LOT OF THE ISLAND, WE CLIMBED THAT HIGH MOUNTAIN NEAR PALO, WENT SWIMMING THEN TO TOP OFF THE DAY WE STOPPED BY THE OLD ORDNANCE OUTFIT AND SAW SOME OF THE FEL- LOWS FAGAN, DAVIDSON AND A LOT MORE. THEY HAVE AN EXCELLENT CLUB OUT THERE AND THERE IS ONE OF THE FINEST PIANOS THAT I HAVE SEEN OVERSEAS THERE. WELL YOU KNOW WHERE THAT LEAD. I HADN'T REALIZED IT, BUT FRYE HAD NEVER HEARD ME PLAY ON A PIANO. BOY IT CERTAINLY IS GOOD TO SIT DOWN TO A PIANO THAT IS IN TUNE AND POSSESSES ALL THE FUNDEMENTAL THINGS OF A FINE INSTRUMENT. I HAVE BEEN DOING QUITE A BIT OF PLAYING SINCE THERE ARE TWO PIANOS OVER HERE IN THE BASE K RECREATION HALL I HAVE ALL AFTERNOON TO PLAY. AFTER GADDING AROUND ALL DAY TODAY I CAME AN HOUR AND A HALF LATE FOR WORK. OH WELL THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW THE DIFFERENCE. SO YOU AND THE SEA URCHINS DON'T SEEM TO GET ALONG? WELL HERE THEY HAVE JELLYFISH TO CONTEND WITH. CRABTREE BRUSHED UP AGAINST ONE WHILE SWIMMING AND IT LEFT NUMEROUS OPEN SORES ALL OVER HIS LEGS. THAT IS ONE REASON WHY I DON'T LIKE TO SWIM AROUND HERE. WHAT IN HECK ARE YOU AND FORD AND WECKY TRYING TO DO? YOU KNOW A FELLOW COULD GET HURT IN ONE OF THOSE VEHICLES. OF COURSE THERE WAS A FLIP INVOLVED SO THAT EXPLAINS A LOT. BY THE WAY I SAW IN A CABLE THAT YOUR UNIT IS TO BE INACTIVATED ONE OF THESE DAYS. BROTHER I CAN JUST SEE YOU WEBBER STANDING ON THE STERN OF THE SHIP, YOUR EYES STRAINED LOOKING TO SHORE AND AS YOU TAKE A DEEP BREATH YOU GET YOUR FIRST WHIF OF BASE K CHICKEN S---. ZABRUSKY!!!!! SUCH LANGUAGE. [Page 2] WE CERTAINLY DO HAVE FINE OFFICES HERE TO WORK IN. THEY ARE MADE FROM QUONSET HUTS AND ARE ALL PANELED ON THE INSIDE. WE HAVE AN AWFUL LOT OF FLIPS WORKING FOR US AND BROTHER DO THEY JABBER. THAT IS ONE ADVANTAGE ABOUT WORKING NIGHTS YOU DON'T HAVE THEM ALL TO PUT UP WITH, ALTHOUGH WE DO HAVE ONE WHO DOES THE TYPING FOR US HERE. WE LIVE IN A REGULAR NAVY BARRACKS BUT I WOULD STILL RATHER BE IN A TENT. I HAVEN'T BEEN GOING TO THE SHOWS HERE VERY MUCH BUT I DID GET TO SEE RHAPSODY IN BLUE FINALLY. THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE IS COMING THIS WEEK I HOPE I GET TO SEE IT. THEY ARE SHOWING SOME OF THE MOVIES THAT WERE ON MINDANAO A LONG TIME AGO. HQS COMPANY HAD A DANCE THE OTHER NIGHT AND WHAT A BLOW- OUT. WE HAD THE BASE K BAND AND ALL THE OFFICE GIRLS WERE THERE. THEY ARE ALL PRETTY GOOD LOOKING COMPARED TO MOST FLIP WOMEN EITHER THAT OR I HAVE BEEN OVERSEAS TOO LONG. I DANCED FIVE DANCES, THE FIRST I HAVE DANCED IN A LONG TIME. HERE THEY HAD COKE AND ICE CREAM AS MUCH AS YOU WANTED. THEY HAD SANDWICHES CAKE COOKIES AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT MAKE UP A BUFFET SNACK. BURCUM AND ALL THE FELLOWS WERE UP THERE AND AS USUAL THEY WERE FEELING PRETTY HAPPY. MINDANAO WAS NEVER LIKE THIS. RUARK IS WORKING IN THE KITCHEN AND SINCE THEY ARE ONLY THERE DURING MEAL TIME SERVING HE HAS THE REST OF THE TIME OFF AND SINCE I AM OFF EVERYDAY THE TWO OF US SPEND MOST OF OUR TIME DOWN AT THE RED CROSS HERE PLAYING TENNIS. BOY IT FEELS NEAT TO BAT THE OLD BALLS AROUND AGAIN. AUSTIN IS STILL DRIVING ME CRAZY WITH THAT "WHEN WE GOING HOME BUSINESS". I WONDER ABOUT HIM SOMETIMES. JUNIOR IS STILL THE SAME. HERE HE HAS FOUND A GROUP OF MEN WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD HIS WONDER- FUL TALES. HE IS GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME. HE IS NOW IN QM IN THE BN HQS AND GETTING TO BE QUITE A BTO SINCE HE IS IN THE OFFICE. HE SAYS THAT HE IS EXPECTING A T/4 ANY DAY NOW. I JUST HAD MY NIGHTLY CALL FROM BORDIN AND HE SAID TO TELL YOU AND WECKMAN HELLO AND ALSO TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE DAMN HILL THAT WE WENT UP TODAY. HE AND FRYE GET ALONG PRETTY GOOD TOGETHER AND THEY COME IN TO THE BASE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. YOU CAN'T GO ANYWHERE HERE WITHOUT SEEING ONE OR TWO OF THE GUYS FROM OUR OLD OUTFIT. I HAVE EXPENDED MY MEAGER SUPPLY OF NEWS SO UNTIL THE NEXT TIME I HAD BETTER RING OFF. YOU GUYS TAKE CARE OF YOUR- SELVES YOU MAY BE GOING HOME ONE OF THESE FINE DAYS. I'LL BE SEEING YOU. IT IS ALMOST 2300 AND TIME FOR ME TO EAT SO GOODNIGHT. EDDY -------------------------------------------------------------------- This document is transcribed as it was typed. It has no signature. Source: Letter from Eddy Zabrusky to Bob Webber on 5 May 1946. "BTO" is an abbreviation for Big Time Operator. "FLIP" is slang for Filipino. Transcribed by Paul M. Webber on 31 March 2002 Home Page: http://home.pcisys.net/~pwebber/31_id/rtw.htm